Saturday, February 27, 2010

Purpose of Art

Purpose of Art - The Concept

The main purpose of art is the expression of boundless ideas and concepts. This endeavor can model behaviors, shape beliefs, and create shared experiences. In effect, it draws back to us, grows inside us, and becomes a part of us. Through its diverse forms, like literature, music, sculpture, and paintings, art touches every facet of our lives.

The Details

An element of definite joy, pleasure, and awareness, art serves the following functions:

• Religious - The oldest and still prevalent key purpose of art is as a vehicle for religious ritual, witnessed through the Prehistoric Paintings of France to those of Sistine Chapel in Italy.
• Events Capture - It may also serve as a commemoration of crucial events, such as major historical incident, wedding, and baptism to mention some.
• Communication - It is a way to communicate with others such as greetings.
• Publicity - Art is also a platform for propaganda or social commentary. Inspirations have been drawn from particular viewpoints or the actions of public or private institutions, like political parties, lobbyists, government, corporate, or religious groups perform. The purpose roots mainly to the merciless World War II and its after effects. In the case of social commentary, art helps us generate the awareness of past or prevailing human conditions, as per an artist's perception.
• Expression of Human Creative Instinct - Through it, we can capture any incident, emotion, or anything, which we can or cannot tap in a photograph. Art is a means of exploring and appreciating formal as well as informal elements. It expands and extends the shared common visual language. When artists come up with new ideas, they are initially perceived as shocking and perhaps incomprehensible. With time however, the ideas are accepted.
• Novelty - Art explores and unveils new ways and angles to familiar things. It helps interpret situations, new and old, making the use of various kinds of visual shorthand.
• Visual Concept Capture - It may also be considered as a means of recording visual data. After the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries), French artists like Courbet (1819-77) and Cezanne (1839-1906) showcased more realty based subjects, such as the use of linear perspective and Realism, through oil painting.
• Parameter of Beauty - Art as a representative of beauty is a challenged concept in the modern era. With the society becoming more industrialized and democratic, the world has broadened its horizons of beauty. Dipped so much in subjectivity for the quotient, any definite parameter cannot be set vis-à-vis art.
• Narration - It is also a powerful means of storytelling. In the Middle Ages (5th-16th centuries), the sequences of panels were used to tell stories from scriptures or the lives of Saints.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki

Wall Art For All Age Groups and Societies

'Painting as a hobby? It is such a boring task!' - This is what usually people respond to this form of art. But, they do not know the importance of this art work. We all know about Picasso and M F Hussain due to their elegant paintings, but there is a segment of society who does not give attention to paintings due to their ignorance or disinterest. If noticed, this section of individuals is very less as compared to art lovers. People who appreciate art have considered wall art to the best accents for home décor.

From the plethora of options available, people give prime importance to art prints to embellish living spaces. Furniture and rugs are commonly used to fill in the empty space in the house, but people also believe that a plain white wall reflects emptiness and a lack of creativity. Therefore they opt for art prints.

Depending on the room, the wall art is selected. If it's a kid's room, there are many art works that highlight colors and designs to attract kids. Fine art for kids is widely available with a desire to engage and inspire children. Hand-sketched canvas arts have captivated many people due to their looks. They look real and offer smoothness.

Additionally for couples, contemporary design is one of the art prints that are highly acceptable due to colorfulness.

Besides that, people are perhaps looking to add a personal touch to their home or office. In this case, they are in search of something that reflects a bit of their personality. They, therefore, consider modern wall art. According to their requirement, they customize the canvas print or just choose the best wall art from the renowned art gallery. What's more; exquisite paintings of possibly every genre are also chosen to adorn the home décor.

People also look out for a supplier who can introduce a personal photo onto the canvases and frames, giving living spaces a range of auras from the chic and sophistication to simple beauty. Art devotees also delve into duplicates of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and many more brilliant painters as they cannot afford to purchase these costly paintings.

In the last two decades, wall decor has immensely enhanced its reach through oil and canvas paintings. Art print collectors and enthusiasts along with interior decorators use single large pieces frequently. Other art lovers also consider two or more art paintings to define their taste in arts or the kinship for beauty.

Due to the growing demand in today's world, there are many professionals who specialize in a multitude of art types such as Abstract, Asian and American art. Apart from that, parents consider paintings to be a career option (not only a hobby).

Wall art is highly appreciated and should be encouraged to exhibit the brilliance of the painters who dedicate utmost care and precision to deliver the best of the best art. You can even encourage the growing art demand by purchasing them online for affordable prices.

Art Van Buren is author of this article on Wall Art.
Find more information about Home Decor here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Art_Van_Buren

Allegory - A Metaphorical Art Style

Allegory - The Concept
In visual arts (painting & sculpture), Allegory is the Symbolic representation of 'beyond' or 'in addition to' the depiction or the obvious. Similar to literary metaphor, artists use one subject to represent another seemingly unrelated subject.

The Details
With Symbolism as its foundation, broad, sweeping, and abstract concepts are the commonest themes of Allegory. Classical, philosophical, & theological virtues and vices, such as faith, hope, charity, courage, greed, lust, wrath, & pride have been the most popular ideas in this genre. Another dominant theme here is 'the arts' to convey a creative concept, such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, and poetry, visually. The viewer often needs to know the broader vision of an artwork to understand its metaphorical components.

The History
The metaphorical mode of storytelling in visual arts was immensely popular in European Arts during the Renaissance (1400-1525) and Baroque (1500-1700) periods. Heavily promoted by Catholic Church, it was a medium to make people aware of Salvation and to emphasize the role of Church in attaining it. The popularity of classical themes was also instrumental in the rise of Allegorical subjects in literature and painting during this period. The gradual collapse of traditional court culture and religious orthodoxy in the 18th century redefined artistic practice. The portrayals shifted from religious, historical, and allegorical subjects to highly individual elevated themes often relating to day-to-day living.

The Artists & the Artworks
• 'Charity' (1520) by Andre del Sarto (Italy, 1486-1530) represents this theological virtue as a woman with several small children.
• 'The Musicians' (1595) by Michelangelo Carravaggio (Italy, 1571-1610) shows Allegory of Music. Four boys are portrayed in classical costumes. They are playing various instruments and singing.
• 'The Art of Painting' (1666) by Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632-75) is based on the Allegory of Painting. It depicts an artist painting a female subject in his studio.
• 'Allegory of Painting' (1765) and 'Allegory of Music' (1764) by Francois Boucher (French, 1703-70).
• 'The Voyage of Life' (1840) series by Thomas Cole (America, 1801-48) is an Allegory on four stages of human life. The paintings, named 'Childhood,' 'Youth,' 'Manhood,' and 'Old Age' depict a voyager travelling in a boat on the River of Life along with a guardian angel.
• 'The Blind Girl' (1856) by John Everett Millais (England, 1829-96) depicts two female beggars. It is an Allegory of the Senses, contrasting the experiences of the blind and sighted sisters.

Conclusion
As a form of rhetoric, the Allegorical stream was a medium to persuade the audience in Classical times. Modern audience does not much relate to these themes due to the absence of such analogies in the contemporary culture. Although some contemporary artists have continued to create work in this genre, their ideology however centers on 'pure aesthetics.' For them the artwork is more important than its associated visual rhetoric.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki

Art Collecting Tips

Just because you have money doesn’t mean you have to spend it. In art collecting it can actually be a disadvantage to be flush with cash, at least when you’re a beginner. I say this because it’s harder to resist the temptation to purchase art when you have money. Even if you’re a financially disciplined person, art can play on your emotions and you can find yourself spending more freely than you ever have before. Take the time to learn about the kind of art you want to collect. Unbelievable deals don’t come around often, and they rarely come to beginning collectors. There will always be quality art to purchase. The best thing for you to do is take your time and learn, learn, learn about the artists or category of art you want to buy. When you feel that you’re ready to take the plunge and buy a piece of art, be sure to learn as much about the artist as you can. Especially examine the artist’s auction records if there are any. Auction records are not definitive, but they are very helpful.

Narrow down your collecting interest as much as you possibly can. You can like all kinds of art, but it will serve your best interests to narrow down the scope of your art collecting interests as much as possible. The more you narrow down your collecting interest, the more of an expert you’re likely to become in that particular area. One of the greatest joys of collecting art is learning so much about an artist that you feel almost like you know him, or studying the period of history in which the art was developed. The more this is done, the greater your appreciation of your collection will be, and your enthusiasm and knowledge will be evident when you show off your collection.

Yes, you should buy a piece of art because you love it, BUT take the financial aspect into consideration too. It has become a cliché in the art advice business to tell people that the best thing for them to do is buy the art that they love. This is good advice, but somehow hidden in that statement seems to be a subtle message to not take the financial aspect of the piece into consideration. I say buy the art that you love, but also make sure you’re not paying too much for it and consider your end game. I wouldn’t advise asking, “How much money can I make on this painting? Or How much will it appreciate?” Rather, just be sure that you can recoup your investment. Tragedies can happen, and sadly what people first consider selling to raise money is their art collection.

Buying work by a deceased artist is generally less financially risky than buying art by a contemporary artist. This is because the art market for a contemporary artist has not really been tested. Most deceased artists have some kind of record of sale on the secondary market, whether it be at an auction or a gallery. This record gives you an idea of what is an appropriate price to pay for a work by a certain artist.

Just because a painting is signed “T.C. Steele” doesn’t mean T.C. Steele actually signed it or even did the painting. What often happens is that a family member, often a wife or son or sister, signs an artist's paintings after he dies. If this is the case, it decreases the value of the painting. Of course, an "artist signed" painting could also be a forgery. I’ve seen plenty of paintings that bear the signature of an artist who clearly didn’t do the painting. An art appraiser can assist you in determining the authenticity of a signature or painting.

Just because a desirable artist did a painting doesn’t mean that the painting is desirable. Every artist had his good days and bad days. Some had more bad than good. Certain periods of an artist’s work are also more desirable than other periods. Also, if an artist is known for painting landscapes, a painting that he did of a cat is probably going to be much less desirable. The medium is also important in determining desirability. Overall, oil paintings tend to rank as most desirable; however, there are artists who work in all mediums but whose watercolors or prints are more in demand than their oil paintings.

There are a lot of great deals on eBay. There are also a lot of fakes, junk, inexperienced sellers and shippers, and hucksters. Ebay can be a great place to learn about art, but it's not usually where the best pieces by an artist appear. This is because the best pieces are usually brokered between dealers and their clients. Occasionally, such pieces make it onto eBay, but usually through live auctions. Ebay can also be a financially risky place to buy art. The number of fakes, questionable works, and bad paintings on eBay is quite high. Unless you are an expert in a particular category of art or on a particular artist, I’d avoid buying on eBay until you’re sure you know what you’re doing. Even then you can still make mistakes. (e.g. buying a print that was described by the seller as a painting, getting an excellent buy only to receive the item damaged because it was improperly packaged for shipping)

Most art dealers aren’t dishonest, but the dishonest ones have a radar for those who want to be quickly parted from their money. When buying a painting from a gallery or dealer, try to find out as much as possible about where the painting came from. Provenance enhances the value of a painting. Also, if the price seems to be out of line with similar pieces you’ve seen by the artist, ask the dealer how he came up with the price. He may have very sound reasons for the price difference (or you may not be familiar enough with the artist), but if he becomes defensive or combative, be suspicious.

Pricing art is an art. It’s also part science and speculation. Art is not a commodity. Therefore, there are significant variations in price, even among the works of one artist. It’s not unusual for an artist to have a high auction sale price of over a million dollars and a low one in the hundreds or low thousands. This happens for various reasons, usually related to size, medium, and period created. Always remember, any price can be put on a work of art, but there’s no saying it’s worth the tag price until it sells. Also keep in mind that pricing art is not formulaic. There are dealers out there who are intentionally trying to rip people off by making them overpay for art. But most dealers use all the knowledge they’ve spent considerable time acquiring; they research, they talk to other dealers, and then they come up with what they consider to be a fair market price for a piece.

Don’t be an art day trader. Unless you are an art dealer, I don’t advise buying paintings and quickly trading or selling them for something else. I have not met a collector yet who has not lost money doing this. And the collector usually ends up frustrating the art dealer he's dealing with in the process.

Chris Powers is the owner of Indiana Paintings, a company that buys, sells, and appraises art. His Web site can be found at http://www.indianapaintings.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Powers

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Art of Starting a Campfire - For Cooking, Heat Or Telling Stories

One would think that starting a campfire is something that everyone knows how to do, this is not the case. Countless times in the past 4 years, I have seen everything from lighter fluid to kerosene used in vary dangerous ways. I even heard a man call to his wife "Honey, bring a cup of gasoline". I wish I were kidding, I got a blanket ready, just in case.

A common misconception is the need for lighter fluid or kerosene when starting a campfire. The method I was taught by a homeless man in Alaska is a very simple process, and one that rarely fails.

A helpful hint: It is always a good idea to carry dry wood in your vehicle, in case of rain or wet conditions. Kindling (small sticks, dried out grass) along with varying sizes of wood, bigger sticks to different sized pieces of split firewood. You will learn quickly that the small stuff is what matters the most, I did.

Know, building your fire

1. Start with a piece of either paper towel, sheet of paper or hand full of dried grass, I refer to these 3 items as "kindling". Form into a ball, lightly, and place in middle of fire pit.

2. Place the smallest twigs and sticks over and around the kindling, leaving an open area where it's easy to get a match to the inside.

3. Place slightly larger sticks over the smaller ones, making sure to leave space for air to reach the smallest twigs and kindling. Air flow is a big component of starting a fire, you want air to be able to move through the fire freely.

4. Now is the time to start your fire. Make sure you have more kindling and smaller pieces of wood near by, you will need them. With a match, lighter or starting device, start the kindling. You may have to blow on our use another match to insure kindling ignites.

5. Once the kindling ignites and the sticks begin to burn, you are in business. Keep adding small pieces of wood, making sure not to smother the fire until you get a decent flame. From there, start adding larger pieces, you will start to see a nice bed of red and orange coals.

6. With a nice bed of glowing coals and a decent flame, you can start adding the split firewood. With the split firewood giving off a nice flame, you can add an un-split log, make sure to keep throwing medium sized pieces (around and under the log) to keep the log burning.

And finally: I have what I call, "a stick of many uses" that I use to move things around in the fire pit. If the fire begins to die down, just start mixing things up. Turn the wood over, readjust, it's as simple as that, just be sure to use Your stick of many uses.

For the past 5 years my wife and I have been camping during the summer months and have learned a great deal on how to do it safely. Our biggest fear while camping isn't the Bear or Mountain Lions, It's some of the unique ways we have seen other campers starting fires. It is no joke when I tell you that I sometimes wait in the wing with a blanket if things go wrong. The phrase that sticks in my mind is "Honey, get me a cup of gas". We heard that one while camping outside of Rifle, Colorado.

I thought it would be a good idea to give people a sure fire method of building a fire. If you follow the instruction, you will always get a fire going.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_Tribal_Martens

Painterwork - A Ubiquitous Art

Painterwork refers to covering a 'work' with a thin layer of paint to preserve and color the surface it is applied to. Aimed at getting a hard dried and opaque surface, the commonest compounds used are oil paint, distemper, whitewash, and tar. The word 'paint' however, often refers to a blend of oil & pigment. The support tools a painter requires at work are strainers, mixing pots, paint kettles, palette knife, scrapping knife, stopping & chisel knives, hammer, sponge, pumice, comb, and a variety of brushes.

The Details. Oil paints are made of the following parts:

• Base - The most commonly used bases are white lead, red lead, zinc white, and iron oxide. White lead is suited for covering exteriors, zinc white for interiors, red lead (lead oxide) as primer, and iron oxide for ironwork.

• Vehicle - It is a liquid used to suspend the particles of base to form a thin layer, uniform in color and consistency, on the surface. Linseed, poppy seed, & nut oils, and varnishes are the commonly used vehicles for oil paints.

• Driers - They accelerate the oxidation process, ensuring the fast drying of the paint. Litharge or red lead, sugar of lead, sulfate of zinc, terebene, and magnesium dioxide are some common driers.

• Driver - Drivers such as turpentine serve as solvents, diluents, and thinners to uniform the consistency of paint.

• Pigments - A pigment is added to obtain the desired color. They can have a metallic, earthly, or an animal origin. The common pigments are umbers, ochres, chromes, lampblack, bone black, Prussian blue, vermilion, and ultra marine to name some.

The proportion of components is varied to accomplish a thin, hard, and opaque coat on the surface of the building work being painted. When applying multiple layers, using excess oil in the under coats can result in the cracking of the topmost layer. In addition, an application of another layer on a wet coat can cause the blistering of paint.

The Types

• Painting on Woodwork - Woodwork requires knotting, priming, and stopping before applying multiple layers of oil color on it. A thin, transparent, colored coat is required that changes the color of the work without hiding the grains of wood. Varnish, made by dissolving certain gums in oil, spirit, or water is most widely used for this purpose. For inside work, the varnish is made of resins mixed in linseed and turpentine oils for a lustrous, but somewhat less durable surface. Painting upon wet or unseasoned wood surface results in the early blistering of paint. An excess of drier in varnish can cause an early cracking of paint.

• Painting on Iron - Iron and steel works are most often covered with the oxides of iron and red lead mixed with linseed oil. The surface should be made rust free with paraffin or turpentine, before applying color. The particles of rust left on the surface can cause the blistering of paint.

• Painting on Plasterwork - Thoroughly dried plasterwork is covered with distemper after filling all the irregularities on the surface with the plaster of Paris. Before applying distemper, the surface is further smoothened with a glass paper, followed by a coat of clairecole to render the plaster non-absorbent.

• Faux Finish - A popular painterwork technique, commonly known as 'faux finish,' covers a wide range of decorative techniques for replicating material, such as marble (marbling) and wood (graining). Popular since classical times, in the modern times also it is widely used for decorative finish on walls and furniture in commercial and public spaces.

Conclusion
Painterwork is an evolving domain in which a plethora of substances is tried on various surfaces each day. The basic requirement of protection and decoration of a work has now expanded to making purposeful paints, like non-toxic paints for kid's work, lead-free paints for hospital, metallic faux finish paints for decorative purpose, and washable paints for walls.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world.

Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki

The Art of Watercolor Painting

Watercolor also known as aquarelle is a medium in which the paint is made of powdered pigments suspended in a water soluble vehicle. The conventional and most universal support used for watercolor paintings is paper. Many brands of watercolor paints are available in the market, each varying in texture, quality and constituent concentrations. Quiet obviously, artist quality paints provide a much superior painting experience than their cheaper counterparts. They use a more high class pigment and are evidently richer and much more vibrant.

The paper used for this medium is available in a variety of sizes, weights and textures depending on the preference of the artist. The paper used for watercolor painting should be tough and have a certain grade of absorbency to avoid breaking and tearing.

Beginners interested in this medium should pay keen attention to the brush control mechanisms and techniques involved. It is perhaps the most important part of watercolor painting as a painting lacking brush control is indeed a sorry piece of art.

Watercolor paintings include fresco, tempera, aquariums, and gouache types of paintings. One advantage of watercolor paints over oil paints is their ready and smooth application followed by attainable transparent effects which add to the painting's magnetism and glamour. A wet tip can be used to add light to the painting.

Like most mediums, once the watercolor has been applied on paper the likelihood of correcting any mistakes are low. Even though these "hiding" techniques are few and not cent percent promising, they may be helpful if the shade applied is of a lighter tone. Moreover, in some cases the watercolor application maybe lightened by several shades and repainted with another color to give the desired effect. Watercolor paintings need to be taken special care of as they are vulnerable when exposed to sunlight, dust and humidity in the air.

However, recent techniques have taken care of most of the disfavors and drawbacks of the watercolors. Watercolors help introduce light effects in the paintings which improves the overall quality of visual perception of the painting.

An artist can play with an assortment of colors and shades to perk up the dynamism and liveliness of his creation. Proper, balanced and skillful exploitation of light and dark effects is the essence of a watercolor painting. If the color blends well with the color of the paper then a shimmering and translucent effect is achieved which gives the painting a more natural look. A spectacular and dramatic effect can be created in the final outcome of the painting by overlapping different shades to slightly modify one another. Hence watercolors have proven to be an excellent medium for landscape painters who wish to infuse nature and its beauty into their work. Furthermore, an artist may mix and match the primary colors to make astounding shades of secondary colors according to their wishes and needs.

Watercolors can add a lot of life to the painting and are relatively easier to work with than other mediums.

To learn more about art of watercolor painting please visit http://www.paintinvestor.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hamza_Ejaz

Art and Jewelry - Not So Different Worlds

Art comes in many different forms. While some see art as something that is framed and hanging in a museum, others see art in other venues such as in a building, basilica or even in the layout of a city. For some, though, art can be seen in jewelry. While most people view jewelry as merely an accessory, others view things such as an artcarved wedding band as a piece of art. It may not be a priceless Picasso, but until they are able to shrink "Guernica" to fit your finger a ring is the best way for you to wear a little piece of artistic expression on your on your hands.

Joking aside, fine jewelers go through much the same process when creating a ring as artists do when doing a painting. They both have a canvas in which they can work and they both try to maximize their output within the constraints of this canvas. Except, with a jeweler making a ring the canvas is a round piece of metal to be placed on one's finger, not paper and an easel. Whether it is diamonds, gold or paint, both artists and jewelers have to think both inside and outside of the box to create something that will be beloved by its eventual owner.

I remember when I was a child my dad would wear an Italian gold coin with a gold chain around his neck. This wasn't really his idea, but his father in law had purchased it for him saying that if he ever got lost while traveling and desperately needed money he could sell it. I had mixed feelings about the coin. Gold has never really been my cup of tea, but I could see the artistry in its creation.

While wedding rings might not immediately come to mind when thinking about art, if you really think about it each individual wedding ring is a tiny little piece of art that uses your finger as its museum wall. Each time someone sees your finger they gaze at the artistry of the ring, just like in a painting. Also like a piece of art, wedding rings are created to show off certain tendencies of their owners. A ring that is big and loud with a diamond the size of a thumbnail gives off a different vibe then a ring that is soft and subtle. Is it any wonder why some of the biggest art collections in the world contain pieces of classic and contemporary jewelry?

Author Kimberly Green chose an artcared wedding band for her husband @ titanium-jewelry.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Green

Visionary Art - A Journey Into the Creative Unknown

Visionary Art - The Concept
Visionary Art may be considered as a theme rather than a movement. Although the styles vary radically, the essence of portraying the overlap of mystical and spiritual powers in the real world stays the same. Therefore, Visionary Art offers a virtual vision of the mystical and spiritual powers in our everyday life.

The Details
Visionary Art is based on psychedelic experiences. In psychedelic mental frame, the brain perceives stimulus beyond its normal range. Right from perceptual distortions to hallucinations, these experiences may be joyful or depressing. Defining an initial point and the finishing one is a key challenge associated with Visionary Art. As against the recognized trends, this style did not have any demarcated characteristic features. The type of mystical energies portrayed is unique to an artist. The four elements of life, water, fire, earth, and wind however are integral to the genre. Love, lust, holy, unholy, positive, and negative forces are some of the commonest themes captured. Therefore, the main aspect in creating Visionary Art is to make soul perceptible.

The Correlations
Symbolism, Surrealism, and Psychedelic Art have keenly inspired the Contemporary Visionary Art.

The Artists & the Artworks
Both trained and self-taught or outsider artists have been creating their spell in the genre. Many Visionary Artists practice spirituality. Hallucinogenic intoxication often inspires their works. The Vienna School of Fantastic Realism is instrumental in shaping the technical and the philosophical angles of the contemporary visionary culture. Some of the key artists associated with the School include Arik Brauer (Austrian, born 1929), Ernst Fuchs (Austrian, born 1930), Mati Klarwein (German, 1932-2002), Robert Venosa (American), and Laurence Caruana (Maltese, born 1962). Some Contemporary Visionary artists are Hieronymous Bosch (Netherlands, 1450-1916), William Blake (English 1757-1857), Morris Grave (American, 1910-2001), Emil Bisttram (Hungarian-American, 1895-1976), and Gustave Moreau (French 1826-98).

Hieronymous Bosch produced several triptychs in this dimension. In his famous painting, 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' (1503-04), the paradise is shown on the left panel with Adam, Eve, and many interesting animals present there. The middle panel shows the numerous nude figures, powerful fruits, and birds. Hell is depicted on the right panel. The punishments assigned to the different classes of sinners are portrayed here.

William Blake illustrated 'Original Stories from Real Life' (1791), which opinionated on gender equality and marriage. In his other illustration for his poem 'Visions of daughters of Albion' (1793), Blake criticized the illogical societal acts, such as enforced chastity and marriage without love. He also supported the right of women to total and independent self-fulfillment.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki