[INSERT OWN MEANING HERE]

By Sophie Bear

Over centuries, artists have been creating works which convey a degree of meaning and lucidity. Like Francesco del Giocondo commissioning our friend Da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa in homage to his wife. Thus, intention understood by audience.
However, welcome to the contemporary art world! Where an artist's objective is to conduct audience members to construct their own meaning of why the artwork was created and the idea behind it. In doing so of course, these contemporary artists so cleverly challenging traditional conventions in art and underline the term 'modernity art' with a whole new paradoxical meaning. Next time you see the words 'untitled' as a title, you know what to do....

Untitled (Rocks and Waves)

Michael Smither Untitled (Rocks and Waves) 1970

Contemporary artist Smither defies the realms of both contemporary and traditional art, by paradoxically hiding and revealing the meaning of the work simultaneously. The audience is torn between investigating the artwork on a deeper level to construct their own meaning... or taking Smither's subtle bracketing of 'rocks and waves' to be his simplistic approach of revealing the concept. Try and unravel the mystery behing this one.

Search

Luise Fong Search 1996

abstracted forms --- evoke innate senses --- life in art --- human bacteria molecule?
As Fong says herself, "experiencing a painting is more about the act of inquiry than precise conclusions."

Untitled

Gordon Walters Untitled 1985

Don't just interpret this as a series of elongated squares... they're rectangles too!

Black Painting

Ralph Hotere Black Painting 1969

Record...Optical illusion...Black whole of death? Oh the freedom of subjectivity contemporary art allows!