What can I
learn from
contemporary
art?
Not all
contemporary art
lends itself to
easy
understanding.
In fact, many
artists
intentionally
leave the
interpretation
open-ended,
challenging us
to question our
assumptions and
clarify our own
ideas and
feelings. Art
encourages us to
glance outside
our personal
frame of
reference, and
consider how the
world looks from
someone else's
point of view.
Like traveling
to a new place
or a foreign
country, looking
at art can open
us to new ideas
and feelings we
might not have
otherwise
encountered.
A matter of
style
The term style
refers to the
distinctive
visual approach
an artist uses
with his or her
subject, and
artists often
choose a
particular style
to help make a
point. For
example, artists
of the early
20th century
Ashcan School
used a stark,
unadorned
realism to
explore the
quiet drama of
daily modern
life. Different
artistic
movements,
periods, and
schools are
associated with
distinct styles.
One particularly
well-known
example of a
group of artists
working in a
similar manner
at the same time
is the Abstract
Expressionism
movement, which
took place in
the middle of
the 20th
century.
Art you can
live with
Even though they
may hint at a
particular
meaning through
their choice of
style, artists
frequently say
that they leave
their work
open-ended in
order to invite
the viewer to
participate in
it. To take them
up on this
invitation, look
at as many
pieces as
possible by
different
artists with an
open mind, and
then look back
over the images
that
particularly
struck you.
Notice how you
keep returning
to the same
pieces over and
over again, and
feel enriched by
the experience;
this is art that
you can live
with.
Finding art
that speaks to
you
These simple
questions can
help you develop
your own
appreciation of
an artwork: Has
the artist
engaged with
some significant
aspect of his or
her experience?
Does the work
have a lasting
appeal to me?
