Movements in Modern and Contemporary Art

Modern and Contemporary Art | Image Resource : osianama.com

Art can be defined as a depiction of the creative minds and the ideology or perspectives of artists about various social or natural phenomena.  In the earlier days art was basically a creation of the exact picture of any entity or environment. But as there were various movements in the art society the artists started to broaden their horizons. New methods of painting using innovative styles and techniques started evolving among the artists.

The Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Art

It is a prevalent misnomer among art lovers that contemporary and modern art can be used as simulacrums. But art critics identify the distinctive features of both these styles of art. Contemporary art can be more precisely defined as a work of art produced by some artist belonging to the present era.

Not all contemporary art can be referred as modern. The difference between modern and contemporary art lies in the fact that modern art was as outcome of the post – modernist movement that focussed on abstract expressionism. Contemporary art on the other hand draws its roots from the Neo – expressionism movement. This movement first emerged in Germany in the early 1960s.

The main profounder of neo – expressionism was Georg Baselitz. Other painters such as Anselm Kiefer, Markus and Eugen later gave momentum to this movement by popularising neo – expressionist form of art. Many artists drew inspiration from the expressionism of Germany and produced art that focussed on the nation’s troubled modern history.

The movement was carried forward to 1980s when it inspired many artists all across the globe to portray the situation of the society via their paintings. Julian Schnabel was a famous neo – expressionist artist.

Contemporary and modern art both have their unique essence as they portray experimentation and freshness in technique and style as well as expression. Few of the famous names in abstract expressionism which is a characteristic of modern art are Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning.

All the modern art dawned after the World War II when artists were committed to a more expressive form of art. Their art portrayed profound emotions and universal themes. The modern art distinctively depicted in them the post – war mood that was of trauma and anxiety.