Art Essay 2

On a trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, my boyfriend, David, and I strolled through the museum while I, being an art history major, recited to him all that I knew about certain pieces. We observed sculptures by Auguste Rodin, works painted by Georgia O’Keeffe, and busts of Roman leaders. David was enjoying all the artwork until we reached the Contemporary art gallery upon where viewing Mark Rothko’s Untitled No. 11 made in 1963, he shook his head in anger at what he thought was a painting far from a masterpiece. His comment was one I’m sure many have said about this particular piece and many other modern pieces of art, “I could have painted that.” I couldn’t help to reply, “Yeah, but you didn’t.” David’s sudden reaction upon viewing the

In order for a work of public art to be considered effective, it must have an element of complexity, provoking the thought of the

This theory provoked my insight about contemporary art itself. One’s observation could be right, could be wrong, this is the etiquette beauty of art. For if one thinks about it what is the norm? We can't possibly apply our prototypes of norm towards art, because are our norms even norm? Contemporary art is a statement, a reaction, an attempt at breaking free, an expression of the issues wrapped up to define the lifestyle of today.

Even though the artist always strives to convey a certain emotion through his art, the beholder does not always feel what the artist intended them to feel. Most of the time, visual art is seen as either truly in depth or quite ridiculous, it all depends on the viewer when deciding what side of the spectrum they reside in. This argument is more prominent in today’s culture than it ever was before, with the emergence of modern art, people are beginning to feel that they would be able to create most of the art being sold for high biddings without a problem. This may be true, but it takes more than just slicing a few lines into a canvas like Lucio Fontana’s Spatial Concepts collection, it takes an open mind

“To us, art is an adventure into an unknown world of the imagination which is fancy-free and violently opposed to common sense. There is no such thing as a good painting about nothing. We assert that the subject is

Today’s modern artists are beginning to explore current issues in our society by offering an original perspective. These artists use dynamic new media and techniques to demonstrate their themes. The currency of contemporary art challenges what was before and hints that there is more to come. (Australian Government, 2015). Contemporary artists are able to successfully examine the past and present whilst also envisioning the future. Their fresh ideas help to engage audiences and teach them to reconsideration the familiar. Three artists in particular, Fiona Hall, Christian Boltanski and Michael Parekowhai, are able to effectively explore their contemporary topics from a unique outlook.

space being used and shows us the different perspectives of art and emphasizes the material.

Art in general is undergoing several changes with artists beginning to think about spatial illusions and human form. Despite this, the changes seem subtle and understated. This discussion seeks to highlight the changes that are happening in art and how artists are creating space in the work they do.

what art “should be” and what can be called art. This disenchantment away from the stereotypical

In the 19th century, under the suffocating weight of a centuries long tradition in academic art, artists began to break free. Tired of meaningless imitation and decoration, the avant-garde artists pushed for drastic revolutions in aesthetic and social taste. This experimentation rapidly grew less and less controlled, and new technique and new style, which shocked and enraged the critics and public, stopped being experimental and started desiring the side effects of shock and disgust. There is an error in believing the artist is always ahead of his time, will always be understood in the future, and is a well-intentioned progressive, because it ignores the present actions and consequences of modern

When one thinks of Art the most popular image is of great works, famous for their visually pleasing and intellectually rousing qualities. These works, aside from being visually and intellectually stimulating, have been used to challenge and encourage an audience to think about what it’s representing in flexible and open-minded ways, this is usually done by shocking the audience out of their “complacency” when viewing artworks. The great artists of the Conceptual Art movement especially emphasised this by focusing more on the concept behind a piece than the art itself. Three particular artists that are famous for challenging audiences with their work include Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), Jenny Holzer (1950-present) and Ai WeiWei (1957-present). Even though these three artists are part of different times, countries, political and cultural movements, they all use their works to confront and challenge every part of their audience including critics, the media and the general public.

Today’s modern world is often complex, colorful, noisy and fast-paced. When I am engaged in art, I frequently look for works that allow me to escape from my hectic lifestyle. Clean lines and use of space appeal to my senses and calm me. Sometimes, what is not stated says more than what is stated.

These same issues, and the meanings behind them, remained a part of art for years to come. The artist of this movements rejected traditional ideas, and influenced art in the modern world. The rejection of society and an “arrogant originality and a subversive defiance of all conventions” (Haslam), is at the forefront of artistic stereotypes today. Artist often consider themselves on a different plane, not a part of society, but observers looking into and criticizing society. This idea as the artist as an observer of the day to day, rather than someone who simply creates art originates in the art nouveau movement.

Perhaps the most subjective thing life has to offer is art. Some may argue that having such a subjective concept can be hard to uniformly understand and standardize, but that 's what makes art so beautiful. Art is subjective, ensuring no two experiences are the same. The fact that we can all look at the same piece of art and have completely different emotional and cognitive responses ensures healthy discussion and communication. Art is one of the few constants human culture collectively has, and therefore is one of the most valued aspects of all culture. Having grown up in New York City, I understood and appreciated the different medias of art and their influence on a city dominated by art. Migrating from the Big Apple to Arlington, Texas was a culture shock, there wasn’t an art museum right around the corner, no street performers and there certainly was not a giant murals on the side of my home. I decided to attend both exhibits and ultimately made the decision to choose, Raimiti #21 by Matt Clark. is no exception to the lack of rules art has to follow. This piece by Matt Clark follows the principles and elements of art which makes it extraordinary.

The area of art is popularly known for heightening emotions, challenging stereotypes, and ultimately providing insights into how individuals view the surrounding world. The artist and the observer time and time again see pieces in overwhelmingly different ways. Individuals may wonder why this is so. What could possibly create such a drastic change from one perspective to another? When it comes down to it, experiences are the answer. The artist and the observer have different