Contemporary art

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<p>Hello everyone</p>

<p>My class started Art history this year for the first time and we do not quite know what we are doing. I understand memorizing the basic art history periods which time and time again, have been universal in art history in general. However I am struggling with contemporary art and what is allowed in the essays. I do not know how the readers grade essays which focus on post 1970 art and how they would grade. From what I have read, the readers are art history instructors, art critics, museum curators, etc. I do not really trust the last chapter of my book (stokstand) because some of the art pieces seem rather random, such as bruce nauman’s “fountain” which for some reason qualifies as art. I think the better question is what qualifies as art. </p>

<p>Here are some examples
the “Jew in a box” exhibit in Berlin (2013)–parallels Luna’s “artifact”. Both try to explore cultures which play an important role in their locations: Luna’s native American heritage in the US and the Jewish people role in society pre and post holocaust. Both of them are a form of performance art.</p>

<p>Thomas Kinkade and Walt Disney pieces–Both artists are closer to our generation, especially Kinkade who died what, about a year ago? However none of these artists are talked about in both major Art history textbooks. Our art history teacher argues that they are not talked about alot because 1) they make their art for a market audience (which is quite ironic as people worship Andy Warhol which he himself made art for a market audience…comeon, his fricking Factory was labeled as so because he PRODUCED art to sell it. Another agruement is of course copyright reasons, which is understandable for Disney pieces. </p>

<p>And here is a silly one, yet I consider it “art” myself.
macklemore’s “thrift shop”. Again, performance art. Unlike most songs of its genre, it critises our consumer culture and rap in general. Unlike most rap/hip hop songs which have rappers bragging about material possessions like wealth, cars, jewelry, Thrift shop takes an opposite spin (just like in most major turning points in art history) and mocks the hiphop culture by Macklemore bragging about buying cheap hand me downs from thrift shops. </p>

<p>Basically…what is counted as contemporary art and what might the readers accept. I think it might all come down to the reader’s taste and how well the discussion is, but I am guessing if the artist hates Kinkade, I might take a hit. I really don’t know.</p>

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<p>‘Thrift Shop’ is music. While it may be similar in its criticisms (I presume?) to like Meat Joy or Cubism, it’s not considered performance art. The significance of performance art is that it is a singular event that can’t be reanimated, reenacted, replayed - it is only valid in that moment; it’s kind of the point of performance art. (You Only Perform Once?)</p>

<p>Basically post-1970s art focuses on man’s relationship with technology, real criticisms of consumerism, etc. Also, it’s extremely bizarre and such. You are not likely to see it on the exam - what is considered ‘popular’ in art is sort of like what is considered to be ‘important’ in history. In this sense, it’s impossible to see what may be of significance, of influence in the present - the future has not yet happened!</p>

<p>Also, the graders can’t ding you because they don’t like the art. If you write about Ofili, they can’t dock you because his art is literally ***** - just imagine them to be human machines that follow a strict set of rules.</p>