Hilliard Gallery’s recent examination of contemporary art and artists shows the movement is characterized by a pluralism of different art movements and styles with no distinct representative style defining a contemporary artist.

“There are those who say abstract art and contemporary art are the same. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, their meanings differ. As Hilliard’s recent shows have illustrated, contemporary art is a classification of art whereas abstract art is not particular to any one period. Rather than describing a specific art movement, the phrase ‘abstract art’ is a very broad umbrella term encompassing a huge range of styles and approaches.

“The contemporary art genre finds a vast amount of quality abstract art being made today, and the best of it is every bit as good as the best abstract art of the past. The formal qualities of an abstract painting or sculpture are significant not in the aesthetics sense but as part of the work’s message or overall meaning. Artists work by reviving and transforming archetypes from the unconsciousness of modern culture. Therefore, the most useful questions to ask about contemporary abstract painting or sculpture are: What themes and forms does it retrieve from the tradition of modern art? How have they been changed? And how has the artist used them to express the social, political, and spiritual experience of our own time?” — Bob Swearengin