Looking at Contemporary Art – Let’s Talk!

The artist is influenced by

popular culture - the ever-
changing set of ideas that
characterize desires, needs,
TOUR GUIDE for GRADES 7 - 12 and cultural elements.
2009-2010 New Brunswick Art Bank Acquisitions He uses scale, repetition
and colour to depict Mathieu Léger,
contemporary urban life. Untitled (Graz-Koppling-Barnbach-79/92/100) / Sans titre (Graz-Koppling-Barnbach - 79/92/100), 2009.
“Artists are seers - they have new ways of looking at the world.” Idea: Depict popular culture in The artist calls these images “ghosts of his travels”, reflecting
an artwork. passing moments similar to the “click” of the camera - a very tiny
One of the most important things about art is how the viewer experiences it.
fraction of taking a longer look at something as it passes us. The
When looking at artwork, students should: Jack Bishop, camera cannot negotiate this, so it blurs the image. Idea: Think about
• Look carefully at artwork and describe the feelings it creates. Drive-Thru Landscape / Paysage-restaurants à service rapide, 2009 Ansel Adams’ quote: “There are always two people in every picture: the
• Focus on how the Visual Elements* are used to create feelings. photographer and the viewer.”
• Look at how the Principles of Art and Design* are used in creating the artwork. The artist's approach can be considered
minimalist, where the power of the The artist has been visiting
Visual Elements and Principles of Art and Design are the fundamentals in image is measured by bare essentials. the Namib desert near South
By the use of light, shadow, shape, Africa for 30 years where the
learning to look at, write and speak about works of art: Great Sand Sea has some
colour, line, form, space and surface,
the image is created. Idea: Explore of the world’s highest sand
* Visual Elements: line, colour, form, space, shape, texture, value, and tone. dunes, petrified trees buried by
“minimalism”.
advancing sand, and dry lake
Neil Rough, beds created after infrequent
* Principles of Art & Design: pattern, repetition, rhythm, balance, contrast, Motel Sackville, 2008
emphasis, movement, and unity / harmony. rain. Idea: Create an image that
Freeman Patterson, shows the impact of the changing
The artist finds On the Shore of the Lake That Was #1 / Sur la environment.
berge d’un ancien lac (image nº 1), 2010
Contemporary art uses materials from Landscape inspiration in his
the 20th and 21st centuries that are homeland (Holland)
The artist recreates an image about
Looking at landscapes, make believe with its huge skies and
re‐worked in surprising ways to an everyday event and the feelings
you’ve entered each artwork, then ask: flat countryside. He also
challenge the viewer to think critically looks at the relationship
it evokes. Idea: Create an artwork of a
about contemporary life and society. pleasurable event in your past.
• What do you see first? Move further between buildings
When looking at contemporary art, ask: and the land, and the
back - what do you see next? Hendrik Gringhuis,
• Is the work challenging or interesting? work of some American
Do I like the ideas this artist presents? • If you were in this landscape, where Yellow Field / Champs jaune, 2010 landscape artists.
would you be? What would you be Yvon Gallant,
• What kinds of materials and Idea: Contrast urban and
doing? Ice Cream / Crème glacé, 2008
techniques does the artist work with? natural environments
• Can art be made of anything? • What would you see, hear, smell, and in art.
• How do artists transform ordinary feel in this place? Where was the
Inspired by children’s sticker books
materials? artist? with generic backgrounds, the artist Using the printing process of
• What do artists today seem to be • Think about balance, asymmetry, explores the relationship between monoprint, the artist explores nature
interested in? symmetry and light / dark. How does background and sticker images. in distress and plant and biological
the artist use them and how do they Where the sky appears real, the birds matter in an altered state. Idea: Create
affect your feelings about the place? are not flying naturally. What seems an artwork depicting environmental
real is not. Idea: Create an image of degradation.
animals in unreal situations.
Adam Macdonald,
Cliff Turner,
Series of Six / Série de six, 2009
Pasted Birds / Oiseaux contrecollé, 2009
Portraiture – Image as icon Conceptual Art Text in Art Think how the artist transposes
special feelings for beautiful
Working with francophone plants and flowers into
poet Paul Bossé, the artist her weaving. Idea: Create a
draws inspiration from the drawing / painting of a special
colours and textures of feeling you have for nature.
words. Through gesture, the Susan Judah,
movement and action of line Lithospermum (Blue Lily) /
on paper, the artist is linked to Lithospermum (lis bleu), 2007-2009
his / her work.
Idea: “Drawing is a verb.”
Kyle Cunjak Consider its meaning.
Carnival Series #1: Nha Trang, Vietnam, 2009; Joël Boudreau, Using different New Brunswick
Carnival Series #2: Charlottetown, PEI, / Première série de photographies de Angèle Cormier, woods and presenting them in
Une visite chez Orphée, 2008 / Visiting Orpheus, 2008
carnavals : Nha Trang, Vietnam, 2009; Deuxième série de photographies de Car chaud / Hot Wheels, 2009 a new way, how is the artist's
carnavals : Charlottetown, Île-du-Prince-Édouard, 2009 Using everyday objects and sculptural figures, the artist table different from ordinary
Using language and furniture? Think about how it’s
constructs a story about an idea. Conceptual artists work
Today’s portraits often depict status and / or relationships different media such as made - how does this make
out their concept or idea in whatever materials and
or challenge convention. The artist interprets identity glass and metal, the artist it art? The artist presents
forms are appropriate, giving the idea or concept more
through clothing, setting, body pose, mood, objects, and creates multiple and hidden functional things in exciting
importance than the materials. Idea: Explore what the
symbols. Discussion: What choices did the artist make for meanings. Idea: Create ways. Idea: Drawing a piece of
artist means in this work; create an artwork from an idea.
subject matter, style, composition, background, and colour? an artwork in any media furniture, design it in a new way.
Are these “snapshots” or carefully crafted images? What do incorporating text.
the images tell you about the people? Painting – Abstract Art Peter Powning,
Bruce Gray,
Water Book Series: Sticks and Stones / Série
Spider Table / Table araignée, 2008
Abstract art explores – livres dans l’eau: bâtons et pierres, 2009
Performance art – Live art event relationships of form The artist explores techniques
and colour. Where that create unpredictable surfaces
more traditional Spiritual Beliefs showing the effects of natural
art represents the substances such as rocks and twigs
Artists can explore
world in recognizable so his vessels appear aged.
personal beliefs,
images, the artist Idea: Create an artwork showing
visualize organized
uses graffiti and natural materials.
religion, and
the language of art
examine the spiritual Darren Emenau,
(symbols, shapes and
beliefs of others in Rawley / Rawley, 2009
colour) to help the
their art.
Luc Charette, viewer create a story.
Idea: Create an
Casse-tête (Iceberg au ballon)(Ensemble de 4modèles) / Puzzle (Iceberg: Balloon) Graffiti is a visual
artwork that shows
(4 parts), 2006-2009; Casse-tête (Iceberg à la plume) (Ensemble de 4 modèles) / secret the artist wants
Herzl Kashetsky, your personal beliefs.
Puzzle (Iceberg: Feather)(4 parts), 2006-2009; and Casse-tête (Iceberg à la rose) the viewer to explore.
Idea: Using graffiti as Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread / Donnez-nous
(Ensemble de 4 modèles / Puzzle (Iceberg: Rose)(4 parts), 2006-2009
a visual tool, create an aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour, 2008
Performance Art encompasses a wide range of art forms, artwork.
including theatre, dance and music. The medium is the
artist’s own body and the artwork is the form of actions Romeo Savoie, Explorations of Media Istvan Zsako,
performed by the artist. Because of the temporary Piano Series / Série – pianos, 2008 Density / Densité, 2009 and Question / Question,2009
Works of art built by an artist are explorations of The artist uses ordinary industrial materials to playfully
nature of performance art, a single image can represent formal and expressive properties of media as much
an entire event and can be works of art themselves. explore philosophical and scientific questions about life
as artworks that present ideas. Discussion: What do and the universe. Idea: Create an artwork that illustrates a
Discussion: What do you think the performance was about? “quality”, “craftsmanship”, “one-of-a kind”, “decorative” and
What happened before / after? scientific theory.
“functional” have to do with works of art?