Traditional techniques

applied to contemporary
creation
Contemporary art and design works that make
use of traditional techniques, a tendency that
spans global cultures and includes a wide
range of experiments with materials and
imagery.
Examples include the incorporation of
calligraphy into paintings and the use of
embroidery or weaving, for instance, in the
textile works of Alighiero e Boetti or the
digitally spun tapestries of Pae White. These
works often blur the boundary between art
and craft, representing a hybrid of cultural
traditions.
WHAT TECHNIQUES ARE USED TO
MAKE CONTEMPORARY
ARTWORK?
Contemporary art is often looked at with a skeptical eye. The truth about
contemporary artist that it uses techniques that most people aren’t quite used
to, causing that skepticism to come into play.

However, these techniques are actually quite difficult and all deserve our
credit. It’s an incredible feat to create a piece of contemporary art, especially
using these techniques.

They challenge the mind and offer unique perspectives in a way that art has
never been able to do before.

For that reason, they’re some of the most valuable techniques that a person
can experience through artwork..
Here are three techniques that are
among the most relevant in
contemporary art today.
1. MINIMALISM

One of the artistic movements that has been most relevant throughout the contemporary
art movement is minimalism. Minimalism seeks to take away what’s unnecessary and
leaving only what’s essential.

Minimalism is incredibly difficult and has even made its way into being a huge part of
branding and design for companies all over the world. This is probably the most important
part of contemporary art, as it has informed so much of society.

Have you noticed that branding has gotten more minimalist over the past ten years
or so? You can thank the contemporary art movement for doing that.
2. FOUND OBJECTS

Taking something that people view as useless, and then using it in a unique way in
order to make artwork is one of the most important movements that currently exist in
contemporary artwork. The idea is that things that we often view as junk are actually
more valuable than we think that they are.

Everything you find can be used to tell a story, or to create new diverse perspectives
that we’re looking for when we attend an art exhibitions. The found objects
movement is one of the most important movements in all of contemporary art
currently.
3. Large Scale Art

Walter De Maria created an art piece in 1977 that included a four hundred steel poles over
one mile by one kilometer. That’s incredible. Creating something huge to express diverse
perspectives in artwork is incredibly popular, even today.

Over the past forty years, largescale art, and art that includes the environment has come into
its own as one of the most important movements within contemporary art. That’s why you often
see modern art pieces alongside buildings, or as huge structures out in the open.
CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK RELIES ON CERTAINTECHNIQUES

With every new age of art, there are new unique techniques that define how the
movement develops. For contemporary art, among many techniques, you can find
techniques such as minimalism, found objects, and large scale paintings.

Each of these bring their own unique perspective into the artistic community, and each
is valued as a pick for a technique that is most influential in contemporary art.

Look out for these when you’re out at an exhibition next, you’ll find that they’re much
more relevant than you perhaps think that they are.
First part of a series on the traditional metal point technique and its contemporary use in fine art.

Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin, also known as the Saint Luke Madonna, 1435, Rogier van der Weyden, Oil and tempera onpanel, 137 x 111 cm,
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.