"Modern Chinese Dictionary" says: art is "a social ideology that reflects reality in images but is more typical than the objective."
And on the understanding of what art is, there are usually three types of views:
One, from the subjective understanding and feelings, that: art is the pursuit of beauty, art is the true embodiment of their own feelings, art is for their own creativity, art is free and so on, their own individuality absolutized.
The second is that "art is a creation, a unique creation based on a unique discovery, a new aesthetic realm and its related linguistic context, a new schematic structure, and even a new tradition integrated into an all-encompassing creation". The essence of this reference is to make a play on form, which is a total negation of excellent traditional art. In addition, there is also a pursuit of form, not content, or the content and form of the relationship between the reversal of the content and form, requiring the content to serve the form of the argument.
Third, that art is a reflection of the objective world, originating from the reality of the social and natural landscape, but it is not a simple understanding and reflection of things, but through the people's subjective exploration, refinement, cutting and processing, the use of appropriate techniques and tools, according to the different needs of the use of a certain form of the context of the composition of the works of the form of the spirit. The image conveys the author's feelings and serves others and the society.
The 1999 edition of the Dictionary explains the connotation and extension of art:
"Human beings grasp the world in a special way with feelings and imagination as the characteristics, that is, through the aesthetic creative activities to reproduce the reality and expression of emotional ideals, and in the imagination to realize the mutual objectification of the aesthetic subject and the aesthetic object. Specifically, they are the image reflection of people's real life and the spiritual world, and the organic product of the artist's comprehensive mental activities of perception, emotion, ideals and ideas. As a social ideology, art mainly satisfies people's aesthetic needs in many aspects, thus playing a subtle role in social life, especially in the field of human spirit. According to the different means and ways of expression, they can be divided into performing arts (music, dance), plastic arts (painting, sculpture, architecture), language arts (literature), comprehensive arts (theater, film and television). According to the temporal and spatial nature of the performance, it can be further divided into temporal art (music), spatial art (painting, sculpture, architecture), and temporal and spatial juxtaposition art (literature, theater, film and television)."
The answer to the question of "participants and observers of the arts" in today's society is basically the same as the one described below.
"You can no longer say what is and what is not art; that era is long over." (Philosopher and art critic Arthur Dantoo)
"You can no longer say what is art and what is not art. Dantoo)
"Art is whatever people want to make it." (Congressman Peter? Hoykostra)
"It's now clear that anything can be treated more or less as art." (Art historian Thomas? (McEvilly)
"It's so outrageous to define art these days that I don't think anyone would dare to do it." (Art historian Robert Rosenblum)
First let's look back at the development of Western art
Development of Western art
1 The art of design in primitive societies
2 Art of the Paleolithic era
The invention of the bow and arrow, one of the most important and greatest achievements in Paleolithic tool making.
Colorful and primitive Winter Shelby flowers are more representative of the highest achievements in primitive art and design, the largest and best mural works found in Lascaux in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in southern France and Almira in northern Spain in northern Spain in southern France.
3 Neolithic art
Stonehenge design: the earliest manifestation of Western design sources in the Neolithic era, when Europe appeared in a large scale with megalithic blocks of buildings, the most famous site is the British Soltz Plain - ring Stonehenge, which is a circular structure surrounded by a circle of megalithic stones weighing about 20 tons, which were used to hold a certain major place for a religious ceremony.
According to European historians, ancient Egyptian, Western Asian, Greek, and Roman art from the period of slave societies is called classical art.
4 Art of the Two Rivers Valley
The most famous surviving sculpture from ancient Babylon is the Codex Hammurabi.
5 Ancient Egyptian Art and Design
The pyramids are the pinnacle of the history of Egyptian design and art, reflecting the Egyptians' achievement of mathematics and geometry as well as their extraordinary artistic talent. Among them, the Giza Pyramid Complex and the giant Sphinx are the essence of Egypt's ancient civilization. The most famous of the Giza Pyramids are the Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafra and the Pyramid of Menkaufra. In front of the Pyramid of Khafre is the famous Sphinx, which the Greeks called "The Sphinx".
Egyptian pyramid architecture in the design of the pyramid highlights the effect of the pyramid tall, stable, heavy and simple, with the grandeur of the momentum, simple, simple modeling embodies the majesty of the slave-owning class, the world to produce a deterrent force.
6 Aegean Civilization and Aegean Art
7 Ancient Greek Art
The world-famous Acropolis complex can be regarded as an example of the perfect combination of high architectural technology and human aesthetic requirements.
The Parthenon [447 BC]: The Parthenon represents the highest achievement of the ancient Greek columnar art, there are three ancient Greek columns, namely, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, the main body of the Parthenon adopts Doric columns, which are both simple and clear and solemn, and glows with male vigorous vitality. The temple structure is well-proportioned and well-proportioned, with a rich sense of rhythm and cadence, and the tall, upright columns supporting the eaves are one of the most perfect architectural examples in the history of world art.
Three types of columns in ancient Greece: people usually put the ancient Greek architecture in the form of columns and cornices, proportion, combined with each other to form the program law called "columns", which are mainly: Dorian columns, Ionic columns, Corinthian columns. Fully embodies the three different artistic styles and aesthetic ideas. It is not only the foundation of ancient Greek architecture, but also a major contribution to the history of architectural design in the world. Dorian column: it is well-proportioned, strong and robust without the slightest clumsiness. The column head is strong and upright, simple inverted conical platform, the column body grooves intersect into sharp angles, no column base, with male masculine beauty. Proportion of the column body is stout, there is a gradual reduction of the lower and upper, column height of 4-6 times the diameter of the base, the column is engraved with concave circular grooves, grooves back into the angle, the head of the column is relatively simple without pattern, there is no column base and directly on the pedestal, the height of the cornice and the ratio of the column height of 1:4, the column spacing for the month for the height of the column of 1,2 to 1,5 times. Aioli column type: this column type is more beautiful, gorgeous, light, the column head is delicate and soft 0 volume, column prongs on a small section of the rounded surface, and with complex and elastic column base, with the characteristics of the female physique light and beautiful. The proportion of the column body of the Ionic column type is slender, the proportion of the upper and lower changes is not significant, the height of the column is 9-10 times the base warp, the column is y grooved, the groove back into a band, there are multiple layers of the column base, the height of the cornice and the ratio of the column height of 1:5, the column spacing of the diameter of the column of 2 times. Corinthian columns: Corinthian columns in addition to the column head such as Sheng Manjiu grass flower basket pattern, the other ministries and Iowan columns the same.
8 Roman art
Medieval design
9 Byzantine art and design:
Byzantine art and design of the basic characteristics of the form of abstract language is preferred, keen on the use of line and color, cleverly reflecting the changes in light and color; inhibition of three-dimensional expression, and the use of patterned plane modeling techniques, reflecting the characters and the background of the rhythm. It also draws on the harmony and harmony of Greek art. At the same time, it also draws on the principles of harmony, symmetry and balance in Greek art.
10 Romanesque art:
Romanesque art refers to the art of the eleventh and second centuries, the second half of the eleventh century is the maturity of the twelfth century reached its peak. Romanesque art was the peak of the non-realistic art style throughout the Middle Ages, and it underwent a series of astonishing developments that led to the emergence of many forms of design with local characteristics. It first appeared in France and then spread throughout Europe to almost all countries not influenced by Byzantine art. France, Spain and England produced the most typical styles of Romanesque, while in Italy Romanesque was called "Neo-Latin". Although Romanesque art has certain ****same tendencies and characteristics, there is no fixed ethic or program, but on the basis of unity and in accordance with the basic direction established by each place, it is the combination of the spirit of tradition and national spirit of each region. Roman art and design in general is to give vent to a religious passion, has a strong expressive, mainly centered on the church building, in the church art combined with other modeling design, the formation of a brilliant architectural design and decoration of the forms.
The vault of the Romanesque church is its most original and characteristic place, the vault dominates the whole structure of the building, to ensure the unity of each part. The vaults are divided into three forms: cradle, slope, and dome.
The most famous buildings: St. Michael's Church in France, Durham Church in England, Pisa Church in Italy, and Speyer Church in Germany.
11 Gothic Gothic Gothic Gothic Gothic:
Gothic art arose around the 12th century with Paris, France, and began to mature in the second half of the 13th century. The influence of Gothic art lasted for centuries. It was originally embodied in a new architectural style, and later extended to refer generally to all the arts subservient to the style between the 12th and 14th centuries, including architecture, sculpture, painting, and the arts and crafts. Typical features of the architecture are the use of vertical lines and the vaulted structure of the pointed roof.
The most famous buildings: Notre Dame in Paris, Amiens Cathedral, Cologne Cathedral in Germany, Milan Cathedral in Italy
12 Italian Renaissance:
The 14th century in Italy set off a magnificent Renaissance movement, the "renaissance" refers to the "regeneration" of the arts and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The "renaissance" refers to the "regeneration" of ancient Greek and Roman art and culture. In the 14th to 16th centuries, the Renaissance movement spread throughout Europe, many countries have set off the Renaissance movement, later European culture and art and all aspects of social life have had a great impact. Art and design in the Renaissance era established the principles of realism and humanism. Renaissance realism principle created the first stage of modern art history, modern realism plastic art language system, is formed in the Renaissance art practice. Realism based on the study of man and nature, the development of perspective, anatomy, proportionality and other scientific principles of technique, exploring a number of modeling language means, so that the architectural design, modeling design skills have made a major breakthrough. And its humanist principles completely replaced the religious culture of the Middle Ages, fully affirmed the beauty and sublime qualities of human beings, expressed human individuality, respected the status of human beings, affirmed and emphasized the role of human beings, value and creativity. Artists based on the principles of humanism to solve the problem of aesthetic ideals, i.e. on the noble mission of man, on moral standards, on the place of man in the universe, in society.
Brunelleschi: the dome of St. Mary's Cathedral in Florence; Da. Finch's most famous works 〈〈Madonna of the Rocks〉, 〈〈Last Supper〉〉, 〈Mona Lisa〉〉: Michelangelo is the layout of Rome's Piazza del Capitol, the works 〈Night〉, 〈Dying Slave〉, 〈David 〉〉, 〈Moses〉〉; Raphael's masterpieces 〈The Sistine Chapel of the Virgin Mary 〉〉, 〈The School of Athens〉〉
13 stylisticism:
In the 1940s and 1950s of the 16th century, a new form of art was formed that pursued a unique visual effect and sense of form, namely, stylism. Stylism ran counter to the ideals of humanism, detaching itself from true reality and indulging in a world of subjective feeling, giving primacy to subjectivist feeling in art, and ultimately degenerating into the pursuit of novelty and the emptiness of pretentious imagery. Stylism was not a movement of regional harmonization of styles, but a personal experiment conducted by some artists alone. In the course of their explorations, they unconsciously borrowed all the complexity, ambiguity, coldness, imbalance, and anti-naturalistic vocabulary with a view to documenting the changing times.