Contemporary Art Humor
In the history of fine art, the style of art that entered the aesthetic horizon after the 1960 period of modernism is addressed as contemporary art. The latter half of the 20th century witnessed transformations in almost all walks of life and the social set up holistically. Progression was the key word, be it in politics, culture, education or society. Thus, the creative circle did not remain untouched as well. |
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Contemporary art was free from the bondage of conservative viewpoints of the past. It brought into limelight numerous aspects of the existing times. The artists of this regime concentrated more on portraying their inner thoughts on the canvas rather than giving importance to the methodology or medium of work. In step with the developments in technology, the artists did not shirk from utilizing novel media and modus operandi. The main objective of the contemporary artist lay in ticking the viewer’s thought process.
Controversial topics such as racism, global warming, cloning and biotechnology, international politics, human rights, spirituality and economics formed the agenda of their aesthetic potential, thereby giving art a new definition. With the entry of contemporary art in the creative horizon, art was no longer a mere reflection of aesthetic value. Instead, it became a medium of arousing consciousness on numerous issues that lay dormant for long. It is this spirit of contemporary art that has enhanced the binding between the artist and viewer of today.
Many contemporary artists make use of humor in highlighting issues through their art. This humor in contemporary art forms is rather explicit and is projected by means of visual and verbal puns, satire, camp, irony and jokes. This artistic form of humor is used to focus the audiences’ attention on a vital issue. The psyche behind using this element in art has been that humor often assists in lightening the atmosphere, thereby making the audience more receptive to the issue addressed that otherwise might be rebellious or controversial in nature. Over the years contemporary artists have brought to surface many themes such as feminism, gender, the body, personal and cultural individuality, geopolitics, art historical revisionism, mass culture and consumerism, rampant technology and the role of the artist.
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