Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Yinka Shonibare’s the Swing (After Fragonard): Contemporary Art in Context
Joy Kong
ABSTRACT:
This paper discusses Yinka Shonibare as a contemporary artist and his signature material, Dutch wax printed cloth. One of Shonibare’s most well-known installations, The Swing (after Fragonard) 2001 exemplifies the main characteristics of contemporary art. This installation comments on a larger art historical context as a re-imaging of The Swing (Les Hazards heureux de l’Escarpolette), 1767 by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. A brief review of the history of contemporary art is followed by analysis and discussion of these artists and their work in historical context and in relation to one another.
keywords: Yinka Shonibare, The Swing, Contemporary Art, Visual Art