🖼AP Art History Unit 10 – Global Contemporary Art, 1980 CE to Present

Key Concepts and Themes

• Postmodernism challenges traditional notions of art, embracing irony, appropriation, and deconstruction
• Identity politics explores issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class through art
• Conceptual art prioritizes ideas over aesthetics, often using unconventional materials and methods
• Installation art creates immersive environments that engage the viewer's senses and perception
  • Can incorporate a wide range of media, from sculpture and painting to video and sound
• Performance art uses the artist's body as a medium, blurring the lines between art and life
• Digital art employs computer technology to create and manipulate images, videos, and interactive experiences
• Environmental art addresses ecological concerns and the relationship between humans and nature
  • Includes land art, which uses natural materials and landscapes as a canvas

Historical Context and Influences

• Globalization and the rise of the internet facilitate the exchange of ideas and images across cultures
• Postcolonial theory examines the cultural, political, and economic legacy of colonialism in contemporary art
• Feminist art challenges patriarchal structures and advocates for gender equality
• The AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s inspires activist art and memorials
• The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolizes the end of the Cold War and the rise of a new global order
• The 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 prompt artists to reflect on trauma, memory, and politics
• The 2008 financial crisis and subsequent global recession influence art that critiques capitalism and inequality
• The Black Lives Matter movement, founded in 2013, galvanizes artists to address systemic racism and police brutality

Major Artists and Movements

• Neo-Expressionism (Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer) revives expressive, gestural painting in the 1980s
• The Young British Artists (Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin) gain notoriety for their provocative and sensational works in the 1990s
• Relational Aesthetics (Rirkrit Tiravanija, Liam Gillick) emphasizes social interaction and audience participation
• The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous feminist collective, use humor and statistics to expose gender and racial bias in the art world
• Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist and activist, creates politically charged works that critique authoritarianism and champion human rights
• Kara Walker's silhouettes and installations confront the history of slavery and racial stereotypes in America
• Yayoi Kusama's immersive installations and polka-dotted sculptures explore themes of infinity, obsession, and self-obliteration
  • Her "Infinity Mirror Rooms" have become popular attractions around the world

Globalization and Cultural Exchange

• Biennials and international art fairs (Venice Biennale, Art Basel) showcase artists from around the world and foster cross-cultural dialogue
• The rise of non-Western art markets, particularly in China and the Middle East, challenges the dominance of Europe and North America
• Diaspora artists (Yinka Shonibare, Shirin Neshat) explore issues of identity, displacement, and hybridity in their work
• Indigenous artists (Jimmie Durham, Rebecca Belmore) assert their cultural sovereignty and challenge colonial narratives
• Street art (Banksy, JR) transcends national boundaries and engages with global audiences through social media
• Collaborative projects and artist collectives (Raqs Media Collective, Slavs and Tatars) foster transnational networks and exchanges
• The internet and digital technologies enable artists to create and share work across geographic and cultural divides
  • Online platforms like Instagram and YouTube have democratized access to art and expanded its reach

Media and Techniques

• Video art (Bill Viola, Nam June Paik) explores the expressive potential of moving images and sound
• Photography (Cindy Sherman, Andreas Gursky) blurs the lines between reality and fiction, documentation and manipulation
• New media art (Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, teamLab) incorporates interactive technologies, such as motion sensors and virtual reality
• 3D printing and digital fabrication enable artists to create complex, computer-generated forms
• Found objects and everyday materials (El Anatsui, Tara Donovan) are repurposed and transformed into art
• Textile arts (Faith Ringgold, Sheila Hicks) challenge the hierarchy between "fine art" and "craft"
• Social practice art (Theaster Gates, Suzanne Lacy) engages communities and addresses social issues through collaborative projects
  • Often takes place outside of traditional art spaces, such as in neighborhoods or public institutions

Critical Theory and Interpretation

• Poststructuralism (Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault) emphasizes the instability of meaning and the role of language in shaping reality
• Psychoanalytic theory (Julia Kristeva, Bracha Ettinger) explores the unconscious drives and desires that shape artistic expression
• Queer theory (Judith Butler, José Esteban Muñoz) challenges binary notions of gender and sexuality in art and culture
• Afrofuturism (Sun Ra, Wangechi Mutu) imagines alternative futures and identities for the African diaspora through science fiction and fantasy
• Ecocriticism (T.J. Demos, Heather Davis) examines the relationship between art, ecology, and environmental justice
• Affect theory (Brian Massumi, Sianne Ngai) investigates the emotional and embodied dimensions of aesthetic experience
• Posthumanism (Donna Haraway, Rosi Braidotti) questions the centrality of the human subject and explores the agency of non-human entities in art and culture
  • Considers the impact of technology, biology, and the environment on human identity and creativity

Notable Works and Case Studies

• Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" (1979) celebrates the contributions of women throughout history with a monumental triangular table set with symbolic place settings
• Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982) creates a contemplative space for mourning and remembrance with a reflective black granite wall inscribed with the names of the fallen
• Jeff Koons' "Balloon Dog" series (1994-2000) transforms a simple party favor into a monumental stainless steel sculpture, blurring the lines between art and commodity
• Olafur Eliasson's "The Weather Project" (2003) recreates the experience of a giant sun in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, inviting visitors to bask in its artificial glow
• Doris Salcedo's "Shibboleth" (2007) cuts a deep fissure into the floor of the Tate Modern, evoking the divisions and traumas of colonialism and migration
• Marina Abramović's "The Artist is Present" (2010) invites visitors to sit silently across from the artist in a durational performance at the Museum of Modern Art
• Kehinde Wiley's portrait of President Barack Obama (2018) situates the first African American president within the tradition of grand manner portraiture, surrounded by lush foliage and symbolic flowers
  • Wiley's work subverts the conventions of Western art history by placing black subjects in positions of power and dignity

Impact and Legacy

• The rise of social media and the attention economy has transformed the way art is produced, distributed, and consumed
• The art market has become increasingly globalized and financialized, with record-breaking prices and the growth of private museums and foundations
• The boundaries between art and popular culture have become increasingly blurred, with artists collaborating with brands, musicians, and celebrities
• The role of the museum has been challenged and reimagined, with calls for greater diversity, accessibility, and community engagement
• The art world has faced increasing scrutiny and criticism for its lack of diversity and inclusion, leading to calls for systemic change and accountability
• The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitization of art and culture, with the rise of virtual exhibitions, online viewing rooms, and digital art sales
• Contemporary art continues to reflect and shape the social, political, and cultural issues of our time, from climate change and migration to technology and identity politics
  • Artists serve as critical voices and agents of change, challenging our assumptions and inspiring us to imagine new possibilities for the future