Looking for modern artists

I'm a primary teacher looking for some advice about more modern painters. For our topic this term we are doing "2000s" decade and I'm looking for some artists of the time that the children could try to paint in their style like you would do Pop Art for a 1960s topic but I am totally clueless!
Ideally looking for 3 or 4 painters/painting to be directed towards
Could also be a sculpter as we could use clay for something.
Thanks!

 

I'm a primary teacher looking for some advice about more modern painters. For our topic this term we are doing "2000s" decade and I'm looking for some artists of the time that the children could try to paint in their style like you would do Pop Art for a 1960s topic but I am totally clueless!
Ideally looking for 3 or 4 painters/painting to be directed towards
Could also be a sculpter as we could use clay for something.
Thanks!

 

Although a little before the 21st century you could look at Anthony Gormley. He is contemporary but his "Field" sculpture is perfect for younger pupils, even if that specific piece was technically produced prior to the period you are looking for. Julian Opie is also good for younger people. He did those simple Blur portraits and you can use Photo Shop to turn pupils own photos into simple images to work from.
I use quite a bit of comic art (the American sort) and particularly some of the fully painted graphic novel work. The styles are so varied, it may be worth a look. The children's book illustration of Dave McKean ("The Wolves in the Wall" for example) is pretty thrilling but may be a bit difficult. So much contemporary art is unsuitable for younger viewers (and often not very good I'm afraid) but you can find stuff so easily via Google etc.

 

Nick Park is an illustrator who drew characters out of W & G, although it started in 1989, it is something the kids love, My students design their own individual characters and make them out of clay. They turn out fab and then they do a comic strip etc and further to creative writing as annotations and explanations etc... cross curricular too - Good luck with what you choose

 

Jason Scarpace............. paints fish.............. wonderful............... fits in with so many projects

 

I guess the point is, that painting is not neccessarily the media of choice in the 2000s!... You should perhaps look at the idea of installation art and other more contemporary ideas about what Art is?... Anya Gallaccio's ephemeral work as one example?
The only paintings I can really think of are more 90s - Damien Hirst Spot paintings.
Perhaps Jon Burgerman's 'cartoon' work?
Vhil's street art?

 

As far as painting movements from 2000 onwards go, I think that Photorealism has been prominent, but also boring. Probably too boring for Primary.
How about this? ....
"Stuckism is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting in opposition to conceptual art.<sup class="reference">[1]<sup class="reference">[2] By July 2012 the initial group of 13 British artists had expanded to 233 groups in 52 countries. <sup class="reference">[3]" wiki

 

What about Peter Doig? or Yayoi Kusama? Anselm Kiefer? Just naming some favourites, too much realism is not suited for primary, unless you try something with photographic referencing like Gerhard Richter

 

Hello
I am teaching sculpture in Year 1 this half term. There is a fab ppt on TES site called what is sculpture which was a brilliant starting point. We followed this by making 3d models from different types of sculpture and making a temp gallery. We have followed this with Gormley Field for the British Isles. Great resource on www.culturestreet.co.uk they have mini films about this installation how exhibition set up and reviews. We flowed this up by drawing body shapes and outlines and then made a mini field using play dough. We are moving onto sculpture in the environment next so Goldsworthy, Richard Long etc. I am tempted to wrap buildings and even make human sculpture........mmmmmmm accessart is also great resource for ideas. Hope this helps.

 

I've just written a new lesson on coin design which also focuses on collage and the 21st century collage artist and sculptor David Mach (whose work I find incredible). Again it's not painting but Mach's work is very exciting and it would be easy to make the focus on replicating his style. It's on our page if you fancy giving some or all of it a try!

 

I'd just like to add that the person who said painting isn't the thing in the 21st century is a bloody fool. It's exactly this sort of madness that is killing art in this country. I don't know if anyone went to the British art at Saatchi a couple of years ago but my God is was awful. This is because students are no longer taught genuine skills anymore in many of our degree courses. Mostly because "drawing" isn't the thing and painting isn't either. Learning to actually control your materials is now an irrelevance to many young artists. So, please don't listen to that sort of advice. All art is valid as long as it is created with enthusiasm and interest and with some degree of verisimilitude. So there.

 

Keith Haring (1980's but his style is very accesible to younger students, and many of the messages behind the visual imagery could be explained at this level)

Jon Burgerman

Francoise Nielly

Chris Ofili

 

How about David Hockney? His recent work is very accessible. Or google 'greetings cards artists' to get some ideas in a style that looks doable. 'Artcove' has some excellent ones.