Research Articles Base: Art Essays

The Artefact Pathway in Contemporary Times

The Artefact Pathway in Contemporary Times   “The world has changed less since the time of Jesus Christ than it has in the last thirty years.”                                                                                     – 1913-                         An artefact is an aspect of the material world that has been modified over the history of its incorporation into goal-directed human action. By virtue of the changes wrought in the process of their creation and use, artefacts are simultaneously ideal (conceptual) and material. They are ideal in that their material form has been shaped by their participation in the interaction of which they were previously a part and which they mediate in the present (1996).             Artefacts are entities within the world that have been shaped with the purpose of achieving a certain effect. The concept of the desired effect is an idea that defines the particular artefact in abstract. But artefacts are real “stuff” and therefore instantiate that which is described in the abstract class of entities that can bring about the desired effect. As a result the artefact will associate its abstraction as an entity produced to bring about certain effects with the accidents of its instantiation in tangible form. Therefore any artefact has existence simultaneously as both a concept of what the artefact instantiates, the idea, and as the tangible stuff of the instance of the particular implementation (1999).             The conception of a particular artefact is generated within a socio-cultural context that presents that prospective artefact as a desirable potential entity. The artefact idea is dependent on a combination of the imagination of the originator and the constraints imposed by the available technologies, the means known in the maker’s context to bring about particular effects in the world. Over time the effectual means known change as a result of discovery of properties of the behavior of entities in the world, and occasionally as a result of loss of knowledge, collective forgetting by the community of particular means of effectuation. As a result artefacts are part of the ongoing socio-techno-cultural scene of the setting in which they arose and they both contribute to the effectuation of outcomes that are regarded as desirable, by someone, in that milieu and the vocabulary of possible acts in the milieu (2003). Therefore artefacts are simultaneously means to both propagate in time and place and to effect change in the socio-cultural milieu in which they originated, and they can be used to effect change in contexts other than their context of origination.   Cultural Basis of the Artefact Pathway In 1997, the Swedish ethnologist Orvar Lofgren invited scholars to study the ways in which cultural artefacts move through the spaces of national cultures. Research on culture, (1997) argued, should direct its attention to “the ways in which national differences become embedded in the materialities of everyday life, found not only in the rhetoric of flag-waving and public rituals, but also in the national trajectories of commodities”. The place of these pathways within notions of cultural citizenship is not immediately apparent, but it merits consideration. In an influential definition of cultural citizenship,  (1996) suggests it is shaped by “negotiating the often ambivalent and contested relations with the state and its hegemonic forms that establish the criteria of belonging within a national population and territory”. The examples of negotiation which follow will seem trivial alongside the dramas of displacement and struggle which fill Ong’s ethnographic work. Let us see the realm of culture, nevertheless, as one in which each gesture (each new film or act of artistic activism, for example) presumes an implicit negotiation with the context in which it seeks to emerge. That context includes other people, artefacts and the structures of power or institution. Each such negotiation, in turn, functions as an act of transformation, if only by once more marshalling resources for an oft-repeated confrontation. Cultural citizenship is less about residing within culture than about the necessity of moving within it, and the negotiations and transformations which that movement entails.     Modernism  Modernism refers to the overall art movement from the late 1800s to the early 1970s in which artists were primarily interested in how they presented their artistic ideas and issues rather than reproducing the world as it appears visually. This focus on the cultivation of individual style and artistic process led many modern artists toward an abstracted use of the elements of art. Modernism highlights the paradigm shift within visual conventions, codes and signs. It breaks from the traditions of historic art and reviews visual arts practices (historical/critical/practical).The strategy of stylistic revisionism manifested in manifestoes and the establishment of the avant-garde best articulates the aims and outcomes of Modernity. The development of the social sciences: psychology, Marxism and sociology brought about new considerations within the contemporary ideology. Emerging visual theories coupled with advances in technology gave rise to new possibilities in the production of art. Artists recognized and embraced the “culture of the new” and explored new terrains of artistic practice.  Modernism is also an examination of the personal and psychological experience and how it became the basis of artistic expression in modernism. Modernistic themes revolve around the philosophies such as art as a personal insight to revealing the mechanics of a new modern world, the development of the expression as a component in modern art, the human consciousness of modernism art as “personal worship” artists as heroes and the revolution of the nights: art and the unconscious.   Contemporary art is being affected, to a considerable extent, by lack of meaning, by extreme professionalism (“smart-art-scene” production, marketing of works skillfully executed to fit demands and expectations, etc.), by flat cosmopolitanism, or by repetition and boredom, among other problems. But at the same time we are going through a fascinating period of transition and reshaping of the whole system of art creation, distribution and evaluation at a global scale. Even if this process is happening slowly and in a “silent” way, its scope has no precedents. In a process full of contradictions, new generations of artists are beginning to transform the status quo. They are doing so without manifestos or conscious agendas; just by creating refreshing work, by introducing new issues and meanings coming out of their diverse experiences, and by infiltrating their cultural difference in broader, somewhat more truly globalized art circuits. Naturally, this is not a smooth path, and many challenges and contradictions remain. Is the situation turning more rich and complex or is it being simplified by the necessary degree of standardization that a transcultural, international communication requires? Globalization of Artefacts A crucial tendency is the internal broadening of the so-called international art and art language through the intervention of a multiplicity of actors. If still instituted by mainstream orientations to an ample extent, this language is being increasingly modified and actively constructed by artists from the “peripheries”. This is crucially important because controlling language also conveys the power to control meaning. Therefore, more than a mosaic of multiple artistic expressions, what tends to prevail is a diversified construction of an “international art” by diverse subjects from diverse locations. This propensity opens a different perspective that opposes the clichés of a “universal” art in the centers, derivative expressions in the peripheries, and the multiple, “authentic” realm of “otherness” in traditional culture. Obviously, the very notion of center and periphery has been strongly contested in these porous times of migrations, communications, transcultural chemistries and rearticulating of power (2003). In all corners of the planet we are witnessing signs of change in the epistemological ground of contemporary artistic discourses based not in difference but from difference. This transition could be epitomized as the gradual turn of direction in cultural processes that used to go mainly from the “global” to the “local”. In this sense, notions of hybridity and “anthropophagy” are beginning to be surpassed. Regional and international art circulation has dramatically expanded through a variety of spaces, events, circuits and electronic communications. Many of them have propitiated some of the problems just mentioned. A good example is the proliferation of unfocused small biennials all over the world, or the spectacle-oriented, mall-like big ones. The art biennial is the amazing case of a 19th century institution that is not only still alive in almost its original format, but blooming all over the world. This institution is part of a cosmopolitan, apologetic, exhibitionist, and mainly commercial spirit. In artistic and cultural terms biennials are often considered a failure, mainly in connection with their ambitious scale, their cost, and the invested effort. Anyway, more important than the art field’s expansion is its tendency to go beyond its own boundaries toward, on the one hand, personal and daily life, and, on the other, toward society and urban interaction. Much of this activity is “local”: the result of artists’ personal and subjective reactions to their contexts, or of their intention to make an impact –cultural, social, or even political– in their milieus. But these artists are frequently well informed about other contexts, about mainstream art, or are also looking for an international projection. Sometimes they move in, out and about local, regional and global spaces. Usually their art is not anchored in nationalistic modernism or traditional languages even when based on vernacular culture or specific backgrounds. The Brazilian modernists used the figure of antropofagia[i] (anthropophagy) in order to legitimate their critical apprehension of European artistic and cultural elements, a procedure peculiar to postcolonial culture in general. Antropofagia is not only a cultural strategy but also a metaphor that indicates the tendency to creatively appropriate alien cultural elements, which we find in Latin America since the early days of European colonization. Latin American anthropologists and critics have emphasized the creative and subversive aspects of these strategies of re-signification, transformation, and syncretism, and how they became a paradoxical manner of constructing difference and identity. Latin American anthropologists and critics have emphasized the creative and subversive aspects of these strategies of re-signification, transformation, and syncretism, and how they became a paradoxical manner of constructing difference and identity. Today, more and more identities and contexts concur in the artistic “international language” and in the discussion of current “global” themes. From, and not so much in, is a key word for contemporary cultural practice. All over the world, art is being produced more from particular contexts, cultures and experiences than “inside” them, more from here that here. By this operation artists are slowly and silently democratizing the dominant canons and power relations established in the international networks and markets. This new situation carries new problems, but points toward a very plausible direction for culture in a globalized postcolonial world. It propitiates a polysemic and actively plural international environment.   Urbanism Another silent cultural revolution that is taking place nowadays is urban demographic growth in the so-called Third World. Just think that at the beginning of the 20th century only 10% of the planet’s population lived in cities. Now, one hundred years later, half of the globe inhabits urban environments. If urbanization was characteristic of the developed world, and rural life predominated in the Third World, by 2025 urban population will prevail in the whole planet This urban revolution is chiefly taking place in the non-western world. To put an example, Mumbai’s population has quadrupled in thirty years. Obviously, cities are not prepared to afford such demographic shock, but, as  put it, “the city is built upon its systematic destruction”.[ii] Urbanism and architecture, as we have traditionally understood them, might be over (2003).   Utilitarianism of Artefacts Artefacts are entities that are manufactured. Because of the investment of effort, time and other resources expended in the manufacture of any artefact the producers make artefacts with one or more purposes. The purpose, as seen by any user, of the artefact is something that is expressed in the actual use of the artefact to which that user subjects it. The purpose, as envisaged by the developers of the artefact is the framework of thinking that led to the definition of the attributes required of the proposed artefact. When artefacts are made to enable the bringing about of some effect it is necessary for the artefact to be structured in such a way that it is possible and practical for the user to relate to the artefact in such a way as to bring about the intended effect at the will of the user. Artefacts are made to provide means for the user to gain an extension to the user’s personal capability that enables the user to bring about desired effects.             The user turns to the artefact to provide means to perform some class of action. The user has a purpose in seeking such means and that purpose is an outflow of some purposeful intent of the user. The issue in usefulness concerns whether the artefact performs the right kind of action to enable the user to achieve their greater goals. Artefacts may be used at a cost. The cost of use comprises the cost of access to the artefact and the marginal cost of use. The cost of access includes cost of acquisition, possessing and disposal. The cost of use of the artefact may be either financial or non- financial, such as effort. In many cases risk of untoward effects must be factored in as a cost of use. If the artefact does something that helps the user in the achievement of the user’s purpose sufficiently that the user’s view of the benefit derived exceeds the perceived cost associated with the use of the artefact, then the user will judge the artefact to be useful. Conversely, if the cost associated with use of the artefact exceeds the benefit the user may judge the artefact as not useful.                         Many issues are at stake: conflicts, social and cultural articulations; dialogues and collisions between neologic urban cultures and rural traditions, religious clashes; chaotic, wavering and dissimilar modernizations; massive diasporas, outrageous poverty, social contrasts, traffics of all kinds, fanaticism, violence, terrorism, wars; shanty towns and their culture; global communications and huge zones of silence[iii][x]; homogenizing global tendencies and affirmation of differences; mutating identities, cultural and social mixtures, international networks and local isolation; cultural shocks and assimilation.                                                                     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

The Artefact Pathway in Contemporary Times

The Artefact Pathway in Contemporary Times “ The world has changed less since the time of Jesus Christ than it has in the last ...

Art plays a pivotal role in our civilizations

Art will always be an art   Art plays a pivotal role in our civilizations.   A soul of our culture, it is through the art brilliant historians and sociologists can deduce how superior a civilization is. China’s earning the moniker as the “Sleeping giant” can be owed to the fact that its past was rich in culture. Before the peoples in the world gained the idea that the world is not flat but round, China was already navigating the seas, engaged in trading, flourishing its culture, and strengthening its empire.     Through out the annals of our time, we were taught how Greek’s civilization was an important part of our history. It was through them we were introduced to democracy, thereby influencing our present state that practices relatively the same kind of government.   And not just art serves as the soul of a civilization, but it also reflects the propaganda of others who seek change. Jose Rizal, a notable national artist, used his pen to rise up against the tyranny of Spanish colonization. In result, he inspired millions to take up arms and challenge the government.   So, can social, political, or economic conditions alter the nature and meaning of art?   The answer is no.   Art is as the black box that stores those glorious moments of our history. Whether we experience today’s political upheavals, coup plots, social disintegration, and economic crises, art will remain an art.   The same way we say…   Filipinos went through the times of changing governments to another government, toppling tyrants after tyrant, but has Juan Luna’s paintings changed its meaning? Has Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere lost its message of social unity? Or, oddly still, has Jessica Zafra’s twisted articles turned into serious ones?   Again, can social, political, or economic conditions alter the essence of art?   No, because art will remain an art no matter what – a soul of our history, the treasure trove of our culture.         Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Art plays a pivotal role in our civilizations

Art will always be an art Art plays a pivotal role in our civilizations. A soul of our culture, it is through the art brilliant histo...

ART

Art is an imitation of life; it is anything a person perceives.  In the same way, this perception of things is influenced by a number of external factors reflecting social beliefs, political stand and economic changes.  But what these conditions alter is not the nature or meaning of art itself; rather, it’s on how art is interpreted.    From its primitive roots, art has evolved into an array of genre that fit the changing lifestyle of people from various timelines.  We see the emergence of contemporary artworks that depict violence, norms, and patterns of everyday living.  These are apparent in music, movies, print-ads and in a variety of works of art.  Art as we know it today is no different than the art of the past—life captured, life imitated.  We simply base our interpretations of life with what are happening around us; and we show these through arts.   No matter what our social, political or economic inclination will be, art will always fashion itself to suit that; but all-the-same, it remains to be an imitation of life. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ART

Art is an imitation of life ; it is anything a person perceives. In the same way, this perception of things is influenced by a number of ...

Art

Art       One of God’s bounty blessings has given us is ART and part of our obligation is to endure everything He has blessed us. Nowadays, but the usage of this most important thing it is indulge by our Society to cite an example like the Billboards and the streamers hang for commercialization purposes, on my stand as a young lady I really do appreciate art so much as part of it I do like studs piercing and henna tattoo it reveals my personality that I really do like art. When we say about Political same as everything as I mentioned earlier they put art in their words to convince people to agree on the things they have in mind and also it is part of socializing and in comes on our economic conditions art is uprising the stability of globalization and when we say in businesses such example like advertising industries, the meaningful way on how to sell their specialization to people is thru art.   Try to live without any colors in your life? Wherein COLORS are mainly part of art, I’m pretty sure that would be boring and dry. Without Artistry in our life not just to mention or we don’t need to enumerate how it really affects our life with it let’s just have to enlighten our minds that without it life is meaningless.   Happiness can be trace but the way we say or express it thru our facial reaction, When were in love it can be distinguished in our feelings and eyes and it is part of Art. Nature is Art, Us Human Being is An Art From God.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Art

Art One of God’s bounty blessings has given us is ART and part of our obligation is to endure everything He has blessed us. ...

Art of English: Comparison of Two Texts

Art of English: Comparison of Two Texts   Introduction             The study of the English language is one of the most tedious and complicated task one will ever do. It involves not only the basic knowledge of learning and knowing the meaning of words, arranging them into an orderly sentence, phrase, or paragraph, and communicating, but it more importantly involves proper pronunciation and grammar. In today’s generation, the English language is regarded as the global language, which is used by different peoples around the world, belonging to different fields and expertise. Along with the development and use of the English language is the development of science and technology, which has been depended upon by many individuals. Thus, in this sense, knowing and learning the English language has become the core of the overall major development of different societies around the globe. In relevance, understanding and knowing the English language requires one to have knowledge and understanding of the English literature, which serves as the basis for the development and appreciation of the English language. In this regard, knowing how to speak and understand the language must not be enough for full appreciation of English. As such, this paper would be comparing two texts, in order to make an analysis and appreciation of the English literature. In a way, through this comparison, the skills and knowledge of the English language would be extended to making an analysis of the English literature.   Summary and Analysis of the “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens             It has been reported that “Bleak House” is one of Charles Dicken’s longest and most complex novels, as it contains many different and divergent storylines that intertwine, as characters meet by chance or fate (2007). In addition, this particular story represents the highest point of Dicken’s intellectual maturity, being able to express a change in artistic structure. Rather than a string of incidents, a cycle of incidents is now evident in the novel. It returns upon itself, has a recurrent melody and poetic justice, and has artistic constancy and artistic revenge. It preserves the unities of time and place. The story circles around two or three symbolic places, and does not go sprawling irregularly all over England like one of Mr. Pickwick’s coaches. People go from one place to another place, but not from one place to another place on the road to everywhere else. Mr. Jarndyce goes from Bleak House to visit Mr. Boythorn, but he comes back to Bleak House. Miss Clare and Miss Summerson go from Bleak House to visit Mr. and Mrs. Bayham Badger, but they still come back to Bleak House. The whole story strays from Bleak House and plunges into the foul fogs of Chancery and the autumn mists of Chesney Wold, but the whole story comes back to Bleak House. The domestic title is appropriate, and is a permanent address ( 2007). Moreover, the description of the fog in the first chapter of Bleak House is good in itself. The author begins in the Chancery fog because he means to end in the Chancery fog. This is perhaps the best short way of stating the peculiarity of the position of Bleak House. In the beginning of the novel, one would have the feeling that it is not only a beginning, but expressing the conclusion and the whole novel as well. It expresses the beginning and the end. The same is true throughout the whole tale, for the whole tale is symbolic and crowded with symbols. He means that all the characters and all the events shall be read through the smoky colors of that sinister and unnatural vapor. Thus the artistic unity of the book, compared to all the author’s earlier novels, is satisfying, almost suffocating. There is the motif, and again the motif. Almost everything is calculated to assert and re-assert the savage morality of Dickens’s protest against a particular social evil. The whole theme is that which another Englishman as jovial as Dickens defined shortly and finally as the delay of the law (  2007). In this regard, it can be perceived that Charles Dickens’ maturity can be expressed in his intention to express and depict the reality of experiences that is being shown and done by real people in the society. This is because the Bleak House being described or referred to in the novel can become each house of each citizen in his era. In addition, the maturity of Dickens can also be evident in the expression of his protest through the novel. In this regard, Dickens’ maturity can be seen through rationality, common sense, and expression of reality in the truest sense, as expressed in the novel. The events and the descriptions of the places and characters in the novel help express the reality that can be seen the Victorian society. Thus, in this regard, the novel does not only generates a good story to stimulate the imagination of the readers, but also expresses reality in its truest sense, which would also provide information and knowledge on the places, people, culture, and events of the people during that time.   Summary and Analysis of the “City Guide Excerpt”             The excerpt of the City Guide obtained from the website of Visit London describes the features of the city in a factual and realistic manner, serving to inform and provide knowledge to the readers. It also serves as a trivia and general information to all citizens and to all visitors who would like to enjoy seeing England. The excerpt particularly and specifically describes the weather and climate in England, which can be described as unpredictable and highly changeable. It emphasizes that London in particular does not have a climate, but a weather, which means that the atmospheric conditions in London is fickle and highly unpredictable. This is because, in definition, climate is the normal state of the Earth’s surface conditions, while weather is the actual state of the Earth’s surface at a given time (2007). In this regard, it can be perceived that because weather changes with time, the change in the atmospheric conditions in the skies of London is also highly changeable. In addition, the excerpt also described the highly unpredictable changes in the temperature in the city, and stated the differences of the temperatures in all four seasons of London. In this regard, it can be understood that the descriptions written and stated in this excerpt were meant to serve as a warning and information for all the citizens of London, who would be most affected by the sudden changes in temperature and weather during the day. In addition, such information would also be relevant for all the visitors in London, who would be aiming to experience and travel to places and visit the best places in London. Similarly, they would also be affected by the sudden changes of temperature and weather in London, which can serve to hinder them from having to enjoy the places and sceneries in the city. As such, knowing this valuable information is one good way of surviving and adapting in the city.   Comparison of both Excerpts             In order to compare the two excerpts in terms of its “literariness”, the definition of literary must first be understood. In definition, literary pertains to learning (2007) through expression of literature, which is evident through expression of words, sentences, and works. In this regard, through this definition, it can be perceived that both the texts described in the previous discussion were a form of literary work, as both of them expresses words and sentences that enable a reader to obtain significant and relevant learning. In this sense, it can be understood that any piece or body of work can be considered a literary work, as long as it can provide and express learning to its readers. However, the comparison of both excerpts leads one to distinguish one from the other, being more literary than the other excerpt. In this regard, one would be able to determine that the work of Charles Dickens is more literary than the excerpt of the City Guide. This is because the definition of literary of providing learning through literary work does not stop there. In understanding the English language, one must be able to distinguish a literary work from what is not, based on the different characteristics and elements of a literary work, including stylistics, sound, deviation, parallelism, meaning, effect, rhythm, and metre. Using such elements as bases, the appreciation and understanding of literary works and the meanings underlying them can be done.             It has been reported that the linking of the language of stylistics and the analysis of literary texts is essentially the domain of stylistics. It involves both literary criticism and linguistics, as its morphological makeup suggests: the ‘style’ component relating it to the former and the ‘istics’ component to the latter ( 1996). From the definition of this element, it can be perceived that Dickens’ the Bleak House contains the element of stylistics, being able to drive other individuals and readers to conduct literary criticism and linguistics. Criticism of Dickens’ literary work is evident as his work is being compared to other literary works made by himself and made by other authors during his time. In addition, criticism of his work also lies on the fact that the characters in Bleak House are being compared to the characters of his other literary works, such as Oliver Twist, Martin Chuzzlewit, and David Copperfield. In this sense, it can be observed that this particular piece of literature made by Charles Dickens is considered a good piece of literary work, being able a reader to distinguish a story, the plot of the novel, its characters, and be able to compare the events, characters and places in the novel to other novels made by the author and other authors. In comparison to the other excerpt, it cannot be compared to other literary works in terms of stylistics, as it purely states facts and general information regarding the weather of London. It does anymore warrant any room for debate and comparison, unlike the novel of Dickens. Another element of literary is foregrounding, including deviation or parallelism. Foregrounding of linguistic features can include syntactic structures, semantic fields, phonological patterning, and others, which can loosely be termed ‘text-intrinsic’ features. This element can also include historical contexts or genre, such as the knowledge that the sonnet has formal constraints in number of lines, rhyme scheme, metre, and that the English version differs in form from its Italian counterpart. In addition, this phenomenon is located in the reader’s mind, and involves both social knowledge and emotions, as well as personal thoughts, feelings, and memories ( 2003). From this, it can be perceived that unlike the excerpt of City Guide, the work of Dickens was able to express foregrounding as an element through its historical context, which determines the timeframe or the setting of the novel, being in the Victorian era of England. Through the foregrounding element of literature, Dickens was able to express the historical context of the novel, which has its setting in the Victorian period of England. In addition, through the novel, Dickens was also able to express and depict the situation of the society and the culture of the people during his time. The appreciation of the Victorian period was also achieved through the novel.             Moreover, in the English language, it has been reported that the ‘Victorian Period’ focused more on people’s attitudes, political developments and modes of writing in their classifications, and therefore used different labels to denote shorter time spans of roughly the same period (2007). As such, the element of sound, meaning, and effects can be identified depending on the intended audience and expressed ideas of the author. Such elements have been expressed vividly in the literary work of Dickens, as his novel is intended to express his protest in the society, regarding the delay of law and injustice in the society of the Victorian era. Such elements cannot be expressed in the excerpt of the City Guide because it was intended only to inform the general public regarding the changes of the weather in the skies or atmosphere of London. Another literary element to be taken note off is the element of rhythm and metre, which is most evident in poetry. It has been reported that rhythm is the recurrence of stress at intervals, while metre is the regular or measured, recurrence of stress (2004). Although such elements are most evident in poetry, both rhythm and metre are evident in the work of Charles Dickens, as his words in the novel “dance”. Dancing in terms of words means that the rhythm and metre of the novel expresses rhymes and patters that may seem to depict a specific tune. Such can be evident in this specific example: “In middle age, Lady Dedlock retains her beauty and is always attractively groomed. Her husband, the baronet Sir Leicester Dedlock, loves her and does not complain that she brought to the marriage neither dowry nor prestige”. Such has not bee expressed in the excerpt of the City Guide, as the excerpt expresses only the simplest words in English to be easily understood by the readers, while the words of Dickens not only seeks to inform but to put style and art in his literary work. Thus, the presence and absence of such elements differentiates both texts from one another.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Art of English: Comparison of Two Texts

Art of English: Comparison of Two Texts Introduction The study of the English language is one of the most tedious and co...

Art

Art   “Social, political, or economic conditions can alter the nature and meaning of art.”               Almost all of the people are very aware of the happenings of our country nowadays. Political and economic crisis are what is our country is facing right now. People who go against the government keep on making rallies on the streets to ask the president to step down from her office. Opposition at the same time makes some moves in order to find ways on how to make the president resign from her office. Others try to ask the people to affix their signature as a people initiative to make the evidence strong against the president.             This situation really affect greatly to the nature and meaning of art. Not just only the political and economic condition, but also the social condition of the country. It is because; the art of having a good and solemn society is not anymore in its proper existence. Violence is present in every places of the country even in the government offices. The true meaning of art will just only be a part of theory in quite sometimes because of these situations. Its nature may never be known to the next generation if these situations will keep on going.             There is no problem with the kind or form of government we have, but the real problem is within the people itself who govern the country. There’s no need to have a charter change. What is going to be change is the character itself of the government officials or even of the people. If this is to be done, then the true meaning and its nature of the art will always be a part of our daily life, not just now but until the episode of human’s existence. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Art

Art “Social, political, or economic conditions can alter the nature and meaning of art.” Almost all of the people are very...

ART

Art is the collective physical manifestation of man’s intangible aspects. Though it be dance, song, painting or sculpture; the center of it is the individual and his skills in presenting and sharing to others, his perception of himself and the world around him. In other words, the artist becomes the interpreter of his time. Thus, I agree with the proposition. First, Art is a social movement. It is common knowledge that society controls the definitions of what is acceptable and what is deviant. This is also true within the realms of art. For example, the artist Van Gogh was never appreciated during his time for the reason that his painting style was deviant to the era’s status quo. However, with the present movement against classical art, interest for Van Gogh’s work has peaked. Most artists would never consider themselves as political. Yet, from what I have learned from postcolonial discourse, everything is political. Referring to what I said earlier, art is a product of man, and man is the product of his times. So basically, art reflects to some certainty (critics abhor art that carries an obvious political tone, calling it as propaganda) a principle—may it be religious, artistic, social, etc.—that aims in undermining a contradicting principle. Finally, art mirrors the economic conditions of the era it was created. During the renaissance period, the explosion of Art having a detailed and opulent style in Italy was a reflection of the said country’s success in foreign trade and transportation.    Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ART

Art is the collective physical manifestation of man’s intangible aspects. Though it be dance, song, painting or sculpture; the center of ...

Making a Greater Subject even Greater

Making a Greater Subject even Greater                 One good subject that could be made better through the use art is Literature. Without art, literature would not be possible because through art literature is made, literature is actually the most common form of art. Literature is defined as writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interests are characteristics or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays or literary work and production. Literature, like any art form, engages the reader in a complex set of emotional, symbolic, moral, intellectual and social considerations. Literature uses the normal means of communication — language, images, symbols, codes, stories — but uses them with more complexity and subtlety than is normal in everyday communication.             Everybody appreciates literature from children to adults for literature has become our primary source of entertainment because most of mass media are products of literature. What an interesting and best subject literature is, it’s incomparable. It is vital that literature should be regular subject in schools so that it can enhance the thinking skills of students because most of us tend to imitate intelligent ideas from what we have read or what were exposed to and apply it to our daily lives and make wise decisions. Now what could be greater besides studying literature? It’s like studying while having fun at the same time and its 100 percent art made better everyday through writers with wild and entertaining ideas that captivates their readers.                Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Making a Greater Subject even Greater

Making a Greater Subject even Greater One good subject that could be made better through the use art is Literature....

Modernism Vs the Canon( Artists’ world)

Art Introduction             World history has witnessed the birth, development, and achievements of the most talented people. These people have their distinct gifts and area of mastery – literature, politics, arts, science, and so forth. Still, much of their success can be traced back to the kind of life and personality they had. Childhood experiences, support from people around them, environmental influences and personal motivations often determine how a gifted person makes use of his innate abilities to become an important figure in his chosen field of expertise. The world of arts is one of the most interesting topics of study. This field usually includes some of the most peculiar people who can express their personalities through unique paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Today the word art usually refers to the visual arts.  Actually, the concept of what art is has continuously changed over centuries.  Basically, this paper aim to compare and contrast issues for dealing in modern and traditional art. With regards to the development of art, “The Cannon” in which the collection of traditional arts are often correlated to the art of traditional cultures in which they are normally expressed in sacred forms, are not simply images or personal reflections, but embodiment of divinity. Within the Orthodox faith, the icons are seen as one of the pillars of the faith with value similar to that of scripture or oral tradition. The icons are a door to the divine. Those within the continuum of Hinduism go further, seeing that the image is part of the original substance. For example, within Vaishnava Hinduism (worship of Vishnua and Krsna), the absolute also has a form and hence images as such can embody and manifest the divine. This is the explanation for the “worship” of images and statues, these forms are not simply images of the divine, but manifestations of the divine. Hence worshipping a temple image of Ksna is not worshipping a statue, but experiencing the essence of Ksna through his form.             Apparently, modern art is defined in www.encyclopedia.com as:             “Modern Art is a general term, used for most of the artistic production from the late 19th century until approximately the 1970s. (Recent art production is more often called contemporary art). Modern art refers to a new approach to art where it was no longer important to literally represent a subject (through painting or sculpture) — the invention of photography had made this function of art obsolete. Instead, artists started experimenting with new ways of seeing, with fresh ideas about the nature, materials and functions of art, often moving towards further abstraction.” I think that there is something to be said for each as an art form. Certainly, there are differences, but all can be considered art from a perspective. Currently, modern art in which photography is included can be an art form like the others, but I also think that some people do not use it as such, just like the others. Not all paintings are artful, not all sculptures are artful either. Neither are all photographs, regardless of digital or film artful. It is all in the meaning behind the art, and the meaning taken from it.     Discussions               Art is essential to humanity.  However, Elkins J. (1995) believe that most images are not art. Elkins J. (1995) in his paper stated that: “Most images are not art. In addition to pictures made in accord with the Western concept of art, there are also those made outside the West or in defiance, ignorance, or indifference to the idea of art. In the welter of possibilities two stand out. Non-Western images are not well described in terms of art,(1) and neither are medieval paintings that were made in the absence of humanist ideas of artistic value.(2) Together the histories of medieval and non-Western images form the most visible alternates to the history of art, and they attract most attention in the expanding interests of art history.”             Apparently, as the value of art changes and evolve several issues emerge. Some of these emerging issues are pornography, intellectual property, exploitation and abuse.             In addition, a perspective distance is already collapsed onto a picture surface, however, and nowadays even illusions of distance are in states of compression and collapse. Instead of intimations of the end of art history, terminating like a story, we have an oversupply of historical product, under which we are liable to be buried as in the rubble of a seismic collapse. Rather than ending or running out, art history is more likely to consume itself, or to implode under its own weight. In the mode of anthropology, history itself is collapsed into the span of memory, representation into mimicry. And the benign distances of survey are collapsed into an uncomfortable intimacy: remote stars into dwarf furnaces of radiation. Transmission, whether of signals or substance, is as likely to convey viral contamination, cybernetic or biological, as transparent information. Objects are likely to be assayed as contaminants, or as foreign object irritants that provoke a protective response.             From the beginning, modern art is the continuation of classical art era. Some of the artist now in the modern age has been greatly influenced by the works of the famous artist in the classical era.      The developments in art during the 1900s were many and may be confusing to most people. The academic tradition sustained as the major force all the way through the first half of the century, Even though they soldiered on, the number of painters of the academic tradition declined slowly once the crucial changes of impressionism took hold after the 1960s. The painting in most countries continued in the academic tradition until the end of the century. Excellent painters continued the academic school though the whole period. It is often forgotten today that ‘modern painting’ was by and large rejected by both the public and the critics until very late in the century.             The meaning of “modern” is ” of the present or recent times.”  To pertain the term modern to art work now is confusing.  Did not artists of the Renaissance apply modern to their work as well?  To brand the present era of art as Modern Art we can look to the attitudes and characteristics of our modern world and what art means to artist and its viewers today.  Modern Art can be viewed as a swift and essential art style with many variations.  Technology brought change to civilisation down with a conflicting attitude towards art.  In older times artists were specially made by churches or wealthy families, but our times brought about a change that had artists doing “art for art’s sake.”  With the ongoing wars and political turmoil artists found a getaway with art.  Artists want to endow with a longer lasting escape from all the world’s problems. American artists of this time period were finally renowned as competitive artists and brought the art world looking at art from America. Art nowadays became a movement into a world of colour and expression, a world where an apple is only a blotch of red pigment or a toilet is a work of art, leaving more than a few people wondering what can be considered art.             On the other hand, traditional art and modern art particularly the old artifacts including the antiquities are almost similar in terms of appreciation and evaluation. Basically, moral considerations may play a decisive role in our appreciation of particular works of art, be it the literary or visual form.  Typical of an academic and competitive environment, internal challenges to the idea of the literary came from various sources. The reader-response criticism of Fish (1980), for example, with its roots in analytical philosophy, pragmatism, and linguistic theory, began breaking down the object status of the literary work in the late sixties and developed a strong critique of the special nature of literary language throughout the seventies.             In accordance to modern art, paintings are often regarded as crucial in the current era. And one of the examples of modern art painter is Willem de Kooning. An influential abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning was born on April 24, 1904 in Rotterdam, Netherlands to Leendert de Kooning and Cornelia Nobel. Willem de Kooning’s childhood was marked by the separation of his parents, his family’s mediocrity and his love for arts. His parents could not afford to send him to school which encouraged him to work as an apprentice at the age of twelve. Hard work and talent allowed him to be accepted at an arts academy. Also, de Kooning witnessed the love-hate relationship of his parents and their divorce at a young age. He was closer to his father but his mother demanded for his custody. De Kooning’s wife once shared that her husband described his mother as someone who was hysterical when she was angry. She would grab a knife, yell loudly and pretend to kill herself. This traumatic experience is said to be a contributing factor to the savagery of his Women series of paintings. In his “Woman I” painting in 1950 to 1952, de Kooning used violent brushstrokes and a deformed image of a woman (Ohio State University 2007). The painting displayed a tortured and demonic representation of a woman by scraping and assaulting paint (Encyclopedia of World Biography 2006). Figure 1: de Kooning’s Woman I (Ohio State University 2007)               Fulford (1997) states that de Kooning developed a sense of insecurity out of his family’s economic status. This insecurity pushed him to immigrate to New York upon his awareness that the city was the centre of arts during those years. However, his alien status in the American soil caused him feelings of being oppressed. He gave out a statement in the 1960s which said “It is a certain burden, this American-ness”. According to Sandler (1997) de Kooning found the United States, particularly New York, to be too complicated, claustrophobic, hectic, urbanised and violent despite his love for city life. Hence, his insecurities aggravated and sense of nervousness developed. His nervousness fuelled him to adopt an attitude that abandons clarity and stability. He considered his way of life as something that was not fixed and stable due to the complexities of the city. De Kooning did not spend his career focusing on one style as it suffocated him and made him uncomfortable. His art styles throughout his lifetime were characterised by abrupt shifts and transformations from abstraction (“Red Eye”) to human figuration (“Woman”) to abstraction once again, and from condensed forms to open forms (“Suburb in Havana”) (p. 1). His self-consciousness and discomfort with stability reflected his action paintings as a “struggle between determination and destiny” (Fulford 1997). Figure 2: de Kooning’s Red Eye, 1955 (Horsley 2002) Figure 3: de Kooning’s Woman, 1047 (Horsley 2002) Figure 4: de Kooning’s Suburb in Havana, 1958 (Horsley 2002)             On the other hand, the paintings, sculptures and work of arts sponsored by “The Cannon”, which are considered traditional, are often related to religious belief.  The samples are the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Figure 5 is the Pieta. Figure 5. Pieta             The famous work of Leonardo da Vinci called “The Last Supper” implies significant practices to the culture of the Roman Catholics. Figure 6. The Last Supper             Similar to modern art, traditional arts are also filled with emotion, more passion in creating art from raw materials, where they mix the color. Meaning they are in full control by using traditional methods which reflects to the real emotion of the creator. Basically, the formal elements of a painting are not the only source of authentic aesthetic experience. In the case of representational painting, one cannot identify the appropriate experience of emotion without taking into consideration the content of the picture. Philosophers, in discussing art, gravitate towards reductionism. We simplify examples, devise thought-experiments, and limit discussion to general principles, direct attacks against the arguments of other philosophers. We can, however, develop a more sophisticated understanding of aesthetic appreciation, one which transcends this kind of formalist reductionism (Groarke, 1999). Aside from these arts, African, Australia Aboriginal Arts, and Mid and South American Arts gives a significant contribution to global arts. In Africa, their art is usually constituted of one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize “traditional” African art, the continent is full of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture.  Art is not all about paintings sometimes it is more on the culture of people. Basically, the human figure is the primary subject matter for most African art. In historical periods involving trade between Africa and Europe, the introduction of the human body into existing European pottery and other art forms can reliably be taken as evidence of contact with African cultures. The figure below shows the bronze head of Yoruba.  This head describes the artistic side of Africa. Figure 7. Yoruba-bronze-head The Yoruba people, numbering over 12 million, are the largest nation in Africa with an art-producing tradition. Most of them live in southwest Nigeria, with considerable communities further west in the Republic of Benin and in Togo. They are divided into approximately twenty separate subgroups, which were traditionally autonomous kingdoms. Excavation at Ife of life-sized bronze and terracotta heads and full-length figures of royalty and their attendants have startled the world, surpassing in their portrait-like naturalism everything previously known from Africa. The cultural and artistic roots of the Ife masters of the Classical Period (ca. 1050—1500) lie in the more ancient cultural center of Nok to the northeast, though the precise nature of this link remains obscure. In Australia, art is also important.  Acrylic paintings by Central Australian Aboriginal people is one of the most exciting developments in modern Australian Art. The paintings are mythical representations of landscapes or conceptual maps of designs wrought by ancestors. In this tradition, paintings, dances and songs relating to the Dreamtime are repeating the work of Ancestors, thus keeping the Dreaming alive. Here are some of their works: Figure 8. Bush Tucker   Figure 9. Whalladarloo This work shows Whalladarloo or whirlpool rockhole, part of the river system that forms the headwaters of the Ord River. During the wet season when the monsoonal rains have arrived this rockhole fills with water and a whirlpool forms. During the drier months good water can always be found in Australia. Figure 10. Kakuru Kakuru is the Walmajarri word for Freshwater Mussels. Kakuru were an important food source when people lived a traditional lifestyle and were dug from the sand in waterways near Lake Gregory in the Great Sandy Desert. This painting shows the waterways and the tracks/tunnels of the Kakuru. Aboriginal people traditionally used the materials available to them to symbolise the Dreaming and their world. As a result, art forms varied in different areas of Australia. In the central desert, ground drawing was a very important style of art and throughout Australia rock art as well as body painting and decoration were common although varying in styles, method, materials and meaning. There is and was a wide range of traditional Aboriginal art forms. In Mid and South America, arts are given importance.  Basically, there is a museum know as the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans houses which is the largest single collection of Southern art.  In their arts, movements are very vivid in their art presentation. Numerous movements are included in this broad category, including Southern expressionism, folk art, and modernism. These movements are connected by the commonality of the Southern cultural experiences that formed the perceptions of the artists. While antebellum Southern portraiture has little in common visually with modern Southern expressionism, it is considered Southern art because it was created by Southern artists and its subjects were residents of the American South.  Here are the samples of their artworks: Figure 11. Folk Art by Edward Hicks Figure 12.  Southern expressionism by Catherine Clark Ellis Southern art is more widely recognized as a distinct genre compared to the regional art of other geographic regions of the United States of America. This is a consequence of the unique role the American South played in the history of the United States. Slavery, though legal in every one of the thirteen original colonies, flourished and grew as an institution in the early 19th century in the American South, while it died out in the North. Political issues surrounding slavery caused the American Civil War, and that conflict and its resolution defined the United States and American culture today more than any single event in history. For that reason, Southern art is an important element in the story of the United States of America.             Fry (1958) observed there is the consciousness of purpose, the consciousness of a particular relation of sympathy with the man who made this thing to arouse precisely the sensations we experience. And this recognition of purpose is an essential part of the aesthetic judgment proper. The author’s original purpose is not available as a standard for judging a work of art. In the present instance, however, the artist’s original purpose can be readily recovered (Groarke, 1999).             Apparently, art appreciation reached another level with the coming of the French revolution, and these same aesthetic preoccupations were now shaped and fitted to a new purpose. As Kelder (1976) explained, “It was now the duty of those artists serving the new republic to provide works of art which would stimulate the high moral standards and sense of patriotic self-sacrifice consonant with a utopian state.” This desire for an exalted secular morality expressed itself, in particular, in the revolutionary cult of great men. The artist’s duty was, in this case, clear, to glorify the revolutionary martyr, “to immortalise the sacrifices of these great men through permanent works of art.”             From this presentation, art is definitely an art. People appreciate art not only because of the recognition of any group. It is still in the eye of beholder. That’s why modern artist should not only concern themselves with the excellence already recognised and approved by the Artists’ world/authority e.g. “the Canon”. Truly, we cannot appreciate art unless we first understand what kind of object it is. Formalists argue for an appreciation of an artwork based on formal qualities alone. But to appreciate an artwork is to experience the appropriate emotional reaction. If a masterpiece is, formally, a beautiful work of art, the appropriate emotional response is not spiritual rapture or exaltation. It is a very different feeling, a sense of betrayal, a feeling that one has been swindled, seduced, tricked, defrauded, by the very magnificence of the pictorial representation. A painting is made up of formal elements that constitute, at the same time, an exercise in deception. One cannot avoid the moral issues that arise from judging an art work. It is not as if one experiences the form or the content of a representative painting. The enlightened spectator is aware of both together. An art work is, on one level, a beautiful visual display. On another level, it is an exercise in flagrant, sordid, politically motivated deception. The appropriate aesthetic response includes an awareness of the resultant tension. To naively celebrate the formal beauty of the work without taking into consideration the moral problems it poses is to miss out on a more sophisticated level of aesthetic appreciation (Groarke, 1999).             Art appreciation doesn’t depend on how “The Canon” reacts on it, the appropriate aesthetic reaction to an art work is a simultaneous and complicated awareness of its beauty and its deviousness. People are driven to the aesthetic ecstasy and in the same instance, we are pulled down into disgust and indignation. There is no point trying to find a resolution to this terrible tension. In some painting, the ideal is the sordid and the sordid is the ideal. The experience of successful artistic form must be attended by a corresponding emotional pleasure. From the given examples of artwork, we have an experience of successful artistic form which should be attended by some searing emotional discomfort. In an ideal world, the ethical and the beautiful would exist together. In the real world, things are not so simple.             To appreciate an artwork is to respond with the appropriate emotional reaction. We cannot experience, however, the appropriate emotional reaction to an art work without taking into consideration the subject matter, the historical context and its artistic purpose. Though the previous discussion claimed that formalism allows us to experience the old masters with less intrusion of irrelevancies, and therefore more fully and more intensely, to view this particular painting without taking into consideration its non-formal elements would be unsophisticated, untutored and, properly speaking, unaesthetic. Almost zealously, formalists divorce the moral from the aesthetic. However, in considering the moral ramifications, we are not imposing foreign values on the work. The work, by its very nature, imposes these standards on itself. It demands a moral evaluation. It was originally designed to be viewed in a moral light. If we want to experience it fully, we must grapple with the attendant moral issues.   Conclusion             In the end, many artworks, and for that matter literary works too, do not address moral and political issues in so direct a manner. Every artwork is an expression of human purpose; and, wherever there is human purpose, there is some underlying moral aspiration. Meaning to say, recognition of global community e.g. “The Canon” should not be concerned by artists. It is proper and fitting to respond to the world in an appropriate manner: to delight in the beautiful, to feel awe at the sublime, to laugh at what is truly funny, to weep at what is truly sad, to feel horror at the horrible, to feel contempt for the contemptible, and so on. The best of art enhances and intensifies these feelings, which but celebrate man’s humanity, which but is the purpose of artistry or art, irrespective of the discipline it is now entangled to.   References:   Elkins, J (1995). Art History and Images That Are Not Art ; The Art Bulletin, Vol. 77.   Encyclopedia of World Biography on Willem de Kooning (2006). Book Rags, viewed 12 February 2008. <http://www.bookrags.com/biography/willem-de-kooning>.      Fish, S (1980). Is There a Text in this Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.   Fry, R (1958). Vision and Design. Middlesex: Penguin.   Fulford, R (1997). Robert Fulford’s Appreciation of Willem de Kooning, Robert Fulford Homepage, viewed 13 February 2008, <http://www.robertfulford.com/Dekoonin.html>.   Groarke, L (1999). The Deceitful Artwork: Beautiful Falsehood or False Beauty? Humanitas, Vol. 12, Issue 2, p. 64.   Horsley, C (2002). A Private American Collection, The City Review, viewed 13 February 2008, <http://www.thecityreview.com/f02sco1.html>.   Kelder, D (1976). Aspects of Official Painting and Philosophic Art. New York, London: Garland Publishing.   Sandler, I (1997). ‘Willem de Kooning, 1904-1997-artist-Orbituary,’ Art in America, p. 1.   Willem de Kooning (2008). The Ohio State University, viewed 13 February 2008, <http://arted.osu.edu/160/04_DeKooning.php>.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Modernism Vs the Canon( Artists’ world)

Art Introduction World history has witnessed the birth, development, and achievements of the most talented people. These ...

Art Appreciation

Art Appreciation   1.0  Definition of Art According to Britannica Online, art is defined as “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments or experiences that can be shared with others.” It encompasses diverse media and exists within a continuum that ranges from purely aesthetic purposes on the one hand and to utilitarian purposes on the other. The Free Online Dictionary has a very deliberate definition of art as “the human effort to imitate, supplement, alter or counteract the work of nature.” Art is the conscious production of arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements and other elements which affects the sense of beauty in a way. 2.0  Examples of Art 2.1  Painting – La moulade by Henri Matisse (1905) La moulade (marine) is an oil painting on canvas. This could be considered as an art primarily because of the medium, and that it combines various colors and movements that depict a natural scenario. Matisse had artistic, conceptual and functional purposes for the piece through imitating the work of nature. The aesthetic intents of the painter are evident as he utilised the pointillism style. 2.2  Sculpture – Rocking Chair by Henry Moore (1950s) This mother-and-daughter sculpture was enthused by the birth of the sculptor’s only child. Rocking chair is another work of imitation of real-life situation where it captures the natural beauty of a mother nursing/cuddling a daughter. With bronze as its medium, Moore conveys a specific movement as the figures are reclining, which is also known as anatomical distortion. Through this process, Moore is being able to invoke emotion through displaying the affection between mothers and children.     2.3  Architecture – Tristan Tzara House at Paris by Adolf Loos (1926 to 1927) Located in Paris, France, Tristan Tzara House was conceived for a Romanian and avant-garde poet, essayist and performance artist. Mischievously, Loos contradict the architectural norm during those times, making his works including this one as controversial as ever. The architect minimally compensates the space since it purports as an art studio at the onset. The architectural forms and styles including the design of the house that are otherwise not yet exploited in those days were successfully integrated in the work, serving a practical rationale in a way. 2.4  Photography – The “Deal” by Alfred Stieglitz The picture was taken in Deal, New Jersey wherein the photographer was trying to discover how to draw away from ‘pictorial photography’. Stieglitz used his skills in disclosing the everyday life of the residents for the purpose of providing his audience an escape from romantic images. True enough, the photographer captures reality in his lens with the irony of showing movements in still photographs. Its sepia tone and strikes of blacks and whites highlight the beauty of reality in this art.     2.5  Printmaking – Basswood Tree by Robert Viana Basswood Tree was a formed through a wood cutting technique. This is a wood block print in a graphic heavy weight paper. Traditionally, wood cutting served as the mean of printing patterns on clothes. What makes this piece an artwork is the use of colors and the interplay between it and the medium in order to create an aesthetic object. Its pure visual purpose is an alteration of a work of nature that embarks on the use of cleverness and creativeness of the printmaker. 2.6  Conceptual Art – Putto 8 2.2.2.2 by Michael Rees (2003) This masterpiece of Rees defies the conventional pieces, an element unique to this form of art. Rees combined skills and imagination and then came up with the aesthetic beauty of reconciling mind and sprit. The work demonstrates surrealism and movements as well as distorted forms, making the piece a complete alteration of the nature. In addition, the combination of the sculpture and animation elements contributed to the beauty of Rees’ work.  2.7  Installation Art – Stone River by Andy Goldworthy (2001) The Stone River was completed in late August 2001 from sandstones. This 320-foot sculpture was made inside the Stanford University, and is now the largest outdoor art inside the University. This wall-like serpentine sculptures are an obvious supplement to the work of nature, giving a close-to-nature theme. The expertise of Goldworthy, together with the other eight men who worked on the project, is apparent based on the creativeness of the work. This experience was also shared to others since it is in the vicinity of a public, common place. 2.8  Performance Art – Passion Play Passion play is common during holy week, depicting the life and sacrifices of Christ in mostly Christian (and Catholic) countries. Passion play is an example of an art being shared with others, entrenched on the combined elements of sounds, colors, movements and scenarios. Though passion play has aesthetic purpose, it is more inclined on its serviceable objective for Catholics and non-Catholics.       Reference   Art. (2008). In Britannica Online. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/630806/art#.   Art. (2008). In The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/art.   Basswood Tree by Robert Viana. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.handpulledprints.net/woodcuts/woodcuts.html.    La moulade by Henri Matisse – 1905. Retrieved 29 August 2008 from http://www.abcgallery.com/M/matisse/matisse23.html.    Passion Play. Retrieved 29 August 2008 from http://www.passionplay.ca/.   Putto 8 2.2.2.2 by Michael Rees – 2003. retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://atc.berkeley.edu/bio/Michael_Rees/.   Rocking Chair by Henry Moore – 1950s. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.sindelarandobrien.com/henry/henry.htm.   Stone River by Andy Goldworthy – 2001. retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://museum.stanford.edu/news_room/archived_acquisitions_goldsworthy.html.   The “Deal” by Alfred Stieglitz. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.artsmia.org/get-the-picture/stieglitz/frame09.html.   Tristan Tzara House at Paris by Adolf Loos – 1926 to 1927. Retrieved 29 August 2008, from http://www.zenarch.vn/home/detail.php?iCat=90&iNew=124&module=news.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Art Appreciation

Art Appreciation 1.0 Definition of Art According to Britannica Online, art is defined as “the use of skill and imagination in the c...