There are many ideas related to modern art and what exactly it is. Modern art, historically speaking, defined an era of experimentation. The work of art produced during mid 19th century to mid 20th century usually refers to the term Modern art. The traditional norms of art were rejected by the modern artists and an innovative approach crept into everything they produced. The artists of this ear usually experimented with the materials and ways of basic creation of art. This period also was the advent of new ways of viewing art. Basically the era of modern art redefined art itself.
Modern art finds its roots in the nineteenth century. During and after the First World War many anti art movements arose in Europe. But many artists that went to United States during the First World War introduced modern art there.
After Second World War, U.S became the hub of the modern art movement. It was in mid 20th century that movements like Colour field painting, Abstract Expressionism, Color field painting, Pop art, Op art, Hard-edge painting, Minimal art, Lyrical Abstraction, Post minimalism, Photorealism and various other emerged in United States. Later, that is around 1960s and the 1970s; Land art, Performance art, Conceptual art, and other new forms of art became prominent. And somewhere during that time many artists and architects discarded the idea of “modern”, and soon emerged the “Postmodern” art form.
The art forms that function today are widely known as “contemporary art”, meaning contemporary to us. It is this era of art that is considered to be the most socially conscious era till date. Many contemporary social issues are now connected to art. Roughly speaking, the era of contemporary art finds its advent in 1970’s till today.