5 contemporary artists inspired by art history you need to know.
Art history has long been a source of inspiration for contemporary artists, and there are many talented artists working today who draw on the styles and techniques of the past. Here are five contemporary artists inspired by art history that you need to know:
Flora Yukhnovich: Flora Yukhnovich’s paintings filter Rococo compositions and color palettes through a contemporary lens, resulting in thickly impastoed, nearly abstract canvases that nevertheless evoke the drama and whimsy of Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher. The U.K.-born, London-based artist studied portraiture at the Heatherley School of Fine Art before continuing her education at the City & Guilds of London Art School. In her studio, Yukhnovich transforms her technical education in representational painting into a freer, more imaginative mode of artmaking. Experimenting with Rococo aesthetics allows Yukhnovich to simultaneously explore femininity and the textural possibilities of paint itself.
Lino Lago: Lino Lago’s wryly referential practice explores the history of painting from classical figurative portraiture to Minimalism and beyond. Lago is best known for his “Fake Abstract” series, in which snippets of paintings made to resemble the Old Masters are revealed via thick gestural marks in otherwise flat, chromatic canvases; the figuration appears to be hidden underneath solid planes of color. Lago’s work references the conceptual and material evolution of painting over time, with the contrast between old and new styles prompting a conversation on aesthetic shifts through the ages.
The Miaz Brothers: The Miaz Brothers present a radical new take on portraiture. The Italian duo, who are indeed siblings, create large-format works on canvas, using spray paint as it never has been used before. With their large-scale, spray paint-on-canvas paintings, their painted subjects are presented completely out-of-focus, making them seem ethereal. Rendering each canvas with layers of aerosol paint, the artists explore the space between one’s perception of the self and that which is intangible. Their paintings are not representations, but are rather studies in perception, as the viewer’s interaction with the work is the foundation of their concept.
Kehinde Wiley: Kehinde Wiley is an American-Nigerian artist who transforms normal people into the subject of 18th-century style paintings which would not be out of place in Versailles. With complete mastery of painting, Wiley reinterprets classical portraits through the perspective of hip-hop culture: his models pose in their baggy trousers almost as if they were royalty! By juxtaposing the modern with the classical in this way, Wiley innovates traditional techniques and puts his own unique spin on portraiture.
Conor Harrington: Conor Harrington is an Irish artist who combines classical realism with street art. Inspired by Renaissance painters, Harrington appreciates contrasts: he represents historical subjects in a contemporary street art style. For Harrington, history represents the opportunity to learn something new about the present. By adorning the walls of various towns with these battles, Harrington introduces a slice of history, and with it, a different perspective, into our everyday lives.
These five contemporary artists are just a small sample of the many talented artists who are inspired by art history. If you're interested in exploring the connections between past and present in art, be sure to check out their work and discover the many other artists who are creating beautiful and thought-provoking art inspired by the past.
