Three pitch black canvases with abstract red and white marks stand, all aligning with the modern art movement. The perceived simplicity of these artworks and the potential contrast with the attention they garner is a point of contention among onlookers and in the art world.
Contemporary art is most broadly defined as art made after the 1970s, and is often conflated with modern art– a movement from the 18th to 19th century— both involve abstract pieces with emphasis on their concept rather than visuals. Critics or uninvolved viewers commonly hold the stance that the works are so simple anyone could have created them.
“There’s always a concept behind [an artwork]; a huge concept that you don’t even know yet,” art teacher Christine Choi said. “You have to read what the artist was thinking and their process of it. Yes, sometimes it seems like you could do it, but it’s so much further and deeper than that.”
While art is not restricted to physical appearance, the importance of its meaning in comparison to the visual is subjective. The root of most criticism aimed at contemporary and modern art becomes the balance between the two factors.
“Most of the time to the normal eye or someone who doesn’t create as much, I feel like [meaning] doesn’t triumph visuals,” junior Catherine Ebuen, a student taking an art class, said. “That’s what everyone depends on.”
Given only the visual of a monochrome canvas, a viewer cannot derive its meaning. The relevance of Yves Klein’s 1961 “Monochrome Blue” lies in the paint used, which Klein himself aided in the creation of and trademarked as “International Klein Blue.”
“I think it just really depends on what you’re going for,” junior Connor Edwards, a student taking an art class, said. “I think having some [contemporary or modern artwork] is good, but not having whole museums of the same exact pieces over and over again. I don’t want to know the entire background of the reason you painted this canvas blue.”
Conceptual art is the general term for art in which the concept outweighs the physical artwork, and is commonly seen in modern and contemporary art. An example of this is “Comedian,” a 2019 work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The piece consists of a banana taped to a wall, and has become the subject of criticism and mockery.
“It’s so simple that literally anyone can confuse it,” Edwards said. “Like that guy taped a banana to a wall and people stared thinking, ‘Wow, this is so deep.’ Too simple.”
Yet the different kinds of contemporary art provide a multitude of mediums for artists to express their ideas. Marina Abramović, a performance artist, held an expedition at the MoMa titled “The Artist is Present,” during which viewers were invited to sit across from Abramović in silence. Abramović believed the eye contact would immerse them in the present moment and connect with her.
“Things like [Marina Abramović’s work] with contemporary, I love how they push their boundaries,” Choi said. “I love how they make other people think so differently. It’s just so many different thoughts and different perspectives of people.”
