by Melanie Aves

Created on: August 31, 2010

Exploring & defining 'modern art'

 When a work of art is described as “modern,” it usually means that the content or subject matter has been intentionally altered by the artist, as in a Pablo Picasso cubistic painting, or is missing altogether, as in a Jackson Pollack non-objective drip and spatter composition.  The word modern actually means “relating or belonging to the present period in history,” and since both of these artists worked and died in the 20th century, clearly they do not belong in the modern category.  Yet

modern art has come to mean art that doesn’t depict subjects in a realistic way, but, of course, exactly what is meant by realistic is still debatable.  Vincent Van Gogh’s expressionistic style, for example, is much admired by many who claim to dislike modern art even though his depictions of subjects are far from realistic.

 To understand what “modern” artists have been exploring since the late 19th century, it is necessary to put aside subject matter altogether.  Creating art is always a process of decision making, and successful artists from every period in history have concerned themselves with the abstract elements and principles of design.  The elements of line, shape, shade or tone, space, color and texture are the tools artists employ to make art.  The principles of unity, variety, rhythm, balance and focal points are the concepts artists use, consciously or unconsciously, to arrange the elements. 

 Around the beginning of the 20th century artists began to experiment with new ways of applying paint in paintings and assembling parts in sculpture.  They also altered subject matter into simpler shapes as in the work of Joan Miro, and eventually began to arrange the elements of art without a reference to subject matter, as in the work of Wassily Kandinsky or Piet Mondrian.  By the mid 20thcentury artists like Franz Kline were exploring the emotional qualities of expressive strokes of paint on oversized canvases in a style called abstract expressionism.  This era was followed by minimalist artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, who shaped his canvases into new configurations and applied pure colors.  All of these artists, whether abstracting from subject matter, or working with the pure elements of design, made decisions about the arrangement of the lines, shapes, shades or tones, space, color and texture in their work.  This is the key to understanding and appreciating their efforts. 

 When a work of art speaks to the viewer, and engages him or her in a new understanding of beauty or emotion, it is successful.  This engagement may or may not involve subject matter.  At the moment, figurative art (art that has recognizable subject matter) is enjoying a wide revival, so many contemporary artists actually employ realism, even photo-realism in their work.  Still many “modern” artists are content to use only the pure elements of art to create their work and connect with the viewer. 

 To enjoy art, a viewer must be open to receive the messages transmitted by the work, whether or not the artist presents recognizable content.  Sometimes a “modern” work will strike a visual chord that creates a singular and memorable experience.  That is the moment all modern artists strive for.

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