Research Topics: 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....

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...

Can you see the Light as art?

Can you see the Light as art?   The cosmopolitan society and modern cities flare up the night with lights. Colors are everywhere at night. The lights from the neon signs are nothing but visually catchy and considerably deserve the chance for second glance or even a stare. Neon signs are made of luminous tubes that contain the inert gas called neon at a low pressure. These signs are crafted by bending glass tubes to form shapes and figures. In terms of the principles and elements of art, neon signs are considered non conventional art forms. They have the line, shape, color, value and so on. Neon signs are often two-dimensional and have catchy and flaring colors that glow brightly given a higher voltage. In making neon signs, a skilled worker or possibly a neon artist uses glass bender, neon or tube bender. The manufacturing process is considerably technical and includes several mechanical processes such as heating, welding, melting, and others. Electricity makes neon signs work. The use of line, space and balance is simple as it only forms letters or icons that represent a certain thing. Neon signs are primarily used as marketing and advertising tools. The subject matter is usually the nature of the business. It is purely commercial or to draw attention of potential clients. Given this function, the neon signs are representational. The traditional role of the artist exemplified is the creativity. Neon signs are art in its own nature. It gives pleasure to the eyes similar to those of the mainstream arts. In the metro, the night is dark but the lights of the neon signs let people’s eyes feast on the luminosity and magnificence of this unusual art. Now, can you see the Light as art?     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Can you see the Light as art?

Can you see the Light as art? The cosmopolitan society and modern cities flare up the night with lights. Colors are everywhere at nig...

Statuette of Amun and Statue of Memi and Sabu: Ancient Egyptian Sculptures

Statuette of Amun and Statue of Memi and Sabu: Ancient Egyptian Sculptures   From the Metropolitan Museum of Art collections, the Statuette of Amun (ca. 945–715 BC) is an Ancient Egyptian art that is made of solid gold and primarily relates to the strong beliefs of the Deity in ancient Egyptian civilization. The Statue of Memi and Sabu (ca. 2575–2465 BC) is a pair statues (a husband and wife) made of painted limestone and holds a belief that statues can be used as home of the departed ones. It is a statuette of a standing man, with left leg forward, flat-topped crown (with two tall gold feathers that are now missing), braided beard with a curled tip, and carries the ankh (life) emblem on his left hand, and a scimitar across his chest. The statue is a standing man and a woman, with an unusual position of arms as Memi is returning Sabu’s embrace, and he stands with his feet together, rather than the normal masculine pose (feet striding forward). In terms of materials used, the statuette is cast in solid gold and is considered as an extraordinarily rare example of the sculpture made of precious materials. Popular beliefs on early Egyptian culture, particularly those who belong to the upper class, reflect the fondness to gold as an adornment. This piece of ancient art is considered as evidence to such popular belief. The statue, on the other hand is made of painted limestone, one of the earliest and most popularly used mineral during the era. The style of these pieces of art is metal and stone sculpture. There are many statues and statuettes in ancient Egyptian civilizations. The inclination to the creation of touchable images of deities for worship is evident. The lines are simple as they define the usual shape of a man. However, notable features include the narrow waist and the soft modeling of the torso. The statuette actually forms an image of a powerful man while the statue forms a couple. The texture is hard as it is made of polished solid gold and limestone. In terms of principles of design, both artworks fairly conform to such individual criteria and relative to the characteristics of arts during the specified period. The statuette is also similar to other Egyptian sculptures made during the era. The meaning of the statuette of Amun is more directed to worshipping and religious orientation. According to Silverman and Brovarski (1997, p. 42), this statue might have stood on one of the courts to which the upper class or even the common people had their way in. The statuette has facial features that are similar to those of Tutankhamun. It is because of the belief that it was made during the king’s reign. For the statue, it is supported by the belief that it could be used as home of the souls of deceased. The belief of the after life is also associated in this artwork.             The symbolism of the statuette and the statue is relevant to the fact that ancient Egypt and its people are ruled by strong influence of the Deity and the act of worshiping them. The belief of the after life is also common.             These pieces of art are fit into the context of the time period as Egyptian pays particular importance on the worship of the Deity in terms of creating touchable representations and the belief of achieving a favorable life after death. It represents the ancient Egyptian cultural beliefs and practices in general particularly on myth, symbol, and institution (Kemp 2005).     References   Kemp, B. J. (2005). Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization. London: Routledge.   Silverman, D. P. & Brovarski, E. (1997). Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture, and Artifacts. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.     Images   Statue of Memi and Sabu – http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/02/afe/ho_48.111.htm   Statuette of Amun – http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/04/afe/ho_26.7.1412.htm     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Statuette of Amun and Statue of Memi and Sabu: Ancient Egyptian Sculptures

Statuette of Amun and Statue of Memi and Sabu: Ancient Egyptian Sculptures From the Metropolitan Museum of Art collections, the Statu...

ART APPRAISING

Objects as Social Symbol – Salvador Dali Introduction             There are many arts that have different meanings and have different interpretation. One of these is the art which has any objects as its subjects and symbolizes relevant social issues. Taking his one of the famous paintings “the persistence of memory” that has the social impact and symbol in its community, it only signifies that in at any subject always has the symbol as seen deeply.   Salvador Dali             Salvador Dali was born in the family of Figueras in Catalina and young age he drawn the display of power by his own or by his authorities. Dali’s secret life was self-absorbed, voyeurism, and cruel for enjoying the exhibitionism. Despite of having the unusual behavior, he also has the unusual talent for painting and drawing. In his early age, he concentrates on landscapes. He is considered to be the giant surrealist for the art and stretches the boundaries in its own mind as well as the audience for his career. Dali joined the surrealist ranks and found himself as the forefront in the movement. According to its audience, despite of its odd tone in its artworks, its artworks are existence of inspiring and calming with artworks while they are also high quality posters (Duke, 2008).   The Persistence of Memory – Description             The persistence of memory is considered to be most famous for its paintings. The painting is a surrealistic piece that introduces the image for the soft melting pocket watch that ignites the theory of hardness and softness as a central thinking and predicts the transition of scientific phase. This has the possibility of recognizing the human figure at the mid of the composition to the strange monster that the painter used that represents himself. This has the form that becomes something to the self portrait that reappears in the frequent work. It has also the orange clock in the bottom of the left painting that covered in the ants. The painter used the image of the ants that symbolizes death (Museum of Modern Art, 2008).   The Persistence of Memory – Objects/Symbol             Generally, the tree only symbolizes the life though it has the similar function for this case in the elements of the picture and in impressing the anxiety. On the other way, this conceived the functional element on the drape of the watches that represents terror. The golden cliffs at the upper right hand of the corner are all reminiscent for the homeland of Dali yet deriving the cliffs and rocks at the Cape Creus. The painting has also rumor that it has been sprinkled by red wine after the completion (Ibid).   The Persistence of Memory – Value             The painting had been founded by Dali in the summer day and has headache. After his meal, he saw the cheese which became the account for the sunny day heat. At that night, searching for subject to be the subject, he realizes the clocks in the landscape and start to paint on. After several hours, he started to do the melting pocket watches that made the iconic image today. It was first exhibited in Paris at the Galerie Pierre wherein it was purchased in the New York for 0.   The Persistence of Memory – Dali’s Subvert and Re-conceptualization             The painter knew that the mastering of the usual paralyzing of the eye fooling and painted the imperialist of the fury precision yet the systematize confusion in helping the reality of world. In this manner, Dali had rendered the fantastic yet meticulous verisimilitude for the presentation of his dreams of credible and tangible appearance. The so called hand painted photographs, the hard objects became soft one, and the time bends, and limps as well as having the metal attraction to the ants. The monstrous creatures were the profile of the painter whereas its eyelashes are insects like. The limps of the watches are re-conceptualized and became like a soften cheese and the camembert of time. The permanence goes to the ants yet represents decay while attacking the gold watch and become organic (Authentic Society, 2008).   Conclusion             The persistence of memory only signifies the life of Dali regarding the terror and its soft as well as hard side of its attitudes. This only proves that any object as subject in any art has significant symbol and meaning. There is a strange monster or the fears of the painters in its painting. Accordingly, before the painting had done, there had been the cultivation of the self-induced psychotic hallucination creating the art. In my analysis, the painting only signifies the painful experiences of painter that started from the powerful man and anything that hard can be soft by single ants in their lives which can be a person, thing or events. Thus, it’s meaning only hard to forget by the feeling by the provoked observation of the contents of the painting.   Bibliography Salvador Dali Biography 2008, Duke, viewed 16 October, 2008, http://www.duke.edu/web/lit132/dalibio.html. The Persistence of Memory 2008, Museum of Modern Art, viewed 16 October, 2008, http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79018 The Persistence of Memory 2008, Authentic Society, viewed 16 October, 2008, http://www.authenticsociety.com/about/ThePersistenceOfMemory_Dali   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ART APPRAISING

Objects as Social Symbol – Salvador Dali Introduction There are many arts that have different meanings and have different in...

About Clarifying the Elements that Unify Islamic Art

What is Islamic Art? About Clarifying the Elements that Unify Islamic Art         Introduction The term Islamic art represents an entry to a rich field of artistic traditions of Islamic civilization.  Although Islamic art has been the subject of study by many scholars since the nineteenth century, and it has, come to receive growing attention during the last three or four decades as a distinct category of art, the term “Islamic art” might be confusing to some. Grabar (1987) refer this obscureness to the correlation between Islam and art he noted, “A great deal of occasionally acrimonious confusion surrounds the use and meaning of the word Islamic when applied to art” (p.5). As many scholars recommended, this matter of confusion may be caused by the impact of many factors; one of them, is the variety of significances that this term refers to. Hillenbrand (1999) had noted “It is truly no more than an introduction to a vast field”(p.9). It represents a remarkable unity and describes a vast field of artistic styles, and art forms that produced in a vast time span across a large geographical area that extended from Spain to the borders of china. Styles such as Moroccan in Spain and North Africa, Fatimids and Mamlouks of Egypt, Ottomany in Turkey and Asia Minor, Safavidy in Persia, Mughal In India, and other regional styles that appear in the Islamic world. These styles are all united under this term despite the differences in race, and tradition. Furthermore, it used to characterize a diversity of artistic forms such as, Moroccan art of pottery (Zillij), Arabic calligraphy, Arabesque, the art of book, and others.   Another factor that may cause this confusion is the different concepts, and the variety of perspectives that established by scholars to introduce or criticize Islamic art. The conflict in Scholars definitions about Islamic art may be caused by their concepts in the key subject of whether Islamic art is only a decorative art or is a symbolic type of art that contain meanings and values. In western or modern conception of art, it considered as a minor art, which created for decorative purposes and dose not contain any human expression. For example Kuhnel (1966) has noted “It would be a mistake to attribute symbolic or allegorical meaning to these natural motifs when they appear in fantastic stylisations, nor should one seek for the representation of historical events”(p.24). In the other hand we can see a totally different understanding to this art such as what Nasr (1987) revealed. He presented Islamic art in a religious concept through the connections he made between Islamic faith and Islamic art, “Traditional Islamic art conveys the spirituality and quintessential message of Islam through a timeless language which, precisely because of its timelessness as well as its direct symbolism. (p.195)         In this article the focus will be on clarifying the vagueness that surrounds the use of the term “Islamic art”, investigating what it refers to, what are the factors that create its unique identity, exploring what are the main elements that unify Islamic art across al Islamic world. In order to have comprehensive understanding of this art and the forms it created, it is necessary to investigate first whether the Islamic faith imposed certain rules that required or shaped artistic expression.     Defining Islamic Art What is the Islamic art? Is it the art of people who belong to Islam, or is it the art that serves Islam as a religion? Nasr (1987) defines Islamic art as “the result of the manifestation of unity upon the plane of multiplicity,” furthermore; he suggests, “without the tow fountains and sources of the Quran and the Prophetic blessing there will be no Islamic art ”(p.7). Nasr has made a clear connection between Islamic art and Islamic spirituality through clarifying the important role of Divine Revelation in art making. It is clear that Nasr`s definition is based on the religious affiliation of the Islamic art, which inconsistent with what most other scholars agree on. Many scholars have noted that the artist who actually produced a work of Islamic art may not be a Muslim. Grabar (1987) for example see that Islamic art “refers to the monuments and remains of material culture made by or for people who lived under rulers who professed the faith of Islam or in social and cultural enmities which, whether themselves Muslim or not, have been strongly influenced by the modes of life and thought characteristic of Islam”.     Komaroff (1999) noted that this term “not only describes the art created in specifically in the service of Islam, but it also characterizes secular art produced in lands under Islamic rule or influence, whatever the artist’s or the patron’s religious affiliation. ” Burckhardt (1976) noted that this term “refers to all the arts of the Muslim people, whether those arts be religious or non-religious (p.31).   For many western scholars, it is not very clear to them what is really mean by “Islamic” when used as adjective modifying “art”. In western scholarship about Islamic art, Papadopoulo (1980) stresses that an artist’s personal religion “does not necessarily determine the aesthetic nature of his work” (p. 23). He points out that a representation of persons or events connected with Muslim religion would not in itself make the work “Muslim”. Other scholars consider issues of the artists’ identity and geographical context of art. But Muslim art scholars have no problems on the definition of Islamic art. Al-Faruqi (1984) believes that the integral relationship between Islam and Islamic art, whether or not the objects or monuments are specifically related to an Islamic ritualistic tradition. Al-Faruqi (1984) defines Islamic art as the art of Islamic culture that is integrally related to the Islamic ideology or the fundamental doctrine of Tawhid or “Divine Unity.” Furthermore, she differentiates Islamic art from Muslim art. According to her, the latter refers to the creation of a Muslim conglomerate where Islam as a religion is perceived to have brought little to the art.        The Impact of Islamic Faith on Art  To have a clear understanding of what Islamic art is, an understanding of Islam as a faith and a way of life is necessary. The word “Islam” in Arabic means submission to the will of God (“Allah” in Arabic), it also means to achieve peace-peace, peace with oneself, peace with the creations of God, and commitment to his guidance.  Mohammad, Gods messengers and the last of Prophets, call upon the pure monotheism, he did not consider Islam a new religion, but a continuation and fulfilment of the same basic message that was revealed by God to other prophets before him (Abraham, Moses, Noah, Jesus) Quran, the holly book of God, is both a spiritual and social law. Sunna, the way of life of the Prophet, and his traditional sayings, regulate not only cult and common law but also the fundamental and recurrent facts of everyday life, such as how to eat, procreate, sleep, and other life activities.   The currency of Islam to cover central Asia in the east to cost of Africa and Spain in the west in less than eighty years is a one of the most extraordinary events of history. Islamic ideology and its meanings were diffused as the conquerors cross from region to anther. The major interest for the Moslems at that period was Al-Tabligh, which mean notifying the message of God to humanity.  In that early era of Islamic civilization, there was no clear achievement in art or architecture,   Muslims were affected more strongly by their common possession of religious confession; it bridged differences of race and tradition, and even forced the customs and manners of its components, as well as their spiritual concerns, into an extraordinarily clear and uniformed mould. The importance of Quran as a guide in all life’s questions as well as in matters of faith was the bond that held the whole Islamic world together. The unity of the Islamic world was preserved by the general acceptance of Divine law, the (sharia,) which gave Islam a coherent social structure in an immutable law that has sustained it for more than a century. Islam as perceived by many Muslims is a binding force toward each other that creates a sense of brotherhood and a sense of a wider belonging to a moral code and a greater interest.  As a creed of faith, Islam underpins the moral values of justice, goodness and family, and denounces atrocious acts of evil. This “divine” concept has a reflection on all aspects of Muslims life, especially in art.    Aesthetics of painting, sculpture, and other arts are not mentioned in Quran. Nevertheless it contains a number of precise statement and general attitudes which impact on later Islamic art was significant, such “ O you who believe, indeed wine, games of chance, statues, and arrows for divination are a crime, originating in Satan”(Quran 5:93). While the word use her (Alansab) is often translated as “statue”, it refers to idols, many of which were in human or living form. Grabar (1987) has noted that at the time of the growth of Islam images had acquired a meaning much beyond their value as works of art; they were symbols of mystical, theological, political, imperial, and intellectual ideas and were almost the equivalents of the acts and personages they represented (p.6).    The absence of figurative art in Islamic art may be attributed to an Islamic antipathy toward anything that might be mistaken for idols or idolatry, which are explicitly forbidden by Islam. One of Islam’s fundamental beliefs is that God is the only Creator, the Creator of everything, and the only who give life, taking this creed with the view of idol meanings at that time we can understand the often repeated tradition that the artist who fashions a representation of a living thing is a competitor of God.   Islamic art is based on the Islamic principle of “Divine Unity” or Tawhid is the Islamic doctrine of radical unity of God and with God. This doctrine defines God by the Will— God the Omnipotent, The Perfect, The Unknowable, The Incommensurable. This concept of wholeness of reality encompasses both the temporary material aspect of things and their being reflections of God (Sakili, 1990). The “Divine Unity” as the encompassing concept considers everything in relationship and in unity. The unity of the universe, the unity of life, the unity of mankind, and the unity of knowledge among others, is not only a passive expression of the philosophical outlook, but an active and dynamic drive that pushes the Muslim to behave and act in accordance with this principle.   In architecture, painting, arabesque, calligraphy, carving, weaving or in any arts, an inspired Muslim artist has always sought to create an ambience in which the transient and the temporal characters of material things are emphasised in which the space of object is accentuated. Art, elements, in accordance with the principle of wholeness and unity, must be transfigured or denaturalised in order to draw one’s imagination away from human nature and towards the contemplation of the Divine. The best way for a Muslim to experience the unity of art elements in Islamic art is through the space and architecture of the mosque. The mosque, as a recreation and recapitulation of the harmony and order of the whole of virgin nature, is to the Muslim an opportunity that enables him to return to the bosom of nature and be one with God. The space and other features of the mosque integrate it to the sacred space of the Divine as centre or focal point of very Muslim city or town.      The Main Elements that Unify Islamic Art This section is a brief look of three elements in Islamic art- geometrical patterns, arabesque (floral and foliage motifs), and Arabic calligraphy- clarifying causatives that make them to be popular in all eras and regions across the Islamic world. These are the main elements that unify the, and make an, Islamic art.   In Islamic art, stylisation is used to mask the growing or living characteristics of figures, transforming them into lifeless shapes (Al-Faruqi, 1984). In Islamic art, the natural figures of human, animal and even plant are transformed to make a positive effort to create a form. In addition, materials and structures must be treated in a manner that would negate their naturalistic qualities. The repetitive abstract elements and geometric shapes must be successfully arranged in well-ordered relationship to draw the viewers’ eyes and mind from elements to element or from rhythmic movement to rhythmic movement in a ceaseless series which cover the decorative area of a given space.   Geometric Patterns According to Al-Faruqi (1984) there are three basic principles of Islamic art to correspond to the unifying nature of the Islamic faith: abstraction, stylisation or denaturalisation and infinite patterning. Abstraction in Islamic art is important in order to avoid confusing God with any object or living creature in His creation. Due to the Muslim’s religious passion for abstraction and “Divine Unity”, they recognized in geometry the unifying intermediary between the material and the spiritual world. In addition, Muslim artists use geometry in their works because of their close involvement with heavens.   The use of geometric patterns has been the most distinctive characteristic of Islamic art and architecture. Whether isolated or used in combination with other nonfigural ornamentation, these abstract designs not only adorn the surfaces of monumental Islamic architecture but also function as the major decorative element on vast array of objects of all types. Geometric patterns vary in their complexity and design, from simple shapes to very complex polygons and starts. Consisting of, or created from, simple forms as the circle, the square, and the triangle, geometric patterns were combined, duplicated, interlaced, and arranged in intricate unification, with a great concern to unity and order in the work structure.             However, the use of geometric motifs in Islamic art has been misinterpreted by some scholars. One of the most common misinterpretations of the use of geometry in Islamic art is that it was forced on Muslims because of discouragement of figurative art representing living beings. Abas and Salman (1995) state that Muslims recognized in geometry “the unifying intermediary between the material and the spiritual world”(p.9)      Many interpretations have been established to link between geometric patterns and other types of arts. El-Sid and Parman (1976) referred the use of geometry in Islamic are as a “unifying concept of composition despite the diversity of materials, forms or styles used”(p.xi). They also traced this unifying concept to all art forms, including decorative arts, calligraphy, architecture and the composition of music and Arabic poetry. This unifying concept based on analogous principles of rhythm and harmony between their basic structures.   Arabesque One of the unique characteristics of Islamic art is the extensive use of the arabesque or the floral or vegetal patterns to adorn surfaces. This creates a link between the outer and inner decorative patterns and motifs on the surfaces of the facades. The term “arabesque” refers to the use of floral, foliage, and plant forms in abstracted ornamental style. Decorative forms that use floral images are known in pre-Islamic arts such as Byzantine, Sasanian, and Persian as apart of a decoration style. Komaroff (1999) has noted “ this type of non-representational decoration may have been developed to such a high degree in Islamic art because of the absence of figural imagery, at least within a religious context”.  It has been developed since the early days of Islam as can be seen in the Mosque of (Alomawy) in Damascus and took its own principles as distinct style of ornamentation. In the arabesque composition of Muslim painters, floral and vegetal motifs enable the negative space to enter into the very heart of the mater and to remove its materiality so that the Divine presence is illuminated. Moreover, the use of arabesque symbolizes balance of stability and growth. Through arabesque, the natural materials are freed from their suffocating heaviness so as to allow the mind and the spirit of man viewing it to breathe and expand. Islamic art’s consistent predilection for floral and foliage ornamentation has frequently been ascribed to the religious prohibition against image making. Arabesque was not used in sacred places, but it widely used for objects of everyday use whatever the size or it purpose.  Arabic Calligraphy Calligraphy was perhaps the noblest form of art in the Islamic world as it was introduced to write the passages of the Holy Koran, which is written in Arabic (Introduction to Islamic Art, 2003). With the gracefully flowing lines and curves which combine the mood and meaning of an Islamic faith, calligraphers used this art of stylized writing to communicate to the masses the glory of the words of God. Arabic calligraphy also represents one of the main unifying elements of Islamic art. Because of its association with the holly Quran, which written in Arabic, the rich meanings of Quranic verses and prayers give the art of calligraphy a high respect and appreciation among Muslims.  Throughout the Islamic world, calligraphic patterns in conjunction with decorative motifs embellish all kind of objects, architectural sites, including sacred and secular places; and those applied to metalwork, pottery, stone, plaster, glass, wood, and textiles.          Because Arabic is the language of Muslims worship, and the language of holy Quran, it binds Muslims of all times and places, it linked Muslims together in one cohesive brotherhood. It became a spoken language in all over the Islamic world; furthermore, it became the writing script to the non-Arabic –speaking peoples within the Islamic commonwealth (such as Persian, Turkish, and Urdu.). From early times many indigenous styles have evolved across the Islamic world, but only six are widely used and became common in Islamic art and architecture.     The term “calligraphy” in Arabic is “handast al -khatt” is translated as “the geometry of writing.” Geometry and calligraphy are associated with each other due to the geometric proportion of Arabic letters.   Closure Art is the mirror that truly reflects the content of various aspects of culture in any society. There is no case to which this statement more directly applies than to the art of the Islamic world. Not only does its art reflect its cultural values, but even more importantly, the way Moslems unified and correlated in one single brotherhood of Islam, in spite of the diversity in cultures, and ethnic background. This remarkable unity is obviously reflected in the Muslims arts. Understanding   it can be more effective and less problematic than most of the theological explanation of Islam.    In Islamic belief, God create the cosmos in “al-mizaan” (balance and order). Geometrical shapes, floral and vegetal motifs and Arabic calligraphy represent Muslim’s macrocosm. This is a manifestation of the Islamic belief, that the realities of permanence and change in the universe must be balanced and harmonised. This is achieved in Islamic art through the successful combination of geometric and curvilinear motifs and Arabic calligraphy. In Islamic abstract art, ‘permanence’ is suggested by geometrical elements and ‘change’ by the curvilinear motifs. In harmonious unity, permanence does not deny the form of its growth, and growth does not confuse the order of the environment.   The term “Islamic art” is a description that unify a group of different artistic styles that appeared in different periods and regions during Islamic civilization, it dose not only describe the art and architecture that historically produced in the lands ruled by Muslims, could be created by a Muslim artist or non-Muslim         References Abas, S.J., and Salman, A. S. (1995). Symmetries of Islamic geometrical patterns. Singapore: World Scientific. Al-Faruqi, L. L. (1984). Islamic art or Muslim art. Kuala Lumpur: Balai Seni Lukis Negara. El-Said, I., and Parman, A. (1976). Geometric Concept in Islamic Art. London: World of Islamic Festival Publishing.   Grabar, O. (1987). The Formation of Islamic Art. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.   Hillenbrand, R. (1999). Islamic art and Architecture. Thames and Hudson.   Introduction to Islamic Art. (2003). Calligraphy Islamic. Available at [http://www.calligraphyislamic.com/IntroIslamicArt.html]. Accessed [26/01/04].   Khatibi, A., and Sijelmassi, M. (1996). The Splendour of Islamic Calligraphy. New York: Thames and Hudson.   Komaroff, L. (1999). Introduction to Islamic Art. Los Angeles County Museum for the Arts. 23 Mar. 2000. Available at [http://www.lacma.org]. Accessed [26/01/04].   Kuhnel, E. (1966). Islamic Art & Architecture. London: G. Bell& Sons LTD   Nasr, S. H. (1987). Islamic Art and Spirituality. New York: State University of New York Press. Papadopoulo, A. (1980). Islam and Muslim art. London: Thames and Hudson. Sakili, A. P. (1990). Analysis of the Sulu traditional visual arts in relation to the basic principles of Islamic art. M. A. Thesis, Asian Center, University of the Philippines.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

About Clarifying the Elements that Unify Islamic Art

What is Islamic Art? About Clarifying the Elements that Unify Islamic Art Introduction The term Islamic a...