Sunday, 9 March 2014

A Brief Guide To The Power Of Art

By Jaclyn Hurley


When people hear the word art they have a different idea of what that constitutes. For some this means grand landscapes and stunning pictures of the sea or city skylines. For others it can mean something with a powerful image or a message included in the piece. Whatever the piece what is true is that the power of art is something that usually affects people at some point.

An excellent example of a powerful artwork is the Sistine Chapel in Rome. This is something that took over a decade to complete. While the picture of Adam touching fingers with God is something that has been parodied for years the real thing is something truly beautiful.

For other people he was a key part of the pop culture movement of the sixties. As well as his influence on art he was also very influential in the fields of music, fashion and film as well. Salvador Dali is another excellent example of someone whose surreal artwork was initially criticised but has since become influential in terms of famous surreal imagery.

In some cases the power of a work of art can come from its impact on popular culture. For example images from comic books have become symbols in and of themselves. A person can wear the image of a superhero on their T shirt without necessarily being a fan of that comic book.

The reaction of a person to a work of art can be different to another. With performance pieces and modern art there tends to be more ambiguity. Therefore the message one person takes from a piece may be different from another. For example while one person may see a violent image another may see something as a representation of the psyche of the artist.

The cynic would say that as soon as this occurred the Banksy mystique was ruined as the anti capitalist subversive became available for sale and his work became a desired item available for the highest bidder. Banksy himself responded to this by creating a picture that mocked his celebrity status and derided the people spending large sums in order to get hold of his work.

Banksy is of course one in a long line of artists using art as a way of making statements. Arguably he is the descendant of the modern art methods of Andy Warhol. His approach was very much about how art had become commercialised and used commercial methods such as print making to create his work.

The good thing about the internet is that it is now easier to share art with people around the world. Whether you make your own pieces or you want to share your favourite works with other people there are lots of ways to learn more about the diverse styles of artwork available around the world. It is also worth checking to see what exhibitions and pieces are available in your local area.




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