Interpretation of Contemporary Art: Analytical Essay

For some of us, art is a means of catharsis, for some, it is good to look at, but for some of the curious souls, understanding what it means is still a mystery. When we say ‘art’, the traditional artworks, like the Mona Lisa, or the Picasso might pop up in our heads, for people who dabble a bit deeper in art might even know the works of the likes of Salvador Dali, Miro, Van Gogh. But if we are to visit an art exhibit today, how many of us are familiar with the mind-boggling, seemingly bizarre and outlandish works of art? Some of us might even doubt, is this art? This is what this article attempts to elucidate and break it down for you.

The form of art which is prevalent today is known as ‘contemporary art’. The contemporary art movement started around the 1960’s transitioning from the ‘modern art movement’ and is prevalent till date. Now, the vernacular translation of ‘contemporary’ is ‘modern’ but contemporary art differs from modern art as they are art forms from two different time periods. Modern art prevailed in the period from 1880’s to about the 1960’s and mostly focussed on a definite theme like surrealism. So how are we to understand the difference between Contemporary and Modern Art? What seems to be one of the biggest differences between the two categories is in this – Modern Art referenced the past and with this reference and appropriation, it attempted to understand the present time. Contemporary art also aims to understand the present, but the present itself is now more fragmented and shapeshifting. In this setting, the works produced can only reference the vastness of the variety on offer and since the category demands one be aware of the world around them, the issues questioned are just like the wind. They are there and they influence how we see and relate to the world but the next minute, something new comes up and the focus shifts.

Contemporary art offers works with a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts and subjects that challenge the traditional and defy the easy definition. Because of its wide range of ideas and themes, there isn’t a definite way to exactly interpret what the artist wants to convey. But there are a few widely used themes that we will attempt to interpret through this article. Contemporary art usually refers to the art that is created by an artist who is still living. The artists explore ideas, concepts, and questions of the past with an aim to understand the past and envision the future. And it is due to this diversity of themes that the audience is usually what perplexes the audience and leaves them wondering if they are indeed missing something or doubt their interpretation. Long gone is the idea that the Artist is the sole author of the work. With the development of Contemporary Art, the audience became an integral piece in the creation of the meaning and reflections of the created works. The process becomes important and the variety of different approaches helps create different categories within a category. This escape from the dominant definition of contemporary art only strengthens the postmodern spirit. In comparison to one of the dominant and influential movements of Modern Art, Abstract Expressionism, Contemporary Art seems to lack that shared idea and expression. The time that Contemporary art is created is a time of constant questions, re-evaluations, and experimentation. This experimentation is leaving nothing sacred. For contemporary artists, everything is up for grabs and everything can be Art.