Art Appreciation Essay

While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. The definition of Art has been a long debated topic I society. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These being the case several people have tried to put a definition of it into words. One definition listed is â€Å"an occupation requiring knowledge or skill†, and goes on to say â€Å"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also: works so produced† (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Also a far more simple worded, yet complex in thought definition is â€Å"Art is form and content† (Shelly Esaak, 2012). While both say two seemingly different things, they are part of the ever evolving definition and essence of Art. There are several types of art; with in this paper I will cover eight types. They include painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, printmaking, conceptual art, installation art, and performance art. While these are a small cross section of art, they are important pieces. The first example is painting. While there are several noticed painters and examples of their work, the example I chose to give is â€Å"The Adoration of the Shepherds†, painted by Andrea Mantegna (1450). This piece is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While this piece does fit the definition of works so produced, what about the rest? While painted in the Middle Ages, Mantegna couldn’t have been able to witness the birth of Christ. He draws from the biblical tale of the birth and his own imagination to paint a portrait of the adoration of the lord, as well as his parents doting over him. He uses his skill to not only paint the adoration in the foreground, but also the landscape for miles. The way Mantegna paints the entire picture, while he could not have been there having happened centuries before, displays he posses the skill and imagination to product a true masterpiece even though he was only in his early twenties. One of the most widely known sculpture pieces is â€Å"The Thinker† by Auguste Rodin (1902). The painting was originally made to be a piece included in his â€Å"Gates of Hell†, a mass door made for the Paris Museum of Art (www. statue. com, 2012). While Rodin completed the sculpture he saw something greater in the form and made it stand alone piece. Rodin applied his skill and creative imagination to craft and see the greater potential within the sculpture. Although not talked about as paintings and sculpture Architecture is a form of art as well. One of the most highly noted Architects is Frank Lloyd Wright. Applying his personal motto of â€Å"Form follows function† (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 2012), he applied the artist eye to everything he created from building to furniture. One of his most noted pieces, the house at Falling Water. Wright used his skill and experience to craft the large stone house at the family’s request. Although the family originally wanted the home to face the falls; Wright chose to have it located on top of the falls as an integral part of the structure (http://www. fay-west. com/fayette/fallingwater, 2005). Ansel Adams integrated his keen observation and use of skill to capture the rugged land of the western United States during the period of 1916 to his death in 1986 (http://www. anseladams. com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography, 2012). He took several photographs of the west, but is most famous for his photos of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Adams took photos of the wildlife and terrain, and using his skill and depth of knowledge of the medium he was a major contributing factor to the conservation of Yosemite National Park and the Serria Nevada Mountains. Although famous for numerous reasons, Andy Warhol was also a highly commended Printmaking Artist. Using his highly creative imagination and skill he took everyday objects such as soup cans and even people and made art of them. He refined a process involving projection photo images to a silk screen thus speeding up his production process (http://arthistory. about. com/cs/namesww/p/warhol. htm, 2012). This gave the public a new outlook on ordinary things. Joseph Kosuth is one of the most famous artists in the realm of Conceptual Art. His piece aptly name â€Å"Three Chairs† is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit has a blank and whit picture of the chair, the actual chair, and lastly the printed definition of the word chair (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81435, 2012). While this may seem strange on the surface the artist is trying point out our lack of observation and is trying to make use want to study and dive deeper into his intended meaning (The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally published 1999, p. 257). Ilya Kabakov’s â€Å"The Man Who Flew into His Picture† Installation Art piece displays a look inside the artist true mindset. He displays true creative imagination and skill. It is a room modeled after a Soviet apartment and has a miniature version of the artist flying thru the fog on the white board. Possibly look for outside validation (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81057, 2012). Lastly is Performance Art. This style of art is defined by a piece of performance art must be centered on an action carried out or orchestrated by an artist (Kyle Chayka, 2011). â€Å"The Mirror† that has been created by Iselin Bruff and Torsten Klimmer aka Omananda, Liquid Crystal Vision is a current example of performance art (http://www. omananda. com/movies/performance-art/143-neon-pink-mangas-emerge-from-pyramids-into-qthe-mirrorq, 2012). The performers use light, projectors, film, dance and other mediums to explain the Star of David. While I personally feel this is the strangest of all art forms, it does fulfill the definition of art. While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. References http://www.musee-rodin.fr/