Wall Drawing #541: Contemporary and Concept Art

What is Contemporary Art?

LeWitt Contemporary art page photo - brillo by warhol

Andy Warhol’s Brillo Soap Pads Box (1964). VMFA collection. Silkscreen and synthetic polymer house paint on wood. Warhol’s style is similar to Lewitt’s because of their appreciation of the simple in life.

Contemporary Art refers to art that is being produced by living artists. There is a wide range of mediums that are used in the making of this art, including anything from paint to plaster. Today’s artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern‐day society. This art can be viewed in the VMFAs Mid to Late 20th Century Gallery. Some notable contemporary artists include the pop artist, Andy Warhol, the photorealistic painter, Chuck Close, the sculptor, Richard Serra, and the conceptualist, Sol LeWitt.

 

What is Concept Art?

LeWitt Concept page photo

Cy Twombly’s Synopsis of a Battle (Primary Title) (1968). Commercial oil-based paint, wax crayon on canvas. VMFA collection. The conceptual side of this piece is the fact that it is meant to depict movements and maneuvers of the Battle of Issus (333 BC) in which Alexander the Great defeated an army much larger than his own.

“A blind man can make art if what is in his mind can be passed to another mind in some tangible form.” (Sol LeWitt)

Conceptual Art is a very intellectual form of art that stresses idea over form. It was an idea pioneered by artists, such as Sol LeWitt in the Mid 1960s. Conceptual art can be found in the form of photographs, paintings, sculptures, writings, etc. Sol LeWitt gave this form of art a name in his 1967 essay “Paragraphs on Conceptual Art.” This form of art begged the question, “What, truly, is art?” Though Sol Lewitt is one of the more famous contributors to this style of art, other contributors include the painter and sculptor, Marcel Duchamp, painter and photographer, Douglas Huebler, and photographer, Hans-Peter Feldmann.

 

Explore More

Wall Drawing #541: Contemporary and Concept Art

Who is Sol LeWitt?

Wall Drawing #541: Installation

Wall Drawing #541: Damage and Conservation

Wall Drawing #541: Activities

Wall Drawing #541: Glossary