Contemporary art is a kind of art made in present times by the artists living today. This kind of art reflects the complex issue which will shape our global, diverse, and rapidly changing world. Many artists are going to explore cultural and personal identity through their work. They also offer social and institutional critique and attempt to redefine the art itself.

They will often raise thought-provoking and difficult questions in the process without providing easy answers. An open mind, curiosity to seek answers, and a commitment to dialogue are the best tools by which you can approach the work of contemporary art.

Since its inception in the year 1940, the people have presented today’s art forms in various forms such as dance, music, theatre, moving images, design, new media, architecture, and many hybrid forms. These works have challenged our ideas about what art should look like and how it will behave.

The details in the surroundings can be a bit fuzzy as today’s interpretation will vary from individual to individual. It was intended to be the reaction preceding the modern art movements, and contemporary art started the heels of pop art.

Contemporary Sculpture:

Contemporary sculpture is a form of art in which you create a 3-dimensional work achieved by shaping various materials. The sculptures have been there in our society for a very long time. There are magnificent sculptures that were created by our ancient civilizations. Those were made purely for art and prayers.

Today, the rise of contemporary sculpture is not only in public places, exhibitions, and displays but also in personal spaces. Some people even use the sculpture to create sculpture pieces of themselves or their loved ones to keep in their private homes.

The modern and contemporary sculpture includes the technique that is developing over time. Some of the common movements seen in contemporary sculpture are suprematism, cubism, geometric abstraction, dadaism, surrealism, futurism, formalism, pop art, lands art, installation art, and so much more.

Contemporary sculpture can be seen almost everywhere nowadays and even in homes. They add elegance and high value to various spaces. One of the most popular materials often used to create contemporary sculpture is marble. The marble statues are exquisite because of their beautiful polish and fine sheen.

These splendid works can be placed almost anywhere for appreciation, such as in homes, lawns, gardens, and even workspaces. The marble statues are going to add an aura of class and elegance. Most of the sculpture artists are great at producing their work and are the best at reproducing other statues and then sculptures that are affordable forms of marble statues.

Today, there are plenty of great sculpture artists who are producing amazing pieces of art. These sculptures are recognized internationally.

Contemporary Abstract Art:

Abstract in literal terms means to withdraw or separate something from something else. This term is applied to contemporary art based on a figure, object, landscape, and the other forms that have been simplified and schematized.

It is also applied to the kind of art that uses forms such as geometrical figures with no visual source in reality. Some artists refer to it as concrete art or non-objective art. Abstract art is often labeled as carrying a moral dimension. It stands for virtues such as order, purity, spirituality, and simplicity.

Since the year of the 1900s, abstract art has formed the central steam of modern art. Contemporary art is making a big comeback. It is not just the art market where the masters of abstract art are coming back but also the art practice; there have been various exhibitions of contemporary abstract artists.

It is often believed that various art movements categorize the beginning of the 21st century. Contemporary abstract art will have an important place in future art history books, where the experts will analyze art movements of our time.

There were two, in general, the golden ages of abstract art. The first one was between 1912 and 1925, and the second one was between 1947 and 1970. Pollock was among the best artists who have influenced generations of work and contemporary artists. During the post-war period, abstract art was so popular that it could be said that it had the topmost position in the contemporary art scene.

But now, abstract art has made a remarkable comeback!

Contemporary Wall Art:

Well, making a home that features different decor hinges in a room will reflect your style and personality. Contemporary wall art can add color, dimension, and texture to any space while conveying preferences.

It will make a political statement or present you with a piece that will draw you back in. The artworks can be metallic, neutral, and colorful, or a combination of those things. Then the most significant aspect of choosing the best contemporary art is that you connect with it on some level, and you must have space where this piece will work.

You can add various colors according to your preference, and the limitation will only be the budget. The contemporary wall art will add depth to your home that will inspire multiple guests and visitors. It is going to brighten up your living space and will be appreciated by others. If you want, it can also convey strength and boldness, making a solid statement in the room.

In the End:

So, what is contemporary art in the end? The contemporary artworks are referenced by the vastness of the variety and the world around us. They will influence how we see and relate to the world in present times. With this, some of the new and redefined contemporary artwork is going to awaken.

Welcome to Explore and Download SOA Arts Contemporary Paintings

Large platter

‘They say Lightening never strikes twice’

Coloured Porcelain – hand-built Nerikomi platter with solid silver Kintsugi highlights

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, people are getting bored staying at home all day, so today we're delighted to share some eye-pleasing Nerikomi ceramics by Judy McKenzie that you can enjoy from home.  What are the Nerikomi process and the Kintsugi process? Let' learn more.

Porcelain Nerikomi bowl

Sunset Clouds

Colored porcelain

16cm w x 12cm h

Porcelain Nerikomi bowl

Summer Country Walk

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

16cm w x 12cm h

Porcelain Nerikomi bowl

Summer Garden

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

16cm w x 12cm h

Porcelain Nerikomi bowl

Troubled Sky

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

16cm w x 12cm h

A group of four nerikomi bowls

Colored porcelain

Human beings have been making ceramics for nearly ten thousand years. Primitive people knead clay into simple shapes and then fired ceramic. You can say that making ceramics is an almost instinctive creation.

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls with silver Kintsugi

Troubled Sky: Small footed vessel

8cm h x 10cm w

Troubled Sky: Small conical vessel

8cm h x 11.5 cm w

Some people say that pottery is an art made from earth and fire, a simple art. However, for thousands of years, the art of delicate ceramics showed a variety of forms, colors, patterns, and textures with their light hands. Though as the simplest of substances it is, radiating the richest of possibilities.

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls with silver Kintsugi

Sunset Sky: Small footed vessel

8cm h x 10cm w

Sunset Sky: Small conical vessel

8cm h x 11.5 cm w

As an indigenous British artist, and graduated from the royal college of the art learning western art, Judy McKenzie should be a very authentic western artist, but in her creation, she unexpectedly chose from two Oriental ceramics art: Nerikomi and Kintsugi, and make full use of these two characteristics to create ceramic utensils with highly decorative touches.

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls

Summer Garden: Small footed vessel

8cm h x 10cm w

Summer Garden: Small conical vessel

8cm h x 11.5 cm w

The combination of Nerikomi, a handmade technique of creating unique patterns out of colored clay, and Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery, was depicted as a precious scar by Judy McKenzie, a sense of the power and beauty from fragile ceramics.

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls

Blue and Yellow Sky: Small footed vessel

8cm h x 10cm w

Blue and Yellow Sky: Small conical vessel

8cm h x 11.5 cm w

Today we are going to share Nerikomi ceramics by Judy McKenzie. Because it has very mesmerizing colors, a whimsical look, if not in detail, you may probably think it is hand-painted, with various bright colors, but it is not dazzled, also won't make people feeling uncomfortable. Instead, it feasted your eyes, very bright and delights, like beautiful clouds in the sky, a brilliant sunset, or hand-painted abstract paintings.

A grouping of the small conical vessels

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls

All 8cm h x 11.5cm w

The beauty of Nerikomi, the rhyme of utensils, nothing can beat this.

A grouping of the small-footed vessels

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls

All 8cm h x 10cm w

About Nerikomi ceramics:

Nerikomi is a kind of traditional Chinese ceramics process, and it is a shame that the crafts, in the Northern Song Dynasty "Jingkang Change", due to successive years of war gradual decline and getting lost. The main skill feature is using two or more different colors of clay, in the process of production, through the color mixing and twisting, so that the clay presented different colors and patterns, and its cross-section as the surface of the objects, to produce a myriad of patterns and textures on the surface, very decorative and artistic.

A Country Walk grouping

Porcelain Nerikomi bowls

Small footed vessel

8cm h x 10cm w

Small conical vessel

8cm h x 11.5 cm w

Porcelain white stoneware Nerikomi with Kintsugi

Open bowl: 23cm w x 12cm d

Round form: 21cm w x 24cm h

Taller bowl: 16cm w x 12 cm h

During the Anti-Japanese War, the Nerikomi process is introduced to Japan by the article "Xiuwu kiln(a porcelain kiln) of the Northern Song Dynasty" written by Koyama Fuji, an ancient ceramist. Since then, there are a lot of ceramics attempts to recreate the Nerikomi process and formed "practice started" process in Japan, and has produced a vast of different schools, the living treasure Matsui Yasunari is the best of all, through the practice of hand techniques, not only make the craft more perfect, but also integrates modern elements and aesthetic, so that Nerikomi has a richer expression, and spread the craft to the world.

Other Nerikomi Ceramics

-01-

Porcelain Nerikomi tall vase

Lake Natron from Space

Colored porcelain

19cm h x 13cm w x 7.5cm deep

Porcelain Nerikomi tall vase

Lake Natron from Space

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

19cm h x 13cm w x 7.5cm deep

Porcelain Nerikomi tall vase

After the Storm

Colored porcelain

19cm h x 13cm w x 7.5cm deep

Porcelain Nerikomi tall vase

A Country Walk

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

19cm h x 13cm w x 7.5cm deep

Group of four tall vases

-02-

Small Nerikomi bowl - yellow clouds

Colored porcelain and silver Kintsugi – hand-built – 15cms x 13cms SOLD

Small Nerikomi bowl - Stormy skies

Colored porcelain – hand built – 14cms x 14cms

Small Nerikomi bowl - Sunset

Colored porcelain and silver Kintsugi – hand-built – 16cms x 14cms SOLD

Nerikomi Bowls

Coloured porcelain

-03-

Extra large Nerikomi bowl - Turbulent times

Colored Porcelain – hand built

Large Nerikomi bowl - Troubled sky

Colored porcelain – hand built

Medium bowl - Stormy clouds

Colored porcelain – hand built

Nerikomi bowls

Coloured porcelain

-04-

Porcelain Nerikomi bottle

A Summer Sky

Colored porcelain with silver Kintsugi

20cm w x 18.5cm h x 10cm deep

It's time to say goodbye.

Almost everyone is familiar with Art exhibitions. In Art exhibitions, there are many collections of art objects in a particular area with different themes. Some individuals or groups of artists in exhibits represent the interactive art to the audience, which relates to the awareness, unity, knowledge, creativeness, education, and more with contemporary art.

The first art exhibition took place in 1756, and traditionally it is commemorated till now among all the countries. It is not a perpetual exhibition. Instead, it curates for temporary periods.

Vertical Gallery in Chicago

History of Art Exhibition

Since the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, art exhibitions had a vital influence on the vantage for the persons [artists] who incline to turn their creative thinking on a sheet of paper. With assembling various exhibitions and regular displays in most cities, it finally came with fame in the 19th century.

In 1667, Paris Salon was the official art exhibition of Academie des Beaux-Arts, a French learning society that was very popular and well known but inaugurated in 1737. At the beginning of 1769, annual-based exhibitions during June, July, August began in London by the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. The British institution also started gathering exhibits from 1806 to 1867.

Indigenous Art Exhibit

In the mid 19th century, new museums of Europe also placed and held exhibitions of their collections, loans collections, or the mixture of objects. Then in London 1851, the great exhibition with Universal exposition [A huge international exhibit designed to showcase nations' successes. These exhibitions sustain in various parts of the World, usually for 3 to 6 months].

Serve as an entrance arch, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was built for Exposition Universelle in 1889. Hence, the popularity of art exhibitions begins with lots of efforts of artists and supporters.

Charles Gaines Palm Trees Series 2 Kumeyaay

What Is The Role of Art Exhibitions?

Generally, art is the method of displaying feelings in a non-conventional manner. In any case, that particular talent is not satisfactory until admirers really can see and get it. It's simply like you are murmuring yourself in a closed room.

 Metropolitan Museum of Art

An artist needs a platform to show his or her talent, and the art exhibition is actually where an artist gets the chance to represent themselves.

Not only to the artists, but it also performs a great way to learn and elaborate thinking of the audiences and make them aware, knowledgeable, creative with the beauty of the art. Therefore, Art exhibitions play a crucial role for the artists as well as for the audiences.

Interactive Art Exhibition Put Your Head into Gallery

Importance of Art Exhibitions

The Art exhibition's intention is unique and comprehensive that helps an individual explore and understand. Some of the importance of art exhibition are stated below:

To express and outline the art of the artist,
To develop and aware people,
Also, for the marketing process or to earn money,
To give knowledge differently.
Likewise, used for branding.
For finding new audiences.
Also, it helps to be up to date with the beauty.
To elaborate artist ideas.

Where Art Exhibitions Took Place?

The art exhibition is given a lot of importance in modern times. Basically, the artists present their creations in art halls, art clubs, museums, private art galleries, or some business areas that are not for sale.

Most of the time, the exhibition takes place at some festivals, artist birthdays, occasions, or also with no reason, just to explore the artist's self creativeness and ideas. Nowadays, many artists arrange exhibitions themselves, meet new audiences, and explore their thoughts with the beauty of their art.

Who Plays Important Role In Art Exhibition?

Simply, not only a curator or an artist and the audience can add a feather in a cap alone. If the curator arranges the exhibition conscientiously, artists can represent their ideas and be aware of other people's up-to-date art. And they can convey their art to the audience. If there is no audience, then all the arrangement goes waste.

 Mirror Room Interactive Art Installation

So basically, it's a chain that stays attached only by the dependence of each other. If any of them were not there, then the exhibition would be impossible to succeed.

Opening Closing Museum Art Exhibits in Houston Moody Center

Final Thoughts

Nowadays, most artists would love to prefer contemporary art, as contemporary art base on the present and recent past. With modernity, contemporary art rises more in the people and creates curiosity in them.

 Immersive Van Gogh Experience in Toronto

The benefit of contemporary art is aesthetic value and being up to date from time to time. If you want to learn more about contemporary art, then SOA ARTS can help you with it. You will get the best and full information about all that you want to know.

Artwork is something that helps humans in the development of diverse activities and their outcomes. Artwork such as painting, sculpting, photography, architecture, etc., is embodied with various activities and is vast like an ocean.

Table of content:

· Why trend towards artwork in 2021?
· What are the special materials used in artwork?
· Trending painting artwork in 2021
· Conclusion

People have a relationship with art. It plays an important role in how humankind interacts with others and the whole world. People appreciate the artwork in different ways in dance, poetry, drawing, painting, and many more. It is a fact that artwork helps us in different ways, such as financially, emotionally, psychologically, and helps us shape our individual and collective personality.

You might wonder what sort of artwork is trending nowadays, especially in this era of technology. Well, the art world in 2021 is different from last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of artwork as well. 

The virtual engagements have been increasing, and the artists also opt for online exhibitions and virtual installations. This article will answer why artwork is important, why trendy artwork is, what unique materials are using, and some stylish artwork in 2021.

Why Trend towards Artwork in 2021?

Artwork is an expression of one’s joy and a way of making people understand things that can’t work verbally. Art is everywhere around us, and artwork is not just present in museums and galleries. It can be a form of communication.

There are several reasons why artwork is important in today’s world. Here are the few most common reasons which make artwork trending.

· People are naturally artistic
· Gives inner calmness and happiness
· Art crosses all divides
· Makes emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing
· It allows self-expression and self-awareness
· Explore nature
· Artwork makes people optimistic about the future.
· Wealth creation resource
· Artwork allows for complex ideas to be broken down
· It assists keep the recording of history

What are the Special Materials Used in Artwork?

Various materials are used for the creation of the perfect artwork. The medium for artwork also matters. The famous art mediums nowadays are sculpture, painting, mixed media, photography, and digital art.

While the usage of materials typically depends on the type of art you are doing. There are many types and styles of art artwork we see in this modern world. Every kind of artwork involves different materials. The following are some popular artwork types, styles, and materials needed to complete the art.

It is true that above all forms of artwork surrounded by all come together to create the atmosphere that we want to live in, which is personable to us. Every form of art needs special materials or tools like paper, music, colors, technology, photography, etc.

With the introduction of photography, film, and digital technology, painting has remained a persistent mode of expression. Painting media is highly versatile because it can apply to many different surfaces, such as plaster, clay, lacquer, canvas, wood, paper, and concrete.

Here are some popular painting types:

1. Decorative painting 
2. Acrylic painting
3. Digital painting
4. Oil painting
5. Line painting

Decorative Painting

Decorative painting helps to make a blank wall into an eye-catching space. You can create an empty or blank space into a work of beauty with decorative painting.

Acrylic Painting

Acrylic painting is one of the fast-drying painting art. This type of painting is made using acrylic paints, which are basically pigments suspended in a water-soluble acrylic polymer media that become water-resistant when dry. The beauty of acrylic paintings is that they are inexpensive and easy to work with, but creativity matters a lot here.

Digital Painting

Digital painting modern form of painting, and it let you create beautiful artwork without the use of inks and paint oils. It allows you to paint directly on the computer instead of paper or canvas. The only things you need for digital painting are painting software, graphics system/tablet.

Oil painting

This type of painting allows you to use oils to make a creative painting. Different oil paints are used to create an eye-catching and innovative image. Oil paints are made of pigment powder and oil, usually line seed oil.

Line Art / Painting

Line drawing is a famous form of artistic expression. The is a lot of power in a line, and the art of line drawing has worth it. It is the act of creating illustrations by using basic strokes, and it doesn’t include any gradients.

Conclusion

In the 21st century, the dimensions of artwork have changed as compared to the past. Nowadays, art is not just a way of expressing one’s ideas but also can give some information or message. Artwork can inspire and take you to another world where you can interpret everything by your emotions.

An attractive and eye-catching artwork can give you pleasant and inner satisfaction. But choosing the suitable artwork may be incredibly difficult among many choices. To understand the beauty of art in contemporary culture, one needs to turn to historical art forms.

In short, artwork influences everyone daily, in the form of painting, music, or even video, and significantly impacts our mood and emotions.

When you’ve got over 12 years of experience in supplying art for hotel interior design and other venues, you learn a thing or two about the names that are worth watching. This post is written as a celebration of some of the most exciting contemporary artists in 2021.

Their innovation, bravery, and artistic flair continue to shape the world of art and its role in our everyday lives. If you haven’t seen these names before – listen up; they’re really quite something. They help inspire us to provide incredible art for venues everywhere.

Contemporary Artists Definition

The contemporary artists on this page have been chosen, in part, for their spectacular wall art that breathes new life into any room it touches. These artists are still practicing today and contribute a rich, unique perspective to the world of contemporary art.

Read on to get inspired!

#01 Liu Xiaodong

Liu Xiaodong’s large-scale paintings capture global challenges such as the climate crisis, economic catastrophes, and human displacement. These are explored with both grace and bravery and confront the viewer with subjects that are unshakably human.

Each composition is built with a level of intricacy and care that connects profoundly to the subject matter of each piece. First rising from the Chinese Neo-Realism period in the 90s, Xiaodong has been contributing spectacular wall art to the world ever since.

#02 Takashi Murakami

Taking influence from contemporary Japanese art and pop culture, Takashi Murakami’s paintings strike an idiosyncratic harmony between fine art, history, and popular culture. This artist is often fondly referred to as the ‘Japanese Andy Warhol’.

Murakami’s dedication to emerging artists is particularly noteworthy. His regular art fairs are designed to champion new artists from Japan and beyond. With bold colours, striking motifs and a flair for levity, Murakami is one of those contemporary artists we keep coming back to.

#03 David Hockney

David Hockney is considered by many to be one of the most important contributors to the Pop Art movement of the 20th century. His work continues to have great influence on contemporary art around the world.

In fact in 2018, his piece, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), became the most expensive piece of art by a living artist ever sold at auction. His colourful prints and paintings inspire new generations of artists every year.

#04 Cecily Brown

Parallels are often drawn between Cecily Brown and artists such as Bacon or Willem de Kooning. Her bright, vibrant paintings shift constantly between figurative and abstract models. Their expressive style has captured the attention of critics around the world.

What is particularly striking about Brown’s work is its ability to render paint as if it were human flesh. The human form comes to life on the canvas, evoking themes of life, death, and all worldly desires in between.

#05 Njideka Akunyili Crosby

This artist's spectacular wall art explores a kind of liminal space experienced by immigrants around the world. It is neither Nigerian nor American – it is something uncomfortably in between.

Colourful, eye-catching collages capture scenes of everyday life, interiors, and social gatherings. They explore the rich history of Nigeria and its existence in today’s post-colonial landscape. This artist’s work is regularly featured at renowned galleries around the world – certainly a name worth knowing.

SOA Arts – Hotel Interior Design and More

At SOA Arts, we have over a decade’s experience in curating, commissioning, and sourcing spectacular art for your business or commercial venue. Our wholesale art is ideally suited for hotel interior design, restaurant interiors, and much more.

Our catalogue is updated constantly in line with trends and changes in the industry worldwide. Get in touch today with your questions, queries, and inquiries. We work flexibly and are confident we can make things work for you.

In the English language, ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’ are synonyms. But in the art world, these two words have completely different meanings. To understand contemporary art, we must first decipher the two terms.

The term ‘modern’ within the context of art describes art that was created between 1860 and 1970. Art during this period was more focused on freedom of experimenting with different styles of art and mediums than focusing on traditional art ideals such as realism.

From 1970, the art world was introduced to postmodernism. During this time, technology was advancing and there was an increase in the use of video and performance art. Artists began to focus on creating art in response to the latest trends. This was the birth of contemporary art.

The spirit behind contemporary art is one of inquiry and the powerful combination of different ideas, subjects, methods, and materials that typically challenge traditional art principles. Traditional art relies on organized principles and ideologies. But contemporary art is diverse. It is created today about today.

Contemporary art embraces the audience, so they become an important part of the creation process. This was not always the case before 1970. Perhaps this is what drives the spirit of experimentation and constant questioning in contemporary art.

There are many museums around the world housing contemporary art pieces. Let us explore these museums briefly.

1. The MOMA

Inside the MOMA

New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), opened in 1929. It houses the world's most iconic art pieces from the 20th century to contemporary times. It has had shows such as ‘Out of Time: a Contemporary View’, which showed contemporary art from the Museum’s collection focused on the tensions embedded in recent experiences of time, as expressed in art made in the past few decades.

2. Tate Modern

Inside Tate Modern

Tate Modern is Europe’s most visited modern art gallery and is renowned for its architecture as well the diverse art pieces it houses. It offers art covering the entire history of modern art from the 20th century to modern times. On top of its permanent collection, it offers well-curated free displays, performances, tours, talks, workshops, and exhibitions.

3. Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA)

Inside MoCA Shanghai

Founded in 2005, the MoCA Shanghai was the first private contemporary art museum in China. The vision of its founders was to gather excellent artwork from around the world and showcase contemporary Chinese artists. The institution prides itself on being multidisciplinary and has collaborated with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. It has also collaborated with East Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition, which included works from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. They have also exhibited contemporary art from Hungary, Indonesia, India, and many other countries.

4. Guggenheim Bilbao

The Guggenheim Bilbao

The Guggenheim Bilbao, located in Spain was created by architect Frank Gehry. It draws in contemporary art lovers and tourists alike. Large-scale works are regularly exhibited to include those by Andy Warhol and Rothko.

5. Stedelijk Museum

Stedelijk Museum

Stedelijk Museum

Located in Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, the Stedelijk Museum is the Netherlands’ home for modern and contemporary art. It is currently exhibiting ‘Tomorrow is a Different Day’ an exhibition with international artists and designers who are helping shape changes today and tomorrow.

6. MOMAT, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Inside MOMAT

Japan’s art scene has fully embraced contemporary art. At MOMAT, you are sure to find masterpieces created by Japanese artists from the beginning of the 20th century. It houses over 13,000 paintings, videos, photographs, prints, and sculptures.

7. The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

The MCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) houses a diverse collection of art of all forms, including painting, photography, sculpture, and moving video.

8. Today Art Museum

Outlooking the Today Art Museum

Today Art Museum is a private, fully self-funded art museum located in Beijing. It focuses on contemporary artworks of promising local and international young artists. The artwork here is unique and visitors can get a glimpse of sculptures, paper art, and oil paintings.

9. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

The focus of this museum is Spanish contemporary art. One of the most famous paintings in the museum is Picasso’s Guernica. Also works by Dali and other contemporary artists such as Gris, Miró and many other modern geniuses are worth seeing.

10. National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens

National Museum of Contemporary Art

The National Museum of Contemporary Art was established in October 2000 and is become renowned for collecting and exhibiting contemporary Greek and international art. The rotating exhibitions focus on issues of international contemporary art covering painting, installations, photography, video, new media, and "experimental" architecture.

It's time to say goodbye.

Does it exactly mean nothing when things that people think are meaningless?

Since inviting things can be created, why should rotten things not be worth making?

Recently, the latest collection of rotten fruits by Sculpture Artist Kathleen Ryan are on show at the Karma Gallery in New York -including cherries, lemons, and Halloween pumpkins.

The giant bad fruit is covered with organically grown mold and rotting skin studded with glass beads and gems (freshwater pearls, turquoise, rose quartz, amber, pink opal, and amethyst). Usually, Ryan prefers to use precious, shiny stones to show decay and ordinary glass beads to represent the original parts of the fruit.

Kathleen Ryan

The Los Angeles artist

Web：www.kathleen-ryan.com

ins：katieryankatieryan

Artist Kathleen Ryan is an artist from New York, USA. She studied studio art and anthropology at Pitzer College and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from UCLA. Undertaken extensive artistic practices by the young artist, the Bad Fruit series, one of the most eye-catching pieces in her oeuvre, has garnered numerous exhibitions. She uses precious and semi-precious stones to cover the surface of large fruit models to create jeweled fruits of enormous size.

-01- Bad Cherries

Sculpture Artist Kathleen Ryan challenges the conventional aesthetics that these fruits are not the freshest images in people's minds instead coated with mold. Her project is called Bad Fruit.

Today we are going to share with you some new artworks from Bad Fruit. Besides lemons, she also created cherries, pumpkins, watermelons, grapes, and more fruits.

Kathleen Ryan says the sculptures have a beautiful and joyful look, as well as ugly and unsettling.

Bad cherries, 2021

Bad cherries, 2021(details)

The rotting fruit displays rich variations of color, which marries with dozens of precious and semi-precious stones by Kathleen Ryan: Amazon stone, agate, quartz, rose quartz, turquoise, jade, jasper, serpentine, smoky quartz, olive jade, fluorite, amethyst, tree agate, Russian serpentine, marble, emerald, abalone shell, coral, freshwater pearl.

Bad cherries with daisy chain, 2021

Bad cherries, 2021(details)

Kathleen Ryan comments on the culture of excess consumption with her collection Rotten, oversized fruit sculptures. These fragments transform discarded and rotting fruits into beautifully sophisticated artworks using a styrofoam base and beads from countless carved precious or semi-precious stones.

-02- Bad lemon (sea witch)

Bad lemon (sea witch)

Bad lemon (armadillo), 2021

To make the fruit, Ryan starts with a large polystyrene base 28 inches wide. First, the artists make some patterns using paint to show which part of a lemon or peach will decay. Next, Pierce the foam with steel spikes, pinning down a row of gems. From pale freshwater pearls to dark-green serpentine, these beads subtly impersonate the rotting flesh of the fruit.

-03- Jackie

Jackie, 2021

-04- Bad Fruits Basket

People always search for meaning and value in things, including art, but is that necessary? Artists depicted bizarre, seemingly meaningless objects with exquisite materials to express questions and satires about values, desires, and meanings.

Other Artworks

-01-

-02-

-03-

Here is a comment from a netizen: Microorganisms do not think they are beautiful or not, and it is only a natural process for decay. Don't people always say that nature is beautiful? Alas, humans, only accept flowers bloom but not flowers fade?

What do you think of these sculptures?

01 / Black and White Paper Sculpture, Presenting the Unique Beauty of Geology and Landform

Visual artist Scott Hazard uses some shattered pieces of the paper or fabric, overlapping and arranging organically to present its unique geoecology and landscape with an artistic style, shaping the visual landscape in picturesque disorder. It looks like caves, and uneven canyons or hills in high and low, with unique visual appealing and capturing the imagination. The whole thing is a huge swell, the upwelling of life. My eyes feasted on the outline of swell and sweep.

Scott Hazard imprinted words on stacked pieces of paper. From a distance, the collocation of text and cardboard is like ink and wash painting. Close up, the text wanders between the cardboard, capturing people's eyes, from far to near, and from near to far, creating a more dynamic reading experience. In this series of artworks, Scott Hazard's understanding of space is similar to the Buddhist "void". It represents a pause of thought and mental emptiness.

Right Behind You

Medium: Sculpture (wood, paper, acrylic, archival ink.)
Size: 31.5 X 45.5” X 4” deep (Framed) 
2017

Cultivate

Medium: Sculpture (wood, paper, acrylic, archival ink.)
Size: 31.5 X 45.5” X 4” deep (Framed) 
2017

This

Medium: Sculpture (wood, paper, acrylic, archival ink.)
Size: 31.5 X 45.5” X 4” deep (Framed) 
2017

Surface Opened

Medium: Sculpture (printmaking paper, text, maple wood frame/box) 
Size: 13” X 13” X 6” deep.
2016

Hold This Line

Medium: Sculpture (printmaking paper, text, maple wood frame/box) 
Size: 13” X 13” X 6” deep.
2016

Sow Wild

Medium: Sculpture (printmaking paper, text, maple wood frame/box) 
Size: 15” X 15” X 8”
2016

Stone, Drop, Trace

Medium: Sculpture (Maple, acrylic, paper, text.) 
Size: 16” X 16” X 8”
2017

Wild World

Medium: Sculpture (Maple, acrylic, paper, text.) 
Size: 16” X 16” X 8”
2017

The overall white sculpture, through the black text, forms a combination of black and white composition, not only in the visual contrast and highlights, and the text also represents the human civilization, so that human beings and nature form an inseparable whole, improve the overall level for the artwork.

02 / Unique Paper Sculpture, Look Like Rolling Earth

Paper sculpture artist Annie creates scale-like paper sculptures through distinctive paper carving, the surface of ups and downs and well-arranged. It looks like the rolling earth or geographical features from above. It is not only saturated with fancy but also the aesthetic feeling of Art Deco. One gets different impressions of the artwork when viewing it from different views.

It's time to say goodbye.

Yayoi Kusama is one of the world's most expensive female artists and a national treasure in Japan. Her bright red wig and quirky polka dot suit made her one of the most recognizable artists.

In 2016, Yayoi Kusama was the only visual artist on Time magazine's list among the 100 most influential people. Yayoi Kusama has got a gift for outstanding artistic talent, works in many artistic fields, including painting, sculpture, prints, installation, performance art, and literature. Her works blend many artistic styles, such as surrealism, minimalism, pop art, zero society, and nihilistic movement, which cannot be easily classified or imitated.

Having suffered from mental illness since childhood, she once admitted that art was her cure, saying: "If it weren't for art, I would have killed myself." At the age of 92, she is still working on her art business and will have four exhibitions this year, including her large outdoor sculpture exhibition, Kusama: Cosmic Nature, at the New York Botanical Garden at the beginning of April, which features polka dot plant sculptures and a whole new "Infinite Mirror Room."

Although these exhibitions are time-limited, Kusama's public sculptures are permanently open in many parts of the world, and several galleries have permanent collections of her art. We make a list of 16 great places for you, and maybe one or two of them are near you.

Let's enjoy the ecstasy of a speckled world.

01. "Cosmic Nature" at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) | New York

The installations of Yayoi Kusama will last eight months at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) through Oct. 31, 2021. The artist is fascinated with the natural world all her life. Giant floral sculptures blend perfectly with her signature polka-dot installation.

▲Obsession with Flowers, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

Spotted pumpkins and psychedelic flowers are among the most symbolic pieces in Kusama's "Cosmos of Nature" exhibition, which also features four new works by the Japanese artist. Visitors are welcomed by a new installation called "Dancing Pumpkins," which uses tentacle-like legs to lift its dark and yellow torso aloft.

▲I Want to Fly into Space, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

▲shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

Among the more interactive creations, Kusama's first-ever enclosed greenhouse and a new infinity room using natural light and stained glass.

▲Pumpkins call for love beyond infinity, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

▲Star Pumpkin, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

▲Ascension of Polkadots on the Trees, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

▲Narcissus Garden, shot by Heather Sten, via The New York Times

02. Most Famous Pumpkin in the World | Naoshima

▲Pumpkin, 1994, Benesse Art Site, Naoshima, Japan

When it comes to the public sculpture of Yayoi Kusama, the Great Pumpkin on Naoshima, Japan, is probably the first one that pops into your mind. Whether you've been to the Seto Inland Sea Art Festival or not, you've probably seen this pumpkin while surfing the Internet.

The yellow polka-dot pumpkin with vivacious colors faces the sea and, rather than being out of place with nature, has a sense of reality that allows it to blend into nature. It is affectionately known as the "pumpkin at the end of the world."

Not only sitting the yellow pumpkin there but there is also a giant red polka-dot pumpkin near the dock, which is known as the "Keeper of Naoshima". Today, the two pumpkins have become the unofficial symbol of Naoshima, making the sea and island a natural art space that attracts thousands of visitors.

03. Yayoi Kusama Museum | Tokyo

▲Opening Commemorative Exhibition of Yayoi Kusama Museum

The museum founded by Yayao Kusama herself is a better choice to visit than any other limited or unlimited exhibition. In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Benzentamachi, Shinjuku district, Tokyo.

At the end of April, Yayoi Kusama's new exhibition, Between Mystery and Symbol: Monochromatic Monochrome by Yayoi Kusama, opens. For a personal art museum, the things exhibited here are more in-depth and less popular than the well-known pumpkins and polka dots.

Canned desserts with red polka dots and pumpkins, sold only at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, are also an important attraction for viewers.

04. Pumpkin's Infinite Universe | Canberra

▲《The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens》, 2017

From December 2018, The Australian National Gallery in Canberra has been The permanent home of Yayoi Kusama's Goddoned Pumpkins masterpiece The Spirits of The Pumpkins Quadriga Into The Heavens. For the last two or three years, the work has been open to the public for free.

Rows of pumpkins are reflected numerous times by the mirror, and when you among them, you are immersed in an infinite universe composed of pumpkins. This work, combined with her signature polka-dot pumpkins and mirrored house setup, is also a more diverse set of ideas that we can explore from it.

05. Crowdfunding for a Piece of Installation by Yayoi Kusama | Toronto

▲ 《INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER》, 2017

When Kusama's exhibition came to the Art Museum of Ontario in 2016, people even lined the street to buy tickets. After the show ended, the Art Museum of Ontario bought Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room -- Let's Survive Forever through crowdfunding for $2 million, to make Kusama's work permanent.

In this infinite mirror room, the silver sphere is the main character, sitting irregularly at the foot of the mirror, which causes the spheres to form some regular arrangement.

06. Flowers That Bloom in Guangzhou | Guangzhou

"Flowers That Bloom in Guangzhou" is her only public art sculpture in China. It made its public debut at the end of 2016 in the IGC Art Park of Tianhui Square in Guangzhou, but few people paid attention to it.

It is also Kusama's biggest public art sculpture outside of Japan, with its highest point 7.5 meters above the ground. Yayoi Kusama created the work after learning the name of "Flower City" in Guangzhou. "The dots represent the touch of the endless vitality, and the flowers covered by the dots signify the radiance of love that never goes out," she said.

07. The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away On View | Los Angeles ( L.A)

▲ The Broad

▲ 《Infinity Mirrored Room-The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away On View》, 2013

In downtown Los Angeles, two classic works by Yayoi Kusama are collected at The Broad, an art gallery founded by two philanthropists.

The Infinite Mirror House, created in 2013, Kusama believes that the souls of millions of light-years alive. The room is entirely covered with mirrors, and ten LED lights create a myriad of reflected light, where everyone can be an observer of the world.

▲ 《Longing for Eternity》, 2017

The other "Infinite Mirrored Room" is filled with eternal longing. Even when peering through Windows-like plane portholes, the room filled with LED light can still bring visual immersion, and the extreme repetition allows a sense of infinity and transcendence to burst out.

08. Kusama Yayoi's Favorite | Tsumari in Bloom

"Of all the open-air sculptures I have created for Japan and the rest of the world, 'Tsumari in Bloom' is my favorite." That's what Yayoi Kusama said herself. So go to the fields of Echigo's wife district in Niigata City, and you'll see one of Kusama's favorite artworks.

Yayoi Kusama felt calmer than ever when she saw the colossal flower sculptures installed in the fields. She described herself as a flower bathed in the air of Tsumari in bloom and brilliant sunshine falling from the sky.

09. Love Forever, Singing in Towada| Aomori

There is a permanent collection of 38 commissioned works of art at the Modern Art Museum in Towada, Aomori county, including Love Forever, Singing in Towada, which was created especially for the county by Yayoi Kusama. The eight sculptures with Polka dot contain constant themes in Kusama: pumpkins, girls, puppies, and mushrooms.

A girl named Hanako-chan, the avatar of Yayoi Kusama, looks resolutely ahead and sings heartily in the fields, full of energy. The interior of the giant pumpkins is also fascinating, with colored spots twinkling in the darkness, inviting viewers into a world that is constantly spreading.

10. Matsumoto Art Museum | Matsumoto

Despite her strained relationship with her native city of Matsumoto, they eventually shared artistic ideas. Matsumoto Art Museum, which opened in 2002, is filled with her sculptures here and there, even its glass walls and vending machines where have been invaded by Kusama's polka dot.

11. You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies| Phoenix

Yayoi Kusama's lighting installation, You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies, is permanently housed in the Phoenix Museum of Fine Arts in the United States. In a dark room, the mirror reflects 250 colored LED lights. Visitors enter it, like being surrounded by fireflies at night. The inspiration for the work comes from a Japanese folk tale about a man who has 10,000 fireflies.

Since it's a permanent installation, there's almost no queuing to get in during the morning and evening of the workday, and you can enjoy a cyclic light show in peace.

12. "Narcissus Garden" at Lockaway Disused Factory | New York

▲ In 2018, in Rockaway, Yayoi Kusama installed the "Narcissus Garden" for a specific location.

For its summer heat and crowded city, The Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, New York is a popular destination for people looking for a break. Located in an old train garage in Tildenburg, the installation consists of 1,500 mirrored stainless steel spheres. The Daffodil Garden made its first appearance in 1966 as part of an unofficial show at the 33rd Venice Biennale.

The spheres mirror the graffiti walls and rusting beams of the dilapidated building. While viewers stroll through the glittering gardens, they also get a glimpse of the damage Hurricane Sandy caused to the building and the area in 2012. Rockaway is the third iteration of the "Daffodil Garden" in 2018, which is said to be a "celebration" of resuming work for years.

13. Invite guests to cover the house with fake flowers | Victoria

▲ Flower Obsession 2017

Famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is known for her explosions of color, matrices of light, and tendency to cover many of her works with dazzling layers of dots. In one of her most interactive installations, the artist conveys her interest in dot making to visitors. The Vanishing House invites guests to cover the interior of their home by putting colorful stickers on the walls, furniture, and floors.

In her recent commission for the inaugural National Gallery of Victoria Triennale, the artist has transformed this concept to include floral patterns. For this piece, Flower Obsession (2017), guests were given artificial gerbera daisies and Flower stickers that could be attached to any surface they chose. By the end of the four-month triennial, the flowers had completely covered the entire apartment. The floral theme touches on the beginning of the artist's artistic creation, referencing memories from her childhood.

14. Les tulipes de Shangri-la | Lille

▲ 《Les tulipes de Shangri-la》, 2004

In 2004, the French city of Lille became the European Capital of Culture. To this end, Yayao Kusama created a large public sculpture called Les Tulipes de Shangri-La, in which several polka-dot tulips grow in the middle of the Francois-Mitterrand Square, the tallest one reaching 8 meters. The vibrant colors collide with the surrounding grey buildings, bringing vitality to the tulips that belong exclusively to Yayoi Kusama.

15. Infinite Accumulation | London

Outside Liverpool Street station on London's Elizabeth Line, Kusama's first permanent art installation in the UK, Infinite Accumulation, will be completed, with her signature polka-dots transformed into flowing, mirrored steel balls that guide passengers from the public area outside the station to the east entrance.

"London is a city where people of all cultural backgrounds are constantly on the move," Kusama said. These spheres symbolize the unique individual, and the curves supporting the spheres allow us to imagine a fundamental social structure."

16. Beverly Garden Park | Los Angeles

▲ 《Hymn of Life: Tulips》, 2007

Taking a walk to Beverly Gardens Park, you can meet with some of Kusama's classic works. Hymn of Life: Tulips, 2007, is made of painted fiberglass, ceramic tiles, and steel. In the days when the tulips are dead, these "tulips" will always flourish.

17. Mattress Factory that doesn't sell mattresses | Pittsburgh

▲ 《Repetitive Vision》, 1996

In Pittsburgh, there is the Mattress Factory, which doesn't sell mattresses. Once a real factory, transformed into space for artists to place installations 40 years ago, it is now a landmark of Modern Art in Pittsburgh and the first art space in the United States to buy Kusama's work.

Many visitors remember these polka-dot dummies well, which come from Yayoi Kusama's book, Repetitive Vision, even in the world of repeated dots, but your mood are always new.

▲ 《Infinity Dots Mirrored Room》, 1996

Yayoi Kusama saw the mirrored house as a gateway to the other world. In this infinite mirrored room, with colored polka-dots on the floor, she powerfully evokes personal identity, a sense of reality, discussing broader questions about the permeability of the boundary between the self and the outside world.

18. The Only Permanent Narcissus Garden | Brazil

The iconic "Narcissus Garden" was one of nine new works of art collected at the Inhotim Institute, a famous art museum and botanical Garden in Brazil, in 2009. It is also the only place in the world with a permanent collection of "narcissus gardens".

In 1966, during the 33rd Venice Biennale, Kusama took her first "Narcissus Garden," 1,500 metal-coated plastic balls that she sold outside the pavilion for $2 each. She intended to satirize the commercialized art environment, and this set of works became an important turning point in her career.

It's time to say goodby~

Jesus enjoys the dinner alone, praying madonna does not forget to wear gloves to anti-epidemic...

During the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the Ukrainian government has launched a series of advertising campaigns that incorporate hygiene practices such as social distance, disinfecting, wearing masks, replacing cash with credit cards, and handwashing into several classical art pieces.

The series of "Art of Quarantine" was produced by advertising agency Looma and launched in association with Ministry of Culture and Informational Security of Ukraine in 2020, aiming to remind more people to develop good habits to stop the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe.

ONE| Art of Quarantine

9 epidemic prevention habits are worth learning.

-01-

Dinner for One

In the famous painting " Last Supper" Darwin depicts the last supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles. In the "Art of Quarantine", the 12 disciples in the original painting disappear without a trace, leaving only the masked Jesus and his meals, which convey the ideas of "keep your mask on at all times" and "keep a social distance".

-02-

Sanitization of Adam

The Creation of Adam is a painting by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It depicts God's creation of Adam, the first human being, bypassing the fire of life from his fingers to Adam. In the "Art of Isolation", God hands Adam a bottle of alcohol as a reminder of the importance of disinfection and personal hygiene in daily life.

-03-

The Son of Man Wearing a Face Mask

Rene Magrit created The Son of Man as a self-portrait. The painting depicts a man in a bowler hat and suit, his face largely hidden by a green apple. In the new version, the man's mask covers his eyes, nose, and mouth. Although not a standard way to wear a mask, it highlights the importance of wearing one humorously.

-04-

Praying Madonna Using Gloves

In "Praying Madonna" by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Sa, Maria is immersed in inner communion, her hands clasped in prayer.

In the "Art of Quarantine", the creator's witty take the praying madonna Maria wears disposable gloves to meticulously "avoid contact with potentially infected surfaces."

-05-

Lady with the Suppliers

Lady with an Ermine is a panel oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci from 1490 depicting the dignified and quiet Cecilia Gallerani. Now the silver ermine on the woman's hand in the original one has been replaced with bags of rice and pasta. The Ukrainian government is encouraging people to go out at one time to buy enough food and to go out less often during the coronavirus pandemic.

-06-

A Young Man Washing His Hands

"Portrait of a Young Man in Red," painted circa 1505 by Raphael, shows a man in red standing in front of a magnificent landscape with his cold eyes. In the Art of Quarantine, the man quietly and carefully washes his hands at the tap, while the man looks at the crowd with a hot, direct stare as if urging people to wash their hands more often.

-07-

Orpheus and Euridyce at a Distance

Leighton's famous painting "Orpheus and Euridyce" depicts the tragic love between Orpheus and Euridyce: Eurydice comes to life with her lover in her arms, but Orpheus cannot look back because of a contract with God. In the background of COVID-19, Orpheus, wearing a mask and gloves, sets his mind not to look back, as if to admonish Eurydith that "we need to keep our social distance."

-08-

Napoleon Delivering Takeaways Cross the Alps

Napoleon Crossing the Alps is the collective name of five oil paintings by Jacques-Louis David. They all show Napoleon crossing St. Bernard Road before launching the Battle of Marengo. Now Napoleon is riding a horse with a takeaway bag on his back, ready to deliver food to customers. The Ukrainian government wants to encourage people to use delivery services more and stay at home by painting.

-09-

Mrs. Worrell Paying with Card

"Mrs. Worrell as Hebe" is an American painter West's work, Mrs. Worrell in the painting incarnate in charge of the goddess of youth Hebe in Greek mythology.
In the "Art of Quarantine", Mrs. Worrell, in full Epidemic prevention suit, travels to a modern supermarket and pays with a card, to promote credit card payments and reduce the risk of spreading the virus by reducing cash payments.

( URL: https://looma.pro/portfolio/art-of-quarantine/)

TWO | Artistic Creation in the Coronavirus Pandemic

There is much more to see.

Except for the above famous paintings, in the coronavirus pandemic, to spread epidemic prevention knowledge and lead the public to better adapt to the epidemic life, the artists have also made great efforts in the creation.

-01-

Stay Sane, Stay Safe

In March 2020, Max Lennart's and Menno de Bruijn launched the website Stay Sane, Stay Safe, to provide more posters to their friends who work in hospitals. Over a year, the website operation gradually matures, where has countless high-quality posters.

-02-

Five New Ways to Say Hello

The animation short films were produced by director Niceshit, screenwriter Lambertini, and Mankarious.

For prevention, they are trying to change the way people greet each other: long hugs, complex handshakes, and kissing more often only give the virus a chance to spread. Therefore, they hope to use this short film to help solve current social problems interestingly and positively.

-03-

Martyna Wójcik-Śmierska

Martyna Wojcik -Ś Mierska is a graphic designer and illustrator from Poland. Her daily work involves designing posters, covers, and illustrations for books and newspapers.

To make people better informed, the images of the posters are not too many elements, and the key scenes are paired with the COVID-19 epidemic prevention slogan to help the public increase awareness of the epidemic.

-04-

Corona Diaries

For reducing physical burden, Monique has adjusted the way she paints -- from paper to iPad. The painting mainly presents some daily scenes: Monique has a high fever, insomnia at night, an ambulance outside the window, missing friends, and so on.

For Monique, the series is really about expressing solidarity with frontline health care workers, homeless people, police, and others. She wants people who see the paintings to understand the daily life of COVID-infected and its sequelae.

"Please believe that these days will pass!"

Before the days come, everyone must adhere to the epidemic prevention measures: wear masks, wash hands frequently, take temperature, do not gather, go out less, maintain social distance! Come on!

Do you know more about paintings about Quarantine? Welcome to share with us! From now on to develop a good habit of Quarantine.

See you next time~