What is a Contemporary Art Museum?

Looking at the purpose of contemporary art museums seems to help further define the word contemporary. These museums seem to imply that their definition of contemporary is the recent past--this past year vs the past 3 decades. This is a description of the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston:
"The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is an idea and a place shaped by the present moment. The Museum exemplifies the dynamic relationship between contemporary art and contemporary society through its exhibitions, public and educational programs, and publications. The CAMH provides the physical and intellectual framework essential to the presentation, interpretation, and advancement of contemporary art; it is a vibrant forum for artists and all audiences, and for critical, scholarly, and public discourse.
The Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis has a similar goal:
"As St. Louis’s forum for interpreting culture through contemporary visual art, we connect our visitors to the dynamic art and ideas of our times. As a gathering place for experiencing contemporary art and culture, we push the boundaries of innovation, creativity and expression."

What is Contemporary Art?

Contemporary art has been defined as "the art of our time". But who are WE and what is OUR TIME? One writer from About.com describes it as art since 1970. This description also includes the observation that contemporary art seems to be more "socially concious"and connected to issues such as feminism, globalization, or multiculturalism than art of previous generations.

What IS "Contemporary" landscape painting?

I've been looking at landscape shows hosted by art galleries within the past 5 years. Although many people like to use the word "contemporary" to describe their work, I have seen that there are varied opinions about what defines the contemporary landscape. Last fall, the Christinerose Gallery in Chelsea hosted a show entitled, From Above and Beyond: New Perspectives in Contemporary Landscape.

Painting and Photography

One possibility for my research this semester is the relationship between painting and photography. In an 2002 article from Frieze Magazine, the writer explains how artist Robert Bordo explores this idea in his work. In 2005 he had an exhibit at Alexander and Bonin in NYC.
The New York Times reviewed an earlier show at the same location. Another more recent 2008 piece from the New York Art Beat describes how Bordo's work "hovers between abstraction and landscape". This article from the Dec. 2004 Art Bulliton (from Jstore aerial photography as subject) includes valuable information about the history of photography related to painting.

More ideas-nature as a reference

I have been exploring ways to integrate my interests in tree reflections, the relationship between man and nature, and the open space that has been preserved in my urban environment.
I am still trying to understand the meaning of the falling figures. Since I have been thinking about how to do more intuitive work, I started tearing old watercolor paintings and these are the images that resulted from that experiment. They could be a way of discussing the ideas of freedom from the urban lifestyle that often requires accumulation of stuff and in many cases leads to discontentment and stress. By letting go of the intense desire for material wealth people can be set free to appreciate the privileges of life in a free country.
Meanwhile I have continued to work on the tree reflections, this time with acrylic paint to eliminate the problem of the slow drying time of the oils. Although this practical choice has resulted in more paintings faster, I think the overall quality of the image is still better achieved with oil paint.
I literally gained new perspective on the landscape around my home by painting from photos I found on google earth, and others which I took from the air.
My mentor has encouraged me to use nature as a reference rather than a subject. This new work does refer to nature, but hopefully gives the viewer clues that there are ideas behind this work beyond literal representation.
I don't know where these explorations are taking me, but I have met my goals for this semester by going beyond the typical landscape painting. My last body of work now in progress involves using these images in a different method of mark-making -- monotype printing.

New Studio Work in process

I have started several different types of work:
1. Working with the idea of "escape" I have created figures out of a paper mache medium called clay crete. These are about 8" high.
2. I have also incorporated the escaping figure in 2 dimensional mixed media works with pastel over mono-type
3 Painting on gessoed paper: "Reaching" (40 x 32) and "Spring Fantasy" (18 x 24) depict reflections in water with the first layer dripped and poured on top of wet underpainting. Subsequent layers were added using liquin and transparent oil colors. These works incorporate the aspects of landscape that are most important to me--trees, sky, and water--in new ways
4. Urban Journey I (8x10) and Pedestrian Bridge I (18 x 24 ) are some new images that I am working with to explore the contrasts between the urban life and the unpopulated landscape, and transition from opposites such as darkness to light or ignorance to knowledge

Interview with Karen Gunderson

Karen Gunderson answers some important questions that relate to my research.