‘Art’ is a
term so wide it is actually nearly impossible to define. According to Tolstoy,
Art need not be related to beauty. In fact, he defines Art as anything that communicates feelings or
emotions. In the words of Tolstoy, "Art begins when a man, with the purpose
of communicating to other people a feeling he once experienced, calls it up
again within himself and expresses it by certain external signs".
Contemporary art
encompasses many different art forms, from painting, sculpture and photography,
to craft and digital works that incorporate both sound and image.
Literature,
culinary arts, music and theatre are equally important art forms.
Art is no
longer limited to visual art. In fact, depending on how you interpret it,
nearly everything can be classified as art.
Even if I were to
write volumes, it would be impossible to cover all aspects of art, considering
the wide range of subjects covered by the one word ‘Art’. We will therefore run
through only a few art forms.
Paintings
Artists
have come up with oil or acrylic paintings on canvas, watercolor paintings on
paper, and ink paintings on rice paper. Artists also paint on glass, on concrete
or stone walls, on metal, on fabric and even on the pavement! Artists can paint
or draw on anything using any medium.
Church
frescos or church wall paintings were very popular especially during the
Renaissance. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the
Vatican between 1508 and 1512.
Look at this youtube video showing paintings in the Sistene Chapel, the Vatican.
Even those
who don’t take an interest in paintings are familiar with the ‘Mona Lisa’ by
Leonardo da Vinci, a priceless oil painting which today graces the Louvre in
Paris.
There are
countless artists who have carved a name for themselves in the history books. Below
are a few outstanding names:
The Night Watch -
Rembrandt
Rembrandt (1606-1669) is a Dutch artist, considered to be one of the greatest
painters in European history. ‘The Night Watch’, a huge oil painting, takes
prime spot in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) sold only one painting during his
lifetime and was little known to the art world at the time of his death.
He was a lonely, tortured, mad, bohemian artist, who cut off his
ear and was driven to an early suicide by lack of recognition for his genius.
His most famous pieces include ‘Starry Starry Night’ and ‘The Sunflower'.
Starry Starry Night -
Van Gogh
Dora Maar au Chat -
Picasso
Pablo
Picasso (1881 – 1973) is remembered for his modernistic
approach using cubism.In Cubism, objects are analyzed, broken up
and reassembled in an abstract form. His art pieces make no sense to many people, but are priceless to those
who value this new art form.
Gustav Klimt(1862-1918) is
an Austrian artist, known for his paintings and murals which are on display in Vienna.
Klimt's primary subject is the female body, and his works are marked by a frank
eroticism.
Zhang Daqian (1899 – 1983) is one
of the most well-known of Chinese artists. He was a modern impressionist and expressionist painter and
highly regarded both in the East and in Europe.
What is the difference between Graffiti and Street Art?
Children on Bicycle - Penang
Street art is
highly regarded today and there is now only a narrow defining line between
graffiti and street art.
Street art is
visual art in public places. So is graffiti. Perhaps the difference lies in the
fact that street art is done with permission while graffiti is not. Graffiti,
be it gang graffiti, political or hate graffiti, destroy and vandalize
property. Street Art carries meaningful messages and beautifies.
Street Art has gained tremendous popularity and has even
garnered a following. In fact, you will have to join a queue to have your photo
taken with popular 3D Street Art pieces.
Sculpture has existed for ages and
the famousVenus de Milo was sculptured
around 100- 130 B.C. by Alezandros of Antioch. It stands near ‘David’, sculptured
between 1501-1504 by Michelangelo Buonarroti in The Louvre, in Paris. Sculptors carved into caves in
the Ajanta Caves in India. The Ajanta Caves which date from the second century
B.C. is made up of sculptures of religious figures carved into the caves.
Chinese emperors had life-size sculptures of soldiers and slaves buried with
them in their mausoleum. The terracotta warriors in Xian, is a collection of sculptures depicting the armies
of QinShihHuang, the first Emperor of China. These sculptures were buried with
the emperor around 210 BCE to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
This art form,
popular from the 1970’s, involves the installation or configuration of objects
in a space. The display may be indoors or outdoors and either permanent or
temporary. It takes those who undertand the concept to appreciate Installation Art. This relatively modern art form, is, however, gaining popularity.
As we move away
from visual art, we come to Music, another art form. Music isthe art of arranging sounds so as to create an
effect. These sounds are usually made from musical instruments or voices.
A music
maker is someone who plays, sings, performs, conducts, or composes music.
Beethoven, Mozart, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Anna Pavlova and Psy are all
music makers. Music today is a highly lucrative, worldwide industry raking in
millions of dollars.
Music is
widely believed to enlarge the brain, so bringing many benefits to children,
improving their memory and IQ . This explains why so many parents are sending
their children to music schools.
There is no
denying the fact that music and "atmosphere" go together. We might put
on relaxing music for a quiet romantic dinner, but listen to something livelier
while exercising.
Music also
affects our state of mind.Studies show
that listening to fast music whilst driving increases the rate of car
accidents.
Functions of Music
Music serves many functions, some of which are mentioned in the
list below:
Music allows for emotional
expression, be they expressions of love, joy, sadness, social concerns or even
protests.
Music is particularly useful in the
integration of society and religious groups. Christians sing hymns and
Christmascarols; Buddhists chant
prayers and Muslims recite the Quran.
Music tells about the society and
culture, creating feelings and responses in the listener. Music sometimes
raises questions about society's norms and values, and sometimes has the power
to bring about change.
Music can be used as a marketing
tool. Advertising jingles like ‘It's the Real Thing’ for Coca Cola catch on
fast.
Music lends meaning to an occasion,
be it a wedding, a birthday or a funeral.
Music
enhances film. Music
determines the effect and success of some movies like ‘Nemo’ and ‘The Titanic’
and is the key factor to successful Broadway performances like ‘Phantom of the
Opera’ and ‘Les Miserables’.
Music promotes nationalism with the
singing of the National Anthem.
Music is essential for dance.
Music can be a powerful tool in the healing process. In some cases,
it can be used as a pleasant addition to any form of medical treatment. Music can
calm the mind and the body, minimize pain and promote relaxation as well as
lower blood pressure. Music therapy is one of the newest forms of complementary
treatment for cancer.
There is hardly anything in this world that does not come at a price. Obviously, listening to loud music can cause hearing problems. The fact that music can now be downloaded from the internet for free has also affected the coffers of the music industry.
However, there is no denying the fact that the benefits brought by music far outweigh its disadvantages.