Mapping Out Art Today

Above is a video of high school students from Hong Kong International School talking about what they think of contemporary art. Each of these students, though giving varied answers, seem to mutually agree on the fact that art today is incredibly diverse. Some even go so far as to say that art can be anything. A dramatic statement and, considering the post modern mindset of the art world, not so far from the truth.

Postmodernist art, that being the current era of art, is characterized by a lack of an organized structure, ambiguity and diversity. It has a very laissez-faire attitude that culminates in the art of today being described as "can be anything."

Part of the reason why art has become like this is because postmodernism was originally a reaction against modernism, which was a reaction against the academic art of the 19th century. Academic art was clearly structured and with each coming reaction, the structure fell apart more and more.

The second reason why art can now be anything is because the art world turned its attention away from the art and has focused on the artist. This is due to the fact that the art created is generally difficult to understand or decipher unless the artist him/herself explains.


This attitude can be represented by one artist - Andy Warhol. People know him because of his pieces like the Marilyn Monroe Triptych or the Campbell's Soup can prints. The main reason why we have all heard of him, however, is because Andy Warhol knew how to market himself. There was always interest around his studio, nicknamed the Factory, and there was often scandals revolving around him such as an attempted assassination of him. Warhol exploited these controversies as well as worked on his own image until he has become an icon in not just the art world, but also America.

It's interesting to note, however, that the king of pop art himself believed that "the course of art history would be changed if one thousand students could be taught Old Master drawing and painting techniques."