As defined by scholars, contemporary art includes all art from the 1970s to the present. The modern art era ended in the 1970s with the birth of post-modernism. Since the change over from modern art to contemporary art, the works from various artists are more difficult to classify into precise movements. Contemporary art is generally categorized by style. Some examples of this include feminist art, neo-conceptualism, multiculturalism, graffiti art, Brit-art, stuckism, bitterism, lowbrow, net art and so on.

On the whole, contemporary artwork encompasses social conscious subject matters. Artists after the 1970s up until today seem to stress the importance of communicating cultural changes and beliefs through their art. Some contemporary artists also embrace styles and movements of the past, as with contemporary neo-classical artwork. There is also a lot of contemporary work that experiments with mixed media.

There are no longer rules to art. Past movements strived to succeed at certain artistic styles and practices. Today, each and every artist strives for individual discovery and innovation. Art has and always will reflect the current cultures and lifestyles in the world. However, there is less taboo and more acceptance to what may have otherwise been censored in the past. This allows more freedom for the artist.

Deciding What You Like
A body of artwork either moves you or it doesn't. You either feel you understand it or you look at it in complete confusion. Today, an artist sells his or her works based on exposure and acceptance. The Internet has made it much easier for artists from all backgrounds to expose their art to the public. They no longer have to be picked up by a physical gallery or book a show. They can develop their own websites and show their work through online galleries. Cover Your Walls has an extensive online gallery of work from some of the world's leading contemporary artists.