A World of Art Discussion - Essay Example

? THE WORLD OF ART The present paper aims to discuss various forms of arts, handicrafts and fine arts, with special reference to the invention of camera and its impact on human life. The paper also throws light in the processes applied in sculpture and paintings and their significance in the accomplishment of the art work. The paper also looks for discussing the wonderful works created by renowned artists Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh. The main aim behind selecting these two illustrious artists includes the long lasting influence of their works they laid on the future artists and their work. Renowned artist, scientist and philosopher Leonardo is particularly famous for rendering exemplary services in the fields of paintings and sculptures. The paper has analyzed the famous works of both these creative giants in order to bring to lime-light their gifted talent and command over their work. Subtractive and Additive Processes Subtractive process refers to the creation of sculpture by removing the extra mass from the material to be applied in the entire process. In simple words, subtractive method creates sculpture by taking away the material from the wood or stone while shaping the sculptures. According to Abraham Lincoln Art Gallery, subtractive sculpture is by far the most technically difficult and due to the nature of the medium is the most restrictive in expression. Thus, removing of the material in bulk made of either wood or stone is called subtractive process. Carving is the best example of subtractive process. Carving is typically a subtractive process, in which the material, such as wood or plaster or clay is chipped or carved away until the desired sculptural form emerges. (galenaparkisd.com) Subtractive sculpture On the other hand, in additive process of sculpture creating, the material is added on the piece to be constructed in order to give its proper shape. Hence, joining a smaller piece of clay to a larger piece is called additive process. (galenaparkisd.com) For example, in assemblage the sculptor adds the material for shaping the statue. Both subtractive and additive processes maintain great significance in the development of sculptures. The former carves the already existing material and excludes the surplus matter from it; while the latter observes addition of the material to be applied while building the sculpture. Both these terms are also applied in paintings, where the mixing and combining various colors and oils help in making a refined piece of art. Crafts and Fine Arts: Crafts simply stand for the skill and dexterity over creating one thing or the other. In crude sense, it is related to a person’s skill to create, form and shape something. Though handy-work and creating different objects comes in the definition of crafts, yet trade, commerce and business activities also come under its definition. However, designing and forming jewelry, vases, pottery, statues and other objects is called crafting. On the contrary, fine arts contain broadness in its nature and scope, where all forms of arts including drama, poetry, dance, music, sculpture, paintings, photography, calligraphy, assemblage, installation and others come under the term fine arts. Fine arts include the objects such as paintings and sculptures that are created to be looked at because they are beautiful or interesting. Fine art is different to crafts or art that has a practical use. In simple words, the artist does not require practice to have command over creating fine art; rather, it is just gifted talent applied to create various forms of art. (macmillandictionary.com) Major developments in the camera arts: The invention and inclusion of camera in fine arts brought tremendous revolution in the creative activities, where preservation of the most accurate images of humans, fauna, flora and other material objects became very fast, easy and long lasting. Before the invention of camera, the pencil work, oil paintings, canvas painting and sculptures had been in vogue as the sources to preserve the images. However, the results of hand-made images were not such refined ones in comparison with the camera, which captures the true image along with the background in which the image has been created. Hence, invention of this wonderful piece of fine arts has proved extremely supportive in respect of giving perpetuity to the remarkable moments of life, which are both pleasant and unpleasant in nature. The word camera is a Latin word that simply means room; the name is given to this wonderful device because of the very fact that the camera artists used to copy the images in dark rooms. (Chapter 13: 274) Though still camera was invented by Zahn by the end of 17th century, yet the device required significant developments as yet. According to famous Historical Events, photography is generally reckoned to have begun with Daguerre in 1839; he was the first man to make it practicable as well as possible. From the announcement, in August of that year, of his success, his “daguerreotype” was supreme for twelve years. Thus, it experienced gradual and steady growth with the passage of time. The British photographer William Talbot presented a process for fixing negative images on paper coated with light sensitive chemicals, and the process was named as photogenic drawing. (275) Consequently, the art of portrait painting witnessed a drastic decline particularly in Europe, where the eye of the camera lens could capture the entire scenario within a jiffy instead of applying hard efforts while making sketches of one person only. Though the preparation of daguerreotype portraits was also time consuming and tiresome, it observed tremendous popularity, sale of which started touch millions in number during the second half of nineteenth century. The most notable disadvantage of this type of photography was its inability to reproduce once created image or portrait. Consequently, efforts were made to preserve the print of the portrait in order to obtain copies of the same images even on demand in future. Talbot was successful in doing the same y mid 1850s by preparing the plates for the images. Another English artist and sculptor Frederick Archer created a wet-plate collodion photographic process in 1850 that was adopted by the photographers all over the world within five years only. The British, French and German royalty paid due heed in promoting photography by providing funds to the researchers as well as for inventing further instruments. core77.com Twentieth century turned out to be most fruitful in this respect, where countless auto system advanced cameras got introduction in all parts of the world, which were particularly used in WWII events coverage. In the beginning, simple still camera sets were used that were huge in size and did not give very good results. However, with the passage of time, camera also made developments, and digital camera sets were introduced that gave the message of perfection and excellence in respect of storing the beautiful images in a remarkable manner. Gradually, movie cameras also got their way in the market, which could preserve all the movements and activities of the people. Film industry was also established on the basis of movie cameras and latest form of which is available in market in the form of handy-cameras and digital cameras. It was until the later part of the last century that black and white films and photographs could be drawn out of the cameras. Renowned American artist Meyerowitz had been working to fill colors in these beautiful works of art in order to present the very real image of the humans and objects at large. Consequently, early 1960s observed the inclusion of widespread colored cameras, which earned popularity in the film industry and journalism during mid-1970s. The splendid growth of technology turned out to be highly beneficial in the fields of natural sciences, computer technology, learning and further inventions. The research work has also witnessed unabated boost where the microscopic cameras can draw the picture of micro organisms. In addition, geography, astronomy, navigation and social sciences also observed stupendous development in the wake of the technological advancements in the fields of photography. Biological and astronomical studies are particularly dependent of photographical instruments for making experiments and conducting researches in bringing further inventions in their respective fields. Thus, camera became the symbol of progress in all fields of life that wide opened the doors of future researches and entertainments all over the globe. Leonardo da Vinci Art was given for this. God uses us to help each other so, Lending our minds out (Robert Browning: Fra Lippo Lippi, 1855) The world famous artist, painter, sculptor, musician, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Leonardo da Vinci is not dependent of any introduction or orientation. By dint of his God-gifted mental capabilities and artistic proficiencies, he rendered outstanding services in multiple fields of life. It was Leonardo to investigate the growth of child in mother’s fetus that was undoubtedly an extraordinary achievement in the field of natural sciences. Consequently, even the present-day scientists are astonished at the accomplishments made by this born intellectual of all times. However, his proficiency and talent was not confined to science only. Rather, he also earned profound reputation as a remarkable sculptor, philosopher and painter as well. The most noteworthy of these is the Bust of a Woman with Flowers, which is now increasing attributed to Leonardo. This work is significant for being the first bust in Renaissance art which displayed the hands. (lairweb.org.nz) Horse sculpture by Leonardo (leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com) The above-mentioned horse sculpture reveals the great gifted talent of the great artist, where he has depicted a wonderful sculpture of horse without mitigating its grace and beauty. At first sight, it appears to be real horse with all its magnificence and strength. Leonardo's talents and training as a sculptor came in handy during this time. He filled cavities like the brain and the heart with wax and made plaster casts of them; in this way he could establish their true shapes. Leonardo can claim to be the first man to show the correct shape of the spine and the tilt of the pelvis. (Quoted in lairweb.org.nz) His talent and artistic work has earned him unabated respect in the list of the most talented artists of the world. Vincent van Gogh Vincent van Gogh was 19th century Dutch painter, artist and sculptor, who created captivating pieces of art by dint of his profound exposure in the fine arts as well as his innate talent of creativity. Though the artist did not earn fame and acknowledgement in his life, and experienced financial problems throughout his life, yet the world started realizing the hidden dexterity and command over depicting amazing pieces of fine arts after his suicidal death in 1890. Consequently, his works were started investigated at national and continental scales, where the future artists sought great inspiration by his work during 20th century. He was trend-setter in the field of sculpture building, and prepared bewitching statues out of cabbage and clogs. (vangoghgallery.com) Van Gogh had got special aptitude for paintings, and reflection of colors while applying subtractive technique was of great interest for him. Though he could sell his only one major work in the form of paintings in his life, yet pieces of his art won sparkling posthumous sales during 20th century. Sculptures built with cabbage and clogs His finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. (vangoghgallery.com) Skull of a skeleton by Vincent van Gogh List of References: Vincent van Gogh: Biography Retrieved from http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html Sculpture and Still Life with Cabbage and Clogs Retrieved from http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Letter%20Sketches/2036/Sculpture-and-Still-Life-with-Cabbage-and-Clogs.html Types of Sculpture. Retrieved from http://www.abrahamlincolnartgallery.com/essaytypesofsculpture.htm Leonardo sculpture http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/sculpture.html Vocabulary http://www.galenaparkisd.com/campuspages/wae/Vocabulary.htm http://www.famoushistoricalevents.net/invention-camera/ http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/fine-art Fine Art http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/fine-art Camera image core77.com Read More