What piece of art defines the 20th and 21st century?

Question

I am having trouble understanding and finding examples on what defines the twentieth and twenty-first century. Whether it is a painting, architecture, or sculpture, I can't seem to relate any form of art to this century. Kinda makes me feel bad because I love art. What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

The 20th century was most notable in human history for change and expansion of knowledge and boundaries.  Over 100,000 new books per year were written and published.  The expansion of human knowledge became exponential for the first time in history.  This was based largely in the USA and amongst the immigrants that flocked to it's shores.  We went from horse and buggy in 1900 to putting men on the moon and developing a world wide computer network accessible to almost anyone in only 100 years!!!!!!

I would suggest "Running Fence" by Christo (born as Christo Vladimirov Javacheff in Bulgaria who became a US citizen in 1973) as a piece to typify the utter change in the world.  It consisted of a veiled fence 24.5 miles (39 km) long extending across the hills of Sonoma and Marin counties in northern California, United States. The 18-foot (5 m) high fence was composed of 2,050 panels of white nylon fabric hung from steel cables by means of 350,000 hooks.

This artwork was so very different from the previous and accepted forms of art that it is still hotly debated.

Answer 2

Dada and Pop Art:

Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" (that upside down urinal)

Andy Warhol and his paintings (Marilyn Monroe, Mao)

Jackson Pollock

I tend to think of these things when I think about modern art and all the movements that have changed the meaning of art since the beginning of the 20th century.

Answer 3

I tend to think of Picasso as a 19th century painter, but he actually lived from 1881 to 1973: most of his life was spent in the 20th century.  Perhaps he is the most famous of 20th century painters?  Certainly it would not be difficult to argue that he was the most influential.  What would 20th century art have been without cubism?

Other movements of note include Andy Warhol and the pop art movement: http://www.cvm.qc.ca/mboudreault/Images%...

And the expressionists, like Kandinsky:

http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~rosendal/Pictu...

I would argue that the 21st century will be defined by digital art: there are so many things that people are doing these days with computers and computing tools that it's impossible to imagine that won't have a real impact on future art.  Similarly, in Contemporary Art museums, I see a trend toward interactive pieces, which encourage the viewer to get closer, to press buttons and look at pieces from different angles.  I see current artwork as confrontational.  We're only 8 years in, though, so it's still anyone's game, really.  92 years of artistic innovation remain in this century!  I can't wait.