CONTEMPORARY ART
Contemporary art is a period that is generally considered to span from the post-war period to present day. It encompasses numerous different styles, genres and artistic approaches, and so is difficult to fully comprehend. That’s where Modern Steet Art.com comes in. Today we’re looking at10 key contemporary artworks that you need to know to fully understand for this artistic period!
1. Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans, 1962
Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans, 1962
One of the world’s most famous contemporary artworks is artist Andy Warhol‘s Campbell’s Soup Cans. Symbolic of the Pop Art movement, the piece illustrates consumerist culture and mass media in American society. In addition to this, Warhol’s signature style is visible in his work. Through the repetition of the represented object, the artist reflects his critique of a consumerist society and its endless cycle of production and consumption.
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2. Louise Bourgeois, Maman, 1990
Louise Bourgeois, Maman, 1990
Standing at a height of 30 meters in the shape of a spider, Maman is an iconic sculptural artwork by Louise Bourgeois. Various versions of the piece exist, created using a diverse range of materials. Built for an exhibition at the Tate Modern, it pays homage to Bourgeois‘ mother, who died suddenly when the artist was just 21.
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3. Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm, 1950
Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm, 1950
Created at the peak of Jackson Pollock’s career, Autumn Rhythm is a perfect example of the drip-painting technique. The technique, which is specific to Pollock, made him famous due to its originality. To create his works, Pollock stood on his canvas and dripped diluted paint onto the canvas, letting it fall naturally. He would drip, splash, scrape and pour paint onto his canvas. For the artist, the movement and paints themselves drove his art. This unique method of painting is considered to be the artist’s trademark.
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4. Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991
Damien Hirst The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991
Preserved in formaldehyde, the work The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living by Damien Hirst today remains one of the most controversial contemporary artworks in history. The original piece was commissioned by collector Charles Saatchi in 1991, but the shark had to be replaced in 2004 when the piece was sold. Due to the nature of the work, many wonder whether or not the piece should be considered art.
5. Keith Haring, Untitled, 1982
Keith Haring, Untitled, 1982
This painting sums up the Pop Art style of Keith Haring, with dynamic figures and a simple composition. From his beginnings as a graffiti artist on the New York subway, Keith Haring began his career with his immediately recognizable figures and patterns. One of his most commonly represented symbols is the heart. He used his work to popularize important messages about sexuality and AIDS during a time when the stigma and taboo surrounding these topics were still prevalent.
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6. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1981
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1981
This vibrant and dynamic work of art, painted when Jean-Michel Basquiat was just 20, is considered a kind of enigma by art critics. Sometimes called “Skull” because of the shape of the face, this complex composition certainly raises more questions than it provides answers. Does it depict a skull or a half formed face? Does the painting represent life or death? Some even wonder if it is not a kind of self-portrait of the artist.
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7. Banksy, Girl with Balloon, 2002
Banksy, Girl with Balloon, 2002
This iconic street artist first appeared on Waterloo Bridge in London, although since then it has been repainted. This work has been repeated many times in support of various political campaigns, notably the Syrian refugee crisis in 2014. In 2018, a framed copy of the work spontaneously shredded during an auction at Sotheby’s, thanks to a device that Banksy himself installed in the frame. He re-titled the shredded work, Love is in the Bin. The buyer who had purchased the print for a record price decided to proceed with the sale.
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8. Roy Lichtenstein, Look Mickey, 1961
Roy Lichtenstein’s Look Mickey, 1961
With Look Mickey, Roy Lichtenstein represented a scene and style belonging to pop culture for the first time in his career, a step towards an art style that would become his signature. His reconstruction of a pre-existing scene, right up to the speech bubble, has led many to describe the work as an insult to the fine arts. Nevertheless, this unique style came to be celebrated. Today he is considered as one of the pioneers of the Pop Art movement.
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9. Takashi Murakami, Flower Ball, 2002
Takashi Murakami, Flower Ball, 2002
Artist Takashi Murakami initially trained in the traditional Japanese art of Nihonga, before becoming frustrated by the elitism associated with the genre. He invented the term “superflat” at the beginning of the 2000s to describe the legacy of 2D art in Japanese culture through a long legacy of anime and manga, but also to address post-war Japanese society.
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10. Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait, 1948
Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait, 1948
This striking self-portrait was the last that Frida Kahlo painted. Self-portrait is the only piece created by the artists in 1948 due to her deteriorating health. In this work, Frida Kahlo wears the traditional dress of Tehuana in Mexico, with an embossed collar framing her face and replacing her usual natural background. The sharpness of her face and pained expression accentuates her profound emotion.
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