When people think of modern art, they tend to think of out-of-box-thinking artists wielding paint brushes or even whole cans of paint and emptying them onto a canvas or even using programs on a desktop, laptop, or even tablet and printing them out. While some of these are art school graduates, other modern artists might be products of another school — graphic design.
Those graphic design graduates might not have to reside in a paint-spattered artist studio to be able to produce modern art. Graphic design programs have made it much easier for an artist to be able to produce pieces that can both be thought-provoking and save on art supplies both digitally and traditionally. What kind of role does a program like this have in terms of helping modern artists possibly have pieces in galleries and museums?
Merging Two Different Thought Processes to Reach a Desired Result
Modern art itself is a time of experimentation. In the past, there was a traditional way of art, usually involving painting portraits or landscapes in a certain way. The practitioners of modern art, however, turned that on its head. Then, as things became more modernized, graphic design also became important.
The two fields might seem different, but there are some ways that they can complement each other. Both of them pose a situation where someone has to solve a problem in terms of getting an audience’s attention. They also need to figure out how best to use their canvas or other medium and use any negative space.
Now that the dissection of the two fields is out of the way, let’s take a look at how students in a graphic design program can use what they’ve learned and possibly become modern artists. This includes what kind of tools they can use to achieve their dream of being an artist.
Teaching How to Create Things Using Different Mediums
The goal of any instructor in a current graphic design program is to show their students how to grab people’s attention and keep it. This could be done using anything from a sign printer to a tablet and even fine art tools. That wasn’t always the case, though, and the path is an interesting one that winds through both history and technology.
Modern art can encompass a wide range of complex subjects, and having a graphic design background can help an artist break things down in a way that’s easy for both them and their intended audience. Both intend to tell a story of sorts and it can break down any block that the artist might have in terms of their ability to communicate that.
The question is, when did things go from a traditional way to a more modern way? The answer lies in the not-so-distant past. There’s a clear line, though, with those who were born before 2000 and those who came into the world afterward — and we’re at a time where those 2000 babies are full-grown adults now.
Bringing in a Turn-the-Century Adaptation
The seeds for this change occurred in the late 1980’s and the earlier 90’s. Computers began their quantum leap from basic text interfaces and 8-bit graphics to graphic powerhouses. Adobe Photoshop became more widespread and the capabilities to do more than just photo editing became apparent.
Graphic design programs saw how powerful this new software was and built parts of their curriculums around it. It was still a time when they had one foot firmly rooted in the past with traditional materials and also building computer labs that could help them usher their students into this new frontier.
Also, it’s become very easy now to order high-quality prints of any particular work. While an artist might be able to produce an original painting, it’s a simple matter for them to then take a photograph or use a scanning app to send a picture to the printer and have them run off hundreds of copies that they could in turn sell on their artist’s website.
On top of that, by using their knowledge of graphic design, an artist can then work on creating their marketing materials. They will have a strong idea of how to properly lay out things and create eye-catching promos.
Showing How to Use Them As Tools, Not Ways to Cheat
The first thing that we need to establish is that we’re not talking about AI. An artist should be able to create these modern art pieces themselves and not rely on something that scrapes data and images from other artists. That’s not art – that’s like ordering fast food on an app and then calling yourself a chef.
One real advantage is that it allows artists to experiment more, especially when it comes to colors. In the past, if artists mixed two colors and put them on a large canvas and didn’t like the results, then that paint was wasted. Now, using any of several programs, like Photoshop Procreate or Canva, all they have to do is click “revert” and it’s like the color was never there in the first place.
Essentially, this will be a great way for an artist to use all of their creativity daily. That’s because they are merging two things into one. It’s like they are creating the strongest art brain possible.
Merging Two Fields into One Mind
Here’s what can make it easier to leap from graphic design to modern art: Many graphic designers are artists themselves. They have an intuitive idea of what will work and what won’t. Those instructors at the programs could help bring that out of them.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is the artists using these traditional or digital tools to be able to create their vision. While some like to learn by trial and error, getting help from graphic design instructors can shorten that and get them onto the right path. That will be the best role for the program.