At 5:50 (Knoebel) those are definitely molar teeth. On the subject of 'going big', that is standard art school training and the hallmark of a serious artist. Abstract artists are always going to be controversial. And for anyone who thinks it is a cop out and anyone could do it…have a go and you'll see how difficult it is.
Hello, dear readers and subscribers, today we take on contemporary abstract painting. Make sure to have a look at our complete top 20, where you'll discover a lot of lesser-known artists who are trailblazing figures for abstraction today: www.contemporaryartissue.com/top-20-most-famous-abstract-painters-today/ And perhaps more importantly, who did we miss? Chat soon! All my best, Julien
In my opinion, a painting has to give me beauty, peace and tranquility, those you show do not, where is the composition, the calmness etc, Looking at an painting should be interesting, happy and should give you a feeling of satisfaction ! Give me Rothko, and similar artist who make you smile and THINK,!
Thank you! Your channel was a unique and wonderful place for tutorials of artists in their Journey Please continue that Journey as before you let us know what book to read and know historical or top ten, so better I would say to focus on the growth of emerging artists and let them make a better career as I learned from you so much, I am waiting to those kind of videos so much!
@@a5dr3 You're right, those are remnants of my Italian... In Italian, "figurative art" is often used to distinguish fine arts from cinema, music, etc...
It seems to me that the bigger you work , the bolder you’re colours , the more chances you have to be famous. I don’t say I don’t like it, but I know so many artist that have fantastic work, with so much talent! These artist are nothing compared to them! It’s the galleries and the crazy tastes of art critics whom are to blame for the poor quality of what musea offer us. Crazy!
I must say I strongly disagree here. Of course, today, they work on such a scale because they are currently in the biggest galleries. But that was not always the case, and they did not always work on such a scale. The scale is the result of where they are today, but not the reason where they are today.
I totally agree with you. It is too sad that so many artists and viewers miss the chance to have the celebration of small work presented to the PUBLIC!
Largely, I agree. This is why I try to work with painting as the beginning, or the sketch.. and manipulation of light through greater means being the goal.
Love your videos, not sure if you already cover this topic, but can you talk about Artificial Intelligence. Should artist be worried about it? How will this shape the art world for better and for worse?
I was impressed by Katharina Grosses works on canvas .Amazing colours as usual but the composition is excellent. I didnt realise she worked on smaller size paintings.
Couldn't agree more! I prefer her shows at galleries with slightly smaller spaces instead of the big museum shows. Her work can be incredibly intimate and less 'shouty' by times, yet maintaining all its power. Have a great day!
cow head being eaten by thousands of maggots a lamb cut in half and placed in formaldehyde a massive 10 foot long shark in formaldehyde .Besides strange performance artists there is no other artists alive as controversial than Hirst.
@@missinglink9973I think what he meant was. The controversial phase of Hirst was quite some time ago. Literally in the early 1990’s. Like the works you mentioned. After that he made less controversial works.
True, but partly. There have been stunts by Hirst the past few years as well, from burning his own pieces to his self-hosted auction. Thank you all for tuning in!
As someone with appreciable background and accomplishments in this field, I simply must say that all of the art featured in this video is hopelessly bad art. And I see zero room that it can get better, or that I can be wrong in this assessment. In fact, I'm surprised that anyone making a video about abstract art cannot at least find a few better exemplars in this field. I realize that there is a dire paucity of real talent to choose from. Worthwhile abstract artists are rarer than hens teeth.
Congratulations, you have an opinion, as do we all. Judging from some of your other comments, you appear to be opinionated! I tend not to give any value to someone's comment when they identify by a handle like KpxUrz5745. You say you are quite an accomplished artist, fine then, where can your work be viewed & why won't you offer it for perusal? It's not that you don't have right to express your opinion, but when one puffs out their chest like a prairie chicken, it's put up or shut up time? What are you afraid of?
@@jeffreyolson2139What a truly a-hole comment! Your characterization that in my comment I "puffed out my chest" does not match the written comment, and yet you claim to have such powers that you magically evaluate the merits of a person simply by the choice of screen name! Can you not see the absurd hypocrisy of your reaction? Had I left only glowing positive comments, you would be tickled pink and accepted them without question. But if anyone risks a more critical view, then they are attacked and peppered with demands that they identify themselves and supply a resume and exhibition record while at it. I did not resort to youtube for self promotion, but now you wish to turn this about me. You have zero right to my personal information. My accomplishments in this field are more substantial than appearing in flaky regional art shows. I have many works in actually important collections, and in private collections of famous actors, athletes, etc. I have won countless awards and also exhibited in major museums and in fact appear in the permanent collections of a growing list of museums. Oh, but let me guess: you will still not be satisfied to learn this, and you will continue with the attack. You are an uneducated hypocrite. I suggest you apply yourself to the study of art history, and also maybe take a course such as Logic 101 at your local community college. Another serious deficit of yours is the assumption that opinions are of equal value. They are not.
Thank you for this comment. I completely agree. I liked the #1 spot artist Gerhard Richter; the rest was repetitive, mind-numbing junk that I would not pay a nickel to buy or see. For a contemporary abstract artist who is doing much better work than 9 of 10 of these "top" artists, I recommend checking out Louise Fletcher.
@@i_do_notconsent4968 And not only would I not pay a nickel for a Richter painting, they couldn't pay me enough to suffer through an exhibition. After seeing Louise Fletcher's paintings, I wouldn't pay a nickel for one of those either. In all of these artists, and in fact, in the abstract works of every living artist that I have seen, none of them display a hint of the intelligence or artistic skill that we see in such artists as: Gorky, deKooning, and Mondrian. I would include Picasso except he employed recognizable subject matter. I seriously doubt that anyone can suggest another artist who deserves to be in this company. In the case of Rothko, well I like him more than I like his paintings. Furthermore, I will reject anybody's ridiculous suggestion that "art is subjective". That bland platitude seeks to elevate ignorance.
@@KpxUrz5745 Fair enough :) I'll say it did take me a bit to warm up to Fletcher, but I love her abstracted landscapes. Normally, I don't care much for abstracts, especially ones like those presented in this video, but I have been trying my hand at some and especially trying to make abstract landscapes that I'm pleased with, since literal landscapes are boring for me to paint. I lean somewhere between representational and impressionism in my own art. Best wishes to you!
Genuinely surprised Olaf Christopher Jensen is not on this list - an epic abstractionist, also think is prices and reputation could sit in the top 5 in your list.
Great painter, indeed! He certainly gets close but is not in the same bracket-yet-as the artists from this list. Prices are still in the realms of a mid-career artist and not of a blue-chip artist but there is some great activity on the secondary market. Thank you for sharing!
An excellent overview. Those who enjoy abstract art, might like to take a look at the abstract images produced by British computer art pioneer, Desmond Paul Henry (1921-2004).
When looking at any piece of art from any genre, we need ask ourselves three, and only three, questions: 1. Is it GOOD technically? 2. Does it convey some universal or transcendent truth? 3. Is it beautiful? To be a great work of art, the answer to all three questions must be yes.
We still have a lot of ground to cover, so for now focusing on single artists is not a priority. Perhaps with time we can cover more in-depth takes on a single artist as we have done in the past with Kusama, Rothko, and Hockney. Thank you for tuning in!
Thank you for that fantastic run-down of modern abstracts! I’m struck quite forcibly that all of them are works for large spaces, though. Where is modern abstract art for our homes? Another thought is that many are easily copied. Art of all sorts has always been copied since medieval times, of course, but where does the modern art critic stand with copying in modern art now much of it has become so easy?
Today, they provide work for large spaces because they primarily sell to public collections to ensure their legacy. But of course, this is where they ended up after a very long journey of climbing the ladder of success in the art world. There is still a lot of art for our homes, from these artists, and more. But the big shows require the big pieces. Concerning the copying, the Certificate of Authenticity is of course very important for the resale value of the work, but simultanously, I invite you to copy a piece by one of these artists, and you might be surprised how it can be rather difficult to get it right. Have a great day and thank you for tuning in!
I might agree that it's harder to copy than I might think but the great copiests through the centuries have shown it's possible - even to the extent of selling false Vermeer to Goering, as you probably know, Anyway what's so hard about coying dots and other geometric shapes? My question was more philosophical - what's the modern attitude to copying? Duchamp made it clear 100 years ago that copying is easy.@@contemporaryartissue
There are several entertaining documentaries about infamous recent Art Forgery and Art thefts that you can search on TH-cam that explain the multiple factors a criminal forgery needs to control in order to pass off a fake. Most recently certificates of authentication are being encoded on a tamper proof digital blockchain ledger. Perversely, our fascination with the Virtuosity of a painter who successfully mimics others never goes away, but I think this speaks to our fascination with the medium in general.
Oehlen is indeed in a different category. Due to the representational elements yet expressive style, Oehlen is connected to the German Neo-Expressionist called the Neue Wilde. He is in fact featured in our top 20 of the most important painters today. Have a great day!
G. Richter and D. Hirst come to mind as exceptions that are marketed in multiple categories. I saw A. Oehlen ‘23 exhibit at Gagosian NYC, IMO great example of the current synthesis of figurative abstraction.
The more I see, the more I believe; Art is context [as Marcel Duchamp proved]; It's what's in an art gallery. Tell me; What would happen if one of these objects [work of art] was left somewhere on a road or in a dirty corner of a city?
I will certainly take a look at the website article. I find this vital information in terms of knowing the parameters of definition of abstract art today. What makes things relevant. Please correct me if I am incorrect here… it is not widely spread information. Granted, based on statistics, and not opinion. Are you willing to share if any figure representation in a basic Lu abstract painting… is still considered abstract please? This is the nature of my work. I would like to be able to define it accurately for professional sake. Great Abstract Contemporary Art from watching this seems to be defined with a depth of feeling that is consistent And growing. The human element is included and not removed…And… if I may add. Lots and lots of quality pigment and Paint! All seem worthwhile to view in person. Thank you Julien for your work.
Abstract painting consists of painting without any representational imagery. If we encounter figures in combination with abstract elements, then it is no longer pure abstraction, but rather, a continuation of Neo-Expressionism within contemporary painting. Wishing you all the best!
So disappointed by this video. It seems like a reading of a list of the most successful of abstract painters, while completely disregarding why they are that. Other than Gerhard Richter who is light years beyond anyone else represented here. Most of these artists are what they are due to marketing(Damien Hirst in particular) by their gallerists or themselves. this is a bullshit fluff piece and it hurts the progress of art by not letting emerging artists know exactly why these artists came to prominence...connections with influencers.
I sense the typical frustration towards the art world, the mega-galleries, and the 'superstar artists'; however, there is little truth to it. We talk a lot about how to become a successful artist on this channel, but this is, of course, a different topic that we discuss in other videos. And no, marketing and influencers do not help artists to achieve long-term success. In a nutshell, we require good, relevant art, a professional profile, and a good network in an active art scene. Feel free to have a look at our career advice videos for more information.
Gerhard Richter a man who understands the use of space and color in transitional abstract concepts. Very well balanced on the paintings you have shown here.
I love Kusama. The others don't speak to me. It is interesting to see how the dots in Kusama speak to me, but not the dots in the other artist featured. Abstract art is, to me, very personal, I like it or not, I feel it or not, it provokes me intellectually or not, I want to paint immediately after seeing it or not. I ponder about this a lot, i.e. why some abstraction is really yummy to me and other is totally uninteresting or pointless. What is it in abstraction that hooks our psyche? Why our psyche is hooked on to some forms of abstraction and not other? Beyond colour. Just a request. If possible, I'd love one of your episodes to be devoted to Southern European abstract painters today (Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese) even if they aren't at the top of anything in the abstract rankings. Have a great week.
Great comment and some great thoughts/questions. Abstract art is indeed something personal and direct. And I believe it is okay that some of the most important abstract painters are not always liked by all. Abstract painting needs to tug our nerves every now and then. Interesting suggestion! I believe the topics are perhaps a bit too narrowed down, but videos on the most influential contemporary South-European artists will be coming soon! A great week to you too!
Wow, thank you so much! My heart was beating, the breath got quicker and I ended up with tears in my eyes by just looking at his video. Such incredible touching art.
Albert Oehlen's oeuvre consists of representational elements as he is connected with the German Neo-Expressionist called the Neue Wilde-hence not being included in this list of abstract painters. Thank you for tuning in!
One might think so considering the galleries they are currently working with today. But then you would only be judging them on where they got, and not by how they got there. Yet, the latter is more important and there you will find that size is not the only or main factor for success. Thank you for tuning in!
@@missinglink9973 I've worked at a big psychiatric clinic with a huge art workshop for patients for 20 years. If Kusama's art was a manifestation of any psychiatric condition, it would appear in other patients as well and that is not the case. I think it is bullshit PR self-promotion designed precisely to hide her lack of psychological depth.
It is quite hilarious to watch abstract painters (not artists) work. It is nothing but doodling. I highly recommend the Dutch Golden Age to experience what real art is.
As an art historian, specialized in the Low Countries during the first half of the 17th century, there is no point comparing Knoebel with Vermeer, nor is it to compare Giotto with Rembrandt. Different times, different art. That does not make the art of today 'not real art.'
Bonjour, merci pour cette vidéo. Je trouve le travail de ces artistes superbe. Et franchement je trouve que les critiques négatifs à leurs égard ne sont pas pertinentes. L abstrait est de créer une émotion pas une analyse , de la théorie des couleur etc...de pseudo critiques d art..cordialement pg
Quite frankly...as an artist, I got inspired by maybe a quarter of these famous elaborates on famous walls...means nothing to me but a source of viewing what lives....otherwise, no soul there....no there there..
all of those painters have nothing to say when compared to Kandinsky... It is strange that those meaningless painters presented to the public as "TOP" abstract painters... May be it's because art world is no longer about meaning and mostly about business
While abstractism creates it own reality it only reflects the mental state of the artist creating it. In the greater order of human experience in day to day life it is meaningless and without real value despite the intellectual mumbo-jumbo seeking to legitimize it. As another commenter put it "it's just doodling.....".
It only reflects the mental state of the artist? - you need to rewatch the video. Maybe you're thinking of abstract expressionism. Even then, it's a dubious claim. Non-abstract painting, or photography, can reflect the artists mental state.
In my opinion these artists do not create anything interesting. In the field of traditional abstract art It's been the same cliches over and over again for the last 100 years or so.
What an absurd comment. To use the term "Traditional" within the complaint of not seeing change? Huh? What? Traditional? I will say however that Sean is obviously a Rothko wannabe, yet too sloppy to even get that right.
@@zoemuscan9499Yes but the true laziness often lay in their lack of effort in learning how to render realistic form during their development. I have no problem with abstract expressionism if they also can if asked, draw real forms too. 'Abstract' as a term somewhere became too lose a term for anything that didn't appear realistic or suggest landscape or depth. Therefore if it was s##t , it too could be protected by the term 'abstract'. The artist should be abstracting FROM something, not just splattering away like some self indulgent half wit. I learned to draw people and the human form early in my artistic journey so I feel perfectly enthusiastic and unpretentious in rendering the visual experiences I create in the abstract in recent years. It doesn't always demonstrate my classical aptitude already accomplished but it satisfies me immensely. I get why people do it now. And that comes from one who had no place or appreciation for abstract art as a younger man. It wasn't until passing into my late thirties that I experienced something mind altering in my work. I would never be the same and I knew it.
It's not a complaint. It's an observation. Also Traditional abstract art is exactly what the preseneted artists create, by definition, so I don't see what's the problem. Well, if the comment was absurd people wouldn't understand it, which is not the case. As far as I can see, they know exactly what I mean and apparently agree with it.
Riley- A tad predictable as usual with pop art, for use of color does not transcend this. It's called a color wheel. Grosse - original, impressive, wildly expressive and thoroughly mesmerizing. Mehretu: okay if you like graffiti. Her work in no way "explore themes of geography displacement and social landscapes" nor do they "reflect(s) on the intersection of history and the contemporary global condition." That's a Con(temporary) Art word salad NOT visually evident in her work. Her work is it and miss. Mostly miss, but what does hit, like Stadia II, is incredibly impressive. Damien Hirst still doesn't display anything remotely resembling exceptional artistic talent or ability - even with a brush in his own hand, instead of paying someone else. He's a con artist. Scully - They are stripes and blocks of color, and that's all they are. Masterfully arranged and perfect choices of color, but any other meaning, like most Con(temporary) art, is merely ascribed, not evident. Rondinone -Simplistic and derivative. Zobernig -Tacky, thououghly unoriginal. It does not "interrogate the foundation of painting but also sculpture." That's Con(temporary) art word salad nonsense for hanging cloth on the wall in a grid. Also, copying and theft of others' work is not "engaging in dialogue". It's making unoriginal work. Knoebel -Thoroughly unimpressive in every conceivable way ... and Motherwell and Mondrian both did it better and first. Kusama - Only Damien Hirst is more overrated. More or less a texture creator and no more, the art world seems to think that polka dots are somehow indicative of exceptional talent, when her stuff mostly amounts to that found in the background of a children's book or as failed attempts to surf Matisse's color wave. Her stuff only "explores themes of infinity and self-obliteration," because she says so. Again, and like most Con(temporary) painters, these themes are not evident. Richter - along with Anselm Keifer and David Hockney, he amounts to one of the 3 greatest artists working today.
Usually I enjoy your content because of the deep analysis you share in your videos, but the explanation for each of these artists and their work is so cliché and void of real meaning, that is might be a nuanced critique to the contemporary art market. Sorry, but this must be your worst video.
That's not what top 10 videos are for. They do well on TH-cam because they serve as inspiration, a starting point to look into something further. And people like to argue about who should be higher or lower on the list.
If the artworks are crazy large and displayed in huge minimal hall, it always looks great :)
It, of course, helps a great deal, but it is not always the case. Thank you for tuning in!
Indeed, anything removed from its source and placed on a metaphorical pedestal in a beautiful space creates perceived relevance and importance.
no, junk is junk no matter what size it is.
At 5:50 (Knoebel) those are definitely molar teeth. On the subject of 'going big', that is standard art school training and the hallmark of a serious artist. Abstract artists are always going to be controversial. And for anyone who thinks it is a cop out and anyone could do it…have a go and you'll see how difficult it is.
Hello, dear readers and subscribers, today we take on contemporary abstract painting. Make sure to have a look at our complete top 20, where you'll discover a lot of lesser-known artists who are trailblazing figures for abstraction today: www.contemporaryartissue.com/top-20-most-famous-abstract-painters-today/ And perhaps more importantly, who did we miss? Chat soon! All my best, Julien
Thank you for the high quality of your content!
The pleasure is all mine!
Thank you so much for the tour of these prominent abstract artists, most informative. ❤
In my opinion, a painting has to give me beauty, peace and tranquility, those you show do not, where is the composition, the calmness etc, Looking at an painting should be interesting, happy and should give you a feeling of satisfaction ! Give me Rothko, and similar artist who make you smile and THINK,!
Absolutely spot on!
This channel is wonderful - navigating the modern art world is a daunting experience even when beeing guided. 😊
Thank you! Your channel was a unique and wonderful place for tutorials of artists in their Journey Please continue that Journey as before you let us know what book to read and know historical or top ten, so better I would say to focus on the growth of emerging artists and let them make a better career as I learned from you so much, I am waiting to those kind of videos so much!
That's great to hear! A lot more to come so feel free to stay tuned :-) !
You are too good!
Your erudite information is like art ambrosia in this remote part of my country, India!
Regards with Gratitude
Been binging your videos for a while. Ss an artist myself, thank you a lot for the insights!
The pleasure is all mine! Thank you for tuning in!
we need more content that talks about ART on TH-cam, bravo 👌
This is the opposite of figurative art. ?
@@a5dr3 You're right, those are remnants of my Italian... In Italian, "figurative art" is often used to distinguish fine arts from cinema, music, etc...
It seems to me that the bigger you work , the bolder you’re colours , the more chances you have to be famous. I don’t say I don’t like it, but I know so many artist that have fantastic work, with so much talent! These artist are nothing compared to them! It’s the galleries and the crazy tastes of art critics whom are to blame for the poor quality of what musea offer us. Crazy!
I must say I strongly disagree here. Of course, today, they work on such a scale because they are currently in the biggest galleries. But that was not always the case, and they did not always work on such a scale. The scale is the result of where they are today, but not the reason where they are today.
@@contemporaryartissueblah blah blah blah....
I totally agree with you. It is too sad that so many artists and viewers miss the chance to have the celebration of small work presented to the PUBLIC!
Largely, I agree. This is why I try to work with painting as the beginning, or the sketch.. and manipulation of light through greater means being the goal.
How do you paint a good abstract painting? Where do you learn the techniques from ?
Love your videos, not sure if you already cover this topic, but can you talk about Artificial Intelligence. Should artist be worried about it? How will this shape the art world for better and for worse?
Great idea! I will certainly cover this topic, it is on my rather lengthy to-do list 🫡😁 Thank you for tuning in and wishing you a great day
I was impressed by Katharina Grosses works on canvas .Amazing colours as usual but the composition is excellent. I didnt realise she worked on smaller size paintings.
Couldn't agree more! I prefer her shows at galleries with slightly smaller spaces instead of the big museum shows. Her work can be incredibly intimate and less 'shouty' by times, yet maintaining all its power. Have a great day!
Me too! I was unaware of her work, a great discovery for me today!
Love the outfit so calm the pooch also very peaceful 😀😍
Wow, thank you! Wishing you all the best 🐶👋❤
Richter"s works captivate me. He is something else.
Hirst is not controversal.....maybe 30 years ago for a minute in the public mass media.
cow head being eaten by thousands of maggots a lamb cut in half and placed in formaldehyde a massive 10 foot long shark in formaldehyde .Besides strange performance artists there is no other artists alive as controversial than Hirst.
@@missinglink9973I think what he meant was. The controversial phase of Hirst was quite some time ago. Literally in the early 1990’s. Like the works you mentioned. After that he made less controversial works.
@@missinglink9973controversy makes him an artist? A good one?
@@dnlgrmn7169and they are still vapid pieces of crap.
True, but partly. There have been stunts by Hirst the past few years as well, from burning his own pieces to his self-hosted auction. Thank you all for tuning in!
I loved modt of these abstract painters, it is for a reason that they are great artists, workd renowned.its very have to get to be a great artist! ❤
excellent video! thankyou for info. Im excited to discover these artists
As someone with appreciable background and accomplishments in this field, I simply must say that all of the art featured in this video is hopelessly bad art. And I see zero room that it can get better, or that I can be wrong in this assessment. In fact, I'm surprised that anyone making a video about abstract art cannot at least find a few better exemplars in this field. I realize that there is a dire paucity of real talent to choose from. Worthwhile abstract artists are rarer than hens teeth.
Congratulations, you have an opinion, as do we all. Judging from some of your other comments, you appear to be opinionated! I tend not to give any value to someone's comment when they identify by a handle like KpxUrz5745. You say you are quite an accomplished artist, fine then, where can your work be viewed & why won't you offer it for perusal? It's not that you don't have right to express your opinion, but when one puffs out their chest like a prairie chicken, it's put up or shut up time? What are you afraid of?
@@jeffreyolson2139What a truly a-hole comment! Your characterization that in my comment I "puffed out my chest" does not match the written comment, and yet you claim to have such powers that you magically evaluate the merits of a person simply by the choice of screen name! Can you not see the absurd hypocrisy of your reaction? Had I left only glowing positive comments, you would be tickled pink and accepted them without question. But if anyone risks a more critical view, then they are attacked and peppered with demands that they identify themselves and supply a resume and exhibition record while at it. I did not resort to youtube for self promotion, but now you wish to turn this about me. You have zero right to my personal information. My accomplishments in this field are more substantial than appearing in flaky regional art shows. I have many works in actually important collections, and in private collections of famous actors, athletes, etc. I have won countless awards and also exhibited in major museums and in fact appear in the permanent collections of a growing list of museums. Oh, but let me guess: you will still not be satisfied to learn this, and you will continue with the attack. You are an uneducated hypocrite. I suggest you apply yourself to the study of art history, and also maybe take a course such as Logic 101 at your local community college. Another serious deficit of yours is the assumption that opinions are of equal value. They are not.
Thank you for this comment. I completely agree. I liked the #1 spot artist Gerhard Richter; the rest was repetitive, mind-numbing junk that I would not pay a nickel to buy or see. For a contemporary abstract artist who is doing much better work than 9 of 10 of these "top" artists, I recommend checking out Louise Fletcher.
@@i_do_notconsent4968 And not only would I not pay a nickel for a Richter painting, they couldn't pay me enough to suffer through an exhibition. After seeing Louise Fletcher's paintings, I wouldn't pay a nickel for one of those either. In all of these artists, and in fact, in the abstract works of every living artist that I have seen, none of them display a hint of the intelligence or artistic skill that we see in such artists as: Gorky, deKooning, and Mondrian. I would include Picasso except he employed recognizable subject matter. I seriously doubt that anyone can suggest another artist who deserves to be in this company. In the case of Rothko, well I like him more than I like his paintings. Furthermore, I will reject anybody's ridiculous suggestion that "art is subjective". That bland platitude seeks to elevate ignorance.
@@KpxUrz5745 Fair enough :) I'll say it did take me a bit to warm up to Fletcher, but I love her abstracted landscapes. Normally, I don't care much for abstracts, especially ones like those presented in this video, but I have been trying my hand at some and especially trying to make abstract landscapes that I'm pleased with, since literal landscapes are boring for me to paint. I lean somewhere between representational and impressionism in my own art. Best wishes to you!
Thank you! Always look forward to your vlogs and resources.
Great! Thank you for tuning in 🙌
Genuinely surprised Olaf Christopher Jensen is not on this list - an epic abstractionist, also think is prices and reputation could sit in the top 5 in your list.
Great painter, indeed! He certainly gets close but is not in the same bracket-yet-as the artists from this list. Prices are still in the realms of a mid-career artist and not of a blue-chip artist but there is some great activity on the secondary market. Thank you for sharing!
@@contemporaryartissueis money the ultimate judge of artistic merit?
An excellent overview. Those who enjoy abstract art, might like to take a look at the abstract images produced by British computer art pioneer, Desmond Paul Henry (1921-2004).
Thank you for tuning in, and even more for mentioning Desmond Paul Henry. Such an interesting artist!
When looking at any piece of art from any genre, we need ask ourselves three, and only three, questions:
1. Is it GOOD technically?
2. Does it convey some universal or transcendent truth?
3. Is it beautiful?
To be a great work of art, the answer to all three questions must be yes.
Those are all subjective
But, yet, questions that must be answered.
Very interesting tx!
Could you make some focused videos on artists like Bernard Frize or Gerard Fromanger for instance?
We still have a lot of ground to cover, so for now focusing on single artists is not a priority. Perhaps with time we can cover more in-depth takes on a single artist as we have done in the past with Kusama, Rothko, and Hockney. Thank you for tuning in!
Maybe you make a video about art curators, why an artist need them,what are they for,and how to find them
Fantastic presentation - thank you!!! 😊
Wonderful presentation thanks👏👏
Christopher Wool? Why not somewhere on the list at #6?
Christopher Wool, ranked 356 globally, fell just short of our online top 20. Great artist!
Thank you for that fantastic run-down of modern abstracts! I’m struck quite forcibly that all of them are works for large spaces, though. Where is modern abstract art for our homes? Another thought is that many are easily copied. Art of all sorts has always been copied since medieval times, of course, but where does the modern art critic stand with copying in modern art now much of it has become so easy?
Today, they provide work for large spaces because they primarily sell to public collections to ensure their legacy. But of course, this is where they ended up after a very long journey of climbing the ladder of success in the art world. There is still a lot of art for our homes, from these artists, and more. But the big shows require the big pieces. Concerning the copying, the Certificate of Authenticity is of course very important for the resale value of the work, but simultanously, I invite you to copy a piece by one of these artists, and you might be surprised how it can be rather difficult to get it right. Have a great day and thank you for tuning in!
I might agree that it's harder to copy than I might think but the great copiests through the centuries have shown it's possible - even to the extent of selling false Vermeer to Goering, as you probably know, Anyway what's so hard about coying dots and other geometric shapes? My question was more philosophical - what's the modern attitude to copying? Duchamp made it clear 100 years ago that copying is easy.@@contemporaryartissue
There are several entertaining documentaries about infamous recent Art Forgery and Art thefts that you can search on TH-cam that explain the multiple factors a criminal forgery needs to control in order to pass off a fake. Most recently certificates of authentication are being encoded on a tamper proof digital blockchain ledger.
Perversely, our fascination with the Virtuosity of a painter who successfully mimics others never goes away, but I think this speaks to our fascination with the medium in general.
Do you consider Albert Oehlen, in another category? Figurative Abstraction perhaps.
Oehlen is indeed in a different category. Due to the representational elements yet expressive style, Oehlen is connected to the German Neo-Expressionist called the Neue Wilde. He is in fact featured in our top 20 of the most important painters today. Have a great day!
G. Richter and D. Hirst come to mind as exceptions that are marketed in multiple categories. I saw A. Oehlen ‘23 exhibit at Gagosian NYC, IMO great example of the current synthesis of figurative abstraction.
I absolutely love Flora Yukhnovich and Cecily Brown, also Krista Harris. They are more of a lush, rococo, with some figural styes I guess.
Thank you CAI...this was fantastic!!
The pleasure is all mine! Wishing you a great day
The more I see, the more I believe; Art is context [as Marcel Duchamp proved]; It's what's in an art gallery.
Tell me; What would happen if one of these objects [work of art] was left somewhere on a road or in a dirty corner of a city?
Like Banksy's murals? They would be snatched up and auctioned to the highest bidder.
Julie Mehretu, Gerhard Richter.
Your dog looks very posh 😊👍
I will certainly take a look at the website article. I find this vital information in terms of knowing the parameters of definition of abstract art today. What makes things relevant. Please correct me if I am incorrect here… it is not widely spread information. Granted, based on statistics, and not opinion.
Are you willing to share if any figure representation in a basic Lu abstract painting… is still considered abstract please? This is the nature of my work. I would like to be able to define it accurately for professional sake.
Great Abstract Contemporary Art from watching this seems to be defined with a depth of feeling that is consistent And growing. The human element is included and not removed…And… if I may add. Lots and lots of quality pigment and Paint! All seem worthwhile to view in person.
Thank you Julien for your work.
Abstract painting consists of painting without any representational imagery. If we encounter figures in combination with abstract elements, then it is no longer pure abstraction, but rather, a continuation of Neo-Expressionism within contemporary painting. Wishing you all the best!
Great video! It shows that abstraction is neither dead nor irrelevant and continues to make a vibrant contribution to art making.
Absolutely! Thank you so much for tuning in, as always, Chris. Have a great day!
Fantastic video. Thanks so much!
So disappointed by this video. It seems like a reading of a list of the most successful of abstract painters, while completely disregarding why they are that. Other than Gerhard Richter who is light years beyond anyone else represented here. Most of these artists are what they are due to marketing(Damien Hirst in particular) by their gallerists or themselves. this is a bullshit fluff piece and it hurts the progress of art by not letting emerging artists know exactly why these artists came to prominence...connections with influencers.
I sense the typical frustration towards the art world, the mega-galleries, and the 'superstar artists'; however, there is little truth to it. We talk a lot about how to become a successful artist on this channel, but this is, of course, a different topic that we discuss in other videos. And no, marketing and influencers do not help artists to achieve long-term success. In a nutshell, we require good, relevant art, a professional profile, and a good network in an active art scene. Feel free to have a look at our career advice videos for more information.
Great video!
Thank you 🙏
Imi Knoebel, great choice!
Absolutely!
Excellent! Thank you!
My pleasure!
Love your dog. No hype there. 😂
VERY, VERY USEFUL
I think Sean Scully has a nice competitor from Lithuania Henrikas Cerapas.
Great comparison, thank you for the interesting comment!
Gerhard Richter a man who understands the use of space and color in transitional abstract concepts. Very well balanced on the paintings you have shown here.
I love Kusama. The others don't speak to me. It is interesting to see how the dots in Kusama speak to me, but not the dots in the other artist featured. Abstract art is, to me, very personal, I like it or not, I feel it or not, it provokes me intellectually or not, I want to paint immediately after seeing it or not. I ponder about this a lot, i.e. why some abstraction is really yummy to me and other is totally uninteresting or pointless. What is it in abstraction that hooks our psyche? Why our psyche is hooked on to some forms of abstraction and not other? Beyond colour. Just a request. If possible, I'd love one of your episodes to be devoted to Southern European abstract painters today (Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese) even if they aren't at the top of anything in the abstract rankings. Have a great week.
Great comment and some great thoughts/questions. Abstract art is indeed something personal and direct. And I believe it is okay that some of the most important abstract painters are not always liked by all. Abstract painting needs to tug our nerves every now and then. Interesting suggestion! I believe the topics are perhaps a bit too narrowed down, but videos on the most influential contemporary South-European artists will be coming soon! A great week to you too!
thank you!! @@contemporaryartissue
@@contemporaryartissue Thank you and look forward to it. Beautiful videos and informative
Doggy is thinking...'Sad guy, so lonely...talking to himself again'
😂😂😂😂
Wow, thank you so much! My heart was beating, the breath got quicker and I ended up with tears in my eyes by just looking at his video. Such incredible touching art.
Love.
Thank you for this video
Thank you for sharing this excellent document
The pleasure is all mine!
Thank you!
Love your dog
Love it,
How is Albert oehlen is not on the list?
Albert Oehlen's oeuvre consists of representational elements as he is connected with the German Neo-Expressionist called the Neue Wilde-hence not being included in this list of abstract painters. Thank you for tuning in!
With few exceptions, all I see is: size matters.
One might think so considering the galleries they are currently working with today. But then you would only be judging them on where they got, and not by how they got there. Yet, the latter is more important and there you will find that size is not the only or main factor for success. Thank you for tuning in!
Wow, they hung some paintings here upside down. They still look good.
Stephen Charles is my favorite
Thank you for the suggestion!
Gerhard Richter, This is an abstract painter, MASTER. ❤️🤘
where is Kiefer
Kiefer is not a pure abstract painter, as most of his imagery consists of representational elements/depictions in the line of Neo-Expressionism.
@@contemporaryartissue hirst is in the same boat.
I personally love sean Scully ❤
ONLY two Masters: Yayoi Kusama and Victor Vasarely but respect to all
Do you care to explain where is the psychological depth of Kusama?
Kusama is schizophrenic she makes her art partly due to hallucinations that's pretty psychological i would say
@@missinglink9973 I've worked at a big psychiatric clinic with a huge art workshop for patients for 20 years. If Kusama's art was a manifestation of any psychiatric condition, it would appear in other patients as well and that is not the case. I think it is bullshit PR self-promotion designed precisely to hide her lack of psychological depth.
@@1marceloshe literally lives in a psychiatric hospital. I guess not all patients express themselves the same way as she does.
@@missinglink9973that doesn't make the art deep.
@@1marceloYES!
Salamat po
I am the grestest living artist in the world.
Nay sir! I AM!!’
2 or 3 exceptional artists mixed in with a large amount of sameness.
Thank you for tuning in and for sharing your honest thoughts!
Kusama’s contribution cannot be understated? Are you sure?
Nice
草间弥生和李希特真的是最有名的了😂
Sean Scully...the only one.
It is quite hilarious to watch abstract painters (not artists) work. It is nothing but doodling. I highly recommend the Dutch Golden Age to experience what real art is.
As an art historian, specialized in the Low Countries during the first half of the 17th century, there is no point comparing Knoebel with Vermeer, nor is it to compare Giotto with Rembrandt. Different times, different art. That does not make the art of today 'not real art.'
Kassius Fine Art
Очень ценно для меня, как художника(^_-)
Any people has freedom to express thelr emotion regardlng to the arts
So many of the paintings have no framing in the Galleries.
Absolutely! They already have a very strong presence as objects without a frame.
Scully and Richter are demi-gods. and Katharina Grosse and mrs Riley are certainly wonderful painters.
Bonjour, merci pour cette vidéo. Je trouve le travail de ces artistes superbe. Et franchement je trouve que les critiques négatifs à leurs égard ne sont pas pertinentes. L abstrait est de créer une émotion pas une analyse , de la théorie des couleur etc...de pseudo critiques d art..cordialement pg
Are you a god how can you tell that anyone is right or wrong
Damien Hirst is not an abstract painter/artist. He is a conceptual artist.
Drek for the most part.
I have to say every one of these I do not really care for. Sorry. And those color palettes....jeesh, look like kid's tempera paints. ouch.
Quite frankly...as an artist, I got inspired by maybe a quarter of these famous elaborates on famous walls...means nothing to me but a source of viewing what lives....otherwise, no soul there....no there there..
I am appalled
all of those painters have nothing to say when compared to Kandinsky... It is strange that those meaningless painters presented to the public as "TOP" abstract painters... May be it's because art world is no longer about meaning and mostly about business
No offence but I have seen many others who are super talented
But as we all know art is art
Often size imbues a false sense of importance. Also the galleries state that this is an important upcoming artist, was the emperor maybe naked
While abstractism creates it own reality it only reflects the mental state of the artist creating it. In the greater order of human experience in day to day life it is meaningless and without real value despite the intellectual mumbo-jumbo seeking to legitimize it. As another commenter put it "it's just doodling.....".
It only reflects the mental state of the artist? - you need to rewatch the video.
Maybe you're thinking of abstract expressionism. Even then, it's a dubious claim.
Non-abstract painting, or photography, can reflect the artists mental state.
In my opinion these artists do not create anything interesting. In the field of traditional abstract art It's been the same cliches over and over again for the last 100 years or so.
Because these artists are lazy: it is very easy to paint like them in comparison to the classics
What an absurd comment. To use the term "Traditional" within the complaint of not seeing change? Huh? What? Traditional?
I will say however that Sean is obviously a Rothko wannabe, yet too sloppy to even get that right.
@@zoemuscan9499Yes but the true laziness often lay in their lack of effort in learning how to render realistic form during their development. I have no problem with abstract expressionism if they also can if asked, draw real forms too. 'Abstract' as a term somewhere became too lose a term for anything that didn't appear realistic or suggest landscape or depth. Therefore if it was s##t , it too could be protected by the term 'abstract'. The artist should be abstracting FROM something, not just splattering away like some self indulgent half wit.
I learned to draw people and the human form early in my artistic journey so I feel perfectly enthusiastic and unpretentious in rendering the visual experiences I create in the abstract in recent years. It doesn't always demonstrate my classical aptitude already accomplished but it satisfies me immensely. I get why people do it now.
And that comes from one who had no place or appreciation for abstract art as a younger man. It wasn't until passing into my late thirties that I experienced something mind altering in my work. I would never be the same and I knew it.
Yes, that too. But I think that the main problem is the lack of talent and the lack of inspiration.
It's not a complaint. It's an observation. Also Traditional abstract art is exactly what the preseneted artists create, by definition, so I don't see what's the problem. Well, if the comment was absurd people wouldn't understand it, which is not the case. As far as I can see, they know exactly what I mean and apparently agree with it.
I'll give you Richter, but no Kiefer?! Seriously?
Riley- A tad predictable as usual with pop art, for use of color does not transcend this. It's called a color wheel.
Grosse - original, impressive, wildly expressive and thoroughly mesmerizing.
Mehretu: okay if you like graffiti. Her work in no way "explore themes of geography displacement and social landscapes" nor do they "reflect(s) on the intersection of history and the contemporary global condition." That's a Con(temporary) Art word salad NOT visually evident in her work. Her work is it and miss. Mostly miss, but what does hit, like Stadia II, is incredibly impressive.
Damien Hirst still doesn't display anything remotely resembling exceptional artistic talent or ability - even with a brush in his own hand, instead of paying someone else. He's a con artist.
Scully - They are stripes and blocks of color, and that's all they are. Masterfully arranged and perfect choices of color, but any other meaning, like most Con(temporary) art, is merely ascribed, not evident.
Rondinone -Simplistic and derivative.
Zobernig -Tacky, thououghly unoriginal. It does not "interrogate the foundation of painting but also sculpture." That's Con(temporary) art word salad nonsense for hanging cloth on the wall in a grid. Also, copying and theft of others' work is not "engaging in dialogue". It's making unoriginal work.
Knoebel -Thoroughly unimpressive in every conceivable way ... and Motherwell and Mondrian both did it better and first.
Kusama - Only Damien Hirst is more overrated. More or less a texture creator and no more, the art world seems to think that polka dots are somehow indicative of exceptional talent, when her stuff mostly amounts to that found in the background of a children's book or as failed attempts to surf Matisse's color wave. Her stuff only "explores themes of infinity and self-obliteration," because she says so. Again, and like most Con(temporary) painters, these themes are not evident.
Richter - along with Anselm Keifer and David Hockney, he amounts to one of the 3 greatest artists working today.
Prefer "thing" painters.
🌴☕⛲🍾🍟🪗🫔🍺🕺💃🥨PHOENIX,SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA year 2000, R.U.O.K !?
Usually I enjoy your content because of the deep analysis you share in your videos, but the explanation for each of these artists and their work is so cliché and void of real meaning, that is might be a nuanced critique to the contemporary art market. Sorry, but this must be your worst video.
That's not what top 10 videos are for. They do well on TH-cam because they serve as inspiration, a starting point to look into something further. And people like to argue about who should be higher or lower on the list.
If you like long form videos, check out our channel with indepth interviews of contemporary artists (including Grosse and Scully).
Hope you'll enjoy
@@sonicgoo1121 Well, I'm arguing about the rationale behind the selection.
its a 10 min video how in depth could it be .picky man.
Absolutely agree with you!
Damian hirst is disighner, but not artist 🤣🤘
Yayoi KUSAMA as a "top2" abstract PAINTER is hilarious! totally nonsense, ahahahah😆
How is this top 10 artists today? These guys are all in the past...