In general, modern art is artistic works that denote the style and philosophy of Modernism, a philosophy that started around the early 19^th century and ended sometime in the late 20^th century, perhaps the 1960s or the 1970s; not everyone agrees on when it ended exactly. Modern art is generally a break from traditional canvas oil paintings, which were usually realistic portraits, nudes, still life, landscapes, or religious, for something more experimental, imaginative, exciting, and free.

Inner vision

Modern art gave the artist freedom from the dictates of the state or the church, which used to be the main patrons of art. Because of the rise of the middle class, more and more people could afford to commission or buy art, and tastes became diverse. In this way, artists were able to trust their inner visions and express those visions in their artwork.

Break from the past

Modernism encompasses many schools of thought and various art movements, but perhaps its main principle and underlying philosophy is the break from the past; the rejection or questioning of the axioms of tradition and the certainty of Enlightenment thinking, which was the age and philosophy that preceded it.

Self-consciousness

An important principle of modern art is self-consciousness and self-awareness, which often led to the experimentation with form, materials and processes, and the constant questioning of what art is and what is its purpose in society and to individuals. It was after the 1789 French Revolution that people started questioning authorities and institutions that were once accepted without question. Likewise, modern artists experimented with new ways of looking, thinking and seeing, thereby proposing new ideas for the functions and the materials of art. Canvas art paintings might be produced on the traditional easel, with a spray can, or dripped from punctured cans to create room sized abstract images in the form of large stretched canvas art.

Precursors

The precursors of modern art were the Romantics, Realists and the Impressionists. The birth of modern art is commonly attributed to Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, a painting by Edouard Manet (an impressionist painter) exhibited in 1863 at the Salon des Refusés in Paris.

Isms

Because experimentation was at the heart of the Modern Art movement, many small and large art movements were born and began to emerge during this time, among them; Post-impressionism, expressionism, symbolism, cubism, fauvism, dada, futurism, post-expressionism, pop art, fluxus, and so many more others.

Multi-cultural influences

Another big influence on modern art is Asian art, Middle Eastern art, Japanese printmaking, as well as Primitive and African Art. Western artists looked to other cultures for inspiration and many were seduced by mythologies and the esoteric and spiritual.

Mundane and weird elements

It was also in Modern Art where there sprouted an interest in the mundane, the ghastly, the inane, the funny, the absurd, the insane, the unconscious, the future, science and technology, the common as well as the weird, making all of these important subjects of art. The point of which, often, was to explore the unexplored and consequently to go against the system - whatever was established or instituted must be deconstructed, reconstructed, questioned, and even destroyed.

All text copyright Shanel. Photo from Flikr - "The Irish Museum of Modern Art" courtesy of infomatique.