Fashion Art

A couple of instant coffee granules miss the cup as they often do first thing in the morning. With slow sleepy swipes, I mop them up while I wait for the kettle to boil. If I've managed to convey the right number of coffee granules from the coffee jar to my mug, and added precisely the right amount of sugar, milk and hot water, then it will be a good cup of coffee. But if I don't get ratio exactly right, it's yuck, which goes to show that there's an art to making a decent cup of java. Or is there? An art to making coffee, I mean.

The question of what constitutes "Art" with a capital T has been around for a long time. People pretty much agree that making a good cup of coffee is not an art but there is still a lot of dissent about certain modes of expression like writing, movie making and fashion. There is the idea that fashion cannot be an art because it evolved from sewing and tailoring which is a craft even though tailoring has been referred to as "architecture" and the draping of fabric across the body as being "sculptural". Many designers make references to art and artistic theories and concepts in their work yet are nevertheless relegated to the ranks of the frivolous where haute couture is viewed as the fetish of the financially well-to-do. And once haute couture and runway collections have been watered down for consumption by the general public then they are seen as nothing more than financial commodities and functional apparel in the marketplace.

Another reason why fashion is not considered to be art is because, as with film making, a number of people performing different functions take part in the creation of a garment, such as the designer, fabric producer, pattern cutter and seamstress to name but a few. Because designers often don't work alone to produce a garment, they don't fit with the traditional view of the artist as a solitary genius and are therefore not considered artists even though their vision of what the garment will look like is their own.

In short, there is no clear-cut answer as to whether fashion is Art or not because there are so many ways to interpret and use an individual garment. It can be seen as protection from the elements, an expression of belonging to a particular socio-cultural group, as a personal form of expression when it is worn, or in its purest sense, as the embodiment of the vision of its creator, the designer. Because fashion is so fluid and open to interpretation, it fits in with the theories of many disciplines and forms of expression, of which Art is only one.

Manga Art

If you are reading this article, you are probably just like me, yearning to learn more about Manga. Manga is a style of art that originated in Japan. It first appeared sometime in the 11th century by a painter artist named Toba Sojo. Manga is a Japanese word that refers to a style of comics that illustrates a certain cinema technique. In Japan, Manga is an art form that is highly regarded. Manga artists are not only respected for their amazing talents at drawing, but also for their imagination and creativity. Today Manga has become very popular in the United States. Many American cartoonist have been influenced by Japanese Manga. It can even be seen in some of Disney's animated movies. Unlike your basic American cartoons that aim for the younger generations, Manga tends to aim for all ages.

Tribal Art

Prior to the universal application and expression of the written word, cultures - mainly those geographically isolated from other communities - communicated in tribal art. From the Maoris in New Zealand, to the aborigines in the desert lands of Australia and the Polynesians on Easter Island, tribal art was a way to vividly express customs, traditions, spiritual practices and, more often, reverence to what these respective cultures believed to be God. It was as much a spiritual practice as it was a way for cultures to identify themselves in pictures.

Creativity is an impulse that is innate to human beings. It is said by artistic creators that life is pure creative energy; that people are mere conduits the creative force uses to illustrate itself in form. In African tribes, rituals and ceremonies took place simultaneous to the painting of tribal art, perhaps in reverence to the great creative force they understood as external to phenomenal reality.

Intricate designs, elaborate graphics and spiraling patterns are essential elements of tribal art, but the highest instance of any one feature is undoubtedly the depiction of humans - either representations of tribal leaders, their ancestors or gods.

Colour was used in abstract to symbolise specific personality qualities as was visual abstraction. Rather than creating literal impressions of nature, esoteric symbols and encryptions unique to specific cultures were used to encode or specialise many tribal art patterns, particularly in Africa.

Much emphasis was by tribal artists on the creation of props for use in performance art - a testament to the early appreciation of dram. Re-enacting significant events within tribes, as well as paying homage to the great creator through dance and fanfare, are customs unique to indigenous tribes. Evidence of this custom can be found in the variety of masks and costumes left behind by tribal artists.

Today the ruins of many extinct or dying-out tribes are preserved in glass-cased protection in museums around the world. Historians analyze and interpret tribal art in an effort to glean information about little known tribes. Ancient tribes, being illiterate, communicated in the oral tradition, so left no historical texts for historians to piece together their past.

A person with a wide variety of interests. One who likes to write articles about aspects of these interests to see other peoples views. Also, enjoys being on different forums discussing new developements in these areas.

Cartoon Art

If you enjoy drawing or the idea of learning how to draw cartoons, how great will it be to know that you can turn that ability into a dream job or income? By learning how to draw cartoon art you can gain the ability to translate your own or others ideas into something valuable and entertaining.

China Art

Art of China boasts a history of lasting for over 5000 years, which makes it one of the oldest arts in the world. Chinese Art embraces a huge diversity of forms from the various ruling dynasties of China. Several philosophers, teachers, religious figures, and even political leaders shaped the versatile Art of China, which includes fine arts, folk arts, and performance arts. Ming and Ch'ing dynasties were the last imperialistic dynasties of China.

Ming Art of China 

The Ming Dynasty, one of the last outstanding dynasties, ruled China from 1368 to 1644. It was also the last dynasty to be dominated by Han Chinese. All art forms boomed during this period, including painting, poetry, music, literature, & dramatic theater, as Ming leaders restored the sense of cultural identity and respect for conventional artifacts and artisanship.

Carved designs on objects decoratively covered with lacquer or the intricate design on porcelain wares were generally found in the homes of affluent. The Ming artifacts were definitely more creative than those of the previous dynasties were. Artwork in the Ming dynasty also included embroidered silks and wares in jade, ivory, and cloisonné. The techniques of color painting and color printing were honed during this period. Some of the famous visual artists of Ming Dynasty were Ni Zan, Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming, Qiu Ying, Dong Qichang, and many others. Ming dynasty is also well known for the construction of "Forbidden City," which is a majestic palace of impressive attributes and luxuriousness.

Ch'ing Art of China 

Ch'ing Dynasty also known as Qing Dynasty or Manchu Dynasty was the last ruling dynasty of China, governing from 1644 to 1912. The Ch'ing Art of China is the assortment of all the artistic styles that had developed in the past 3000 years of Chinese civilization. The painters, such as Shih-Tao and Chu Ta, conveyed themselves more directly through liberal brush strokes, carried out in dry or wet-brush techniques. The demand for Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, lacquer, and jade surged in Europe during this period. The design of the porcelain wares were made simple and the colors became more graphical, a marked departure from blue-green colors used in Ming dynasty. The objects of daily use like furniture were made from materials like wood or bamboo. With the opening up of trade relations with Europeans, the Ch'ing Art was heavily influenced by their western counterparts. The buildings and palaces were constructed according to Western style, for example the "Yuanmingyuan Palace" that was later destroyed in the 19th century.

Contemporary Art Paintings

aAnyone can make money out of contemporary art paintings. However, there are many factors that influence the dividends of an investment. These include the initial purchase price for the artwork, the success of the artist's career, the time involved in that success, the overall economic climate, possible major changes in the art market due to technological advances, art movements, and media coverage, and when the work is sold.

If you want to make money from investing in a contemporary artworks, it is vital to buy early in the career of an artist who is destined for success. It is usually necessary to wait for lengthy periods of time for the artist's art paintings to gather momentum over time and increase in value. It is better to purchase when the economic climate has been weakened as prices are lower and sell when the market is strong. These are factors that all need to be considered when investing in contemporary art paintings.

Anyone can invest in contemporary art paintings. Of course it depends on your budget and what you are looking to invest in. The best way to go about investing is to do your due diligence and research first. The best places to research are the auction houses, such as Sothebys and Christies. There are others, however these have been the largest auction houses for a long time and they are worth checking. Other galleries that specialize in contemporary art are worth researching. These galleries are in every major city and most regional areas also have galleries. Local media sources are also good at identifying the galleries specializing in contemporary art. There may be a local arts section in your paper or a city publication outlining the galleries. It is well worth going to the opening nights of some of these galleries and talking to people. It will take some time to get a handle on the market, so don't rush into anything, just enjoy contemplating the works and the right piece will come along.

When you are looking to collect contemporary art paintings that will give you significant returns, it usually involves a gamble on emerging or upcoming artists and it involves time. These artists can usually be found exhibiting themselves or are represented by cutting edge galleries in major cities or regional areas. Once again, this involves research and going to contemporary exhibitions. The dividends can be huge, however it usually takes decades for this to occur. It usually takes time for any artist to be recognized by their peers, the art scene/world, the media and to become the next big thing. For many artists, this never happens, therefore it pays to research first.

Paper Art

This paper art was also known as paper filigree and for some others, it was named paper-scrolling. For those who practice the art centuries ago, they use to make use of quills in rolling the strips of paper, thus the name quilling. Today, a curling tool is used in making these fine paper ornaments.