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Art and Art History

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Arts & History

The arts are the areas of knowledge that are creative and imaginative, as opposed to scientific. In its broadest sense, the arts can include all creative activities, including cooking and gardening. In a more limited sense, it covers literature, performing arts, crafts and visual arts, and therefore also most aspects of entertainment. The Arts refer both to areas of study and personal recreational activities. Most arts can be separated into the areas of fine arts and humanities.

Fine Arts The fine arts are activities which have traditionally been classified as artistic. They are more traditional art forms which are essentially aesthetic and decorative rather than serving a useful purpose. Increasingly, however, traditional fine arts may become useful (such as literature) and other products have taken on decorative purposes (such as tapestry). Antiques & Collectibles A category  for dealers specializing in antique and collectible items. This includes both items of considerable age and brand new items, which are produced for the primary purpose of collecting. New items whose primary purpose is something other than being collected are listed in other topical areas of the Shopping branch, unless there is a separate collectible market for the items. Also included in this category are sites, which sell services or supplies to the collecting community. Please see Recreation: Antiques and Recreation: Collecting for informational sites about these subjects. The alpha bar at the top of this category contains links to many sub-categories about collectible items. Including topics such as 1950s memorabilia, advertising collectibles, artefacts, auctions, baskets, beer steins and glasses, books, cameras and photographs, celebrity memorabilia, ceramics and pottery, china porcelain and glass, classifieds, clocks and watches, clothing, coins, comics, corkscrews, directories, Disney, electronics and machinery, ephemera, ethnographic, figurines, furniture, guns, jewellery, lighting, lunchboxes, metals and minerals, militaries, music, paper money, patches, phone cards, phonographs, pins, radios, razors, religious and inspirational, reproductions, rugs, science fiction fantasy and horror, September 11 2001, sewing, silver and flatware, sports, stained glass, stamps, supplies, textiles, toys and games, varied merchandise, vehicles, and writing instruments.  Forms of Art Visual Arts: This covers a diverse set of visual media such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and film. The topic of visual art is concerned with art that involves the sense vision, as opposed to sound or speech. Performing Arts: This covers art that is performed in speech, other sounds and actions in front of an audience, such as theatrical and musical productions. It includes dance, street performances, comedy and drama music: This covers art that uses the sense of sound. Music is a very powerful art form that has been considered important in most cultures throughout history. Art Design is a process by which a plan is created for an engineered or artistic object and the resulting product from such a process. It is said to involve thought and modelling before creation or production. Design also takes into account a variety of influences or factors, such as in the design of a new cereal packaging which would need to appeal to a particular age group. Design is a plan, model, or creation with an anticipated outcome. For example, an architect designs buildings for a particular use and an artist sculpts a statue design from clay. Art and Design Maybe you've faced it before a new house with an empty room or two. This room is just crying out for some furniture. So off you go to purchase a sofa you admire - then a chair. Or perhaps you purchase a full living room set complete with tables and rugs. With delivery a few weeks off you can just picture your living room (and not surprisingly, it looks just like the showroom). The delivery day arrives and you cant wait to cut the tags off of your new furnishings. You may have to position the sofa a few times to get it just so, but all in all, you're pretty satisfied until you notice there's no art on the wall. And so you decide to buy some art that matches the sofa. I cringe a little while I write this, but in reality that is how many of us choose art. In fact, little confession, I still have art in my house that I bought because the frames matched! If you have also considered buying art in an afterthought, you're not alone. We have all been taught that accessories finish off a room. In fact, if you've ever watched a design show, you'll notice that some professional designers decide on the art once fabric, furniture and rugs have been selected. So maybe we've all been brainwashed to believe that filling our space with art doesn't require much planning just the ability to carry a swatch of fabric to a store. Well, just for a moment, Id like you to think about your art and why you might acquire it sooner rather than later. Art inspires creativity. First choose art that appeals to you, and then let your furniture and accessory purchases be influenced by the art you have selected. This shift in viewpoint allows for freedom of expression. Through the process of seeking out new art, and finding something you'd like to live with, you open your mind to all the new possibilities. Perhaps an abstract piece of art inspires you to consider an eclectic collection of furniture instead of a uniform suite. Maybe art with cool beach tones allows you to consider that slip covered furniture with a nautical appeal. Or a tropical print encourages you to use a hand-painted floor cloth in vivid hues in your new artistically inspired room. Consider also the structural elements in your room. Many living areas have unique architectural details that historically have been used to display important art. By only focusing on furniture placement or accessorizing, you may lose sight of some of your homes great details. If the architectural details are not what they once were, before you rip it out, liven it up. Apply a mosaic design or faux finish to your fireplace surround. When you're thinking about changing things break out of the familiar and experiment with your creativity. For some creative inspiration, find the nearest child. Generally, young children are much more free to express themselves than some adults, and when it comes to design, I can say from experience that they'll have their own unique opinions on what goes in their rooms. Take a cue from your Childs artwork when you design their rooms. This way they are more inclined to love it when you're done. Gather together several of their favourite paintings or sketches, and note their favourite colour, or emerging themes. You can copy these same themes through painted fabric, a wall mural, unique stained glass for the window, a floor cloth or even a quilted wall hanging. Don't forget to frame and hang the original artwork that inspired their new design. So set out to design your living spaces with art as forethought. You will appreciate the art for what it adds to the overall project as well as the positive feeling you experience when you see it. And then you may begin to wonder why you ever tried to buy art that matches that pillow with the odd purple colour. Happy art collecting!     nelsonpublishing.com The place for Internet information sports, business opportunities and Internet Marketing  Books Blitz .com    Multi-Topical Niche Sites, Sports Internet and General Information Sites