Contemporary - contemporary art

DEFINITION

Traditionally referencing a time period that is immediate or concurrent, the word Contemporary and especially the term Contemporary Art are applied so broadly and used so loosely relative to both chronology and style that it is difficult to make any definitive explanation. Persons using the word Contemporary to denote a time period usually mean artwork of any style that dates from the mid 20th Century and beyond. However, when applied to style, the door seems wide open and includes Contemporary Realism, Conceptualism, Installation and Performance and Digital Art. Relative to style, use of the word often means artwork that "pushes the boundaries of people's perception" and "includes things that people consider immoral or taboo" in art expression such as persons engaging in sex acts or mediums such as bodily fluids or excrement. Contemporary Art should not be confused with Modern Art, which generally applies to art production from the late 19th Century to the end of the 1960s. Source: http://dictionary.laborlawtalk.com/Contemporary_Art