The phenomenon of art after the 1970s is widely unprohibited. It encompasses areas of art ranging from photography to drawing. It may be single or multi-dimensional, such as a sculpture or a performance, presented in a myriad of multimedia diversity.
Art is no longer a luxury only for the rich, and neither is it exclusive to art museums. For as long as there is a clear and correct understanding of art, it is not a necessity to possess the relevant degree or qualifications to be certified as a painter or photographer.
Josef Albers, Armchair for Hans Ludwig and Marguerite Oeser
Life itself can be considered as an art. In the artistic life, any subject can be used as a form of creative expression. This kind of artistic creations can better reflect the social behaviour, life experiences, the mysteries of life, etc. These outstanding works of art help to create a sense of unison, thereby bridging the communication amongst people. In addition, they also adequately express the people's common ideals and aspirations.
Thus, in this liberal and modern era, there is no need to set limits or preconceived notions with regards to art. Just follow your intuition. As long as you do not deviate from the artistic concept, any object, person or event can be the platform for creating novel and original works of art.
During the early days of imperial monarchy, the commoners mostly lived in poverty. During that time, even the term "art" was unheard of, let alone the philosophy of "life is an art and that art is a way of life".
Verus Art Creates Fully Textured 3D Printed Reproductions of Famous Paintings
As time goes by, poverty and dictatorship have been respectively replaced by affluence and democracy. Some young adults with a keen interest in the arts have taken it outdoors, using nature as an arena for artistic creation. As a result, they removed the stereotypical idea of art as being confined to galleries and museums. This led to the birth of street art and scenic art. In fact, art is not necessarily about creation, it can also be in the form of destruction or vandalism. It varies from conceptual art to spatial art, to art presented in the form of photography.
According to the photorealistic concept of painting, the coloured canvas can be regarded as an abstract painting, and the painting of the canvas itself can be regarded as a creative act. Now, if one produces a similar painting or photograph, is that considered as plagiarism? How do we judge? Just as it is becoming difficult to differentiate between artistic and non-artistic paintings. Although this re-production of art has its significance and value at the present moment, it is unknown if it will remain so in the future.
The original intention of the artists performing on the streets was to allow direct interaction with the audience, as well as to facilitate audience responses and participation, rather than expecting the audience to analyze and appreciate their art from afar. As such, the entire street performance is usually conducted casually in a relaxed atmosphere. Another example is the blacksmith, who utilizes humble metals and together with his input of innovative ideas, he creates a novel artistic iron sculpture. Refraining from negativity, the vibrancy of his new creation will exude fresh vitality into its surrounding environment.
Unlike the post-war era when there was considerable destruction, the conventional use of discarded waste as materials to create art has long been considered passé. It is easily observed that the artistic creation in Europe and the United States is based on mass culture and democratisation of art. Pop art, optical art, surrealism art and performing arts are based on popular themes in the living environment. By using familiar, everyday topics to interact with the audience, art is given a new meaning, the people are enriched with a better understanding of lifestyle and culture, thereby associating the two aspects and giving rise to the saying, "the life of art, and the art of life".
Warren King recreates People from Grandparents Village as Life-Size Cardboard Sculptures
In order to appreciate art works, we must first be aware of the artist's background and the motivation behind his creations. Because the basis of artistic creation is human nature and lifestyle, it reflects the various facets of life. Art seemingly bears the social responsibility of facing adversity together with the community. Furthermore, artistic creations have the tendency to break away from conventional rigid thinking, and is more of a mental activity in which thoughts are directly linked to behaviour.
As the famous French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, once said, " A careless artist is always looking through another person's glasses." That's why we should always remind ourselves never to plagiarize art, but rather we should think, innovate and explore, so as to reflect the ever changing times and their effects on human lifestyle and art, for this is the true mission of the artist.
