Many say that art can be classified as anything, but is that really true? When focusing on people we revere as professionals in art communities like Lorenzo Bernini or Caravaggio, there is a certain standard we should hold modern sculptors to. The modern day (contemporary) sculptors dance a fine line of either being ‘artists’ or just lazy.

Contemporary art divides into mainly two movements- conceptual and minimal art. It began near the 1950s and continues on to modern day. Conceptual art focuses more on the concept of making the sculpture, rather than the actual outcome. Minimal art can be recognized as simplistic geometric shapes made from higher tech material we have available today.

Even though the main consensus of art is that as long as its gone through a creative process, its a work of art, there is still a very prominent problem of famous artists creating lazy movements and emphasizing shock value, rather than doing what they are supposed to. making final products that can actually be called art. The death of creativity is led by greedy “sculptors” who prioritize grandeur rather than the meaning of what they’re making.

The Figureheads of the Movement

Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons are two of the richest contemporary sculptors of the modern day- if you can even call them sculptors. Koons openly parades the fact that he has no actual hand in production of his final works. “But since his early days as an artist, Koons has rarely made any of his final artworks. Instead, he comes up with the concept…” is what interview stations that argue for Koons state. It means that he’s simply a conceptual artist who focuses more on the thought behind it rather than the final product. He fits the textbook definition of conceptual, however I argue that it can only be art when the final product is actually made by the artist themselves. If not, its simply a idea given to someone else who is artistically inclined enough but it still kills the creative process.

Shown below is a example of one of his repetitive series, named Balloon Dog (Orange), and sold for $58.4 million.

Damien Hirst is a different sculptor that unlike being a conceptual sculptor like Jeff Koons, Hirst follows the minimal movement. Both have two things in common however- they are millionaires who don’t make any of their sculptures themselves. “I like it when people love my art. I like it when people hate my art. I just don’t want them to ignore my art…” is what Damien Hirst himself professes. Even he himself admits to relying on shock value to be noticed, even if he still views his abominations as art. Delving further into “art” he makes, most of what he seemingly puts together are dead animals cast into formaldehyde chemicals to preserve them. He flaunts the death of creatures he pays to get hunted and installed into museums for millions as “art”. Simply displaying human skulls and dead animals isn’t just unartistic, its also disrespectful.

His most famous work is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, sold for an undisclosed sum that estimates to be around $8 million.

The Impact

The problem of people capitalizing on the fact that modern day standards for art may not seem great, but the effects will be apparent once contemporary styles are covered in textbooks. However; not all contemporary sculptors are bad. Many like Yayoi Kusama and Louise Bourgeois dedicate their lives to contributing to the style, instead of taking away from it like those who rely on shock value and uncreative repetition. Unfortunately talented sculptors go unnoticed when the public eye only follows the sculptors who can make the most money, rather than something worth the money. Art is very diverse, however there are limitations when the result lacks a creative process and has no morality behind it. Uplifting those dedicated to their craft is in the utmost importance, or our generation will be known for “sculptures” that weren’t even made by hand.

Julie Patel