Art can be defined as a very wide human activities involving some skills. It is imaginative, creative and aesthetic in nature. One uncontroversial thing about art is that it affects almost every aspect of man’s life.
SOME DEFINATIONS OF ART
– Art is a means of self-expression of inner feelings or ideas about things, people and the environment
– Art is the act of making skillful use of materials to produce things for human use and pleasure.
– Art is a universal language of expression.
Art is the skill of doing something, which is not taught by nature.
THE ORIGIN OF ART
The word “Art” originated from a latin word “ARTI” which means “to do well”. Art activities could be traced back to the early man, who wrote and drew on cave walls, rock surfaces, wood and hides. Although most of these materials are aged, utility and beauty or aesthetics, weathered and perished.
The various techniques used in representing objects on such surfaces includes scratching, engraving, incised drawing or graffiti and painting. Such painting were carried out with earth colours –red, yellow, black and white of chalk mixed with animal fat to form a kind of oil paint.
BRANCHES OF ART
Art, a name given to all skillful activities is broadly divided into too namely VISUAL ART and NON-VISUAL ART.
VISUAL ART
Are those aspect of art whose products are visible. i.e. what we can see. It requires the use of materials that we can see physically or touched.
Visual Art can be divided into two namely: Fine Art and Applied Art/Industrial Art.
They are mainly for self satisfaction.
The branches of Fine art are: Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture.
While the branches of Applied art are ; Graphics, Textile, Ceramics, Photography etc.
NON-VISUAL ART
These are the aspects of art whose product can not be seen with our naked eye. The products are mainly for entertainment and recreation.
Non-visual Art – can also be divided into two namely: Performing Art and Literary Art.
Performing art includes music, Drama, Dance,
While Literary Art involves all form of writing Literature, Poetry, Folklore and Jonalism.
ART
VISUAL ART NON-VISUAL ART
FINE ART APPLIED/ PERFORMING LITERARY
INDUSTRIAL ART ART ART
DRAWING GRAPHICS DRAMA LITERATURE
PAINTING TEXTILE MUSIC POETRY
SCULPTURE CERAMICS DANCE WRITING
ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FOLK LOVE
INTERIOR DESIGN JOURNALISM
FURNITURE “ “
INDUSTRIAL “ “
IMPORTANCE OF ART
Art serve many functions and has many values to the society. All the branches of art are important because they all satisfy and affect the life of human beings in diverse ways some of which are:
1. Art serves as the means of expressing our emotions
2. Art works serves as decorative means
3. Art works are used to retain and promotes our fashion culture
4. Art works serves the means of protection
5. Art works serves as a storage means
6. Art works encourages the people spiritual growth
7. Art works creates room for relaxation, recreation, and increases in ones joy
8. Art helps in keeping records and historical facts about our ancestors
9. Art serves as aid to easy transportation of goods
10. Art is used as a means of effective communication within individual, local and international communities
11. Art serves as a source of income for individual and society
See also
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEDERATIONS