TYPES OF ART SUBJECTS

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TYPES OF ART SUBJECTS

STILL LIFE

A drawing or painting of an arrangement of nonmoving, non

living objects , such as fruit, flowers, or bottles.

Usually, a still life is set indoors and contains at least one man-made object, such as a bowl or vase.

SELF-PORTRAIT

A painting, drawing, or sculpture or ot

her work of art showing the artist himself.

RELEGIOUS THEME

Art which the subject is of religious matter.

NON-OBJECTIVE SUBJECT

Art which the visual signs are entirely imagi

native and not from anything seen by the artist.

No recognizable subject

LANDSCAPE

A picture of natural outdoor scenery, such

as mountains, rivers, fields, or forests.

GENRE

(zhan-ra) Art that has a subject

matter that concerns with everyday lif

e, domestic scenes, sentimental family

Relationships, etc.

VISIONARY EXPRESSION

Art that involves simplification and/or rearrange

ment of natural objects to meet the needs of

Artistic expression.

PORTRAIT

A painting, drawing, or sculpture or other medium sh

owing a person or several people. Portraits usually

Show just the face and sh

oulders, but it can include part

or all of the body, as well.

Social functions of art are those that go beyond personal intrinsic value to art's social benefits.

Individuals and their society are dynamically related. Art communicates. Most often it is constructed

with the intention of sharing responses to and opinions about life with others. Art enriches, informs, and

questions our world. When highly valued it can be both a social and financial asset. Art can have

powerful transformative and restorative effects within a society as well.

The Physical Functions of Art

Paintings and buildings can be symbols, but only buildings serve a physical function. The art of

"physical function" refers to objects that are made to be used as tools or containers. Today we

have industrial designers; they create anything- from earthmovers to cigarette lighters to houses

to storefronts. Art shares responsibility for the built environment: how it looks and how it works.

And here, art means more than embellishing or beautifying surfaces.

Personal Functions of Art

Regardless of how social we think we are and how dependent we are on others, we have a

"private and separate" understanding of ourselves. We think of ourselves as unique, different,

exceptional in some ways, as if we have thoughts unique only to us and no one else. And it's

true, we are unique with our own special point of view about almost anything we consider. Basic

human situations, such as love, death, celebration, and illness, constantly recur, and we can see

them in a fresh light because of the personal comment made by an artist. Many times artists

create work in order to just try and explain these feelings.

Art and psychological expression

Visual images preceded written language as a means of communication. However, art goes

beyond communication of information; it also expresses a whole dimension of human

personality- our inner, or psychological, states of being. Art is more than standard symbols and

signs (although symbols are used) because the forming of elements like lines, colors, textures,

transmit subliminal meanings beyond the basic information. These elements give existence to the

artist's intentions and meanings.

What Are the Functions of Art?

Answer:

Smarter people than I have written entire books about the function of art. My attempt, here --

which will probably come across as overly simplified -- will be to hit the highlights. Disclaimers

abound.

First, proceed with this caution: No piece of art can be "assigned" a function (or functions),

either in essay form or in casual conversation, if it isn't first considered within the proper

context. Trying to classify function depends on context.

Ideally, one can look at a piece and know (approximately) where it came from and when. The

best-case scenario includes identifying the artist, as well, because s/he is half of the contextual

equation (i.e.: What was the artist thinking at the time s/he created this?). You, the viewer, are

the other half (i.e.: What does this piece of art mean to you, living right now?). These are all

factors that should be considered before trying to assign functions. Besides, taking anything out

of context can lead to misunderstanding, which is never a happy place to visit.

That said, the functions of art normally fall within three categories. These are personal, social

or physical functions. These categories can, and (often) do, overlap in any given piece of art.

Content

There is less consensus here. Some distinguish "subject matter" from "content" - - i.e.,

denotations vs. connotations, more or less -- while others prefer terms like "meaning" vs.

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TYPES OF ART SUBJECTS STILL LIFE A drawing or painting of an arrangement of nonmoving, non living objects , such as fruit, flowers, or bottles. Usually, a still life is set indoors and contains at least one man-made object, such as a bowl or vase. SELF-PORTRAIT A painting, drawing, or sculpture or ot her work of art showing the artist himself. RELEGIOUS THEME Art which the subject is of religious matter. NON-OBJECTIVE SUBJECT Art which the visual signs are entirely imagi native and not from anything seen by the artist. No recognizable subject LANDSCAPE A picture of natural outdoor scenery, such as mountains, rivers, fields, or forests. GENRE (zhan-ra) Art that has a subject matter that concerns with everyday lif e, domestic scenes, sentimental family Relationships, etc. VISIONARY EXPRESSION Art that involves simplification and/or rearrange ment of natural objects to m ...
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