Contemporary Conceptual Art

Let’s jump right into it!

Here are the 4 main Art genres as described by Eric Wayne:

Illustration:

Today, illustrators possess the most technical skill, traditionally speaking. They are the ones who can draw and paint, use computers, and render an array of subjects realistically. However, all those skills are used almost exclusively for business purposes, and the final decisions are not made by the artist.

The art here is a means to an end, which is usually advertising, accompanying writing, or for film or computer games.
High level of traditional skills, based around drawing.
Almost always representational.
Doesn’t call too much attention to itself.
Tends to (out of necessity) appeal to the majority, or lowest common denominator.
Someone else ultimately determines what is made, and what is used.
Uses computer programs and the most advanced technology.
Standard skill-sets are a must, and there are objective measures of quality.
Artists can make a living.

Fine art:

Traditionally, this is for painters who want to make their own imagery and have the last word on it. There’s more aspiration for meaningful content removed from commercialism, and the art strives to be aesthetically captivating. Fine art uses a mix of academic skills (perspective, anatomy, proportion, lighting…) and stylistic flourishes (how paint is applied, exaggerated or unrealistic use of color, brushwork…).

Skill and aesthetics are both strong.
Equivalent to a high-end illustrator specializing in painting, and working for oneself.
Stylistic innovation, but usually figurative.
This is the visual equivalent of literature: it aspires to have significant content and convey it through an equally captivating means.
Strong tendency to reject digital art entirely in favor of traditional means (though this is neither necessary nor remotely appropriate).
This style is not taken as seriously in the art world anymore, is considered backwards or craft, and it’s difficult to make money at it.

That’s exactly me and my style of Art.

Modern art:

Art becomes its own subject, and paintings are often about color combinations, fields of color, gesture, or texture, rather than any subject. Modern art strongly believes in an evolution of art and the importance of stylistic innovations, in which case, if you aren’t making some contribution to the advancement of art, you aren’t part of the movement. While most pieces are non-representational, they are intended to be visually savored, and appeal to a sophisticated aesthetic sensibility. Traditional training may be relevant, but is not necessarily required, and frequently not evident in final results.

Art for art sake.
Aesthetics are paramount.
Innovation is a must.
High or narrow focus on elements: color, texture, gesture, scale…
Content may only be in the paint or physical medium itself.
Aims to advance the science of art.
There may be a market for it if the artist is on the more aesthetic end of the spectrum and produces a polished product.

Contemporary art:

Here I’m addressing the conceptual end of the spectrum, and not just whatever is created in contemporary society. Traditional skills such as painting are not only absent, but reviled, and artists need not make their own work. The modernist notion of originality is similarly rejected, and a foundation of postmodern philosophy, along with a progressive social agenda, is usually required. Artists use any media or combination of media to produce works which arouse thought, provoke reactions, and start conversations. There is no universal or objective standard of quality, and your race, gender, sexual orientation/identification, nationality, and so on are entirely relevant.

Anti-modern, anti-fine art, anti-illustration.
Conceptual: the idea is paramount.
Skill, aesthetics, and originality are secondary, irrelevant, or repugnant.
Art is a prop in the service of conveying an idea, creating a reaction, starting a conversation, or spurring social change.
Postmodern philosophy and familiarity with linguistics are a must.
Sociopolitical agenda is inextricable from much of contemporary art.
Race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. are of paramount importance.
There’s no commercial application for contemporary artists, and slots in the museum and gallery system are extremely limited.

I thought as was a a ‘contemporary’ artist aka Hamparte because I started drawing in contemmporary time, currently and not that long ago.

But after reading this detailed definition, it can’t be farther from who I am.

This crap is nothing more than Hamparte (art that ain’t art at all).

Here’s a valuable ($45K) example of contemporary conceptual art.

Zhang Huan $45K contemporary conceptual art — Zhang Huan, Earth Life No. 19, 2007. Oil on linen. 39 1/4 × 59 in | 99.7 × 149.9 cm. US$45,000

It look like shitflies squashed on a wall!

Isn’t it?!

The first thing I’ve found among many other monstruosities.

Not surprisingly, the author of the above “art” piece is also a performance artist.

Zhang’s performance art always involves his body in one way or another, usually naked, occasionally involving masochistic actions. For example, for 12 Square Meters (1994), the accompanying photography exhibit showed him as “a naked man, his head half-shaved, sitting in a prison-like space. His skin was wet and covered with flies. His face looked blank but tough, as if he were trying to meditate his way through pain. (Wikipedia)

I was right! I know shitflies were involved in his “art”.

Take a look at Zhang Huan on Google images.

A glorified basket case worshipped by artsy fartsy museum dweller snobs.

Is taking a shit worthy of being named a “performance art”? 💩

Yes, but depending of who it is. Some shit are more valuable than others.

One artist named apparently was able to shit gold nuggets.

Artist's Shit of Piero Manzoni — Canned “Artist’s Shit” of Piero Manzoni sold the same price as gold by weight. I’m serious!

But what about setting my Fine Artist self apart to create one, probably my only one, memorable and unique conceptual contemporary work of art?

For this one, I will be anti-modern, anti-fine art, and anti-illustration.

Skill, aesthetics, and originality will be secondary, irrelevant, or repugnant for this time only. Nonetheless, my conceptual art is so minimalistic and far away from what I usually create that I find it original.

However, there will be a commercial aspect to it. Since, just like almost every Satans Schlongs by PYGOD Works of Arts, T-shirts and canvas prints will be available for sale.

Only “true connoisseur of art” will be able to appreciate it and admire it.

Let’s get some inspiration,

Marcel Duchamp, 1917, Fountain, photograph by Alfred Stieglitz (urinal in a museum) — Marcel Duchamp, 1917, Fountain, photograph by Alfred Stieglitz

Yes, that a fuckin’ urinal into a museum!??!

It was intended to be a rejection of visual art, and an insult to other artists and their art.

But it became one of the greatest artistic achievements of the century. 🚽

Here are the 10 criterias for my ArtWork…

Eric Wayne phone directory as The Great American Novel and Duchamp urinal as a sculpture — Eric Wayne’s phone directory as The Great American Novel and Duchamp’s urinal as a sculpture

My ArtWork is a literature/visual art hybrid.

It was handmade all by myself. No assistant, nothing. Which is already more work than many self-proclaimed artist aka CEOs of Art Factory will ever do.
It’s meant to be my rendition of contemporary conceptual art.
It’s not a prank. It’s more like a mockery.
It took ten seconds to make.
It’s Art. Come on, I’ve made it and signed it, which is more than enough to classified it as Art. An excellent blog post subject, but Work of Art by itself is certainly not literature.😞
It’s worth wearing and hanging on your wall.
There’s no skill involved.
There’s a story and a subject.
There can only be one.
This is an insult to my work here on PYGear.com.

Here’s I give you my very best contribution to this world!

Shit Slinger

Title: Shit Slinger
Artist: PYGOD
Medium: Calligraphy – Sharpie Markers (Brown and red)
Description: Probably my one and only contemporary conceptual Work of Art. A mockery of my daily work here on PYGear.com. When someone ask me to explain what I do for a living. My answer is: “Throwing shit to the wall to see if its stick!” That’s what I do all day, every day. Creating several T-shirt designs and blog posts hoping to get sales and traffic.

Only between 5 to 10% of all the products I’ve created here will ever sell. And, by very far, my most popular blog posts include tits and asses. Nothing fancy, very fast and easy to do without any though into it. That’s what the people like and that’s what they are paying for. So my job is to give them what they want. I’m a product uploader and a publisher. My most popular stuff are text design T-shirts and memes. It’s a number game, since most of my stuff won’t stick. But when it’s stick, I 10x on it!

There is certainly more though and work, this blog post, into “Shit Slinger” than in any of the regular pieces of content (items and posts) that I do on a daily basis. So “Shit Slinger” is certainly worth exposing in a Museum.
Date: February 11, 2025
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