Content: Introduction What can I learn from contemporary art? Not all contemporary art lends itself to easy understanding. In fact, many artists intentionally leave the interpretation open-ended, challenging us to question our assumptions and clarify our own ideas and feelings. Art encourages us to glance outside our personal frame of reference, and consider how the world looks from someone else's point of view. Like traveling to a new place or a foreign country, looking at art can open us to new ideas and feelings we might not have otherwise encountered. A matter of style The term style refers to the distinctive visual approach an artist uses with his or her subject, and artists often choose a particular style to help make a point. For example, artists of the early 20th century Ashcan School used a stark, unadorned realism to explore the quiet drama of daily modern life. Different artistic movements, periods, and schools are associated with distinct styles. One particularly well-known example of a group of artists working in a similar manner at the same time is the Abstract Expressionism movement, which took place in the middle of the 20th century. Art you can live with Even though they may hint at a particular meaning through their choice of style, artists frequently say that they leave their work open-ended in order to invite the viewer to participate in it. To take them up on this invitation, look at as many pieces as possible by different artists with an open mind, and then look back over the images that particularly struck you. Notice how you keep returning to the same pieces over and over again, and feel enriched by the experience; this is art that you can live with. Finding art that speaks to you These simple questions can help you develop your own appreciation of an artwork: Has the artist engaged with some significant aspect of his or her experience? Does the work have a lasting appeal to me? Click on either button above the images to discover more about the image, and explore its content. The Last Tourist Midge Chester Arnold Susan Dory