Contemporary art is called those artistic expressions that originated during the course of the 20th century.. Although the criterion of contemporaneity is of disparate use, the art productions during the last century have a series of common features that are in stark contrast to those from previous eras. Thus, it is possible to refer to 20th century art as a block, avoiding the ever-present differences that exist in it. The main characteristics that can be pointed out with respect to the art produced in that century are those that make an innovation in the rules to be followed, as well as the use of old patterns that are used with a different meaning from the original..
First of all, it is worth giving a brief review of some conceptions in force at the end of the 19th century. Until then, despite the enormous differences that had arisen with regard to defining the value and scope of art, an intention to achieve beauty through it always prevailed. In this sense, it could be said that there was always a Platonic element underlying the artistic mentality prior to the 20th century, an aspect to which Christianity could have contributed.
It is enough to remember that many experts define the existence of cyclical periods in the history of art. Thus, the Renaissance exhibited an intense Platonic aspect in which typical variables of Greco-Roman culture were rescued, with respect for symmetry, classical patterns of beauty, and the human figure. These features are called Apollonian (referring to the Greek god of beauty, Apollo). The Renaissance was succeeded by the Baroque, a brief period, deeply explosive and full of creativity, in which these canons were relativized to also include more random and even bleak parameters. These characteristics are usually defined as Dionysian (after the Greek god of wine, Dionysus). Neoclassicism and Romanticism represent two later and homologous stages of the Renaissance and the Baroque, in that order.
In the same way, with the consolidation of the Industrial Revolution first, and after the First World War, the Apollonian position was abandoned in favor of a more relativist one, to the point of denying beauty as the purpose of art. Thus, it will be the avant-garde that will seek to “free themselves” from past conceptions, pushing for new and experimental styles. Beyond the fact that they failed to prosper, they left their mark over the course of the century, relativizing the notion of beauty. In many ways, the possibility of rapid incorporation of artistic parameters from other regions of the world (especially Asia and the original peoples of America) and, in many cases, the experimental phenomena with hallucinogens used, contributed to these developments in modern art. in the 1960s.
Likewise, it is worth remembering that the 21st century has incorporated into modern art the associated concept of digital art, in which many creators apply computer technologies to give rise to or complement other types of works, whether graphic or musical. Digital resources have come to stay permanently in the current art world, with a greater or lesser degree of influence that depends on the availability and cultural variables of the artist and his social environment.
Certainly, a share of subjectivity can be pointed out when evaluating a particular work. Nevertheless, the extreme questioning of guidelines that were respected until the end of the 19th century led to a trivialization of art. Indeed, if beauty is relative, then any element is beautiful, and if art does not have to abide by aesthetic criteria, then any expression is artistic. The treatment of these questions will be essential to define the future of culture. The viralization of art has actually turned each user into a sort of critic of greater or lesser suitability, for which the tastes and pleasures associated with the modern Art They can be enjoyed in a personalized way and with great possibilities of choice for each individual.
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