Contemporary Art

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Subject:

Arts, Humanities

Institution Name:

The Saylor Foundation

Collection:

Saylor Foundation

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

Contemporary art denotes a specific period of art starting in the 1960s that is characterized by a break from the modernist artistic canon and a desire to move away from the dominant Western cultural model, looking for inspiration in everyday and popular culture. This course focuses on Western art and culture, yet also explores a selection of contemporary art around the globe. The student will examine a variety of specific aesthetic and social issues and look at the different strategies contemporary artists proposed and used in their work. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify significant works of contemporary art and visual culture; describe the difference between modernist and contemporary works of art; explain the geographical shift of artistic centers from Europe (Paris) to the United States (New York), and then in the 21st century to a global spreading (Asia and Africa); define and discuss the development of contemporary art as a series of different cultural, social, and political inquiries over the past 50 years; identify and discuss multiple and vital relationships between contemporary art and such broader social and cultural issues as ideology, gender, race, or ethnicity; describe and explain a relationship between different contemporary art strategies, such as performance or installation, and their immediate social and cultural context; discuss how important contemporary artworks relate to their social and historical contexts; define contemporary art as a continuing, international artistic project; identify and define the importance of contemporary art and contemporary visual culture in today's increasingly globalized world. (Art History 408)

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Assessments, Audio Lectures, Full Course, Homework and Assignments, Lecture Notes, Readings, Syllabi, Video Lectures

Media Format:

Audio, Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML, Downloadable docs, Video

Conditions of Use:

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0
You are welcome to share, remix, and adapt this course under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; however, many linked materials within this course are copyright of their respective authors/owners and may not be openly-licensed. Please respect the copyright and terms of use associated with each resource.

Copyright Holder:

The Saylor Foundation