In a time when large white canvases and loose objects are displayed in major exhibitions, you might wonder why you perceive contemporary art as utter rubbish.
For many people, this ‘new art’ is not only meaningless but also frustrating and uninspiring. It seems as if everyday objects are linked to a message or story that is then elevated by art enthusiasts as intellectual and artistic.
Does this mean that people who don’t appreciate it are missing something? Or is contemporary art really just plain trash and not to your taste?
The idea and motivation behind modern paintings and installations stand in stark contrast to those of a few centuries ago. During the time of Klimt and van Eyck, craftsmanship and attention to detail were signs of true artistry.
Today, art containing such grandeur is viewed as outdated and even kitschy. The craftsmanship that Michelangelo put into more realistic works is no longer as highly regarded as it is in theBacchus paintings by Twombly. But there is a reason for that.
Why this kind of Art exists
To create art is always an experiment. A blend of personal thoughts, attempting new things, and breaking the conventions.
In the time of grandmasters like Rembrandt, painting and sculpture adhered to fixed rules that determined whether a work of art was deemed good. This primarily revolved around the craftsmanship that manifested in attention to detail, emotion, narrative, and above all, realism.
In contrast with traditional art
- While previous art styles always adopted characteristics from the movements that came before, contemporary art of the 21st century stands completely apart from anything that was ever built upon traditional rules in the years before.
Around 1905, movements such as expressionism and cubism emerged. This brought about a seismic shift as individuals found the freedom to provide their own interpretation of what they observed.
Elements became more abstract, took on different forms, and consequently acquired different meanings. This path opened up an entirely new world where artists had even more possibilities to develop their own vision and style.
What does this say about contemporary art?
The upheaval that occurred when new movements arose is now happening within what we call modern and contemporary art.
Perhaps today’s art requires a completely different way of looking and understanding, one that is completely unrelated to art from the Renessaince and Classical periodes. That could by the reason that many people do love it.
The emptiness, modern simplicity, and abstraction have never been portrayed in art quite like this before. Emotions, taboos, and humor can be expressed in a completely different manner.
Why you find abstract art so irritating
Something that is abstract, as contemporary art often is, intentionally removes the definition. Undefined lines, colors, or objects should make you think about the most divergent societal topics, which can be quite a challenge. This challenge, to create your own interpretation, can also be quite frustrating.
When seeing ‘Red Square‘ by Kazimir Malevich in an exhibition, it can be difficult to decide whether you find it beautiful, ugly, or (un)interesting. Because of this abstraction, you cannot place it well, as you are allowed to determine what it does to you.
In abstract art, the intention of what you should feel has deliberately been omitted by the artist.
What is characteristic of abstract art, and why you might dislike it, is that it may demand more from you than classical works do.
Abstraction is often quite minimal, leaving not much more behind. This is often intentionally done by the artist, drawing attention to the underlying concept.
Why do many people love contemporary art
Still, you may find it strange that hordes of people go to museums to see items exhibited by these ‘great artists.’
The already famous artwork ‘Fountain‘ by Marcel Duchamp is a good example of this. He took a urinal from a bathroom and signed it. He exhibited it, which resulted in much criticism but also a lot of praise.
Duchamp wanted nothing more than to challenge conventional ideas about art and authorship. This ‘artwork‘ was a turning point in the way art would be perceived.
Art is a game to challenge everything that is conventional.
Now, more than ever, it can be seen. It cannot become more abstract or minimalist than it already is. Is this an out-of-control experiment because people no longer have inspiration to create really good art?
In this time, breaking taboos and making people rethink has become an art in itself. Seeing something that has no fixed meaning frustrates you or makes you think.
Artists try to pour their views and opinions into an artwork in their own way, which was unthinkable a few centuries ago.
By placing only paint splatters on the wall in a museum or sticking a banana with tape, the artist wants to make the viewer think about something. That something can be anything, and it’s up to the viewer to decide whether it’s interesting enough to determine whether the artwork is good or bad.
That’s also why the contemporary art demands more from the viewer than ever before.
Are artists less skilled than before?
One is believed more for their originality than for their technique. The more original, the more value a technique receives.
Art made this simple cannot be called art…
The idea exists that, because contemporary art often looks so simple, the artists simply lack skill in creating art. But artists know exactly what they are doing.
The artwork ‘Royal Red and Blue‘ by Mark Rothko was auctioned for $75 million. Many people don’t understand why such amounts are spent on paintings they could have painted themselves. But that’s the point. You didn’t, but someone else did.
The artist has succeeded in making the simplest things interesting, which can also be seen as a craft in itself.
Times have changed
Times have indeed changed, and today’s art is more controversial than ever before, which also says something about us as people. How conservative we can sometimes be.
Many believe that the aspect of realism has run its course and is no longer inspiring enough for many artists in this age. Additionally, artists will always be searching for new, undiscovered ways to express their inspiration.
Art in the present is always modern and aims to challenge the conventional.
The Ideas Behind Contemporary Art
The most common reasons behind contemporary art:
- Reflecting or breaking taboos
- Addressing societal issues
- Redefining the concept of what art is
- Exploring modern topics
- Combining different art forms
- Nothing more than what artists did for centuries
The moment people began to realize their own interpretations of the world in art, it opened the door to complete freedom to create anything that piqued the human imagination.
It might simply not be your thing to create a story out of something that’s already unclear.
You are allowed to not like contemporary art
If contemporary works simply don’t resonate with you and you find the idea of a message behind an object uninteresting, you are entirely justified in seeing it as trash.
Don’t forget that it would be a pity to claim that every artwork exhibited has the same motive and is not worth the effort.
Thanks to today’s technology, such as photography, light shows, and sound, so much more is possible, which can make art intriguing, no matter how abstract it may be.
The way of looking at art has changed so much over the centuries that it has fundamentally influenced the meaning of art.
Saying contemporary art is just bad is delusional
Because the motives and concepts behind 21st-century art are so different from those of 1850, it would be strange to say that all contemporary artists are crazy.
Everything has its time. The time we live in now sees minimalism and abstraction as popular ways to convey an artistic message.
Enjoy your own piece of cake
Unfortunately, this is either too far-fetched or just boring for many people. In that case, it’s recommended to visit the Louvre again and just enjoy the traditional masters.
The definition of Art is always changing
‘The contrast between the realism of classical art and the abstraction of modern art reflects the ever-changing definition of art.’
Of course, it has taken longer than a century to change the general style and taste of a cultural group (the West) in such a way that it has also changed the way we approach art.
So, is art definable?
The age-old question, ‘what is art?’ seems to have a new and trendy answer every decade. But if there is one definition that preserves the value of all possible changes and motives in art, it is this:
‘Art is what has inspired the artist and that they want to share with their audience.’
This essence is also clearly evident in modern art because (almost) all conservative boundaries have disappeared.
However, there is a pitfall here because what was considered ‘bold’ at the beginning of the previous century, challenging the classical style, no longer turns many heads today.
Perhaps that’s the reason many dislike contemporary art.
- The rules of contemporary art are not fixed in the way art is created but strongly in the thought behind it.
Final Thoughts
Whether you still hate contemporary art with a passion or not, it’s always good to give things a chance. Maybe it helps not to view today’s art in the same light as that of centuries ago.
The motive behind it has changed, and with it, the way it is viewed. Not everyone enjoys this way of looking at art, so it’s perfectly fine to steer clear of it to save yourself from frustration.
