Fine art describes an
art form developed primarily for
aesthetics and/or concept rather than
utility. This type of art is often expressed in the production of
art objects using
visual and
performing art forms, including
painting,
sculpture,
music,
dance,
theatre,
architecture,
photography and
printmaking. Schools, institutes, and other organizations often use the term to indicate a traditional perspective on the art forms, often implying an association with classic or
academic art.
Background
The word "fine" does not so much denote the quality of the artwork in question, but the purity of the discipline.
"Imitation, then, is one instinct of our nature. Next, there is the instinct for 'harmony' and rhythm, meters being manifestly sections of rhythm. Persons, therefore, starting with this natural gift developed by degrees their special aptitudes, till their rude improvisations gave birth to Poetry." –Aristotle
This definition tends to exclude visual art forms that could be considered
craftwork or
applied art, such as
textiles. The more recent term
visual arts is widely considered to be a more inclusive and descriptive phrase for today's variety of current art practices, and for the multitude of media in which high art is now more widely recognized to occur.
The term is still often used outside of the arts to denote when someone has perfected an activity to a very high level of skill. For example, one might metaphorically say that "
Pelé took
football to the level of a
fine art."
That fine art is seen as being distinct from applied arts is largely the result of an issue raised in Britain by the conflict between the followers of the
Arts and Crafts Movement, including
William Morris, and the early
modernists, including
Virginia Woolf and the
Bloomsbury Group. The former sought to bring socialist principles to bear on the arts by including the more commonplace crafts of the masses within the realm of the arts, while the modernists sought to keep artistic endeavor as exclusive and esoteric.
Confusion often occurs when people mistakenly refer to the Fine Arts but mean the Performing Arts (Music, Dance, Drama, etc). However, there is some disagreement here, as, for example, at
York University, Fine Arts is a faculty that includes the "traditional" fine arts, design,
and the "Performing Arts". Furthermore,
creative writing is frequently considered a fine art as well.
Two-dimensional work
Illustration
An
illustration is a
visualization such as a
drawing,
painting,
photograph or other work of
art that stresses subject more than form. The aim of an illustration is to elucidate or decorate textual information (such as a story, poem or
newspaper article) by providing a visual representation.
Painting and drawing
Goya, 1795, Self-Portrait
is a form of visual expression and is one of the major forms within the visual arts. Common instruments include
graphite pencils,
pen and ink,
inked
brushes, wax
color pencils,
crayons,
charcoals,
chalk,
pastels,
markers,
stylus, or various metals like
silverpoint. There are a number of subcategories of drawing, including
cartooning. Certain drawing methods or approaches, such as "
doodling" and other informal kinds of drawing such as drawing in the fog a
shower leaves on a
bathroom mirror, or the surrealist method of "
entopic graphomania," in which dots are made at the sites of impurities in a blank sheet of paper, and lines are then made between the dots, may or may not be considered as part of "drawing" as a "fine art."
Comics
Comics are a
graphic medium in which
images are utilised in order to convey a sequential
narrative. Comics are typically seen as a
low art, although there are a few exceptions, such as
Krazy Kat and
Barnaby. In the late 20th and early 21st century there has been a movement to rehabilitate the medium.
Mosaics
Mosaics are images formed with small pieces of stone or glass, called
tesserae. They can be decorative or functional. An artist who designs and makes mosaics is called a mosaic artist or a mosaicist. Examples of contemporary mosaicists include
Emma Biggs (UK),
Marcelo de Melo (Brazil) and
Sonia King (USA).
Printmaking and imaging
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by
printing, normally on
paper. Except in the case of
monotyping, the process is capable of producing multiples of the same piece, which is called a print. Each piece is not a copy but an original since it is not a reproduction of another work of art and is technically known as an impression. Painting or
drawing, on the other hand, create a unique original piece of artwork. Prints are created from a single original surface, known technically as a
matrix. Common types of matrices include: plates of metal, usually copper or zinc for
engraving or
etching; stone, used for
lithography; blocks of wood for
woodcuts, linoleum for
linocuts and fabric plates for
screen-printing. But there are many other kinds, discussed below. Works printed from a single plate create an
edition, in modern times usually each signed and numbered to form a limited
edition. Prints may also be published in book form, as
artist's books. A single print could be the product of one or multiple techniques.
Photography
Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism and commercial photography. Photojournalism provides visual support for stories, mainly in the print media.
Fine art photography is created primarily as an expression of the artist’s vision, but has also been important in advancing certain causes. The work of
Ansel Adams in
Yosemite and
Yellowstone provides an example. Adams is one of the most widely recognized fine art photographers of the 20th century, and was an avid promoter of conservation. While his primary focus was on photography as art, his work raised public awareness of the beauty of the
Sierra Nevada and helped to build political support for their protection.
Sculpture
Sculpture is
three-dimensional artwork created by shaping hard or
plastic material, commonly
stone (either
rock or
marble),
metal, or
wood. Some sculptures are created directly by
carving; others are assembled, built up and
fired,
welded,
molded, or
cast. Because sculpture involves the use of
materials that can be moulded or modulated, it is considered one of the
plastic arts. The majority of
public art is sculpture. Many sculptures together in a
garden setting may be referred to as a
sculpture garden.
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
The inception of the term in the 1960s referred to a strict and focused practice of idea-based art that often defied traditional visual criteria associated with the visual arts in its presentation as text. However, through its association with the
Young British Artists and the
Turner Prize during the 1990s, its popular usage, particularly in the
UK, developed as a synonym for all
contemporary art that does not practise the traditional skills of
painting and
sculpture.
[ tate.org.uk. Accessed August 8, 2006]Dance
Dance is an
art form that generally refers to
movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of
expression,
social interaction or presented in a
spiritual or
performance setting.
Dance is also used to describe methods of
non-verbal communication (see
body language) between humans or
animals (
bee dance,
patterns of behaviour such as a mating dance),
motion in inanimate objects (
the leaves danced in the wind), and certain
musical forms or
genres. In
sports,
gymnastics,
figure skating and
synchronized swimming are
dance disciplines while
martial arts kata are often compared to dances.
Theatre
Modern Western
theatre is dominated by
realism, including
drama and
comedy. Another popular Western form is
musical theatre. Classical forms of theatre, including Greek and Roman drama, classic English drama including
Shakespeare and
Marlowe and French theater including
Molière is still performed today. In addition, performances of classic Eastern forms such as
Noh and
Kabuki can be found in the West, although with less frequency.
Fine arts film is a term that encompasses high quality motion pictures and the field of film as a fine
art form. A fine arts movie theater are venues, usually a building, for viewing such movies.
Films are produced by
recording images from the world with
cameras, or by creating images using
animation techniques or
special effects. Films are
cultural artifacts created by specific
cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important
art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for
educating — or
indoctrinating — citizens. The visual elements of cinema gives motion pictures a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using
dubbing or
subtitles that
translate the dialogue.
Cinematography is the discipline of making
lighting and
camera choices when recording photographic
images for the
cinema. It is closely related to the art of
still photography, though many additional issues arise when both the camera and elements of the scene may be in motion.
Independent filmmaking often takes place outside of Hollywood, or other major
studio systems. An independent film (or indie film) is a film initially produced without financing or distribution from a
major movie studio. Creative, business, and technological reasons have all contributed to the growth of the indie film scene in the late 20th and early 21st century.
Architecture
Architecture is frequently considered a fine art, especially if its
aesthetic components are spotlighted (in contrast to
structural-engineering or
construction-management components). Architectural works are perceived as cultural and political
symbols and works of art. Historical
civilizations are often known primarily through their architectural achievements. Such buildings as the
pyramids of
Egypt and the
Roman Colosseum are cultural symbols, and are an important link in public consciousness, even when
scholars have discovered much about a past civilization through other means. Cities, regions and cultures continue to identify themselves with (and are known by) their architectural monuments.
Other
- Electronic Media (perhaps the newest medium for fine art, since it utilizes modern technologies such as computer hardware and software from production to presentation. Includes amongst other things video, digital photography, digital printmaking and interactive pieces).
- Textiles, including quilt art and "wearables" or "pre-wearables" are frequently considered fine art if part of an art display.
Academic study
In the
United States an academic course of study in fine art may include the
Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art, or a
Bachelor of Fine Arts, and/or a
Master of Fine Arts degree — traditionally the
terminal degree in the field.
Doctor of Fine Arts degrees (earned, as opposed to
honorary degrees) have begun to emerge at some US academic institutions, however.
See also
