4 Conditions for an Artwork To Be Contemporary (& Why Artists Need To Know Them)

Hello dear readers and subscribers, I had a cold while recording this video so hopefully my voice does not sound like Janice from Friends too much. What are your thoughts on these four conditions and how do you situate Contemporary Art historically? Chat soon! All my best, Julien

superficial BS

Wonderful as all your videos very helpful and important issue that always occupied my mind I found many answer here! Many thanks

If artist have wealthy friends a contemporary lifestyle is predictable

I raise my glass to the Tomb of the unknown Artist 👩‍🎨

I’m sure this video is interesting and helpful for lots of people, but I don’t recommend artists see it. We don’t do well with being told what attributes of our art satisfies which requirements to be considered whatever. We will always attempt transgressing the boundaries which are set up in this way. I understand this is a serious attempt to elucidate the messiness of contemporary art, but let’s not work on maintaining borders just yet. I believe we are on the cusp of a great change in art which will make these delineations look small and miserly. I will be interested to see how generations in the future look at the art of our times. It may be vastly different than this ‘more of the same’ approach to what is happening now.
I’d like to thank you for always giving us thought provoking perspectives on contemporary art issues… especially when they seed the clouds of debate.

Eagerly awaiting the ultra ultra contemporary period.

The dog is thinking "This guy likes definitions" .

Very informative, as always! :)

Hi! Who is the artist who did the Black & White large work with comp? Thank you.

I Think you talk with a clear and fine voice and I like the subjects you diverse into. For me it all depends on how you think and reflect and definere Art - what is Art? Many definitions coexist , and for me I think that one important. criteria is “ art comes from Movement - and it moves you” art is alive as Long as Living beings Express what moves Them - and “Old Art”+ in a Way can fullfill to move a person Living now … and it opens the eternal Now. 🎵🙃🎶❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🎶

Repetitive nonsense. If you are inclined, just get to work.

We should remember r g Collingwood dictum. "all history is modern history". Most "contemporary art is reactionary consumer dumning down determined by middle class woke clichés.
Vaughan Williams's wonderful advice to young composers " always have the courage to be ordinary "

Do whatever want to create and give a flying fuck what people think about it. Communication ends on the part of the creator when she/he puts down the tools.

🤩🤩🤩

Welcome to the Church of Contemporary Art. Heretics forbidden - and will be excommunicated.

Contemporary for that time that era. Also style and materials.

It's impossible to stay focused when there's such a good boy hiding right behind your back 😂

“Oh my, so much is wrong in that video.”
~Contemporary Artist

Than you for your explanation, could you give information about George Orwel's quote? In which book he wrote this and if it is possible could you share link of the book? Thank you again this simple yet deep explanation.

"Good Day Gender Neutrals, We are now departing the ultra-ultra art movement . Consult your financial planner for further information.

😂

Contemporary art died with vito acconci

Life is Art. Everything in life is a work of art, people just don’t recognize it as such. The clouds in the sky, the moon and the sun? Works of art that are always around without intending to be a work of art. Cave art is priceless but when it was made it probably wasn’t intended as work of art but maybe a warning or rules etc. intending to be a work of art is meaningless in grand scheme of things

Nice video. Clear, concise and accurate. I mostly agree on all 4 criterias, but I would argue a 5th: institutional/market acknowledgment. Which act as a external criteria in the matter that it doesn't rely on any historical/canonical or personal argument per se. Anyhow, in any case its all fiction.

I can do it each morning in the toilet.

The part at the beginning where you explain with total sincerity that a reproduction of an old master etching or the finger painting made by a toddler are not "contemporary art" set the tone for the entire video 😄. Thanks for clearing that up for us!

when you add the word successful you imply that the artist will sell alot and be well known by the world..... success in that way is more about politics ,who you know, or meet, your connections or your luck, being in the right place or right time....there are millions of great artists in the world but only a fraction of them achieve this type of success......if the only art you enjoy is the art that is popular and well advertised you are cheating your self out of some of the best art in your life time. open your mind. dig deeper in your quest to find great art and except those artists and there works who may not be publicly praised .

El arte contemporáneo es inseparable del orden de la globalización del capitalismo anglosajón al finalizar la guerra fría. Es, pues, una imposición política de ese orden frente a otros como el realismo socialista soviético y chino, el arte mural mexicano, las expresiones populares, etc. Por lo tanto representa fielmente sus valores: fundamentalismo democrático, multiculturalismo, estética disidente políticamente impotente, moral woke, etc. ¿Cómo ser un artista contemporáneo? acata los valores del imperialismo anglosajón.

No, no queremos ser contemporáneos a la manera gringa. Queremos destruir ese orden político, económico y estético.

Contemporary isn’t an era as is modern

Interesting topic, as always. Thanks!
The link to the article was poorly copied/pasted or seems to have been hacked.
However, I managed to access the article on your website.

좋아요

Your videos, and the books and references you have recommended, have helped my art practice more than any single source, and I am deeply appreciative of you and your work. If you are an ancient Savoy we may well be cousins.
These days, I mostly do painting, and AI art and video...and want to get more into collage. Vitamin C will be coming my way soon, if I have my way. The dozen other books are a treasure and a joy. Love to hear your view of some collage and AI art. db

👌🏼💯 as always 💪🏼🙌🏼

I think modern art is first about subject. I don not tnink about mself as a contemporary artist, because I paint religious still lifes in oils.
Here a list provided bu Saatchi Art, contemporary art can be narrowed down into :

Accessibility and advocacy for persons with disabilities

Animal Rights and Protections

Black Identity, Culture, and Activism

Body Image and Self Esteem

Conflict and Adversity

Cultural Diversity

Environmentalism, Sustainability, and Climate Issues

Freedom and Social Change

Health and Wellness

Historical Subjects

Heroes and Leaders

Identity

Immigration and Migration

Indigenous identity, culture, and activism

Latinx

LGBTQIA+

Masculinity

Mental Health

Politics and Activism

Refugee Advocacy

Spirituality and Meditation

Women's Issues

Как и любой другой философский вопрос🤔🧐 , этот вопрос является закорючкой (❓), которая не подлежит выпрямлению 🤔(то есть не может стать утвердительной прямой (❗) - ( на случай сложности перевода)🤗

One of the most interesting videos you have made. Thank you!

Art is produced to serve a market. The primary purchasers and therefor influencers of art in our age are Corporate entities and that market has a preference for abstract art which is therefor fashionable. Plutocrats mostly purchase contemporary art as an investment but it does not follow that what they are sold is either meaningful or good. The art of any age is only as cultured as its patrons.

Great way to waste some time contemplating absolutely meaningless shit.

The era of contemporary Art has passed, the present Art is highly influenced by Technologies And the coming times will be more influenced by Technologies Thank you! For such an important analysis, thank you!

Excellent video. I might add that "contemporary art" post-1990's are less regional that most movements prior to then. The information age has in many ways eroded those boundaries. Much of contemporary art could be easily made in France, Mexico, the US, or Australia with very few know or needing to know its country of origins. The exceptions being identity based artworks, but those are I believe in response to the erosion of those boundaries.

I don't understand your use of the word pretext in this context. A pretext is something like an excuse or fake reason, where you falsely claim to be motivated by something while you are actually motivated by something else.

Nothing ages more than yesterday's news and I've often found that the art of artists who are interested in immediate issues, the issues are no longer immediate or relevant by the time their art is widely disseminated in exhibitions. I think the late Richard Hamilton thought art should deal with immediate issues and like newspapers accept an art work will become old news and irrelevant. I can't remember how he exactly put it and I'll stand to be corrected. I have noticed Hamilton's work hasn't stood the test of time very well, though he isn't the only one whose work appears rather outdated. That said, he was relevant in the moment and that is better than most artists manage. 

I remember reading an exhibition review in the Guardian about climate change recently and not one dissenting voice in the whole exhibition. Did any of these artists understand climate science? I don't think so, they simply climbed on the bandwagon, despite there being some credible knowledgeable voices questioning the interpretation of the science. There are certain things art does well and certain things it doesn't and soap boxing by artists is a little tiresome because many clearly don't know what they are talking about or painting, sculpting or performing about. Some of today's artists seem to desperately need to feel immediately relevant for social media. For me, art works best when it fills the silences between words and is slow cooked, which is why art can be 50 years old and still considered contemporary.

As an aside, I hate the term "art practice" which has risen over the last 10 to 20 years, it sounds pseudo-intellectual, pretentious and desperate to sound relevant. Ultimately, I suspect it will be an emotional response, not an intellectual response that will decide which art stays relevant. Just my tuppence worth, I could be talking complete nonsense.

Hi. 🙂. I don't know how much I agree with you. I would like to hear your thoughts on the "eras" since WWII to today. I have my own thoughts on the matter amd they seem to diverge a good bit from what's expressed in this video. 🤟

390BC

Thanks for making this video

Are you crazy?! Contemporary means 'at the same time as.' Rembrandt and Rubens were contemporary. Picasso and Braque were contemporary. Please clean up your act because your lack of knowledge is showing.

Do I have to make bold loud angry strokes paintings to look contemporary???

Looking forward to watching this

Not sure if is it a worldwide situation, but in Taiwan, I sense that the way to be included in the category of contemporary art is completely different from others and shows no relation or connections to any past artist.
Simply, you must be "new" enough to be part of them. Otherwise, no matter how good you are in your field, you are still not a contemporary artist.