The Development of Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Development of Modern Art - Essay Example This paper will discuss five of the best artists in the Contemporary period. Each of these artists will be analyzed in terms of their inspirations, styles, and techniques that they have applied to their works; works of which have contributed to the development of Contemporary Art. The list of contemporary artists includes Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, and Kara Walker.Upon the onset of the Modern Period, Jackson Pollock is one of those who had staged a significant feat in art development. Pollock, considered as one of the greatest contemporary painters in American art history, was part of a period where the Modernist Movement of 1920 was slowly transformed into the Post-Modernist Movement of Contemporary art history. In the New World, Pollock was known as an important member of a group of artists called the New York School. The New York School, more of a unified and collective artistic idea rather than a concrete institution, was popularly known as the Abstract Expressionists (Getlein 497). It was in this influence that Pollock acquired his unique style unto his works. His art established a new kind of visual that many had not seen before. In line with the Abstract Expressionists, the artist derived a direct influence from Surrealism. His technique showcased automatism and focused on the aesthetic powers of the unconscious. Being a painter of the mentioned genre, Pollock always exhibited large scale works in the literal sense. He used huge canvass sizes – this was to take his audience into the very essence of his paintings. The emphasis on huge painting canvasses is an essential part of Abstract Expressionists in order to highlight the effect of the entire piece (Getlein 497). The bizarre characteristics of the artist’s works bring out the very sense of post-modernism in his style. The perfection of his â€Å"drip technique† (Getlein 497) brings out the chaos ever present in his works. Yet, amidst this chaos, order, and beauty emerges as the by-product of Pollock’s hard work. This trait of â€Å"order out of chaos† is the true and sole criterion of good post-modern artwork (Libby).