Art is an integral part of an individual's activity. With the help of it, he learns the world, rests and creates something new. The role and significance of art in human life should not be underestimated. Without it, it would be almost impossible to exist. This is a kind of foundation for further discoveries.
What is art
This is a creative activity that allows a person to realize his inner world. You can create with the help of sounds, dances, pictures, words, flowers, various natural materials, and so on. Art is one of the many forms of consciousness of intelligent beings. It arises thanks to the creativity of specific individuals who touch on topics that are interesting not only to the author, but also to other people. Many people ask: "Does a person need art?" The answer is definitely yes, because this is a way of knowing the world. Science is also one of the types of acquiring knowledge from the surrounding reality. Art can be:
- Craft. Any kind of human activity is considered a creative process. Craftsmanship in some area: sewing, beadwork, furniture making, and so on is considered art. After all, a person tries to convey his vision of the world into reality.
- Cultural activities. People have always strived for something beautiful. By creating something good, a person emphasizes his love and peacefulness.
- Any expressive forms. With the development of society and aesthetic knowledge, art can be called absolutely any activity that, using special means, expresses some kind of meaning.
This term is broad enough. If it is interpreted on the scale of the entire human society, then it is a special means for cognition or reflection of the surrounding world, spirituality and consciousness of the individual. There is practically no person who could not give him an explanation. Listen to your inner world and define what art is for you. After all, it is valuable both for a particular author and for all people in general. During the existence of mankind, a lot of works of art have already been created that you can admire and which can inspire you to your own creative ideas.
History of the emergence of art
According to one theory, for the first time man began to engage in creativity during a primitive society. This is witnessed by rock inscriptions. These were the first mass forms of art. They were applied mainly for practical use. About 40 thousand years ago, art became an independent way to explore the world. It was represented by various rituals, musical compositions, choreography, body jewelry, images on rocks, trees and skins of killed animals.
In the primitive world, art performed the function of transmitting information. People could not communicate using language, so they conveyed information through creativity. Therefore, art for the people of those times was an integral part of existence. To apply images, objects from the surrounding world and various colors from them were used.
Art in the ancient world
It was in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India, Rome and so on that the foundations of the creative process were laid. Even then, people began to think about whether a person needs art. Each developed center of civilization had its own unique style, which survived for many centuries and did not change. At this time, the first works of artists had already begun to be created. The ancient Greeks portrayed the human body best of all. They could correctly depict muscles, posture and respect the proportions of the body.
Art in the Middle Ages
People of these times focused their gaze on biblical stories and spiritual truths. In the Middle Ages, they no longer asked the question of whether a person needed art, because the answer was obvious. In painting or mosaics, a gold background was used, and people were depicted with ideal proportions and body shapes. Art of various kinds penetrated into the sphere of architecture, beautiful statues were built. People were not interested in what real art was, they just created their own wonderful works. Some Islamic countries attributed divine power to such creations. The people from India used the art for religious dancing and sculpture. The Chinese preferred bronze sculptures, wood carvings, poetics, calligraphy, music, and pictorial drawings. The style of this people changed every era and bore the names of the ruling dynasties. Wood engraving spread throughout Japan in the 17th century. By this time, people already knew what real art is. After all, it has already seriously influenced the education of a useful person for society. And also served as a good rest and relaxation.
Renaissance and the modern world
Humanity has returned to humanism and material values. This influenced the development of art. The figures of people have lost their idealized forms. During these eras, artists tried to show the universe and various ideas of that time. There were already a lot of interpretations of "what art is". Creative people perceived it as a way to convey human personality. Already by the 19th century, a lot of styles were formed, such as symbolism or fauvism. However, already in the XX century, there were many scientific discoveries and developing technologies. During this period, creative people were looking for new ways to display their inner world and reflect modern beauty.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the direction of modernism merged into art. People tried to find the truth and followed rigid norms. During this period, there were a lot of critics of painting, who assumed that it was over.
What is art
In the modern world, the creative process has reached unprecedented development. With the help of the World Wide Web, different kinds of skill are spreading at great speed. Art is as follows:
- Spectacular art. This includes theaters, operas, circuses, cinematography, and so on. With the help of visual perception, the authors convey their vision of the world and various events. Directors create films that reflect the existing problems of the world. Many branches of art serve as entertainment for a person, for example, a circus.
- Art. This area includes photography, painting, comics, sculpture and silent films. The authors, with the help of a static picture, convey the nature, the life of a people, the problems of mankind. Silent cinema is a dynamic art form. In the modern world, this phenomenon has already lost its popularity.
- Expressive art. People reflect their views in literature, create beautiful buildings. They also express the inner world in music and choreography. Most of the works raise global problems and vices of humanity. Thanks to this, people improve and move away from evil and self-flagellation.
For creative self-expression, man has invented a lot of materials. Artists use paint, canvas, ink and so on. Architects - clay, iron, plaster, etc. Thanks to modern methods of storing information, a person can transfer his creations to an electronic version. There are already many musicians, artists, filmmakers and writers who use computers to create works of art.
Modern world and art
The creative sphere of life teaches an individual true beauty, makes him more merciful and kinder. Art also teaches us to look at simple things from a different angle, most often positive. In all creations there is no one definite meaning, each person is looking for something of their own in them. Also, everyone individually chooses the type of activity for themselves. It can be painting, ballet, or even classical literature. People, through creativity, learn compassion, sensitivity and emotionality. Everyday life can depress a person, and art reminds how beautiful the world around him can be. Many people simply feed on positive energy from different works of authorship.
From an early age, an individual is instilled with a love of creativity. Exposing children to art allows them to learn to understand literature, painting, architecture, music and much more. It cultivates personality. However, there are times when a person does not understand why art is needed. Such behavior is one of the stages of personality development, after which people have an involuntary craving for something new, unknown. This allows you to broaden your horizons, improve and form individual moral values. Most importantly, creativity makes a person better.
How art affects personality development
A person is a creature that is formed with the help of the events around him and other opinions. Art occupies a special place in this process, it affects both a specific person and society as a whole. Thanks to him, pleasant feelings, interesting thoughts, moral principles are formed in a person, and the development of modern art helps him in this. Life without this industry is almost impossible. It would be dry, and for individuals with a rich inner world it would appear only in black and white colors. A special place in existence is occupied by fiction as art. She is able to fill a person, like a jug with water, life principles and views. Leo Tolstoy believed that spiritual beauty can save humanity. With the study of the work of various authors, people become internally attractive.
In the visual arts, a person tries to convey his point of view on the world around him, sometimes from his imagination. After all, he cannot recreate what does not exist. Each image conveys a specific thought or feeling of the creator. Man feeds on these works of art. If the message was kind, then the person will radiate positive emotions. Aggressive creativity generates negative feelings in a person. In life, people should have positive thoughts and deeds, otherwise humanity is threatened with extinction. After all, if everyone wants harm to his surroundings, then massive acts of violence and murder may begin.
Introducing children to art
Parents begin to engage in cultural education of their child almost from birth. Introducing children to art is an important part of raising a positive personality. School age is considered the most favorable for the development of a cultured person. At this stage, in schools, a sympathy for classical works is formed in the child. In the classroom, they examine the great artists, writers, musicians and their significant contribution to the culture of humanity. In the future, they will better perceive the work of various authors and not ask why they need art. However, when children move into middle school, teachers do not pay due attention to creativity. In this case, many parents send them to special art schools. Children are taught the ability to learn something new, interest in art, the ability to create and be a kind person. After all, artistic creations play a significant role in the development of a mature personality.
Arts and Literature
The word is an integral part of creativity. Thanks to him, you can very accurately convey information, events, feelings, and so on. Fiction as art is able to convey to a person the widest range of emotions and views on life. Also, imagination helps to convey pictures of indescribable beauty. Thanks to the word, people can experience joy, anxiety, condolences, sadness, and so on. The text in the book is somewhat reminiscent of an alternative reality.
Also, the writers talk about their assumptions regarding the future of humanity. There are many popular dystopias that reflect a far from bright future, for example: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell. They serve as a warning to a person so that he does not forget to love and tries to appreciate everything that he has. This fact shows why the art of negative literature is needed. Indeed, such books ridicule people's problems: insane consumption, love of money, power, and so on. After all, these things do not bring happiness at all, and you need to do only noble deeds and have honor.
What is the art of photographs and paintings for?
Almost everyone loves to decorate the walls of their home with the work of artists or photographers. However, not everyone thought about why they hang there and how they affect the mood. Psychologists believe that images on walls can affect a person. The picture affects primarily the subconscious, and it is very important what color it is. Impact of color images:
- Orange color. He is able to create a warm and joyful feeling in a person. However, some works can, on the contrary, be annoying.
- Red paintings. It is one of the most affecting colors on humans. He can feed healthy people with passion and warmth. In patients with psychological disorders, aggression may appear.
- Green. This is the color of the entire plant world, which creates in a person a sense of security and freshness.
- Blue images. They are able to give people calmness and a certain coolness. All light colors have a positive effect on the emotional state of a person.
Experts have long found out that different colors of paintings and photographs can improve mood, bring emotions in order and, in some cases, heal. However, some people may still wonder why the art of images is needed. They can be observed in schools, kindergartens, educational institutions and in some workplaces. These are often serene landscapes, forests and portraits of some beautiful people.
1. The purpose of art.
The question of what role art plays in human life is as old as the first attempts at theoretical comprehension. True, as L.N. Stolovich notes , at the very dawn of aesthetic thought, sometimes expressed in mythological form, in fact, there was no question. After all, our distant ancestor was sure that to pierce the image of a bison with a real or drawn arrow means to ensure a successful hunt, to perform a warlike dance means surely to defeat our enemies. The question is, what doubts could there be in the practical effectiveness of art if it was organically interwoven into the practical life of people, it was inseparable from the craft that created the world of objects and things necessary for the existence of people, it was associated with magical rituals, thanks to which people sought to influence the environment their reality? Is it any wonder their belief that Orpheus, to whom ancient Greek mythology attributes the invention of music and versification, could with his singing bend tree branches, move stones and tame wild animals.
The world of artistic images, according to the beliefs of ancient thinkers and artists, "imitating" life, became an integral part of the true life of a person. Euripides, for example, wrote:
No, I will not leave, Muses, your altar ...
There is no true life without art ...
But how does the wonderful world of art affect a person?
Already ancient aesthetics tried to give answers to this question, but they were not unambiguous. To Plato, who recognized only such works of art that strengthen the moral foundations of an aristocratic state, he emphasized the unity of the aesthetic effectiveness of art and its moral significance.
On the "imitation" of reality, according to Aristotle, art is based on the ability of art to exert a moral and aesthetic impact on a person, shaping the very nature of his feelings: the same feelings and when faced with reality. "
The history of artistic culture has captured many cases when the perception of art served as a direct impetus for performing certain actions, for changing the way of life. Having read the novels of chivalry, the poor hidalgo Kehana turned into Don Quixote of La Mancha and went on a skinny Rocinante to assert justice in the world. The very image of Don Quixote has since become a household name, has served as an example to follow in real life.
Thus, we see that the origins of art are in reality, but a work of art is a special world that presupposes a perception that is different from the perception of life's reality. If the viewer, taking art for reality, tries to establish justice by physically killing the actor playing the villain, shooting at the movie screen or throwing himself at the picture with a knife, threatening the novelist, worrying about the fate of the hero of the novel, then all these are obvious symptoms or mental pathology in general. or at least the pathology of artistic perception.
Art acts not on any one human ability and strength, be it emotion or intellect, but on a person as a whole. It forms, sometimes unconsciously, unconsciously, the very system of human attitudes, the action of which will manifest itself sooner or later and often unpredictably, and does not simply pursue the goal of prompting a person to a particular action.
The artistic genius of the famous poster by D. Moore “Have you signed up as a volunteer?”, Which was so widely promoted during the Second World War, lies in the fact that it is not limited to a momentary pragmatic task, but appeals to the human conscience through all the spiritual abilities of a person. Those. the power of art consists in appealing to the human conscience, awakening its spiritual abilities. And on this occasion, you can cite the famous words of Pushkin:
It seems that this is the true purpose of art.
Art does not become obsolete. In the book of the academician philosopher I.T. Frolov's "Perspectives of Man" contains arguments about why art does not become obsolete. So, in particular, he notes: “The reason for this is the unique originality of works of art, their deeply individualized character, which is ultimately conditioned by the constant appeal to man. The unique unity of man and the world in a work of art, "human reality", cognized by him, deeply distinguish art from science not only by the means used, but also by its very object, always correlated with the personality of the artist, his subjective worldview, while science tends to come out beyond these limits, aspires to the "superhuman", guided by the principle of objectivity. Therefore, science also strives for a strict unambiguity of the perception of knowledge by a person, it finds the appropriate means for this, its own language, while works of art do not have such uniqueness: their perception, refracting through the subjective world of a person, generates a whole range of deeply individual shades and tones that do this perception is unusually diverse, although subordinate to a certain direction, a common theme. "
This is precisely the secret of the extraordinary impact of art on a person, his moral world, lifestyle, behavior. Turning to art, a person goes beyond the limits of rational unambiguity. Art reveals the mysterious, not amenable to scientific knowledge. That is why a person needs art as an organic part of what is contained in himself and in the world that he knows and enjoys.
The renowned Danish physicist Niels Bohr wrote: "The reason why art can enrich us is its ability to remind us of harmonies beyond the reach of systematic analysis." In art, problems are often highlighted for all mankind, "eternal": what is good and evil, freedom, human dignity. The changing conditions of each era force us to solve these issues anew.
2. The concept of art.
The word "art" is often used in its original, very broad meaning. This is every sophistication, every skill, mastery in the implementation of any tasks, requiring some kind of perfection in its results. In a narrower sense of the word, this is creativity "according to the laws of beauty." Works of art, like works of applied art, are created according to the "laws of beauty". Works of all types of artistic creativity contain in their content a generalizing awareness of life that exists outside of these works, and this is mainly human, social, national-historical life. If the content of works of art contains a generalizing awareness of national-historical life, then it means that it is necessary to distinguish between the reflection of some general, essential features of life itself and the artist's consciousness generalizing them.
A work of art, like all other types of social consciousness, is always the unity of the object cognizable in it and the subject cognizing this object. The “inner world” cognized and reproduced by the lyric artist, even if it is his own “inner world”, is always the object of his cognition - active cognition, which includes the selection of essential features of this “inner world” and their comprehension and evaluation.
This means that the essence of lyric creativity lies in the fact that it generally recognizes mainly the peculiarities of human experiences - either in their own temporary state and development, or in their focus on the outside world, for example, on the phenomenon of nature, as in landscape lyrics.
Epos, pantomime, painting, sculpture have huge differences among themselves, arising from the peculiarities of the means and methods of reproducing life in each of them. And nevertheless, they are all visual arts, in all of them the essential features of national-historical life are recognized in their external manifestations.
In a primitive, pre-class society, art as a special kind of social consciousness did not yet exist independently. It was then in undifferentiated, undifferentiated unity with other aspects of syncretic consciousness and the creativity that expresses it - with mythology, magic, religion, with legends about the past tribal life, with primitive geographical concepts, with moral requirements.
And then art in the proper sense of the word was dismembered with other aspects of social consciousness, stood out among them in its special specific variety. It has become one of the forms of development of social consciousness of various peoples. So it should be considered in its later changes.
Thus, art is a special content-rich variety of the consciousness of society, it is an artistic content, not scientific and not philosophical. L. Tolstoy, for example, defined art as a means of exchange of feelings, opposing it with science as a means of exchange of thoughts.
Art is often compared to a reflecting mirror. This is not accurate. It would be more accurate to say, as Nezhnov, the author of the brochure Art in Our Life, noted: art is a special mirror with a unique and inimitable structure, a mirror that reflects reality through the thoughts and feelings of the artist. Through the artist, this mirror reflects those phenomena of life that attracted the artist's attention, excited him.
3. Artistic socialization of the personality and the formation of aesthetic taste.
At birth, a person does not have any social qualities. But from the first minutes of his life he was introduced to human society. Growing up, developing, he is gradually included in various communities of people, starting with a family, a group of peers and ending with a social class, nation, people. The process of forming such qualities of an individual that ensure his inclusion in a certain social integrity is called socialization. In the process of socialization, the individual masters the knowledge, norms, values adopted in one or another community of people, but perceives, absorbs them not passively, but refracting through his individuality, through his life experience. So he becomes a person who is a unique ensemble of social relations.
Socialization is at the same time internalization, i.e. the transition of social relations external to the individual into his inner spiritual world.
There are many means and "mechanisms" of socialization, and among them a special place is occupied by art, which, along with other social institutions and forms, "connects" a person to the interests and needs of society in all its diverse forms. Revealing and more clearly presenting the features of artistic socialization allows its formation with other types of socialization of the individual.
Formation of personality, its functioning as a member of society is impossible without morality. Moral norms governing the behavior of an individual link it to society. As a result of interiorization, acquiring moral consciousness and legal awareness, a person, as a rule, by his own free will, fulfills moral norms and legal laws.
Art, in which the aesthetic attitude of a person to the world is objectified and to the greatest extent concentrated, is an indispensable factor in the socialization of the individual, linking it with society with the most intimate bonds and influencing the most intimate aspects of human behavior. At the same time, familiarization with diverse aesthetic relations through the development of aesthetic and artistic values is accomplished without any infringement of the sovereignty of the personality itself, but on the contrary, through its development and spiritual enrichment, and what is extremely important, completely free.
Aesthetic taste is formed mainly in the process of direct communication with works of art, awakening in a person the ability for aesthetic perception and experience, the ability to make a choice and sensually and intellectually evaluate the phenomena of reality in accordance with the social and artistic experience of a person, his social feelings and worldview. It manifests itself in the form of individual assessments, but is always organically linked with the aesthetic, philosophical, ethical, political views of a person, and is conditioned by the social relations of people.
Consequently, taste is a historically specific system of emotional and evaluative preferences, which, ultimately, is comprehended and correlated with the social and aesthetic ideals of both certain classes, social groups, and the individual.
Since the aesthetic taste develops and improves mainly in communication with works of art, it is very important that people more often come across truly real high art.
Throughout the history of mankind, many priceless masterpieces of various types of art have been created. This spiritual wealth can be mastered by anyone who wants to, who understands its beneficial influence, instills in himself first the habit, and then the need to communicate with art.
Forming and honing a taste for beauty in art, people then strive to bring beauty into all areas of human life, into life itself, into the behavior and attitudes of people, into their environment. Since life is subject to the same law of beauty as art, a person, through communication with art, strives to create beauty in life by himself, becomes a creator of himself.
So we strive for the perfection of our body and our movements, for beautiful furniture, clothes, housing, as well as for beautiful manners, for beautiful forms of life and communication, for beautiful speech. And this requirement of our aesthetic taste prompts us to fight bad taste.
Bad taste manifests itself in different ways. External beauty, loudness, luridness he takes for true beauty. People with bad taste are characterized by a gravitation towards something that has a direct effect on external feelings, which causes not an aesthetic experience, but physical arousal. A person with bad taste does not like serious art, since it requires from him a certain amount of tension, reflection, efforts of feelings and will. He is more satisfied with superficially entertaining works, art of primitive forms without deep content.
Bad taste also manifests itself in the form of a kind of snobbery - a light and at the same time categorical judgment about art. Snobs are characterized by a formal approach to the phenomena of art, a claim to the only correct assessment of works of art, and hence a disdain for the artistic tastes of others.
4. PERSPECTIVE OF ARTISTIC CULTURE IN THE TRANSITION PERIOD
The core of artistic culture is art.
According to the subject of creation, art can be divided into the following groups: folk art, amateur art and professional artistic activity.
Folk art forms the basis of artistic culture. Reflecting the worldview, aesthetic ideals and tastes of people spontaneously formed in the process of historical practice, folk art is distinguished by its originality, originality, national character, humanistic orientation, love of freedom, striving for justice and goodness. In folk collective art, artistic images and methods of creativity, accumulated, tested and refined by many generations, are used for centuries. The continuity and stability of artistic traditions are successfully combined in it with individual skill and innovation in circulation and the usual pictorial and expressive means, iconic storylines and the like. Diversification, accessibility, brightness and improvisation are integral features of folk art.
“In search of a model for the future of Russia, Russian reformers have always turned their eyes to Europe and there were few people who wanted to renovate the country on a traditional basis. Nevertheless, we have values that, in view of their national identity and soil, are of particular importance for our reforms. The main thing here is that they do not need to be "imported" from abroad, introduced, or implanted. They are traditionally their own, but they need to be restored, revived. "
K.N. Kostrikov, Candidate of Philosophy, in his work "The Historical Perspective of Artistic Culture in the Transition Period" noted that the isolation of art from the people, lowering the aesthetic level of the mass of people affects art itself, does not allow it to fulfill its social mission.
The picture that no one looks at is meaningless, the music that no one listens is meaningless. Artistic culture, in principle, must overcome all these contradictions and lead art culture, as well as art, onto the broad road of real connection with life. Only through its interaction with the broad masses of the people does artistic culture become a powerful lever for transforming reality. And the wider the circle of social content expressed by art, the more numerous its audience, the more full-blooded, vital, aesthetically meaningful art itself, artistic culture itself. Here one can rightfully see one of the most important specific features of art as a type of human activity.
Any product of labor - be it a tool, tool, machine or life support - is created for some special need. Even such products of spiritual production as scientific research may well remain accessible and important for a narrow group of specialists, without losing anything in their social significance. But a work of art can be recognized as such only on condition of universality, "general interest" of its content. The artist is called upon to express something that is equally important for both the driver and the scientist, which is applicable to their life, not only to the extent of the peculiarities of their profession, but also to the extent of their involvement in public life, the ability to be human, to be a person.
In the transitional period, the development of popular consciousness leads to the fact that a large circle of people, who previously did not come into contact with artistic culture in their spiritual development, gradually comes into contact with it. Today, more than ever, many yearn for real art, and not a substitute in the form of Western popular culture. The time has come to analyze all the pros and cons of the past century and start enlightening and shaping a new full-fledged person, with his understanding of his mission on this planet. Only this enlightenment should be qualitatively and artistically literate, which will form a new person, a person of peace and creation for the good!
To do this, it is necessary to start with the revival of the replication and distribution of domestic classics and works of domestic cinema. Urgently establish the functioning of clubs, houses of culture, where ordinary people can engage in amateur art in their free time, communicating with each other, instead of visiting dubious cultural and recreational centers. Domestic literary classics are necessary, like air, for today's newly-minted writers of the transitional period, who, without deep mastering of national history, will not be able to rise to the level of great literature.
The art of the word in its highest manifestations is always imbued with striving for the future. Orientation to the future is one of the main specific properties of artistic creativity, which distinguishes it from other types of human activity, directed primarily to the present. At the same time, almost every true artist is simultaneously marked by the deepest attention to the past.
Movement into the future - a movement real and mental, striving to understand where we are going - in fact, is comparable to the movement "at night in an unfamiliar area." And the only way to check the direction is to look back, to the past, this check “is happening now”, it has been and is always being done.
Conclusion
The development of the ability of artistic perception, therefore, is at the same time the education of taste, the content of which is broader, since it embraces not only the phenomena of art, but also all reality in its aesthetic originality. Taste is formed not only in communication with art, but in the course of the entire life of an individual, under the influence of the environment itself, and, therefore, the quality of aesthetic taste will depend on what art is and what the environment is.
I would like to conclude my work with the words of the German writer, poet and statesman of the GDR Johannes Becher:
“To live beautifully is not just an empty sound,
Only the one who multiplied beauty in the world
Through work, struggle, - he lived his life beautifully,
Truly crowned with beauty! "
Bibliography
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3. K.N. Kostrikov. "Historical perspective of artistic culture in the transition period." // Social policy and sociology. No. 3-2004. P.102-113
4. Nazarenko-Krivosheina E.P. Are you beautiful, man? - M.: They say. guard, 1987.
5. Nezhnov G.G. Art in our life. - M., "Knowledge", 1975
6. Pospelov G.N. Art and aesthetics.- Moscow: Art, 1984.
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Stolovich L.N. Life-creativity-man: Functions of artistic activity.- Moscow: Politizdat, 1985, p. 3
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Nazarenko-Krivosheina E.P. Are you beautiful, man? -M.: Like. Guard, 1987.S. 151
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Secretiveness - cohesion, indivisibility of various aspects of primitive consciousness.
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Art has existed since ancient times. It accompanied man throughout his entire existence. The first manifestations of art were very primitive drawings on the walls of caves, made by primitive people. Even then, when every day it was necessary to fight for his life, a person was drawn to art, even then love for the beautiful was manifested.
There are many different types of art in our time. These are literature, musical and visual arts, etc. Now the natural talent of a person is combined with the latest technologies, creating fundamentally new trends in art. Of course, before there were no such opportunities as in our time, but each artist strove to come up with something special, to contribute to the development of this type of art.
And yet, why do we attach such great importance to art? What role does it play in a person's life? The figurative recreation of reality creates our personality. Cultural and spiritual development has a great impact on our lives. Indeed, in most cases people are judged not by their appearance, but by what they have inside. A person with a very unattractive appearance can be beautiful if you just get to know him better. Comprehensively developed, spiritually rich people have always aroused the interest of those around them, it is interesting and pleasant to communicate with them. We all have to develop, improve ourselves, and art helps us in this difficult task. It helps to better know the world around us and ourselves.
Self-awareness is one of the most important stages in the formation of a human personality. Art is often a way to assert yourself, to say something to the whole world. It is like a message to the future, a kind of appeal to the people. Each work of art has its own purpose: to acquaint, teach, induce thought. Art requires understanding. Thoughtless contemplation of paintings or reading books of great masters makes no sense. You need to understand what exactly the artist wanted to say, for what purpose this or that creation appeared. Only under this condition will art fulfill its task, teach us something.
It is often said that in our time people have almost ceased to be interested in art. I believe that this is not the case. Times change, generations change. Views and tastes do not remain unchanged either. But there are topics that will be relevant at all times. Of course, our society attaches more importance to material enrichment than spiritual enrichment. But this does not mean that people do not pay attention to cultural life, do not appreciate art. We must not forget about art, because it plays an important role in our life.
Art is a creative understanding of the world around by a talented person. The fruits of this understanding belong not only to its creators, but to all of humanity living on planet Earth.
Immortal are the beautiful creations of ancient Greek sculptors and architects, Florentine mosaic masters, Raphael and Michelangelo ... Dante, Petrarch, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky. It captures the spirit when you try to comprehend with your mind everything created by geniuses, preserved and continued by their descendants and followers.
TYPES OF ARTS
Depending on the material means with which works of art are constructed, three groups of art forms objectively arise: 1) spatial, or plastic (painting, sculpture, graphics, art photography, architecture, arts and crafts and design), i.e. those who unfold their images in space; 2) temporary (verbal and musical), that is, those where images are built in time, and not in real space; 3) spatio-temporal (dance; acting and everything based on it; synthetic - theater, cinema, television, circus, etc.), that is, those whose images have both length and duration, corporeality and dynamism. Each type of art is directly characterized by the way of material existence of its works and the type of figurative signs used. Within these limits, all its types have varieties, which are determined by the characteristics of this or that material and the resulting originality of the artistic language.
So, the varieties of verbal art are oral creativity and written literature; varieties of music - vocal and different types of instrumental music; varieties of performing arts - dramatic, musical, puppet, shadow theater, as well as variety and circus; varieties of dance - everyday dance, classical, acrobatic, gymnastic, ice dance, etc.
On the other hand, each art form has generic and genre divisions. The criteria for these divisions are defined in different ways, but the very presence of such types of literature as epic, lyric, drama, such types of fine art as easel, monumental-decorative, miniature, such genres of painting as portrait, landscape, still life ...
Thus, art, taken as a whole, is a historically developed system of various specific methods of artistic development of the world,
each of which has features common to all and individually unique.
THE ROLE OF ART IN THE LIFE OF PEOPLE
All arts serve the greatest of the arts - the art of living on earth.
Bertolt Brecht
Now it is impossible to imagine that our life would not be accompanied by art, creativity. Wherever and whenever a person lived, even at the dawn of his development, he tried to comprehend the world around him, which means he strove to understand and figuratively, intelligibly convey the knowledge gained to the next generations. This is how wall paintings appeared in caves - ancient human encampments. And this was born not only by the desire to protect their descendants from the mistakes already passed by the ancestors, but also to convey the beauty and harmony of the world, admiration for the perfect creations of nature.
Humanity did not mark time, it progressively moved forward and higher, and the art that accompanies a person at all stages of this long and painful path developed in the same way. If you turn to the Renaissance, you admire the heights reached by artists and poets, musicians and architects. The immortal creations of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci still fascinate with their perfection and deep awareness of the role of man in the world, where he is destined to walk his short, but wonderful, sometimes tragic path.
Art is one of the most important stages in human evolution. Art helps a person to look at the world from different points of view. With each epoch, with each century, it is more and more improved by man. At all times, art has helped people develop their abilities, improve abstract thinking. Over the centuries, people have tried to change art more and more, improve it, deepen their knowledge. Art is the great secret of the world, in which the secrets of the history of our life are hidden. Art is our history. Sometimes in it you can find answers to those questions that even the most ancient manuscripts cannot answer.
Today a person can no longer imagine life without a novel he has read, without a new movie, without a premiere in a theater, without a fashion hit and a favorite musical group, without art exhibitions ... In art, a person finds new knowledge, answers to vital questions, and reassurance from the daily hustle and bustle, and enjoyment. A real work of art is always in tune with the thoughts of readers, viewers, listeners. The novel can tell about a distant historical era, about people, it seems, of a completely different way and style of life, but the feelings that people have been imbued with at all times are understandable to the present reader, consonant with him if the novel is written by a real master. Let Romeo and Juliet lived in Verona in ancient times. It is not the time and place of action that determines my perception of the great love and faithful friendship described by the brilliant Shakespeare.
Russia has not become a distant province of art. Even at the dawn of its emergence, she announced loudly and boldly about her right to stand next to the greatest creators of Europe: "The Lay of Igor's Host", icons and paintings by Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek, cathedrals of Vladimir, Kiev and Moscow. We are not only proud of the amazing proportions of the Church of the Intercession on Nerl and the Moscow Intercession Cathedral, better known as the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, but we also sacredly honor the names of its creators.
Ancient creations are not the only ones that grab our attention. We constantly come across works of art in our daily life. Visiting museums and exhibition halls, we want to join that wonderful world, which is accessible at first only to geniuses, and then to others, we learn to understand, see, absorb the beauty that has already become a part of our everyday life.
Pictures, music, theater, books, films give a person incomparable joy and satisfaction, make him sympathize. Eliminate all this from the life of a civilized person, and he will turn, if not into an animal, then into a robot or a zombie. The wealth of art is inexhaustible. It is impossible to visit all museums in the world, all symphonies, sonatas, operas cannot be listened to, all masterpieces of architecture cannot be reviewed, all novels, poems, and poems cannot be re-read. And to nothing. Know-it-alls are actually superficial people. Of all the diversity, a person chooses for the soul that which is closest to him, which gives the basis for his mind and feelings.
In the simplest sense, art is a person's ability to embody something beautiful into reality and get aesthetic pleasure from such objects. It can also be one of the ways of knowing, called mastery, but one thing is certain: without art, our world would be insipid, boring and not the least bit exciting.
Terminological stop
In the broadest sense, art is a kind of craftsmanship whose products bring aesthetic pleasure. According to entries in the Encyclopedia Britannica, the primary criterion of art is the ability to resonate with other people. In turn, the Great Soviet Encyclopedia says that art is one of the forms of social consciousness, which is the main component of human culture.
Whoever says anything, the controversy around the term "art" has been going on for a very long time. For example, in the era of romanticism, art was considered a feature of the human mind. That is, they understood this term in the same way as religion and science.
Special craft
In the very first and most widespread sense, the concept of art was deciphered as "craft" or "compilation" (it is also creation). Simply put, everything that was created by man in the process of inventing and comprehending a certain composition could be called art.
Until the 19th century, art was the ability of an artist or singer to express their talent, captivate the audience and make them feel.
The concept of "art" can be used in various spheres of human activity:
- the process of expressing vocal, choreographic or acting talent;
- works, physical objects created by masters of their craft;
- the process of consumption of works of art by the audience.
Summing up, we can say the following: art is a kind of subsystem of the spiritual sphere of life, which is a creative reproduction of reality in artistic images. This is a unique skill that can be admired by the public.
A bit of history
In world culture, people began to talk about art in ancient times. Primitive art (namely, fine art, it is also a rock painting) appeared together with man in the Middle Paleolithic era. The first objects that can be identified with art as such appeared in the Upper Paleolithic. The oldest works of art, such as shell necklaces, date back to 75,000 BC.
In the Stone Age, primitive rituals, music, dances, ornaments were called art. In general, contemporary art originates from ancient rituals, traditions, games, which were conditioned by mythological and magical ideas and beliefs.
From primitive man
In world art, it is customary to distinguish several eras of its development. Each of them adopted something from their ancestors, added something of their own and left to their descendants. From century to century, art has acquired an increasingly complex form.
The art of primitive society consisted of music, songs, rituals, dances and images that were applied to animal skins, earth and other natural objects. In the world of antiquity, art took on a more complex form. It developed in the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Persian, Indian, Chinese and other civilizations. Each of these centers has its own unique style of art, which has survived more than one millennium and even today has an impact on culture. By the way, ancient Greek artists were considered the best (even better than modern masters) in depicting the human body. Only they managed in some incredible way to thoroughly depict the muscles, posture, choose the correct proportions and convey the natural beauty of nature.
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, religions had a significant influence on the development of art. This is especially true for Europe. Gothic and Byzantine art were based on spiritual truths and biblical subjects. At this time, in the east and in the countries of Islam, it was believed that the drawing of a person was nothing more than the creation of an idol, which was prohibited. Therefore, architecture, ornaments were present in the visual arts, but there was no man. Calligraphy and jewelry were developing. In India and Tibet, religious dance was the main art, followed by sculpture.
A wide variety of arts flourished in China, they were not influenced or pressured by any religion. Each era had its own masters, each of them had their own style, which they perfected. Therefore, each work of art bears the name of the era in which it was created. For example, a Ming vase or a Tang painting. In Japan, the situation is the same as in China. The development of culture and art in these countries was quite distinctive.
Renaissance
During the Renaissance, art again returns to material values and humanism. Human figures acquire their lost corporeality, perspective appears in space, and artists strive to reflect physical and rational certainty.
In the era of Romanticism, emotions appear in art. Masters try to show human individuality and depth of experience. Multiple artistic styles began to emerge such as academism, symbolism, fauvism, etc. True, their age was short, and the former directions, spurred on by the horror of the wars experienced, one might say, revived from the ashes.
Towards modernity
In the 20th century, masters were looking for new visual possibilities and standards of beauty. Due to the constantly growing globalization, cultures began to interpenetrate and influence each other. For example, the Impressionists were inspired by Japanese engravings, and the fine arts of India had a significant influence on the work of Picasso. In the second half of the 20th century, the development of various areas of art was influenced by modernism, with its adamant idealistic search for truth and rigid norms. The period of contemporary art came when it was decided that values are relative.
Functions and properties
At all times, theorists of art history and cultural studies said that art, like any other social phenomenon, is characterized by different functions and properties. All functions of art are conventionally divided into motivated and unmotivated.
Unmotivated functions are properties that are integral to human nature. Simply put, art is something that a person is pushed to by instincts and that goes beyond the practical and useful. These functions include:
- Basic instinct for harmony, rhythm and balance. Here art is manifested not in material form, but in a sensual, inner striving for harmony and beauty.
- Feeling of mystery. It is believed that art is one of the ways to feel a connection with the universe. This sensation arises unexpectedly when contemplating pictures, listening to music, etc.
- Imagination. Thanks to art, a person has the ability to apply imagination without restrictions.
- Addressing many. Art allows the creator to address the whole world.
- Rituals and symbols. Some modern cultures have vibrant rituals, dances and performances. They are kind of symbols, and sometimes just ways to diversify the event. By themselves, they do not pursue any goal, but anthropologists see in every movement the meaning inherent in the development of national culture.
Motivated features
The motivated functions of art are the goals that the creator consciously sets for himself when starting to create a work of art.
In this case, art can be:
- A means of communication. In its simplest form, art is a way of communication between people through which information can be transmitted.
- Entertainment. Art is able to create the appropriate mood, helps to relax and distract from problems.
- For the sake of change. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many works were created that provoked political change.
- For psychotherapy. Psychologists often use art for medicinal purposes. The technique based on the analysis of the pattern makes it possible to carry out a more accurate diagnosis.
- For the sake of protest. Art was often used to protest against something or someone.
- Propaganda. Art can also be a way of spreading propaganda, through which it is possible to subtly influence the formation of new tastes and moods in the public.
As can be seen from the functions, art plays an important role in the life of society, influencing all spheres of human life.
Types and forms
Initially, art was considered undivided, that is, a general complex of creative activity. For primitive man, there were no separate examples of art such as theater, music or literature. Everything was merged into one. Only after a while, different types of art began to appear. This is the name of the historically established forms of artistic reflection of the world, which are used to create different means.
Depending on the means used, such forms of art are distinguished:
- Literature. Uses verbal writing to create art. Three main types are distinguished here - drama, epic and lyric poetry.
- Music. It is divided into vocal and instrumental, in order to create examples of art, sound means are used.
- Dance. Plastic movements are used to create new patterns. There are ballet, ritual, ballroom, contemporary and folk dance arts.
- Painting. With the help of color, reality is displayed on a plane.
- Architecture. Art is manifested in the transformation of the spatial environment with structures and buildings.
- Sculpture. Represents works of art that have a volume and three-dimensional shape.
- Decorative and applied arts. This form is directly related to applied needs, these are artistic objects that can be used in everyday life. For example, painted dishes, furniture, etc.
- Theatre. With the help of acting on the stage, a stage action of a specific theme and character is played out.
- The circus. A kind of spectacular and entertaining action with funny, unusual and risky numbers.
- Cinema. We can say that this is the evolution of theatrical action, when modern, audiovisual means are still used.
- The photo. It consists in fixing visual images with technical means.
To the listed forms, you can also add such genres of art as pop art, graphics, radio, etc.
The role of art in human life
Strange, but for some reason it is believed that art is intended only for the upper strata of the population, the so-called elite. Such a concept is supposedly alien to other people.
Art is usually equated with wealth, influence and power. After all, just such people can afford to buy beautiful, obscenely expensive and absurdly useless things. Take, for example, the Hermitage or the Versailles Palace, which have preserved rich collections of the monarchs of the past. Today, such collections can be afforded by governments, some private organizations and very wealthy people.
Sometimes one gets the impression that the main role of art in a person's life is to show others his social status. In many cultures, expensive and graceful things show the position of a person in society. On the other hand, two centuries ago, attempts were made to make high art more accessible to the general public. For example, in 1793 the Louvre was opened for everyone (until that time it was the property of the French kings). Over time, this idea was picked up in Russia (Tretyakov Gallery), USA (Metropolitan Museum) and other European countries. Still, people who have their own art collection will always be considered more influential.
Synthetic or real
There is a wide variety of works of art in the modern world. They take on various types, forms, means of creation. The only thing that has remained unchanged is folk art in its primitive form.
Today, even a simple idea is considered art. It is thanks to ideas, public opinion and critical reviews that such works as Black Square, a tea set covered with natural fur, or a photograph of the Rhine River, which sold for 4 million dollars, are enduring success. It is difficult to call these and similar objects real art.
So what is real art? By and large, these are works that make you think, ask questions, look for answers. Real art attracts, I want to get this item at any cost. Even in literature, Russian classics wrote about this attractive force. Thus, in Gogol's story "The Portrait", the protagonist spends his last savings on acquiring a portrait.
Real art always makes a person kinder, stronger and wiser. Possessing invaluable knowledge and experience that has been collected over many generations, and is now available in an acceptable form for perception, a person has the opportunity to develop and improve.
Real art is always done from the heart. It doesn't matter what it will be - a book, a picture, music, a play. The viewer will feel. He will definitely feel what the creator wanted to convey. Feel his emotions, understand his thoughts, go with him in search of answers. Real art is an inaudible conversation between an author and a person, after which the listener / reader / viewer will no longer be the same. This is what real art is. A real concentrated bundle of feelings. As Pushkin wrote, it should burn the hearts of people, no matter what - a verb, a brush or a musical instrument. Such art should serve people and inspire them to change, entertain when sad, and inspire hope, especially when it seems that there is no way out. This is the only way, it cannot be otherwise.
Today there are many strange, sometimes even ridiculous objects that are called works of art. But if they are not capable of "catching on to the living," then they a priori cannot relate to art.