AP Art History Flashcards: Purpose and Audience in Global Contemporary Art
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What are some of the broad themes that global contemporary art investigates?
Contemporary art often explores themes such as existential investigations, sociopolitical critiques, the natural world, art history, popular/traditional cultures, and technological innovation.
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What are some of the broad themes that global contemporary art investigates?
Contemporary art often explores themes such as existential investigations, sociopolitical critiques, the natural world, art history, popular/traditional cultures, and technological innovation.
Why might a contemporary artist choose to appropriate a culturally sacred object?
An artist might appropriate a culturally sacred object specifically to devalue or revalue it, thereby challenging preconceived notions associated with that object.
According to the text, what three factors affect art and art making?
The purpose of the work, its intended audience, or the patron who commissions it all affect the creation and final form of the art.
What is the artistic purpose of using 'mash-ups' in contemporary art?
Artists use 'mash-ups' to negate or support expectations of artworks that are based on specific regional, cultural, and chronological associations.
How has computer-aided design (CAD) influenced modern architecture?
Computer-aided design affects architecture by enabling a greater diversity of innovative forms, which tend to be aspirational and visionary.
What terms describe the innovative architectural forms made possible by computer-aided design?
Architectural forms resulting from computer-aided design tend toward the aspirational and the visionary.
What is an 'iconic building' in a contemporary context?
An iconic building is a structure that becomes a sought-after trademark for a city, often characterized by aspirational and visionary design.
On what basis are diverse contemporary art forms categorized or grouped together?
Diverse art forms are grouped according to perceived similarities in their form, content, and artistic intent across broad, overarching themes.
Define the artistic technique of 'appropriation' as used by contemporary artists.
Appropriation is a technique where artists use existing objects or images, often to devalue or revalue culturally sacred objects and challenge viewer expectations.
What kind of viewer expectations do appropriation and 'mash-ups' seek to challenge?
These techniques seek to challenge expectations of artworks that are based on regional, cultural, and chronological associations.