Contemporary Artists

Month: September 2013

Modern Artists Use Life-Size Craters, and Life-Like Masks, to Challenge Reality

Modern art artists

Did you know that, in 2012, art auctions raked in as much as $11.5 billion? Profits increased by as much 21%, from just two years earlier, in 2010. Everyone knows art’s greatest. Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, and Andy Warhol are household names. Modern art, however, is not so clear cut. It can be difficult to keep up with the growing number of contemporary artists, and it can be even more challenging to pick out the noteworthy ones. Who is making waves in the world of modern art, and why?

Abstract Artists

Famous modern artists rarely use traditional methods, like a canvas and brush. Three dimensional objects are in, and the art based on them is selling for a good deal of cash. Some examples are works by Urs Fischer, and Damien Hurst. In 2007, Fischer literally dug a 38-foot-by-30-foot cater in a New York gallery. New York Magazine described the work, dubbed “You,” as, “Experientially rich, buzzing with energy and entropy, crammed with chaos and contradiction…” Another work by Fischer, a fusion of a desktop lamp and a giant yellow teddy bear (untitled), sold for nearly $7 million.

Damien Hurst’s works, on the other hand, strike eerie notes on death. Hurst creates anything from diamond-studded skulls to exhibits with a number of different animals artfully preserved in formaldehyde. His works range from 2005’s “The Immortal,” a shark preserved in formaldehyde, to 2008’s “The Dream,” a white baby horse, also in formaldehyde, with a silicone unicorn horn.

Photographers

Photography is going in a number of different directions. Some famous modern artists, like Andreas Gursky, prefer to stick to tradition, and it is safe to say that Gursky’s decision paid off. In fact, his 1999 print “Rhein II” sold in a 2011 auction for more than $4 million. The Telegraph reaffirmed the value of the photograph, stating, “The scale, attention to color and form of his photography can be read as a deliberate challenge to painting’s status as a higher art form.”

Other artists however, like Gillian Wearing, are testing the boundaries of the art form. For many years, Wearing created a series of life-like masks. Wearing created masks of her family members, including her brother, sister, and father, and a mask of her own face at 17 years old. She then photographed herself wearing the masks, with a notable gap near her eyes, only. The effect is chilling, and a far cry from Gursky’s classic landscape.

Modern art, and famous modern artists, are testing the waters. Abstracts artists focus on three dimensional objects, and, sometimes, as in Hurst’s works, featuring subjects that were once alive. Photographers are just as far-reaching, some challenging traditional painting, and others twisting reality.

Two Reasons to Take Advantage of Wedding Tent Rentals

Tent rental

According to the CDC’s “National Survey of Family Growth”, from the years 2006 to 2010, 32.8% of Americans married for the first time. While marriage rates continue to decline in the country, the fact is that many young men and women still see this union as a way of showing their love to one another.

The two big considerations every bride and groom-to-be have to think about are how to make their big day unique and how to save money. After all, the average cost of a wedding reception in 2012 was $13,106. In the period from 2011 to 2012, the number of couples with a wedding budget above $1 million doubled. The fact is that weddings are not getting cheaper. If you want to have a unique wedding day that does not cost you an arm and a leg, here is how wedding tent rentals can help you do exactly that.

Customization

Weddings vary by the age of the participants and their formality all across the country. New York City has the oldest brides at 32 years of age on average. West Texas, on the other hand, has brides averaging only 24. Hawaii for its part has the most casual weddings in the country, with Northern and Central New Jersey having the most formal.

Whether you are an older bride looking for a black-tie affair or a younger one looking for a beach party, wedding tent rentals can help you to get exactly the perfect look. What do you think of when you think of a very traditional wedding? Without a doubt, images of bow ties and white dresses come to mind. However, table settings and other decorations play a big part in that image as well. For this reason companies offering wedding tent rentals also offer wedding linen rentals to help make sure you have the most elegant or relaxed of weddings.

Cutting Costs

As Bridal Guide writes, brides already have to worry about the cost of food, drinks, flowers, and other accoutrements for their big day. Why should they also have to worry about the exorbitant costs of wedding reception venues? By seeking out wedding tent rentals, you can avoid having to rent out an expensive party hall or other location for dinner and dancing. Since many of the same companies specializing in wedding tent rentals offer party rental equipment, you do not have to worry about finding someone else to supply you with tables, chairs, and the like. Using a package service saves you money, time, and a lot of stress.

Where Can I Find Wedding Professionals?

Whether you are looking for a company for wedding tent rentals, a caterer, or a pastor, the fact is that the best way to find someone of repute is to ask your friends and family. 48% of Americans use their loved ones’ recommendations as a way to find the best in wedding services nearby.

If you have been looking for a way to customize your big day and to save money while doing so, look no further. By utilizing wedding tent rentals and related services, you can have everything you ever wanted while saving enough money for the honeymoon. Get more here.