The end of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st centuries was a turning point not only for science, technology and medicine, but also for art. The fine arts, which always reflected the surrounding reality, began to acquire new forms. In painting, artists of traditional and innovative trends have clearly shown themselves.
Abstractionism became the dominant trend of the 20th century - the replacement of real objects in a drawing with geometric shapes and color combinations. One of the founders of this trend was the Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky (years of life 1866-1944). His works were a reflection of the artist's thoughts and feelings - colorful and disordered. The most famous works of Kandinsky - "Oscillation", "Compositions", "East" and "Moscow" - entered the golden fund of world abstract art.
Modern abstractionists
Today, one of the most popular abstract artists is the American painter Christopher Wool (born 1955). He is involved in the creation of monochrome canvases of intersecting lines, as well as the depiction of large black letters on a white background.
In some works, the young, but already quite famous Spanish artist Fernando Vicente (born in 1963) imitates his great compatriot Pablo Picasso. One of the sensational series of his paintings is devoted to the female body with anatomical features, the other - to geographical maps depicting continents in the form of figures of animals and people. The artist works in Madrid and regularly publishes his illustrations in the newspaper El Pais.
Realism on canvases
Despite the rapid development of abstract genres of fine art, realism continues to be popular in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Among contemporary Russian artists, the most famous representative of realism is Alexander Shilov (born in 1943). His main genre is a portrait, a reflection of a person and his personality. For his contribution to the development of Russian art, Shilov received many awards, including the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, the Order of Honor and the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
No less bright Russian realist artist is Ilya Glazunov (born 1930). The monumental works of this painter reflect historical scenes, sketches from the life of the city, and also serve as illustrations for famous works of Russian literature.
Expressionism in the art of painting
The American reality is reflected in his works by the artist and photographer Richard Prince (born 1949). Its unique style combines the traditions of Pop Art and Expressionism. The themes of Prince's work are cowboys, biker gangs, celebrities - everything that is close and understandable to the typical American.
One of the most famous contemporary artists of the East is the Chinese painter Zeng Fanzhi (born 1964). His works are full of expression, grotesque and emotional expressiveness. The most famous series of paintings by the artist: Hospital Series and Mask Series. His author's interpretation of The Last Supper was sold at Sotheby's for $ 23.3 million.
Contemporary art can be admired, criticized, or simply misunderstood. Nevertheless, it is peculiar, original and is a "mirror" of our time.
