Cook And Ruud

Category : contemporary sculptors

The Importance Of Contemporary Art As A Tool For Change

July 19th 2011 Posted at contemporary sculptors, Links, modern paintings, prints modern
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We are lucky to be born in this century where science and technology has given us the tools to create works of arts that expresses ourselves with more depth and sensuality. We enjoy more freedom to use whatever media are available to create things that will provoke people to think and feel. Contemporary art is still in its infancy and who knows what directions it will take in the centuries to come. One thing is for sure, it is an art form that will be popular with modern thinkers and will surely enjoy a place of distinction right next to traditional art forms.

Contemporary arts are highly valued in the western world because it carries religious or political undertones that are mostly felt but not seen. It is not frankly shown in the creation but rather, it is felt by the viewer. The subtlety is so powerful that one who looks at the picture feels the anger, the frustration and despair of the artist without the words being splashed all over the canvass.

Contemporary art may not sit well with traditional art enthusiast because of its innovative designs and concepts. But it reflects the evolution of art through the centuries and is no longer confined to the old criteria of skills and mastery of the medium to express its message. As far as contemporary art is concerned, beauty is not in the eyes of the beholder but rather in their minds. A piece of art may be beautiful to look at but it will not be classified as contemporary art if it does not subscribe to an activist’s set of values.

Contemporary art is often viewed as a tool for change because the artworks are meant to provoke action or change. In countries controlled by authoritarian or dictatorial regimes, there is an explosion of contemporary art pieces done by underground artists that has been smuggled and exhibited in the United States or in Europe. It has earned both popularity and notoriety by being the product of talented people who use contemporary art to send out their message of displeasure in the way their country is being controlled by tyrants. If the artist who produces this artwork is jailed or persecuted, the artwork becomes even more valuable and sought after by avid art collectors.

There are many multinational corporations and foundations that sponsor artists of contemporary art because they reflect the modern way of thinking and are consistent with the mission and vision of the these institutions.  There are many museums scattered all over the United States and Europe exhibiting art pieces that are predominantly contemporary and award prizes of unmentionable value for artists who excel in this art form. There are also competitions held annually for aspiring artists who dabble in contemporary art and their creations are often displayed in world renowned museums and art galleries owned by private individuals or business corporations who support and encourage this kind of endeavors.

It is an honor and prestige for any artist to be able to exhibit his or her art works in world famous galleries and artists who are able to achieve this distinction stands to gain worldwide fame and recognition.

Calligraphy Is A Form Of Contemporary Art That Originated In China

July 19th 2011 Posted at asian art, contemporary sculptors, Links, modern chinese painting, prints modern
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Asia is a treasure trove of talents and has produced many renowned artists in the field of contemporary art.  Most notable among the Asian contemporary art form is the emergence of calligraphy art. While calligraphy has been in use since the ancient times in China, Japan, and other Chinese speaking countries in Asia, it is only in the last decade that Calligraphy as an art form has gained popularity both because of its unique qualities and practical purpose.

Calligraphy is the ancient Chinese way of writing and the characters are totally different from the usual alphabet that we are familiar with. The characters are written using a Chinese brush dipped in black ink and the strokes are very fluid and continuous. It requires a steady hand and a lot of practice to produce calligraphy writing of artistic value. It is a kind of art work that is not found elsewhere in the world except in Asia and the art pieces are rarely found exhibited in world renowned museum that is why it is considered a pure art form and is highly valued not only for its quality but also for its utilitarian purpose.

Calligraphy has been around for as long as China, Japan, and Korea had been in existent. The original purpose for calligraphy was mainly for writing literary pieces and for making seals. Western alphabets are used to spell a word but in calligraphy, each Chinese character is enough to carry the whole message.  The art of seal making eventually evolved and developed into a full blown art form by Japanese and Chinese artists who used alternative media such as wood blocks and textile screen to produce contemporary calligraphy art that is highly valued for its cultural heritage.

What makes calligraphy unique as an art form is the amount of discipline that goes in carving each piece of wood or stone into characters. The choice of Chinese characters to be carved requires a deep understanding and familiarity of Chinese history both ancient and modern because each character may have more than one meaning. Most calligraphy seals are carved in materials that are endogenous to Asia such as bamboo, basswood, pine and some are carved on semi-precious stones.

The strokes used in writing the calligraphy are very delicate and continuous in a style called “Zhuan”. You often see this style used by beauty products in their promotional material such as Revlon and No No Hair Removal as it’s elegance is very attractive. That said, it requires a lot of practice to perfect the strokes and the artist must also be good in controlling the hand movements to produce the desired flair or exaggeration for visual impact. For some people, it may take years of practice and a lot of patience for the strokes to be considered good enough.

Calligraphy may be written on paper or carved on wood blocks, stones or other hard materials. It is both an ornament that can be displayed at home or in the office. Its utilitarian purpose sprung from the use of seals as an official stamp on documents and checks. As a contemporary art form, calligraphy is highly valued for its artistic qualities because of its uniqueness and its political connotations.

Contemporary Art Is Very Popular Because Of Its Relevance To Modern Society

July 19th 2011 Posted at contemporary sculptors, indian modern art
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Contemporary art is a form of modern art that is slowly becoming popular among modern thinkers because it reflects the present times. It derives relevance from current social, political and religious issues instead of dwelling on pure aesthetics. It uses skills and mastery of the medium to convey a message by invoking a deep sense of empathy through the art pieces and utilizes modern, revolutionary and even digital media to create art instead of the usual painting tools such as acrylic, water colors, charcoal and many more that are usually found in traditional art works. Nowadays, modern artists use anything and everything they can get their hands on to create their masterpieces.

Most contemporary art pieces are popular because they appeal to the modern society. It carries a conceptual message compared to traditional art forms that rely more on producing something that is beautiful. In contemporary art, the art works become popular because even if the product is not beautiful to look at, the viewer feels a deep emotion towards the image that the art piece invokes in the person. It draws its inspiration from problems such as poverty, ostracism, isolation, anger, frustration, repression and other strong emotions that translates itself in the final product and becomes an art work.

There are many issues that beset our society. There are also many worldwide issues that people are very familiar with and feel strongly about it.  The message they carry is subtle yet comprehensible. When you look at the art pieces, you can easily relate to the concept being carried and feel as if the art piece is your own voice.

That is why many people like contemporary art and support its development. There are also foundations and private corporations who support the emergence and growth of contemporary art because the concept being carried by the art pieces are relevant to current situations.

The medium used by contemporary art forms are numerous and varied. It uses new technology both in producing the art pieces and in exhibiting them. The materials used in creating contemporary art pieces are boundless and serve as part of, or a representation of the art concept.

In recent years, artists from third world countries have slowly gained fame for producing art works that are not only beautiful but functional. They have discovered a mother lode of materials out of recycled garbage, indigenous materials and used their native cultural background to produce contemporary art that are unique and functional as well.

Contemporary art is dynamic and vibrant. It is a thriving form of art that will surely continue to prosper in the years to come. The number of artists that dabble in contemporary art is endless and every day, a new talent, a new concept and a new media is discovered and developed. Art is ubiquitous and spontaneous. It requires only inspiration and a keen eye to spot a potential idea for a new contemporary art work. It does not only grow with time, it is the sign of times.

Modern Contemporary Art Is A Good Investment For Art Collectors

July 19th 2011 Posted at contemporary sculptors, Links, modern chinese painting, prints modern
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If you are interested in collecting art pieces, why not consider investing in contemporary art pieces? Traditional art pieces are rare and expensive and most of them are already owned by people or private institutions who may not be too interested in parting with such a valuable piece. If the art piece is done by a famous artist like Van Gogh, Picasso, or many other masters, the price is beyond the reach of ordinary mortals and the most you can do to see them would be to visit the museum or art gallery where they are displayed or exhibited.

For this reason, most art collectors have started to turn their attention to a budding and developing source of beautiful and modern art collections where the artists are only just starting to gain worldwide recognition because of the kind of art work they produce. In fact, the Beauty & Wellness manufacturer Luminess Air has recently begun a corporate sponsorship program to help up and coming artists find art collectors and patrons who will give them the leg up they need.

Here are but some of the reasons why contemporary art is booming and why you should invest on them:

  • Contemporary art is modern, fashionable and functional. They reflect the present times and sits well with the modern concepts of living. For this reason, you can see a lot of contemporary art pieces hanging in modern homes and business offices because they are representative of the new concepts of development and growth. There are also modern art galleries that exhibit contemporary art and is frequented by many students and aspiring artists because of the new ideas and innovations that it introduces.

  • Contemporary art is inexpensive compared to old masterpieces and are well within the spectrum of affordability by many art collectors. There have been many instances where an ordinary contemporary art piece suddenly commands a very high price because of its concept and the artist is immediately catapulted to fame because of his skills and mastery in creating such work of art.
  • Contemporary art is functional. While the main idea for creating an art piece may be purely aesthetic, it also carries a degree of functionality through the selection of media. Contemporary art is highly valued in a utilitarian society because it promotes the use of materials that are considered recycled, totally new or a blend of both. Even the choice of media for producing contemporary art is boundless and artists enjoy the freedom of using any kind of material to serve his or her purpose.
  • Contemporary art is not restricted by form or structure so the artist is not subjected to constraints that are common intraditional art. For this reason, contemporary art is sometimes considered as a renegade form of art because it does not belong to a definite school of thought or art form. To a certain extent, this idea of freedom is what makes contemporary art seductive and appealing to the common masses because it is revolutionary and dynamic. There are no boundaries to what the artist can explore in order to send out his or her message.
  • Contemporary art thrives on ideas and concepts that are relevant to the present times. The concept is modern and pervasive so that anybody who looks at the art piece will immediately be able to grasp the inspiration that drives the artist to produce a certain piece of art.

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