HCCS Artist from The 20th or 21st Century Discussion

Often, when we think of painting, most people consider the works of Vincent Van Gogh or Leonardo DaVinci. They tend to think of painting as an old and traditional medium. However, to make it as an artist today, painting is still a popular medium, and one that has changed quite a bit over the years, both aesthetically (such as abstract art) and technically (such as with acrylic paint).

In this week’s discussion, I want you to choose an artist from the 20th or 21st century (1900s to present) and discuss how they have changed the medium of painting. This can either involve the aesthetic of the painting (such as abstract works or contemporary paintings) or the technique (such as acrylic painting, airbrush, spray paint, etc…). Some questions you should consider are:

• What medium is the artist using? What sets that medium apart from painting in the past? A good example of this is a new use of tablets as a painting medium, such as with the newer work of David Hockney.
• If it’s the subject matter, how can you tell the piece is modern or contemporary (like with the works of Lita Albuquerque)? What about the subject matter tells you it was done more recently?
• Is technology part of the painting, either in the aesthetic of it or how it was made? Good examples of this are the works of Keltie Ferris and Dmitri Morozov.
• As usual, what was the purpose of the artist creating their work? What message are they trying to convey with their painting? Make sure to include the medium and year in which the piece was made.

You may choose any artist or any art piece, but it must be from the 20th or 21st century. You may use the timeline from theartstory.org for some inspiration, as well as any works discussed in your textbook or in my video.