Look up and list two or more definitions of the word art from different reliable sources on the Internet. Be sure to properly quote and cite these definitions.
Art can be seen in many different ways but is obviously principally an expression of a form or a portrayal of an idea. There are various forms in which one can express artistic passions or ideas be it a painting, a sculpture or another medium (Heidigger, 2001). However art can also be seen as different in the sense that it exhibits man’s passions for a particular subject such as in erotic art where the nude body is something of a fascinating subject. Art can also be seen as a means to an end especially when it is portrayed in a different format or it is used to inspire a movement, for example (Elkins, 1995). Art is also an expression of form and feeling and can be used to describe a particular moment in one’s life accordingly.
Discussion board:
Descriptions of art forms
Example of a Painting:
Portrait of Pope Julius II by Raphael
http://www.google.com.mt/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Pope_Julius_II.jpg/300px-Pope_Julius_II.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Pope_Julius_II_(Raphael)&h=408&w=300&sz=34&tbnid=5FP9vxaqkkmcDM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=66&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPortrait%2Bof%2BPope%2BJulius%2BII%2Bby%2BRaphael%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Portrait+of+Pope+Julius+II+by+Raphael&docid=Y2YHGifAdks09M&hl=mt&sa=X&ei=8osvT4OIB8aDOpHAzZMO&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAg&dur=1108
This stern and firm figure exudes confidence and authority at first glance. Pope Julius II was an autocratic ruler who exterted considerable influence both on an artistic and political level in the Vatican. Raphael choose to inform his subject with a stern gaze and intrinsic grandeur throughout and this obviously shows in his completed painting. The striking red colour of the robes is combined with the white which is also quite brilliant. Pope Julius looks at us firmly and you can sense that there is no brooking his authority as he goes about his task with firm fortitude. Raphael is also sensitive with the surroundings which are as plain as possible but also imbue a certain sense of grandeur and pomposity. It is probably one of his finest portraits in this sense.
Example of a Sculpture:
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=81779
Man Pointing by Alberto Giacometti is indeed one of the finest examples of modern art in today’s day and age. It was rapidly created and assembled with several facets of its art demonstrating that it is truly one of the great sculptures of its age. The sculpture shows that form, content and subject matter can be intrinsically related and we have the thinness of their forms truly demonstrating that they are heavily influenced by modern mannerisms.
Example of Architecture:
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
http://www.centrepompidou.fr/
This wily and original building is the brainchild of the great architect Renzo Piano who is currently working on the designs for a new entrance to the city of Valletta in Malta. Here one can intrinsically observe the vast conceptual ideas of the architect who is very direct in his construction techniques and embodies the word art in the best sense of the word. Although the building’s design may be ugly to some, it certainly shows that art can come in different forms and guises.
Example of Photography:
Clearing Winter Storm
http://www.google.com.mt/imgres?imgurl=http://masters-of-photography.com/images/screen/adams/adams_storm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://masters-of-photography.com/A/adams/adams_clearing_winter_storm.html&h=275&w=327&sz=31&tbnid=n3bImVIoqaKtZM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=115&prev=/search%3Fq%3DClearing%2BWinter%2BStorm%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Clearing+Winter+Storm&docid=2HN09n33vq5u3M&hl=mt&sa=X&ei=RIwvT46xK4GXOsX4jY0O&ved=0CCYQ9QEwAQ&dur=787
Clearing Winter Storm is a fascinating photograph full of hidden messages and a rarefied beauty which is the epitome of a work of art.
Nature is a beautiful thing and this photograph epitomizes the beauty of nature in several ways. First of all the mountain ranges are caught with a certain amount of purity although the clouds obscure them slightly creating a sort of patchwork effect which is all the more intense and captivating. The photographer manages also to assume a certain mystical effect as the storm is actually clearing also demonstrating a masterful and assured use of spatial effects which truly show his capability at creating a scene of utter beauty and at the same time, awe.
Although one could argue that the black and white nature of the photograph reduces its capability to shock, this medium is still extremely effective. What is most impressive at this stage is the way the sky is caught with all the clouds moving alone quite forcefully and also demonstrating what can be done with a certain camera angle. This is also portrayed in the way the clouds sort of intermesh with the beauty of the landscape which although rugged and wild is particularly impressive especially in the lower sections of the photograph.
Example of Printmaking:
Pablo Picasso: Seven Colour Linocut, 1962
http://sapergalleries.com/PicassoBloch1098.jpg
In this print, Picasso uses several interesting techniques such as etching and scraping to come up with an example of printmaking at its very best. Although this can seem to be slightly wayward at first glance, the etching is quite beautiful in parts of it and shows that art can truly be something special and unique when the right techniques are applied
Conceptual Art:
Marchel Duchamp: Fountain
http://www.google.com.mt/imgres?q=Marchel+Duchamp:+Fountain&um=1&hl=mt&sa=N&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=6S1no-cFWbsxMM:&imgrefurl=http://www.beatmuseum.org/duchamp/fountain.html&docid=IOyNy7QnyobShM&imgurl=http://www.beatmuseum.org/duchamp/images/fountain.jpg&w=600&h=713&ei=bowvT8X4CfDP4QSPw4CIDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=303&vpy=131&dur=1290&hovh=245&hovw=206&tx=125&ty=124&sig=107938872887399881728&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=126&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1366&bih=653
This controversial sculpture demonstrates an urinal in an original art form. Here it is obviously debatable if this is actually an art form although several would agree that the sculpture is of considerably higher quality than one would expect from the conceptual art form. In my opinion this is art as it expresses some sort of form and is actually a means to an end in that sense.
Installation Art:
Rachel Whiteread: Embankment at Tate Modern
http://www.google.com.mt/imgres?q=Rachel+Whiteread:+Embankment+at+Tate+Modern&um=1&hl=mt&sa=G&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=Hw-a9rwD_lfGrM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/whiteread/&docid=VvyQhjsdZgCaZM&imgurl=http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/whiteread/images/whiteread-final-7-lg.jpg&w=512&h=334&ei=rYwvT8qiJ-nk4QSW8KypDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=279&vpy=159&dur=165&hovh=181&hovw=278&tx=192&ty=105&sig=107938872887399881728&page=1&tbnh=121&tbnw=185&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&biw=1366&bih=653
This vast installation is made up of several different blocks which form a sort of building or embankment across some imaginary river. Here Whiteread lets her imagination run completely riot in the sense that she is attempting to portray something which in her head is quite vast and which comes across to be also very much direct. It is definitely an expression of an art form as it shows the wildness and stark power of a set of blocks which is basically what this work of art is all about.
Example of Performance Art
Review of a recent musical concert:
Russell Peek: Lift Off
David T Little: Speak Softly
Lynne Glasscock: Teamwork
Peter Saleh: In the Toybox
Christopher Rouse: Ogoun Radagris
The concert in the school hall of the University of Evansville in Indiana was a real shocker and hugely interesting. The percussion ensemble performed some very modern works with huge aplomb and everything came across as very striking indeed. One aspect of the concert which was perhaps overlooked by other critics during the event was the excellent level of acoustics which was prevalent throughout the whole evening. The percussion was extremely strong throughout and also included some innovative instrumentation.
References:
Martin Heidegger, "The Origin of the Work of Art", in Poetry, Language, Thought, (Harper Perennial, 2001). See also Maurice Merleau-Ponty, "Cézanne's Doubt" in The Merleau-Ponty Aesthetics Reader, Galen Johnson and Michael Smith (eds), (Northwestern University Press, 1994) and John Russon, Bearing Witness to Epiphany, (State University of New York Press, 2009).
Elkins, James "Art History and Images That Are Not Art", The Art Bulletin, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Dec. 1995), with previous bibliography. "Non-Western images are not well described in terms of art, and neither are medieval paintings that were made in the absence of humanist ideas of artistic value". 553
The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, p. 120
Karl Robert Mandelkow, Bodo Morawe: Goethes Briefe. 2. edition. Vol. 1: Briefe der Jahre 1764-1786. Christian Wegner, Hamburg 1968, p. 487 (German)
