20 Reasons Art Was Better in the '90s

Make art like its 1999.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It’s almost hard to remember the days before Facebook and YouTube, but it was just over 20 years ago when you didn’t even have dial-up AOL yet. The rapid advancements in technology during the ‘90s changed everything before our very eyes. But as the World Wide Web opened up lines of virtual communication and information across the globe, some people still had to fight to protect their place in the real world. Civil rights struggles culminated in the Rodney King riots and the end of Apartheid, gay and women’s rights were also hot issues. Subcultures from grunge to goth, as well as skaters, b-boys, activists, and more emerged as another ways to claim an identity in an ever-expanding world.

All this diversity and newness also opened up some awesome possibilities and materials for artists, not to mention technologies like digital cameras, Photoshop, and CGI. Here are 20 Reasons Art Was Awesome in the '90s.

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Damien Hirst

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Rachel Whiteread

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Gabriel Orozco

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Liu Xiaodong

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Kara Walker

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Vuk Cosic

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Matthew Barney

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Vanessa Beecroft

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Barbie Liberation Organization

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Karen Kilimnik

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Mike Kelley

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Maurizio Cattelan

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William Kentridge

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8. Animation wasn't just for kids.

Artwork: William Kentridge, Stereoscope, 1998-99

South African artist William Kentridge used drawing and animation to tackle political and personal issues. His simple charcoal drawings pushed the boundaries of the medium to represent national themes.

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Rikrit Tiravanija

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Felix Gonzalez-Torres

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Roxy Paine

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Jeff Koons

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Rineke Dijkstra

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Andreas Gursky

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Annie Leibovitz

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