How Is Modern Art Different From Contemporary Art?

Art|Modern Art

For many people, the terms modern and contemporary art are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between them. Modern art refers to works from the period from 1870 to 1970 and includes works from Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and Abstract Expressionism. Contemporary art is art from the 1970s until today and includes movements such as Postmodernism, Conceptual Art, and Performance Art.

Style of Artwork: Modern art was characterized by its focus on individual artistic expression and abstraction. It was often highly stylized with exaggerated colors and shapes that defied traditional conventions. On the other hand, contemporary artists tend to use a variety of styles in their work, including collage, digital art, photography, painting, sculpture, installation art and video art.

Subject Matter: Modern artists often focused on exploring the relationship between humanity and nature or the underlying structure of reality.

In contrast, contemporary artists are more focused on exploring themes such as identity politics or social issues like racism or sexism. Contemporary art also tends to be more political in nature than modern art.

Technology: Modern artists were limited by the technology available at that time. For example, photography had only recently been invented when modern art began to flourish in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, contemporary artists have access to a wide range of technological tools that can be used to create artwork in completely new ways such as 3D printing or virtual reality.

Conclusion:

Modern and contemporary art may share some similarities but they are vastly different in terms of style of artwork subject matter as well as technology used to create them. While modern artists focused on abstract expressionism with an emphasis on individual expression, contemporary artists explore a range of themes while having access to cutting-edge technology tools.