Final answer:
Contemporary and modern can have similar meanings in relation to art, but they are not exactly synonyms. Modern art refers to the art movements that emerged around World War I, while contemporary art refers to art produced since the 1950s.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contemporary and modern can have similar meanings, but they are not exactly synonyms. In the context of art, modern art refers to the art movements and trends that emerged around World War I and its aftermath, while contemporary art refers to art produced since the 1950s.
While some artists continue to work in modernist traditions, contemporary art can also include artists who reject Modernism for Postmodernism or other reasons. So, while there are similarities between modern and contemporary art, they are not interchangeable terms and can have distinct meanings depending on the context.