The 1980s From 19th century artists challenge societal traditions using art as weapon of ideology Newfound freedom with salon system Renaissance patronage system still persists however until today Government has iconographers on staff to help artists design with official symbols for government intentions Hans Haacke Reaganomics 1982 1983 box with lights inside not a poster dada sarcasm irreverence direct confrontation of power beyond dada pop art Reagan stood for popular conservatism supply side economics gov should favor big businesses give tax breaks Trickledown economics Many people get hired spend their money and improve education Son could not get employed sarcastic inscription message you will be unemployed with this plan Hans Haacke MetroMobilitan 1985 against art exhibition funded by Mobil Nigerian art largely unrecognized in modern world exploitation abuse of local workers by the company for cheap labor the text reveals this criticism of Mobil company uses Metropolitan Museum s display technique format against itself cornice in this piece reflects that of museum Sonia Boyce Missionary Position No 2 1985 post colonial art looking back at damage done to natural economics as well as culture sarcastic title lay back and keep quiet and think about what made Great Britain so alludes to sexual abuse parallels political exploitation medium deliberately used to express honesty mural tradition has honesty draws to message without distracting illusionistic large areas of color bounded with black line great crayon and paint techniques patternization The Guerrilla Girls 1970s 1980s feminism performance art direct assault on the museum powerful method women who dressed up in gorilla suits let flyers sarcastic advantages of being a woman artist carry message cutting edge technology in use of web address dramatically then left the scene Appropriation re humanize art with idea that less is a bore not less is more restoring ornamentation from other buildings or buildings from the past bringing back meaning of symbolism semiotics Postmodernism re signifying works of art from one context to another Philosophical skepticism deconstruction idea that we can read texts against themselves Institutional critique associated with Hans Haacke whose artworks focus on institutions in art history Art Now Contemporary Art What is contemporary Age experience creates subjective component in interpreting art Damien Hirst For the Love of God 2007 artist is member of group of young British artists learn new techniques refine and keep evolving thematic conceptual focus real human skull with 1 5 million worth of diamonds permanently fixed form of artifice craftsmanship 90s theme of death and the nature of death how to address death in visual arts memento mori of 16th and 17th centuries connects to traditional theme in Western art Romanticism Damien Hirst The Anatomy of an Angel 2008 shows anatomy underneath skull recalling death insides communicating vulnerability angel as a material entity are they just imagination Damien Hirst The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991 embalmed shark frozen in lifelike pose did not see or anticipate death death is fundamental to art ancient tradition implication of divinity in choice of material idolization of model possible commentary on culture that worships celebs models Marc Quinn Siren Kate Moss 2008 one in a series sculpture made with solid gold not symmetrical Marc Quinn Kate Moss 2 Buddha like pose divinity implied unclear what is material and what is part of anatomy Marc Quinn Self 2001 death mask traditional form of art made with own blood