The Major Forms Of Contemporary Art

What is contemporary art and what are its primary forms? Read on to find out the different sub-genres which make up the category of artworks made from 1960s till present day.

Although different experts have different point of views regarding the definition of contemporary art, most historians agree to the fact that it refers to any kind of artwork that has been produced from the 1960s until today. It can be painting, photography, performance, sculpture, installation or even video art. There are plenty of movements which have influenced the concept used by a typical contemporary artist, right from photo realism and conceptualism to minimalism and the pop art style.

So let’s take a detailed look at the different forms of contemporary art that have influenced the genre in one way or another:

Installation Art

This type can be best described as an immersive and engaging medium, which is generally in the form of a 3-dimensional construction. Not only is it capable of transforming its surroundings, but also altering a viewer’s conception of space. More often, installation art is large scale and site specific.

Street Art

Street art started to gain traction due to the popularity of graffitis around the 1980s. It is rooted deeply in social activism, thereby encompassing installations, murals, stickers, stenciled images and so on. It is among the newest movements of contemporary art.

Earth Art

Earth art can be best described as an exotic twist on its installation counterpart. It alters beautiful natural landscapes into artworks that are site specific. Some major artists that deserve a special mention for contributing towards this sub-genre are Andy Goldsworthy, Jeanne-Claude, Christo and Robert Smithson.

Performance Art

This one is another sub-genrPerformance Arte of art with strict conceptualist roots and has its origins dating back to the 1960s. Being overwhelmingly popular even now, it is an artistic approach inspired largely by drama. But it does not exist just for entertainment, but rather has a goal of conveying an idea or a message.

As of now, there are a number of exceptionally talented contemporary artists who create different pioneering works of sculpture, installation, performance art and paintings. They are bedazzling the world with a unique and original approach towards the genre. Apart from implementing their own twists with conventional forms such as sculptures and paintings, they are even popularising non-conventional ones like tattoos, origami and embroidery.

It can be said that contemporary art has come a long way from being just a newborn art genre to one of the most popular categories dabbled in by amateur as well as professional artists.