20th-21st Century Art
Our last major discussion is dedicated to diversity in 20th-21st Century Art. During this session, we have explored the Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Neoclassical, and 20th-21st Century Art styles. The Renaissance originated in a relatively small region of Western Europe—Italy—and was accessible to aristocracy and the ultra-wealthy. The Baroque style was mainly inspired and sponsored by the Catholic Church, which gave the world masterpieces by Caravaggio and Rembrandt. The era dominated by the Romantic and Neoclassical aesthetics was in part inspired by sentiments of the Industrial Revolution, as well as by rejection of such, respectively; so the thematic subjects in this era were more down-to-earth in comparison to the ones that preceded them.
However, up until the end of the 19th Century, art was commissioned and dominated by the so-called “elite.” This situation dramatically changed at the turn of the 20th Century, in which the explosion of different styles, as well as the appearance of artists from various backgrounds and demographics, was celebrated. For instance, Pop Art (also discussed in Case 4 assignment) instantly appealed to and became accessible to the large masses beyond the circle of the traditional art connoisseur.
In this Discussion, I would like to hear your view on the subject of diversity and self-expression in contemporary art. Choose one artwork that symbolizes, in your opinion, the diversity of 20th-21st Century art.
Provide an argument supporting your choice by discussing one or more of the following: style, origins, thematic elements, or the background of its creator.
Discuss how the work appeals to different populations and/or represents different layers of society.
You may want to start by considering works by Banksy, Frida Kahlo, or members of the Harlem Renaissance movement, among many others.
Sample Solution
21st-century art is a burgeoning field of practice, research, and publication, making it an incredibly dynamic field of study. Many important topics have been resonating in the new century and inspiring new thinking and scholarly debate, such as the surge of bio art in response to scientific research in the life sciences, and the critical theory known as relational aesthetics that developed in response to an increase in art that invites viewers’ participation and interaction. Other topics that were much-discussed in the late 20th century remain vital for the analysis of 21st-century art and visual culture, including semiotics, post-modernism, and feminism.
