✍🏻 Author: Genevieve Munch
The Beauty of Decorating Your House With Modern Art Prints
We are excited to introduce a new section on the Soul of Art’s website: modern art prints. To give you some ideas for how to decorate your space with these art products, we’ve compiled a list of tips as well as some interesting history about modern art.
Keep reading for some inspiration, and of course browse the modern art prints section to find some bright and bold artworks perfect for your space.
A Bit of History of Prints
Nowadays, we see art everywhere—online, in museums, houses, restaurants, you name it. It’s normal to go to a friend’s house and see a variety of artworks and photographs on the walls.
Most of us probably don’t think about how this is a beautiful part of modern life. Especially with the rise of online marketplaces where you can easily order countless works that suit your taste, it’s convenient to find your perfect artwork. However, it’s a bit mind-blowing to put that idea into perspective. For most of human history, the average family didn’t have access to prints and certainly not paintings. Let’s put this idea into more context.
For many years (centuries, really), paintings were reserved for the very rich, so they catered to the elite. Of course, these trends vary across the world, but generally, art wasn’t in the average household. For example, think about the Italian Renaissance. Artists were largely supported by wealthy patrons such as the Medici family, who would commission works such as portraits to preserve their image and emphasize their aristocratic, important role in society. The average family wasn’t going to spend money commissioning portraits.
A big shift happened when printing technologies developed—books could be mass-produced and more people could see engravings in newspapers. These huge advancements made art and literature much more widely accessible. Fast forward to the modern-day with the internet, widespread and inexpensive printing abilities, and photography—it’s such a dramatic difference. Although most of us are accustomed to easily printing and hanging a photo on the wall, it’s really quite remarkable that we can do so. Take a moment to consciously appreciate how available so much art is nowadays!
So, with all that said, it’s an awesome phenomenon that most people can hang art in their house, whether it’s a print or an original. And now, with the ubiquity of the internet and so many great paintings in the public domain, you can buy amazing prints easily. To illustrate this point in just one statistic—of which there are many—the Met has more than 375,000 images in the public domain. And that’s just one museum (albeit a very large one).
What are “Modern Art Prints”?
Going back to the Soul of Art’s new section, we want to talk about what exactly modern art means and how it differs from some of the other artworks we offer.
There are a lot of terms in the art world that seem a bit obscure or confusing at first, and “modern art” is no exception. Oftentimes, “modern art” is a term just sort of thrown around because of its ambiguity. So, what exactly is it, and what can you expect when seeing works described in this way?
Here is one definition and some characteristics to help you wrap your head around the frequently-used term. The following quote is a bit long, but it provides some really great food for thought about the term.
From The Art Story: “Modern art is the creative world’s response to the rationalist practices and perspectives of the new lives and ideas provided by the technological advances of the industrial age that caused contemporary society to manifest itself in new ways compared to the past. Artists worked to represent their experience of the newness of modern life in appropriately innovative ways. Although modern art as a term applies to a vast number of artistic genres spanning more than a century, aesthetically speaking, modern art is characterized by the artist’s intent to portray a subject as it exists in the world, according to his or her unique perspective and is typified by a rejection of accepted or traditional styles and values.”
In the modern art prints section on the Soul of Art, you’ll find compositions full of many ambiguous shapes, bold colors, and juxtaposing patterns, illustrating the artist’s very unique point of view characteristic of modern art. All of this is a radical departure from some of the other more classic prints we offer. While, of course, we love the genius and obvious skill of Vermeer and John Singer Sargent, we also love the emotion and boldness that modern experimental artists have brought.
Additionally, modern art forgoes realism and classical subjects—such as high portraiture, religious, or mythological scenes—in favor of abstraction, non-representation, and emphasizing the artist’s and viewer’s emotions.
You will also see more variety in technique as there are always more tools being used. For example, you might see more hard edges that artists achieve with masking tape or even digital media, as well as a brighter, sometimes neon, color palette. With digital photography, acrylic paint, and tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, there are numerous techniques available to modern and contemporary artists that weren’t available to artists who lived some years ago.
We want to highlight some of the most fascinating modern art movements with some similarities to the prints that we sell—let’s explore a few:
Suprematism is definitely worth checking out. It was a key movement within Russian modern art. It’s primarily characterized by simple geometric forms floating on a plain background, often white. A prominent figure in the movement, Kazimir Malevich, says: “In the year 1913, trying desperately to free art from the dead weight of the real world, I took refuge in the form of the square.” We love this idea of modern art giving us a space outside of reality.
Pop art is another modern art movement that you’ve probably heard of. It was very popular in America and Britain in the 1960s, with artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Pop artists were often focused on mass media sources such as Hollywood films, comic books, product packaging, and advertisements. A contemporary artist famously carrying on their legacy is the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Pop art’s bright, hard-edge, and often simplified color palette can definitely be seen in our modern art prints.
Surrealism has had a long history in modern art spanning literary, philosophical, and visual art. Artists were concerned with the working of the mind—especially the subconscious—and ideas of irrationality. Often, Surrealist artists used biomorphic shapes and employed a method of “automatism,” meaning-making art without conscious thought.
Many of our prints embody characteristics from these movements—check it out for yourself and see what you think.
Why Hang Art in Your Home In the First Place?
We’ve mentioned that having art in your living space, but want to add one more important point to that—Art makes a home more human. Amongst all the machine-made items in our homes, it’s amazing to have an object that naturally brings life back into a room. Even if it’s a digitally-made piece, there was still an artist’s hand and imagination behind the work. Additionally,, when you love a piece enough to hang it on your wall, that story speaks volumes about you.
Another nice note about hanging art in your house is that it provides a place for mental rest. To illustrate this point, here’s a quote by writer Junot Diaz:
“The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Listen to the art.”
Why Modern Art Prints are Great For Decorating
While modern art isn’t everyone’s favorite, there’s a lot to love about it, especially once you learn more about it. In our opinion, we love how the shapes can mean something different to each and every viewer, depending on their own experiences and current mood. There can sometimes be a bit more room for imagination than, for example, formal portraits or religious scenes common in older art. In this sense, modern art prints can be quite inspiring but in very different ways for every pair of eyes that comes across it. While historical works are special in their own way, it is also nice to have something that looks slightly different each day.
Moving on, sometimes it can be difficult to tell what is missing from your room. Modern art prints have the potential to add that little bit of color or pattern that your room needs to be complete. Since they tend to be more abstract, they can fit thematically into many rooms well. Additionally, they make for a great statement—especially if you opt for a larger size (which we think you should—keep reading below to see why). Lastly, while many of the works in our modern art prints section are quite bright and fun, you can find neutral ones too.
So, we’ve mentioned how they are fantastic ways to fill a wall, but let’s go into how you make them stand out in the best possible way. Here are a few tips to make your modern art print make an immediate impression:
Consider the size of the space: A common mistake is hanging art that is way too small for a space. So, don’t immediately opt for a small size—choose a size that will fill the area nicely. A specific placement that looks really elegant is hanging a large piece of art in a stairwell. This will add drama and color to that transitional space.
Make it stand out: This goes with the last tip. Have iit a statement piece on a wall—don’t clutter the print with a bunch of other small works. Make it the main piece!
Balance out the room: Take the other elements of your room into consideration. Maybe if you’ve got a lot of color and pattern going on already, you can choose a work with a bit more negative space to provide a place of calmness—or vice versa! For a bit of a visual rest, check out this print. For a busy, pattern-filled, large, vibrant print to add some spunk to your space, this one might be for you.
Consider the purpose of the room: Think about the function of the room it’s in. Perhaps you want a creative conversation piece in your dining room for when you have company over, or a piece with happy, really bright shapes for a kid’s room or nursery.
Measure, measure, measure: Take a few minutes to plan out the placement on the wall. Definitely take into consideration the height and width. A rule of thumb is to have the midpoint of the artwork roughly 60 inches (or 152 centimeters) from the floor. This is often the standard at art museums as it is a good height for the typical viewer.
Use unobtrusive hanging methods: You want to have your artwork look pristine for as long as possible. To do this, try to use invisible and archival supports. Don’t ruin part of the print—especially the corners—by using tacks, tape, or other damaging hanging materials. Of course, framing a piece of art and hanging it with a wire from the back is always a good option. Still, if you don’t want to frame it, consider using archival (acid-free) double-sided tape, binder clips, or another unobtrusive method.
Choose works that complement each other: If you are planning on purchasing more than one print, think about them together, even if they aren’t necessarily going to be hanging right next to each other. This will help make a cohesive space.
Consider potential damages of its hanging location: This goes back into thinking about the room’s purpose. If there’s a fireplace nearby, the surface might slowly gather smoke over time. If there are kids around, try to avoid having it at a location or height vulnerable to fingerprints or being knocked down. Additionally, keep your modern art print out of harm’s way during cooking.
And Lastly…this really goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. Make sure to pick a work that really inspires you, whether it be in the form of motivation or relaxation. Art can be so powerful, but of course, everyone brings their own unique experience when viewing a work, especially more abstract ones. Intentionally fill your walls with an amazing piece of art that speaks to you—don’t just try and fill up your walls. Make it a source of happiness.
A Few of Our Favorites From the Collection
We like all modern art prints, but here’s a shortlist of some of our very favorites, along with some ideas for ideas where to put them.
Blue City: This work has a fun, vibrant, futuristic look. There’s a lot going on with its blues, greens, and pinks, so it would make for a great focal point of a room. It also feels ultra-modern and digital—so if that’s an aesthetic you like, Blue City is a good option!
Still Life 2: We love this one because it takes a traditional subject in art history—the classic still life—and puts a modern twist on it. It does this through bold, rough brushstrokes and a very limited color palette. We also love the cool tones (it’s entirely blue, gray, and black) so keep that in mind for your decorating. It’s best to keep the cool or warm tones consistent in a room.
Residences: This one has the hard edges and geometric shapes so prevalent in modern art. As it’s completely black and white, it could fit into a wide variety of spaces. The shapes remind us of computer-generated art or glitches, but it could also be a city grid from above. These kinds of diverse visual readings are the beauty of modern art, and this print definitely has that characteristic.
Planet 3: Combining very broad shapes with delicate fine lines, Planet 3 has lovely visual variation while still having a calm feeling. The teals and deep greens evoke feelings of relaxation and security—we think this would go great in a bedroom to add a serene feeling to the room.
Explore Modern Art Prints The Soul of Art’s New Section
While we love the greats in art history, we also love the endless innovations of modern artists. That’s why we wanted to curate a modern art prints section on our website for you.
We wanted to have quite a bit of variety. You can find more minimal-looking art, really vibrant and busy pieces, and several in between. Additionally, while we’ve focused on the wall art aspect, you can, in fact, purchase a wide variety of products, so check those out as well.
Don’t just take our word for it, though—check out The Soul of Art’s new modern art prints section. Like the rest of our site, we are always adding new art to provide more options for our customers, so keep an eye out. Add some variety to your art collection with these modern art prints! What are you waiting for?
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