February 8, 2013
What
does Art mean? Truly defining art is
quite difficult in reality, as the result all depends on the person
interpreting and the reaction. “Art must
meet a criterion of functionality…we might define art as one person’s
interpretation of reality manifested in a particular medium and shared with
others” to interpret and also appreciate (Sporre19). Various types of art can be defined and
interpreted in many different ways. It
all depends on the person, situation, and eyes on the beholder. Art awakens the imagination. We as humans, are very creative
naturally. It allows an individual to
express him or herself in such ways that he or she would deem possible. Art delves into an individual’s creative gene
and allows him or her to create masterpieces in all sorts of ways. According to Sporre, “The arts comprise
elements of life with which we can and must deal and to which we must respond
every day. We live with the arts because
the principles of aesthetics permeate our existence…the arts play important
roles in making the world around us more interesting and habitable. Artistic ideas join with conventions to make
everyday objects attractive and pleasurable” (15). Art can different effects on different
individuals. Commitment and study of art
is required to fully envelop the meaning of specific pieces of art.
What
is Visual Art? “Visual Art is human
expression in a visual form” (South 1). The
Visual Arts refers to art that an audience can look at and view. Some examples of Visual Arts include:
Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography, Cinema, and
Printmaking. These are all types of art
that an individual views as “functional” and creative. It was only after the Middle Ages that Visual
Arts got its name. During the middle
Ages, the term “the arts” was used to term scholarly disciplines. They were seven in number: Grammar, Rhetoric,
Dialectic Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music (Esaak 1). These seven “arts” were termed Fine Arts in
order to distinctly distinguish them from the “Useful Arts.” The fine arts were termed “fine” because only
those who were educated and did not do any manual labor studied them. The Fine Arts came to be those that pleased
the senses of others. It was not until
later, in times that are more modern did the arts become more specialized and
categorized into Visual Arts, Auditory Arts, and Performance Arts (Esaak
1). The Formal and Technical Qualities
of Visual Art include: Media, Composition, and other Factors. Media can include: Drawing, Painting, Mixed
Media, Printmaking, and Photography.
Composition includes: Elements and Principles of Two-Dimensional
Art. Other Factors include: Perspective,
Chiaroscurro, and Content (Sporre 38).
When
referring to two-dimensional Visual Art, the senses are relatively difficult to
relate to at first. An audience cannot
touch pictures or feel the actual texture, roughness or smoothness of the art
piece. The coolness and or warmth of a
visual piece of art cannot be interpreted quickly. Pictures cannot be heard, smelled, or
tasted. Because of this realization, it
has been concluded that when responding to visual two-dimensional art, the
audience “uses visual stimuli that can change into mental images of touch,
taste, and sound” (Sporre 62). By
visually using one’s senses to capture the message and meaning of the art work,
an individual is participating in Sense Stimuli. Using the five senses, individuals will be
able to understand the meaning of the visual art piece in more than just a
tangible way. By incorporating one’s
senses, the individual is reaching within him or herself to find a deeper and
more powerful meaning to the piece of two-dimensional art. A two-dimensional piece can conjure up
smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and touch.
Sense Stimuli and Two-Dimensional Art can be better described through
Contrasts and Dynamics.
In
Essak’s article, it states, “Contrast is a principle of art that refers to the
arrangement of opposite elements in a piece so as to create visual interest,
excitement and drama” (1). Contrast
appears when two related elements are different. The more prominent the difference in related
elements, the greater the Contrast. Any level
of Contrast adds diversity and variety to the complete and overall design and
masterpiece. Contrast brings unity to
art, even though it involves two counter elements of the same component. This unity enhances visual interest (Bernard
1). Contrast can pull he viewer’s eye
into the two-dimensional piece of Visual art and aid to the act as a guide of
the art piece. If there is too much
monotony within the art piece, interest weakens and the design becomes plain. But, if there is too much Contrast, the
design becomes too complicated and over-designed, making it confusing. “The most common ways of creating Contrast
are by creating differences in: Size, Value, Color, Type, Texture, Shape,
Alignment, Direction, and Movement” (Bernard 1). If these art elements are all the same or
become too complicated within an art piece, the Contrast results in
uninteresting and confusing.
| In this watercolor painting, a 3rd grader is able to illustrate the concept of warm and cool colors contrasting each other in the same art piece. The brushstrokes and colors used, allow the senses to be stimulated in such a way to feel as if the viewer is actually experiencing what is being depicted. The contrasting colors bring a sense of drama, and create moods through the color choices. It is because of the use of contrasting colors that the senses are immediately stimulated and attracted to this watercolor painting. |
http://thinkcreateart.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/warm-and-cool-color-beach-landscape-paintings-3rd-grade/
Contrast
can stimulate the senses. Colors can be
categorized into cool and Warm Colors; Blues and Greens being Cool Colors and
Reds, Yellows, and Oranges being Warm Colors.
The cool colors bring about a sense of chill, lack of light, and they
imply shade. The warm colors on the other side of the
spectrum bring about a sense of heat and strength (Sporre 62). Other forms of Contrasts are black and white,
positive and negative space, and fluidity and rigidness.
In Reality Through the Arts, Sporre states, “Also, highlight and
shadowing creates contrasts, while predominantly red and gold hues warm the
Composition” (62). Chiaroscuro gives a
picture a lot of its character with its use of “light and shade” (Sporre 60). The technical element of the Chiaroscuro is
essential in the application of artist illustrating the flesh on
two-dimensional art. Flesh can appear in
many ways. Because of its versatility,
the sense that is stimulated is sense of touch.
The viewer has the urge to touch the picture and really feel the texture
of the contrasting colors and elements presented in the art piece (Sporre 62).
The
dynamics of art can affect a viewer’s interpretation and his or her senses when
studying a piece of art as well. The
dynamics of art can stimulate the senses that each viewer possess. The dynamics of Visual Art have the potential
to give the piece that extra element of excitement. It is the use of lines, shapes, movement,
solidity, and how the brain perceives the present dynamics. The use of line can create assorted levels of
dynamics to art. As an element of art,
line affects our sense responders.
| Figure 1.40, the Inverted-Triangular Composition brings about a sense of instability and movement. Figure 1.40 would not take a lot of effort to knock over due to its instability (Sporre 64). |
| |
| In Figure 1.39, the Upright- Triangular Composition brings about a sense of solidity and stability. Figure 1.39 would take a lot of effort to knock over dues to its stability, versus Figure 1.40 (Sporre 64). |
Figure 1.41
| In Figure 1.41, the curvy line brings about a sense of relaxation, rest, and calmness (Sporre 64). |
| In contrast, in Figure 1.42, the jagged line brings about a sense of violence, ferocity, and power (Sporre 64). |
According to Sporre,
“vertical composition can express, a sense of dignity and grandeur,” both being
internal feelings, stimulating the senses, and “horizontality can elicit a
sense of stability and [serenity]”(Sporre 64).
This can be illustrated with the use of a triangle. The visual appearance of a
piece of art creates the dynamics. We
must use our sense to interpret those dynamics and how they each contribute to
the overall complexity of the art work.
Using one’s sense can elicit a new perspective on the way a viewer
perceives a piece of art. Although the
use of shapes, lines, movement and solidity can demonstrate the sense stimuli
of dynamics, only relying on either Contrasts and/or Dynamics to get a
realistic sense of the art work being viewed should not be limited. There are other aspects to consider when
viewing a piece of Visual Art.
Although
some may feel Visual Arts are limited to two-dimensional views, Visual Art can
show much more through the use of our senses being stimulated by the art’s
Contrast and Dynamics.
Works Cited:
Bernard, Teresa. "Art Lesson: Principles of
Good Design - Contrast." Principles of Good Design: Contrast, Lesson #6.
Bluemoon Original Oil Paintinga, 2012. Web. Jan. 2013.
<http://www.bluemoonwebdesign.com/art-lessons-6.asp>.
Esaak, Shelley. "Art History: Contrast." About.com
Art History. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. Jan. 2013.
<http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/c_contrast.htm>.
Esaak, Shelley. "What Is Visual Art?" About.com
Art History. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. Jan. 2013.
<http://arthistory.about.com/cs/reference/f/visual_arts.htm>.
South, Helen. "What Is Art?" About.com
Drawing / Sketching. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. Jan. 2013.
<http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawingglossary/g/What-Is-Art.htm>.
Sporre, Dennis J. "Two-Dimensional Art." Reality
Through the Arts. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2013. 19-64.
Print.
ThinkCreateArt. "Warm and Cool Color Beach
Landscape Paintings-3rd Grade." ThinkCreateArt. N.p., 26 Mar. 2010.
Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://thinkcreateart.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/warm-and-cool-color-beach-landscape-paintings-3rd-grade/>.
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