The List of Contemporary Artists - Term Paper Example

Innovation and Originality in Contemporary Art Introduction As technology advances in the present world, the feats in the development of the artistic world changes as well. Artists adapt to the styles and techniques that would suffice the demands and trends of a specific phase in time. These developments transform into what is known as Contemporary art. Contemporary artists cater to the provisions of the Modernist Movement and its inevitable evolution to the Post-Modernist context. With the topic at hand, this paper will discuss three of the best artists of the Contemporary period. Each of these artists will be analyzed in terms of their inspirations, styles, and techniques that they have applied to their works; works of which have contributed to the development of Contemporary art and establish the originality with their respective techniques. The list of contemporary artists includes Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning and Andy Warhol. Lastly, this paper will use Jason Gaiger’s book, Frameworks for Modern Art (Art of the Twentieth Century) as its primary basis. Supplementary sources for this paper will be cited accordingly. Pollock, De Kooning and Warhol: Masters of Innovation and Originality Upon the onset of the Modern Period, Jackson Pollock is one of those who had staged a significant feat in art development. Pollock, considered as one of the greatest contemporary painters in American art history, was part of a period where the Modernist Movement of 1920 was slowly transformed into the Post-Modernist Movement of Contemporary art history. In the New World, Pollock was known as an important member of a group of artists called the New York School. The New York School, more of a unified and collective artistic idea rather than a concrete institution, was popularly known as the Abstract Expressionists (Getlein 497). It was in this influence that Pollock acquired his unique style unto his works. His art established a new kind of visual that many had not seen before. In line with the Abstract Expressionists, the artist derived a direct influence from Surrealism. His technique showcased automatism and focused on the aesthetic powers of the unconscious. Being a painter of the mentioned genre, Pollock always exhibited large scale works in the literal sense. He used huge canvass sizes – this was to take his audience into the very essence of his paintings. The emphasis on huge painting canvasses is an essential part for Abstract Expressionists in order to highlight the effect of the entire piece (Getlein 497). The bizarre characteristics of the artist’s works bring out the very sense of post-modernism in his style. The perfection of his “drip technique” (Getlein 497) brings out the chaos ever present in his works. Yet, amidst this chaos, order and beauty emerges as the by-product of Pollock’s hard work. This trait of “order out of chaos” is the true and sole criterion of a good post-modern art work (Libby). From what Pollock’s works had shown, it can be said that the artist has a mind of his own. The mere appearance of his paintings on canvass narrates that he alone can do such abstract yet remarkably magnificent works. However, the public eye sees only little of what had formed Pollock’s original style. His works are a collaborative experiment between several of the greatest artists who ever lived. Pollock himself was an admirer and a maker of his own original mark on canvass. Indeed, the artist was a vehicle for a cultural synthesis (Hughes, “Art: An American Legend in Paris”). The uniqueness of his technique was molded into existence through a combination of “Indian sand painting to the theory of Jungian archetypes, from Zen calligraphy to El Greco, from American jazz and Western landscape to the doctrines of various occult religions” (Hughes, “Art: An American Legend in Paris”). Pollock’s fellow artist consider him a lesser Picasso, only that his style presents the audience with a dominant abstract of colors which creates the huge canvass into an enormous watercolor dyed with mat pigment. His philosophical approach towards the works that he had created made him an abstractionist obsessed with the notion of flatness. For example, “Lavender Mist”, one of his masterpieces in 1950, justified the atmospheric aura of his paintings. It was as if fog, vagueness and translucency captured the field of canvass (Hughes, “Art: An American Legend in Paris”). The mentioned masterpiece was a perfect example of a post-modern abstractionist painting that lives up to Pollock’s reputation. Another artist of Pollock’s caliber is Willem De Kooning. De Kooning is also a member of the Abstract Expressionist artists who is an adherent of the unique techniques and styles of post-modernism and non-representation. The artist was a Dutch-national from Rotterdam who came to America in 1926 at the time of the Great Depression. His stay in the New World allowed him to become part of the Federal Arts Project in 1935. This opportunity opened the doors for him to showcase his style in painting. The emphasis on color is greatly important to De Kooning as an artist. His earliest works, “Pink Angels” and “Woman”, were flush with bright colors of green and bright pink. His works tend to deal with the complexity of human emotions. The artist was an expert in the combination of the extremes: beauty and ugliness, abstraction and loveliness. Through the recognition of symbolism of human affairs, it can be said that his philosophy boldly defined and surpassed the borders of abstraction present in the expressionist art movement. “Woman”, for example, tackles the sexual insecurity in American culture (Zebrowski). To this note, it is clear being abstract is not enough for De Kooning. The artist takes his audience into a field of human emotion which adds-up to the complexity of his works. Also, that the core value of post-modernism is ever present within De Kooning’s paintings. The utter combination of the mentioned extremes creates a sense of confusion within the audience. However, this confusion is often appreciated and intertwined with the beauty and order of his style. Like Pollock, the idea of “order out of chaos” becomes a major theme in De Kooning’s works. The intricacy in the art form that both Pollock and De Kooning exemplify is the very definition of what Contemporary Art is all about. The “drip technique” of Pollock marks him as that of the first artists who shatters the very concept of what the word “painting” means. He freely developed his own style in order to make his own mark in the contemporary art industry. The color and the vibrancy that he showcases in his paintings are very unique. Indeed, he transforms the very essence of what can be called as Modern Art. The same goes with De Kooning. Although he sticks to the conventional definition of “painting”, his works imply a mixture of feelings unto its audience. The characterization of Contemporary Art can, of course, be attributed to the style that he has incorporated unto his works. However, the most important factor of De Kooning is the implication of his art work unto his audience. As what was mentioned earlier, the extremities of feeling and characterization in his works are the main constructs of his definitive style. The polarization of thoughts and abstract ideas fused into a single canvass is an ingenious way to capture both ends of what is beauty and corruption. Yet, there are notable arguments against the styles of both artists in relation to Contemporary Art. The very definition of Contemporary Art is broad enough to encompass two important movements in the art world: Modernism and Post-Modernism. Some critics consider both Pollock and De Kooning members of the Modernist Movement due to the utter minimalism and simplicity that their works show. On the other hand, others mark them as members of the Post-Modernists. Based on observations, the latter argument has strong convictions as to the inclusion of the mentioned artists in the Post-Modern Movement. Pollock and De Kooning are obviously inherit the concept of “order out of chaos” in their art works. And this characterization in style is a very Post-Modern trait. Hence, both artists transcend into the boundaries of Post-Modernism by wielding their styles into the precepts of the new movement and shattering the standards of what modernity is. With this said, the concept of originality in both artists’ styles is the core principle of what makes them unique. The fusion of Modernism and Post-Modernism is wonderfully done in such a way that the very message of the art piece is not shrouded. Pollock is original in his own way because of the “drip technique” that he constantly used for his pieces. His audience remembers him for the diversity of his paintings, the chaos within them yet the order that is implied in the entirety of his works. Each of his pieces are unique- one different from the other. De Kooning is also known for this trait. Who could forget the mixed emotions that he fuses in his art pieces. The polarities in his works make him a unique artist because he doesn’t ruin the very essence of order in his paintings. The obscure and the ugly features of his subjects and the majestic skill he had already mastered upon his canvass to negate, counter or even balance the message of his works are one of a kind. Indeed, both artists are original. Pollock doesn’t over shadow De Kooning and vice versa. Instead, they complement each other as unique artists for both the Modernist and the Post-Modern Movements. However, the complexity of Pollock and De Kooning’s abstraction and expressionism were all abruptly shattered in Andy Warhol’s very simple and entertaining art style. Even the very essence of Post-Modernism can be questioned in the kind of art that Warhol has produced. The artist, born in Pittsburgh, was originally a commercial illustrator. With his talent in drawing and painting, Warhol’s advantage as an illustrator turned him into an artist responsible for a culture of mass production and reproduction of famous art pieces from renowned artists. This “repackaging” was fused with the images of popular culture that he had been trained to advertise (Hughes, “Art: The Best and Worst of Warhol”). With this, a new kind of artistic genre emerged in contemporary art – Pop art. Pop art or popular art is a kind of movement where one uses well-known materials in order to produce an inspired artistic piece. Andy Warhol’s style involved a mash-up of mass produced images and objects from the American popular culture. The final outcome of his style is a rich and entertaining collage of visual materials which is often referred to as mundane. Warhol’s works include images from famous comic books, advertising billboards, home appliances and photographic images from cinema, television, and newspapers. The intention of Warhol’s Pop art is to bring life closer to his audience (Getlein 503). Unlike the abstractionist and expressionist movements that require much interpretation, appreciation and understanding, Pop art emphasizes the media and the culture present within the everyday lives of the people thus, allowing full appreciation and entertainment for people from all walks of life. An exceptional example of Andy Warhol’s Pop art is his “Gold Marilyn Monroe”. The actress’ death in 1962 prompted the artist to create a series of devoted works for Monroe’s legacy. In the mentioned piece of art, Warhol used silkscreen printing in order to transpose a photographic black and white image of Marilyn Monroe unto a canvass painted in a pure shade of gold. The sole image of the actress at the center of the canvass glorifies the face of the person famous for her acting legacy. This glorification is Warhol’s primary objective. To add to this, the golden canvass makes Monroe a royalty in the sense that the shrewdness of commercial treatment that the actress received during her lifetime is suddenly erased by the magnificence of the canvass itself. She is suddenly glorified as a sacred Byzantine icon with the kind of reproduction the artist had created (Getlein 503). The “Gold Marilyn Monroe” is greatly appreciated by the audience for it showcases a famous icon of the 20th century. It also upholds the notion of minimalism in idea and simplicity of design making the entire piece modern in every sense (UNESCO 144). This type of art which Warhol has produced is questionable in the conventions of Post-Modernist and Modernist sense because his works incorporate the commercialization of art. The iconic figures he uses and the application of simple styles are not moving feats when it comes to the context of Modernist and Post-Modern Movements. However, as what was explained In the previous paragraph, technical analysis of Warhol’s works mark him as part of the Modernist Movement still. In addition to this, the combination of Modernist style in the grounds of minimalism and the application of such with commercial art can be considered as breaking the chains of a Modernist definition hence, making his work Post-Modern. Above all, the originality he has exemplified with his art works are a milestone for the art world. Warhol is the first to create a style that can actually speak to everyone else in the modern world. The uses of popular culture in his pieces communicate to all people- even those who are not experts in the precepts of art. This major characteristic of his style make him one of a kind in the art world. Conclusion Indeed, Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning and Andy Warhol are all artists different from each other. They have their styles that make them original. Pollock with his “drip technique”, De Kooning with his polarization and Warhol with his pop-modern art pieces all give light to the new feats in the art world. All of them conform and innovate the Modernist and the Post-Modern Movements of Contemporary Art. They justify the very meaning of originality and establish reputations of their own. Works Cited A. Primary Basis: Gaiger, Jason. Frameworks for Modern Art (Art of the Twentieth Century). London: Yale Univ Press, 2003. Print B. Additional Sources: Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print. Hughes, Robert. “Art: An American Legend in Paris.” Time 1 February 1982. Print. ____________. “Art: The Best and Worst of Warhol.” Time 13 February 1989. Print. Libby, Brian. “Beijing Bird's Nest – Architecture.” Architecture Week 20 August 2008. Print. UNESCO. “Barragan House and Studio.” UNESCO 23 January 2003. Print. Zebrowski, John. “Willem De Kooning, Dead at 92.” Time 19 March 1997. Print. Read More