Unit 10: Global Contemporary (1980 CE – Present)

Identity Politics

Exploration of how race, gender, sexuality, and cultural heritage intersect to form individual and collective experiences.

Cindy Sherman

An artist known for examining female archetypes through photography, particularly in her series Untitled Film Stills.

The Male Gaze

The portrayal of women in art from a masculine, heterosexual perspective, often objectifying them.

Shirin Neshat

An artist who explores Iranian women's complexities post-1979 Islamic Revolution in works like Rebellious Silence.

Appropriation

The act of re-using existing objects or images to critique colonial history and racial injustice.

Kara Walker

An artist known for her cut-paper silhouettes that confront racial trauma, exemplified in her work Darkytown Rebellion.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

An artist who addresses Native American history in her works such as Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People).

Installation Art

Art that requires viewer participation, often extending beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Ai Weiwei

An artist known for his work Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds) which critiques mass production and collective identity.

Doris Salcedo

An artist who created Shibboleth, symbolizing immigration and separation themes through a physical crack in the gallery floor.

Globalization

The process of shrinking the world through technology, trade, and cultural exchange.

Hybridity

The mixing of cultural signs and symbols in contemporary art reflective of globalization.

Nam June Paik

Recognized as the father of video art, known for Electronic Superhighway predicting the internet age.

Yinka Shonibare

An artist whose work The Swing (after Fragonard) explores themes of colonialism and the constructed nature of identity.

Deconstructivism

An architectural style characterized by fragmented forms and a departure from traditional symmetry and harmony.

Frank Gehry

A prominent architect known for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, utilizing innovative materials and design techniques.

Zaha Hadid

An architect recognized for her flowing, organic designs like the MAXXI National Museum that reflect modern chaos.

Green Design

An approach in architecture focused on sustainability and environmental interaction.

Site Specificity

The concept where artwork or architecture is designed to relate specifically to its location and environment.

Modernism

An early 20th-century movement seeking purity and universal truths, emphasizing form following function.

Postmodernism

A movement that embraces irony, complexity, and skepticism of universal truths, emerging in the late 20th century.

El Anatsui

An artist known for works like Old Man’s Cloth, made from liquor bottle caps, examining materials and cultural narratives.

Untitled Works

Artworks labeled 'Untitled' to allow viewer interpretation without imposing a specific narrative.

Role of the Viewer

The importance of audience interaction in completing the meaning of contemporary artworks.

The Bilbao Effect

The revitalization of a city's economy and cultural image through iconic architectural projects.

Cultural Signs

Symbols and images that represent cultural identity and narratives in contemporary art.

Materiality in Art

The significance of the materials used in artworks, which often convey deeper meanings beyond visuals.