Many people are searching for art that is more than simply decorative. Images that are unobtrusive can also be uninteresting, and many people have begun to explore paintings that are vivid, compelling and challenging. Contemporary artists were rarely interested in making art that was purely decorative. Like many modern art lovers, contemporary artists want to make art that is socially engaged and critically aware of the contemporary world.

If you are searching for art that is intellectual and sophisticated, the art of the last two centuries is an ideal place to begin. Its famous paintings are often deeply engaged with the social and political worlds. For example, Pablo Picasso's Guernica is a famous meditation on war. Robert Motherwell's Elegy to the Spanish Republic LV is another notable example of modern art war images. Other, earlier modern artists meditated on the theme of war as well. Consider Francisco Goya's powerful The Executions of 3 May 1808. Contemporary artists have been disturbed by the violence of the last two centuries and many have tried to bear witness to it in their paintings. Artists from Picasso, Dali, Munch, Hockney and Warhol have been engaged with their worlds.

If you are interested in art that is politically and socially engaged, famous artists have created the paintings for you. The work of Warhol and Hockney may surprise you with their beauty. The poignancy of a Picasso or Munch may astound you as well. And Dali will just wow you. Artists from Dali, and Munch to Hockney, Warhol and Picasso have time and again shown that, like all true artists, they are concerned not just with art for art's sake, but with engaging their world.

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About The Author:

Barbara Swanson is a successful author and a distinguished freelance writer who specializes in art, music, education and international issues.