More Art Zones
|
Young Male Nude, 1855 Art Print Flandrin,... 31.5 in. x 23.75 in. Buy at AllPosters.com Framed Mounted Crafts have a certain amount in common with sculpture. Their products are also three-dimensional; indeed, they are often made by exactly the same process as a statue. A clay vessel such as a Greek amphora differs from a statue only in that it can be put to practical use. A candelabra, a brooch and the handle of a sword virtually represent sculpture in the round: a carved door, a carved rood screen and an embossed binding are all examples of relief work.
Chests and cupboards, for their part, are closely related to architecture, whilst medieval reliquary shrines constitute miniature churches. Wallpaper, all types of weaving, and lace work belong to the realm of painting, although the processes are different. This also applies to commercial art.
We can now see why the so-called applied arts cannot be considered as falling into a separate category; they are invariably linked to sculpture, architecture and painting. Indeed, the division into pure and applied art is as recent as the last century when the crafts were rapidly declining. In earlier times we find no such distinction; Renaissance artists such as Leonardo, Dürer, Verrocchio and Cellini thought it natural to design all manner of things. After all, architecture is strictly speaking an 'applied art', since it has a function.
The problem of distinguishing between an art and a craft presents itself in a different light today. We do not consider that function necessarily excludes or diminishes aesthetic value. Many present-day embroideries and tapestries are hung in frames and treated like paintings. But we must also ask ourselves what it is that makes a mere tool a potential work of art. The answer is that beauty should be added to utility. An article or implement does not have to be painted or covered with ornament.
A good shape is sufficient for a vessel; ornament, if excessive or applied at the wrong places, often detracts from a vase's beauty and can even destroy it if it is contrary to the laws of form. An object does not become a work of art unless form and ornament supplement one another. Ornament must not only decorate, as the name suggests ('ornare' means to decorate), it also has to interpret, and heighten the effect of, the object itself. The horizontal lines on Stone Age pottery stress the shape of a vessel's rim, the vertical lines that of the stem.
The interaction of ornament and form is most obvious in tattooing and personal adornments. A necklace does not merely adorn; by enclosing the neck it stresses its curves and demarcates the head from the body. If it hangs upon the breast it draws attention to man's upright posture. Such decoration would be meaningless in an animal. Tattooing, where it still has its roots in native art, also underlines the body's basic build. It is sometimes done in such a way as virtually to reproduce the skeleton on the skin, thus harmonizing with the anatomical structure.
These principles apply broadly to most objects of everyday life. A Dutch wardrobe, a Danzig cupboard or a Jacobean court cupboard is certainly lavishly decorated. But the ornament is determined by the basic structure, it merely lends greater emphasis to the different parts. A carpet has usually no naturalistic decoration because it would be absurd to invite people to walk about on scenery, or tread upon human figures. The pattern is usually symmetrically arranged, so that we can enjoy much the same aspect from every corner of the room. Anything else would merely induce a feeling of unrest and would make the house uninhabitable. For a similar reason, wallpapers are usually based on repetition of the same motif. Thus, function very often determines the artist's approach. As long as this is recognised, a harmonious work is likely to result.
|
 |
RSS Feed XML Sitemap HTML Sitemap Contact Us Privacy Policy