Arts history Essay

The word art lacks a satisfactorily definition of what it really means but it can be defined as he use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others to pass some information. The history of art may be regarded as an attempt to check out art throughout human history, investing through different cultures and their distinguishing features. It may date back to over a thousand years as the word history is not time defined. As the word it blurs in meaning then so is description of what is art and what is not. Art can be grouped into five major categories. This encompasses music, pottery, painting, sculpture and architecture. In ancient times this were done with a view to pass on some vital lessons and for aesthetic reasons. With changing times this has changed as some parties have learned to exploit people’s interest in art by using art commercially. Given the above explanation of the word art then looking at the history of art would mean looking at the history of visual arts of painting sculpture, music, pottery and architecture. Since medieval times representation of ideas perceived as art has played a central role in understanding works of art such as literature. There are many ways of representing art such as n, verbal, visual or musical, as being natural to human beings. . Two Greek grates Aristotle and Plato put their views on representation into perspective. While Aristotle traced representation, original and natural to man, Plato, on the other hand viewed representation with more caution. He recognized that literature is a representation of life, yet also believed that representations create worlds of illusion leading one away from the reality For Plato, representation, like contemporary media, intervenes between the viewer and the real, creating illusions which lead one away from â€Å"real things†. Plato was of the opinion that art representation need some form of control to measure the effect the work of art had on its recipients. (Gallery. 1998) It was Aristotle however who came up with a rather acceptable and definitive description of art representation. He believed that representation was about three main things. The what, the hoe and the means †¢ The object: The symbol being represented. †¢ Manner: The way the symbol is represented. †¢ Means: The material that is used to represent it. Myths are stories that explain why the world is the way it is. All cultures have them. Throughout history, artists have been inspired by myths and legends and have given them visual form. Sometimes these works of art are the only surviving record of what particular cultures believed and valued. But even where written records or oral traditions exist, art adds to our understanding of myths and legends. (Gallery. 1998) In early times, painting was a common way of life. As there was no clear cut way of communicating, painting presented an easy way to pass on into and ideas. In modern days paintings from the past like the Mona Lisa one still hold significant sentimental value. This was done quite a while ago. Simple materials form organic substances were used as the painting medium on walls and any other writing material that presented itself. This were later stored for the write purpose. In ancient Greece, several scribers and writers were known to put down their ideas using ink on scroll books. These were to be stored in porches that were strapped to their backs. Given the modern day description of the word art this practice can be traced as source or art in its own right. (D’Alleva. 2006) Carving can be described as shaping a hard substance to put across some information that the artist wants to put across. Carving was done mostly by the male part of society as much effort was put in. a sharp tool like a carving stone, mattock was instrumental in doing this depending on the malleability of the material. (Frazier, 1999). Carvings of people in war, a king and his subjects and so on used to be examples of how artists harmonized their thoughts into some useful creations. Some works of art done long ago still hold much regard to date. Such include sculptures of icons like leaders. This has been preserved in museums or even in streets in towns. The people who began this practice may have had different regards of doing it. Some may have had an interest in it or maybe just so because an opportunity to engage in the practice. For many though there had been no better means of presenting their ideas. Whatever the reason was for each of those involved, one artifact holds, that none of them did this to start their own line of art. While many may argue their case that these men and women defined art with their efforts, others may be simply dismissing this as another myth. (Gallery. 998) One role of art is to give visible or tangible form to ideas, philosophies, or feelings. This role can be revealing. It can work to heighten our most passionate and intimate yearnings. The Notice, Three Goddesses utilizes an expressive line in the folding layers of the marble cloth. Here, the use of an expressive line functions as an emotional guide for the observer to intuitively follow. (D’Alleva. 2006) The experience of art history, as conveyed by art museums, tends to be organized differently than that of textbooks due to the nature of collections and the institutions themselves. Rather than a full march through time, museums employ curators who assemble objects into exhibitions, often with unique commentary that is later reinterpreted by docents. This may be undertaken with the museum’s archivist. The result is often a strong emphasis on the history of media in conjunction with the history of culture. (D’Alleva. 2006) Such an emphasis on media is a natural outgrowth of the internal classification systems used in art museums, which usually include departments of painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and works on paper. Painting itself includes several media, such as oil painting, Tempera painting, watercolor. Sculpture can be divided into carving and casting. The decorative arts are perhaps the most diverse, as they include: textiles and needlework, which includes weaving and lace. Museums generally cannot collect full buildings, but they may acquire pieces of architectural ornamentation, which also fall under the decorative arts department. Works on paper includes photography and the book arts. (Barbara, 1991) Several myths have been coming up as to what is perceived to have been the right source and origin or even who performed it first. There might not be a perfect conclusive and elaborate explanation to this any time real soon given the uncertainty that even surrounds the meaning of the word on what is art what it is not. Without even knowing this then it proves hard to find out where it came from and what ways were used to represent it. One more reason to this is the fact that a different art can be traced to each different way of life. Given that each of the ancient civilizations had their own way of living then it proves hard going into the past looking for artifacts that were barely recalled. (Adams, 1996)