## Introduction
Contemporary art is often defined as "art of the current day." But is that all contemporary art is? Or is it something more? We are going to explore the world of contemporary art by looking at some examples from prominent contemporary artists around the world. By the end, you'll know what contemporary art is, and what makes it unique.
How do you define contemporary art?
Contemporary art is uniquely modern - which makes it the perfect medium to learn about on the internet. It can be difficult to connect to the art of the ancient and classical eras (especially when galleries aren't in the immediate vicinity) because they are so far disconnected from our current reality.
So, before we jump into our contemporary art definition, check out this short video on "how to learn about contemporary art" from the Art Assignment by PBS Digital Studios.
Now that we know how to learn about contemporary art, let's formally outline a contemporary definition.
What is Contemporary Art
Contemporary art is the art that's made in the current era. What is the current era you ask? Well, art critics offer differing opinions. Some say contemporary art encompasses all art created after world war II, others suggest it encompasses all art created after the 1970s. My suggestion is this: think of contemporary art as all art created within the length of an average living lifespan. So, about 70 years from the current day.
Modern Art vs. Contemporary Art
A lot of people logically think contemporary art and modern art are the same things - but that isn't the case.
Contemporary art is art produced during "our time," which is usually cited as 1970 to the current day.
Modern art refers to art produced between the 1860s to the 1970s. Modern art was significant because it represented a global shift from realism to abstractionism.
The paintings, drawings, sculptures and architectural works produced during the era were largely more experimental than their predecessors.
For more on the difference between contemporary art and modern art, check out the quick video from the San Antonio Museum of Art.
by San Antonio Museum of Art
The next era of contemporary art
Remember: contemporary art is simply the art of our time. As the world veers more and more in the digital direction, art has begun to take new forms.
The emergence of blockchain technology has opened new opportunities for digital artists to take ownership of their work. NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) allow artists to list their creations on digital marketplaces through a digital ledger. Here's a video on NFTs and digital art from The Wall Street Journal.
By- The Wall Street Journal
Whether or not NFTs have staying power in the world of contemporary art remains to be seen but it's certainly exciting to see art take new forms.
Explore more
This was just one of many fascinating segments of art history. There are many eras, styles, artists and movements to discover. Let's continue our study by choosing the next stop on your way to becoming an art enthusiast.
