Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the

1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era.[1] The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation.[2] Modern artists experimented with new ways of seeing and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art. A tendency toward abstraction is characteristic of much modern art. More recent artistic production is often called Contemporary art or Postmodern art. Modern art begins with the heritage of painters like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Czanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec all of whom were essential for the development of modern art. At the beginning of the 20th century Henri Matisse and several other young artists including the pre-cubist Georges Braque, Andr Derain, Raoul Dufy and Maurice de Vlaminck revolutionized the Paris art world with "wild", multi-colored, expressive landscapes and figure paintings that the critics called Fauvism. Henri Matisse's two versions of The Dance signified a key point in his career and in the development of modern painting.[3] It reflected Matisse's incipient fascination with primitive art: the intense warm color of the figures against the cool blue-green background and the rhythmical succession of the dancing nudes convey the feelings of emotional liberation and hedonism.

Contemporary Art: Art from the 1960's or 70's up until this very minute. Here at About Art History, 1970 is the cut-off point for two reasons. First, because it was around 1970 that the terms "Postmodern" and "Postmodernism" popped up - meaning, we must assume, that the Art World had had its fill of Modern Art starting right then. Secondly, 1970 seems to be the last bastion of easily classified artistic movements. If you look at the outline of Modern Art, and compare it to the outline of Contemporary Art, you'll quickly notice that there are far more entries on the former page. This, in spite of the fact that Contemporary Art enjoys far more working artists making far more art. (It may be that Contemporary artists are mostly working in "movements" that cannot be classified, due to there being around ten artists in any given "movement", none of which have shot off an email saying that there's a new "movement" and "could you please tell others?") On a more serious note, while it may be hard to classify emergent movements, Contemporary art - collectively - is much more socially conscious than any previous era has been. A whole lot of art from the last 30 years has been connected with one issue or another: feminism, multiculturalism, globalization, bio-engineering and AIDS awareness all come readily to mind as subject matter. Examples of mediums in art making Oil paint on canvas, Pencil on paper, Watercolor on paper For sculptors: Marble,Bronze,Papier Mache',Clay Art Mediums & Techniques Painting The discipline of painting usually utilizes two factors: the ground and the paint. The ground is the surface that supports the paint, and may be made of masonite, wood, paper or cardboard, but is most frequently made of canvas. Paints include oil, watercolor, guache (an egg-based pigment) and encaustic (wax mixed with color). In some paintings, these techniques are used together. For example, oil and encaustic can frequently be found mixed in the same work. Different types of paint tend to be preferred with different grounds. Watercolor is more frequently done on paper, due to its absorbent qualities, while oil painting is more frequently done on canvas, due to its strength and ability to support larger works without sagging or tearing.

Sculpture Sculpture is any artwork that exists in three dimensions, and can be constructed of virtually any material. Common materials used in traditional sculpture include marble, plaster, clay, steel, bronze, soapstone and wood. Some sculptures are created by carving away to reveal a work, as is done with stone and wood. Others are poured into a mold and allowed to harden, as is the case with bronze. Still others are built up from independent parts, as with welded steel sculpture. Three-dimensional work often incorporates objects from outside of the discipline of art, and the line between art and the real world can be blurred in some works, as is the case with art furniture, which exists both as artistic expression and as practical furnishing. Mixed Media Mixed media work really has few rules. While it can incorporate traditional materials such as oil paint, wood or marble, mixed media art can also be made of electrical components, grass, piles of old books, broken bricks or garbage. In addition, mixed media work can blur the line between painting and sculpture, either by building out a painting until it it unclear whether it is a painting or a sculpture, or by incorporating painting into a work that began as a three-dimensional work. Figurative art "Figurative art" is often defined in contrast to abstract art: Since the arrival of abstract art the term figurative has been used to refer to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world. Painting and sculpture can therefore be divided into the categories of figurative, representational and abstract, although, strictly speaking, abstract art is derived (or abstracted) from a figurative or other natural source. However, "abstract" is sometimes used as a synonym for non-representational art and non-objective art, i.e. art which has no derivation from figures or objects. Figurative art is not synonymous with "art that represents the human figure," although human and animal figures are frequent subjects. Non-figurative art Non-objective art does not contain a recognizable subject. Rather, the artist manipulates the elements of art (color, shape, line, form, space, value, texture) by using the principles of design (balance, repetition, unity, rhythm, proportion, harmony, variety, emphasis, movement). [Note: There are many different beliefs about which words make up the elements and principles of art and design.] The word "non-objective" can be broken down, literally, into the words "no object." When one looks at a non-objective piece of artwork, they will see various arrangements of lines, shapes, colors..etc. Sometimes these compositions make a pattern or design. Many people believe that non-objective art is not "real art," but non-objective artwork can be found in the rugs we buy for our homes, the prints on our clothing, and the covers of notebooks, folders, and CD's. Jackson Pollack and Piet Mondrion were two artists with non-objective styles.