10.1 Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present

4 min read•january 13, 2023

Charly Castillo

AP Art History 🖼

34 resources

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Unit 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present

Welcome to the final unit of AP Art History (cue the round of celebratory applause 👏 )! Unit 10 is a great way to finish off this course because its works are unlike any that we've seen previously with respect to theme, media (things used to make a work 🎨), and technique. Unfortunately, though, contemporary art (art made in the second half of the 20th or the 21st century) gets a bad rap from many viewers. Here are some common stereotypes and phrases said about art from this period in history:

I could've made that when I was 5!
Contemporary art has no meaning behind it.

The meanings that artists give behind their works are such exaggerations.
Artists call anything they make art.
Contemporary art isn't visually appealing.
All contemporary architecture looks futuristic.

These common stereotypes ⬆️ are anything but true! Just because contemporary art may look different than the works that we've studied in earlier units, doesn't mean that it's a less valid movement. Be sure to keep this in mind 🧠 as we head into the unit's contextualization and works.

Contextualization (AKA The Historical Background) 🌎

Advancements in Technology ⚙️

In the late 20th century, technology began to drastically improve as new machines were being created and manufacturing techniques were perfected 🏭. This has caused the production of different media to rapidly increase ⬆️ and their manufacturing costs to decrease ⬇️, making art more accessible to people around the world, regardless of wealth or status. (Before this time, many artists, especially in Europe, came from well-to-do families 🤑 and were educated at private art schools.)

As technology becomes more advanced over time, artists are also beginning to abandon traditional media like oil paint and stucco for new, innovative materials (ex. Mylar) and everyday ones (ex. cut paper, glass, and burlap). Artists have also begun using technology to their advantage when creating. For example, some of the artists that made the works below incorporated video 📹 and audio 🔊 into their installations (exhibits in a gallery) so the viewer can have more sensory experience, rather than just look. This is a deviation from works in previous units,

Globalization and Modernization 🗺️

As the world becomes more modernized (adapted for contemporary life; ex. urbanization 🌆, industrialization 🏗️, high literacy rate 📚) and globalized (spreading of cultures worldwide), people are beginning to interact more. This increased communication has allowed artists of different backgrounds to inspire one another and create unique works of art.

Growing Inclusivity in Art 👩🏻‍🎨🧕🏽 👨🏿‍🎨

The field of art has become more inclusive of artists of different nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds over time. Many of the works in this unit 🖼️ (such as Horn Players and Earth's Creation) were made by artists of color and/or explore international issues like increasing obesity rates (Pisupo Lua Afe) and toxic masculinity (En la Barberia, No Se Llora). More still needs to be done to make the field entirely accepting of all artists, however, the progress made recently in the field should still be acknowledged.

Architecture

Computers 🖥️ and drafting applications like AutoCAD and MicroStation have made planning buildings easier for architects
Advancements in technology have allowed architects to create less heavy, expensive, environmentally unfriendly structures (cough cough Romanesque architecture 🤦‍♀️)
Artists break rules on traditional materials, shapes, and lighting

Image Courtesy of Guggenheim Bilbao. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Image Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects. MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts

Painting and Sculpture

Many works are a commentary of society (for example, Pink Panther ⬇️ critiques pop culture, commercialism, stereotypes of blondes, and beauty standards)
Invention of acrylic paint 🎨 provides a cheaper, quicker drying alternative to oil paint
Traditional canvas paintings and marble carving become less popular, although they are still seen

Experimentation with texture:
- Magdalena Abakanowicz abandons the beauty standard of smooth skin in her sculpture Androgyne III and instead opts for crinkled skin made of string
- Jeff Koon's Pink Panther is covered in a thick layer of polish for a glossy effect
- Dancing at the Louvre, from the series The French Collection, Part I; #1 by Faith Ringgold incorporates media with different textures, including quilted fabric and acrylic 🖌️ on canvas

Image Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art. Pink Panther

Image Courtesy of Khan Academy. Stadia II

And that's it! Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for getting through the entire AP Art History course. Hopefully, the past 10 unit guides will help as you study for any exams you have throughout the year and ace the final one in May. Happy studying and good luck 🎉!

Browse Study Guides By Unit

🗿Unit 1 – Global Prehistoric Art, 30,000-500 BCE

🏛Unit 2 – Ancient Mediterranean Art, 3500-300 BCE

⛪️Unit 3 – Early European and Colonial American Art, 200-1750 CE

⚔️Unit 4 – Later European and American Art, 1750-1980 CE

🌽Unit 5 – Indigenous American Art, 1000 BCE-1980 CE

⚱️Unit 6 – African Art, 1100-1980 CE

🕌Unit 7 – West and Central Asian Art, 500 BCE-1980 CE

🛕Unit 8 – South, East, and Southeast Asian Art, 300 BCE-1980 CE

🐚Unit 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce

🏢Unit 10 – Global Contemporary Art, 1980 CE to Present

10.0Summary of the Works