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contemporary art components

Contemporary arts embrace a diverse range of styles, techniques, and mediums, reflecting the complexities of the modern world. This page explores the key components that define contemporary art, offering insights into the evolving practices and innovative approaches that artists use to express their visions.

stories

Contemporary Art

/ what isContemporary Art

Contemporary art refers to the art produced today, encompassing various forms, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, performance, and video art. Emerging in the late 20th century and continuing into the 21st, contemporary art mirrors a world shaped by global influences, cultural diversity, and rapid technological advancements. It encompasses a dynamic fusion of materials, techniques, and concepts and plays a vital role in broader cultural conversations around identity, social justice, environmental issues, pop culture, capitalism, and national identit

Inspiration & Passion

/ meet our honours studentsPostgrad Honours CA

Meet Cara Biederman, a 2023 BA graduate in Contemporary Art from Cape Town Creative Academy. Cara is now furthering her studies with an Honours degree in the same field. She shares insights into her practical experimentation and the research that informs her artistic practice.

studio practice

Studio Practice is the core subject running throughout the Contemporary Art degree. Here, you’ll develop your unique conceptual language and artistic identity, crafting new methods and approaches to making art.

You’ll be guided by experts in the field and introduced to various disciplines, including sculpture, printmaking, painting, photography, time-based media, performance, installation, moving image, collage, digital arts, sound, and interdisciplinary practices. Through research, experimentation, and conceptual development, you’ll gain new knowledge about art-making and, ultimately, about yourself. You’ll learn to write and speak professionally about your work and that of others. You’ll visit galleries, art events, drawing labs and attend workshops by prominent contemporary artists.

ability to pursue self-directed, radical exploration of art-making, self, and the world;

cultivation of innovative strategies, creativity and curiosity;

refinement of language skills, research principles, and intellectual rigour;

development of studio management, time management, and organisational skills;

maturation of meaning-making and the growth of your unique artistic language;

sensitisation to nuances in images, symbols, materials, processes and context.

technical development

Equivalent to the electives in the design degrees, Technical Development is a specialisation course that equips you with a broad range of art-making techniques. You’ll focus on acquiring knowledge and proficiency in various ways of making and relevant technologies, including mould making, screen printing, image and sound editing, painting, photography, and industry collaboration. Armed with this expertise, you’ll incorporate these techniques into the works you make in the Studio Practice course.

creative problem-solving;

understanding of various two, three, and four-dimensional art-making techniques and related technologies, plus their historical contexts and relevance;

contemporary approaches to art-making technologies;

acuity in formal aspects of art-making, such as colour, line, composition, and so on;

working with contemporary and traditional materials, tools, and processes

professional presentation of artwork, including handling, hanging, storing and installing;

experimental exploration and proficiency in a variety of mediums.

professional + collaborative practice

The Professional Practice and Collaborative Practice courses guide you through the art industry’s local and international professional networks, roles, and events, teaching you collaborative and curatorial strategies to refine your practice. You’ll learn about curatorship, exhibition planning, and collective art-making through hands-on experiences, including organising and hosting student-led exhibitions, participating in group projects, and leading junior students in collaborative artworks. You’ll culminate your studies by hosting a public exhibition of your graduate work, honing management, communication, and strategic thinking skills, and deepening your understanding of art’s historical and philosophical contexts.

professionally working with self and others;

collective problem solving;

creative collaborative idea generation;

historical contextualisation of art world institutions, roles, processes and events;

effective and professional communication, including developing specific terminology; 

planning, time-management, cooperation and  organisational skills.