Britain has great history in the arts and London has always been the focal point of it. It is London’s key galleries that best show off its commitment to art, with most of the famous artists of the world featured in landmark exhibitions which feed its diverse, culturally open-minded population. London continues to offer free entry to most of its museums and galleries to encourage more into studying cultural topics.
London has so many galleries to pick from that we need to try to help you out with quick guides to the best. London Art is not an easy topic to cover briefly, but you will find the best exponents here in this article. Tate Modern is normally the best and most famous place to try first with extraordinary modern art enclosed in a unique building. Thames Bankside gallery is also great for modern artists such as Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, Duchamp and Man Ray.
The Victoria & Albert Museum in London offers a huge collection of royal ceramics and treasures from around the world. Perhaps visit The Natural History museum afterward which is ideally located.
Trafalgar Square’s National Gallery has some of Britain and Europe’s best traditional artists from movements such as Romanticism, Renaissance & Baroque with artists such as Constable, Rembrandt, Renoir & Caravaggio. London art really has all the styles and art movements you could wish for, whatever your taste.
Famous Contemporary British artists like Emin, Hirst & Chapman are joined by exciting, innovate emerging artists at the Saatchi Gallery in London, and is the best place to visit in the English capital if you’re after the most modern style of art.
Tourists rarely get the chance to look beyond the larger established London galleries and museums where as locals can also find the time to visit some exciting smaller art spots around London. Try Piccadilly and Albemarle Streets for this. White Cube, The Portland Gallery and Marlborough Fine Art are some of the best private galleries. Get yourself an Oyster card and a London A-Z, and pop around London to experience some brilliant centers for art!
By: Tom Gurney
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Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 30th, 2010. 
Art encompasses a wide range of human activities, creations, and expressions that are a direct reflection of human emotions and experiences. Traditionally, Art Techniques include Music, Painting, Sculptures, and Literature to name some. In addition, if anything is done technically well, owing to innate skills, or learnt by study and practice, it is said to be an Art such as, Cooking, , driving, or even Grooming. In effect, we can say that Artistry is a sum of Art Techniques employed to bring out the Beauty, Taste, and the Symbolism of an artwork. Art also illustrates abstract thoughts and expressions. Aptly put by Leo Tolstoy, “Art is not a handicraft. It is the transmission of feelings the artist has experienced.”
As mentioned above, you need to employ the right Techniques of Art to bring out the complete objective if an artwork. The ensuing discussion explores Arts Techniques in Chronological Order.
Paleolithic Era Arts Techniques were being used since the Paleolithic Era (Stone Age – 40,000 years ago). Several Sculptures, Cave Paintings, Drilled Snail Shells (from S. Africa) were found in excavations. The Technique of Art used during that period were, Carving (mainly on bones & stones) and Paintings (on the walls of caves). The colors used in those days included Blood, Charcoal, Soil, Juices of Flower Petals, and Leaves.
Mesolithic Era In the Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone Age), art forms changed owing to environmental developments and people’s adaptations to these changes. Poetry was seen, but it was severely practical than artistic. As Arrowhead was invented, most of the art works were in Carving. Pointed Tools made from Flint, Obsidian, and other Minerals were used. Cave Paintings moved out of Caves to the surfaces of natural Rocks.
Neolithic Era New Art Techniques emerged in this era. These include Weaving, Architecture, and the construction of Megaliths to mention a few.
Middle Age In the Middle Age (480 to 751 A.D.), Art evolved drastically. These art forms are now gracing various museums such as, Kimbell Art Museum, Russia’s Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and Berlin’s Museum for Pre and Early History. In the purview of this age, Art can be categorized as Early Christian Art, Migration Period Art, Celtic Art, Byzantine Art, Islamic Art, Pre-Romanesque & Romanesque Art, and Gothic Art. Many of these Art Techniques are lasting until date. The Art Techniques used in this period were:
o Ceramic (use of traditional Clay for Pottery, Bricks, & Tiles)
o Mosaic (creation of Small Images using the small pieces of Colored Glass)
o Pottery (Clay Objects of required shape, heated to give strength. Materials used – Earthenware, Stoneware, & Porcelain)
o Lusterware (a type of Pottery with Metallic Glaze that gives iridescent effect)
o Manuscript (a Handwritten Document, not allowed to reprint)
o Book Binding (a process of assembling the sheets of Paper to form a Book)
o Calligraphy (the art of Writing, described as Scripts & Alphabets)
o Illuminated Manuscripts (Manuscripts, which include text along with decoration)
o Prints
o Engraving (incising hard flat surface by cutting grooves into it. Silver, Gold, Glass, Steel & Lacquer surfaces were engraved)
o Metal cut (an Art Technique in Print Making in which an image is embossed on a Metallic Surface)
o Woodcut (an Art Technique in Print Making in which an image is carved on a Wooden Surface)
o Metalwork
o Sculpture
o Niello (Black Metallic Alloy of Sulfur, Copper, Silver, & Lead, used as an Inlay on Engraved Metal)
Read more on Art Techniques – The Types and Their Philosophy…
Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 30th, 2010.
YouTube art deserves it’s own article, devoted to discovering what types of art are popular on video-sharing site YouTube, and what people like to use these video resources for. In general, art lovers tend to use YouTube for two main reasons, either to learn about specific painting techniques, or to learn about specific art history, be it a particular artist, painting or art movement.
A quick browse of Google keywords shows the most popular searches to be for Van Gogh related YouTube videos, and for painting training tips. Other popular topics include watercolor painting tips and other famous artists such as Monet, Picasso and so on.
Some important points to remember with YouTube is that its market isn’t representative of traditional art followers – it is mainly, but not entirely, for the younger generations of internet users. Therefore, this is to inevitably reflected in the types of art that are searched for, and can be found, on YouTube. There is a clear bias towards more modern types of art, dating from impressionist up to modern day. Renaissance & Baroque art is represented, but not to the extent that its normal popularity would expect. Indeed, relatively brand new artists like British Graffiti Innovator Banksy will get more interest than a classically appreciated artist such as Caravaggio or Bernini. Older surfers tend to still prefer to use books and hard copies of information to both learn about art history, and also gain knowledge to help their own works.
In future years, YouTube will become more of a tool for all generations, and this should lead to a broader spectrum of art in its movies’ content. For now, it remains an excellent source for exerts from professional dvds as a way to demo DVD purchases. You can also quickly learn some key facts about important artists without picking up a book. And finally its best use is probably to go beyond traditional print media and allow training to be shown in action, so learning becomes easier and more fun.
By: Tom Gurney
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Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 28th, 2010.
More than 4000 years ago the Sumerians settled in the valleys of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The Sumerians were the first human race to form a settlement and brought to an end the nomadic existence of humans till then. With settlement and forming of cities, the Sumerian inventions changed the way all of us live today; things that we take for granted today like farming, calendar, and wheels were all Sumerian inventions. Writing was discovered and the Sumerian art and culture was sophistication in itself. The Sumerian art can be easily separated into ritual objects, state objects and personal objects.
Dating from 2400 BC, archaeologists have found smooth, perfected and idealized features of the classical period in Sumerian art. Some of the portraits are in marble and others in black-grey diorite. Excavations have unearthed great skill and artistry in Sumerian art. Sumerian art was complex and ornate with clay being the most abundantly used material. Stone, wood and metal had to be imported into Sumer. Painting and sculpture was the main median used and art was primarily used for religious purposes.
Sumerian art had Three-dimensional statuettes made of marble with an obvious hierarchy of size. The tallest statues were of the vegetation God almost about 30 inches in height. A number of statutes and sculptures were religious and depicted the mother goddess. Mother goddesses were worshipped in the hope of bringing fertility to women and crops. These were the next tallest statues. Smaller than these were the priests and the smallest were the worshippers. All statues have their heads uplifted and hands clasped with cylindrical bodies devoid of any gender differentiation. The clasped hands are the pose of supplication or portraying ‘wanting or waiting for something’. In Sumerian art the entire body of the statues is simple except the faces. This reinforces the power of the face with dominating eyes. The vast eyes would be inlaid with colored stones or enamel making them stand out.
These figures were stand ins used during religious rituals. The rituals involved leaving the stand-ins at the temple when a person died. These large eyed statues seemed to speak as they stared open eyed offering supplication to the gods on behalf of whoever donated them to the temples.
Another piece of Sumerian art was the standard or the banners, which was a part of the state. The figures on these banners pretty much summed up the Sumerian life in its entirety. One side of the banner had soldiers leading prisoners to the king, while the other side had a king holding a banquet and commoners bringing him gifts of livestock and farm produce and manufactured goods. This Sumerian art piece is 18 inches decorated with shell and lapis lazuli. The mosaic was designed in bitumen.
Sumerian merchants led their barley and textile filled caravans into Asia Minor and Iran returning with timber, stone and metals. Soon, these were used in making weapons and Sumerian art as well. The Sumerian art forms reflect on the culture and lifestyle of the ancient Sumerians.
Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 28th, 2010.
As you probably are already aware great paintings and art work does not come cheaply. In fact paintings and other art work by certain artists are sold for millions dollars. While the work of other artists is sold for only a few hundred dollars. Even the smallest piece of work of art can cost you upwards of $300 at the same time. Consequently, those who invest in art expect more from their purchase and rightfully so.
There are certainly lucky art collectors. Those who have been fortunate enough to collect excellent pieces of art over the years. Some artists paintings they’ve collected in the past are worth much more than they originally paid for the piece. There are always cases in which a collector purchases the work of an unknown artist only to have the artist become famous. This leaves the collector holding the work of a famous artist and gives him all the financial gains that come along with being in such a position.
If you love art there is no reason you too could not shop for art and paintings and expect that the piece of artwork you bought will fetch you a price worth a lot more than your purchase price. Collectors are in the business of investing in art work after careful examination.
Examining artwork does not mean that it should merely be attractive to your ***** eyes. Excellence in art is determined by the smoothness and finish of the work. Excellence is also measured by the choice of subject and how well the subject has been expressed. As history has shown a piece of art may have only one or two colored strokes but these simple strokes being able to reflect what the artists was thinking makes the work valuable. Determining this value is the essence of art collecting.
Examination includes checking the condition and authenticity of the pieces. Of course if you are going to purchase any piece of art you must receive assurance and certification that the piece is authentic. Uniqueness should also be of some concern as a bulk product may not be of any use to you as a collector considering that others possess a similar piece. This is one of the considerations that greatly enhances the value of a piece of art. The most treasured pieces of art in the world are those that are unique and authentic works by a famous artist.
Most art collectors and investors also give careful consideration detailing in the piece of art. So to be sure it is necessary to have an eye for art. To be a successful investor you should be able to determine a good piece and a not so good piece of art if it comes from the same artist.
By: Tom Milson
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Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 18th, 2010.
The term, Postmodernism, refers to art, literature, politics, social philosophy and other aspects of contemporary society. The American Heritage Dictionary defines postmodernism: “Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes.”
Postmodernism often refers to art in which the defining line between painting and sculpture is often blurred. These artists adopt, borrow, steal, recycle and sample from earlier modern and classical works. They combine or alter these images to create new, contemporary pieces. They also work with and combine artistic, scientific, technological, media and digital/Internet tools.
While postmodernism and postmodern art have been around for only 50 years, before then, creative people lived and worked according to their principles. Two historical artists, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Louis Daguerre (1787-1851), could be called postmodernists. Da Vinci was a writer, architect, painter, sculptor, botanist, engineer, mathematician, musician, city planner, set designer and philosopher. Daguerre was an artist and scientist, known for the invention of the daguerreotype process of photography, an architect, theater designer, panoramic painter and inventor of the Diorama.
Steve Furman, creator of the blog, expedientmeans.com, is a contemporary postmodernist. He explains, “My serious interests in art, society, media and technology led me naturally to the web… I write observations about this rapid convergence and invite comments…this weblog…is a useful framework for explaining complex designs and interactions, as well as helping one understand human behavior.”
He says in his blog, “I have become a postmodernist without even knowing it… Postmodernists look at modernism and say, ‘There is something missing. This could be done more effectively.’ A postmodernist recycles, borrows, decompiles and rebuilds classic modern executions into a postmodern construct that can be more easily understood and consumed. We are obsessed with organizing knowledge and putting it to use in the most functional way possible. Postmodernists posit that knowledge should be used for doing, not just knowing.”
An article appearing recently in The Examiner by Jim Benz, says, “Ideally, postmodern art explores subjective, daily life by whatever criteria, material, or method the artist deems effective. Frequently, the material might not exist entirely within the art work itself, but instead be composed of the social forces from which the work takes its context, including the role of the viewer, the museum or gallery, the means of production, or the specific site of display.”
Postmodern art is breaking new ground while mirroring and organizing our confusing and evolving world. Looking at contemporary art and postmodernism often requires viewers to see beyond their normal perspectives, to find new paradigms and to expand their understanding of the larger world.
Jim Benz adds in his Examiner piece, “Modernism celebrates the ability of the artist to create profound, timeless meanings via the art work. Postmodernism works with meanings which arise not only from the artist but also from the milieu of cultural influences embodied within the viewer, through whom meaning is in a continual process of re-creation.”
By: Liz Goldner
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Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 18th, 2010.
Scandalous! Shocking! Without modesty! ****** has been portrayed without shame throughout history and has been met with varying criticism depending on the time and culture.
Early **** Art
Ever since early cave paintings the natural human form has been portrayed in its full unclothed glory. This was just how the artists saw his fellow people, and depending on the region, people wore very little anyway. Since then societies have presented the **** form in paintings, drawing, photography, and any other media. This either demonstrates humanity’s strong sexual nature, or just a propensity for making aesthetically pleasing artwork, or perhaps a combination of the two.
Perhaps no society was more ***** in its art than Pompeii. This ancient Roman city would meet its doom at the wrath of Mount Vesuvius when the volcano erupted and wreaked havoc on the city below. The city would be covered and ruined by the lava flow but an 18th century find would uncover remnants of a forgotten world, including the remains of many of its inhabitants exactly how they met their fiery demise.
The society shows no sign of bashfulness in its many frescoes and surviving statues. In them you’ll find depicted sexual acts, more sex, sex, and just plenty of ******. Being an ancient Roman city, they often depicted gods and goddesses in their art. The most risque probably being Priapus, the god of fertility. Also of interest are the many statues from early Pompeii, which today may raise a few eyebrows. These are no Michelangelo’s “David,” if you know what I mean.
Erotica
Further through art history, namely long after the invention of oil painting and when art drifted away from a dominant religious tone, ****** was a common thing. Retouching on the ancient themes, ********* in Roman mythology in paintings and sculpture, carnal love, and in general sexuality (sometimes not so delicate) were painted time and again. This was perceived usually as good taste. Of course, that wasn’t always the general consensus.
In Michelangelo’s career, he painted the human form realistically and without apologies. The subtle homo-erotic tones of the Sistene’s ceiling probably went straight over the head of the pope and any other religious leader for that matter. The musculature of the male form painted in detail and the poses of the many male figures probably would have been omitted from a religious painting. The olives resembling certain parts of anatomy were perhaps there as a joke or subtle reference.
In the case of Caravaggio, his pubescent cupid displayed in “Amor Vincet Omnia” or Love Conquers All , would in these days be met with hostility, and the artist considered a pedophile. But in those days, the **** form young and old was nothing to shy from, and the boy was simply another model paid to pose. Caravaggio’s painting is characteristic of his work, steering clear of the idealized subjects, instead showing a common street boy, crooked teeth and all.
Much modern debate has come over Amor’s primary owner keeping the painting behind a curtain. While some say that he was embarrassed of the supposed eroticism and kept it hidden, others say that covering a painting is meant to keep it as a piece de resistance, to be uncovered only after the rest of the artwork was shown, as the best of show.
Borderline Pornography
It probably wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, particularly Victorian times of the 19th century when ****** in art started to seem inappropriate. In an age when even in the summer one must cover themselves with layer upon layer, and sexual matters altogether were strictly taboo, its no wonder the paintings were more G rated. This isn’t to say that the subtle was absent. Take the Fragonard painting The Swing. It was also called “The Happy Accidents of the Swing.” Humorously showing a glimpse up a dress, an unquestionable infidelity, and a cupid statue with a “hush” gesture all show this French painting’s sexual symbolism.
Tame by today’s standards, The Swing was quite sultry in its day. Going further into the beginning of the nineteenth century, Goya would make a breakthrough in ****** art and paint the first showing of pubic hair. Take “The ***** Maja” which was the complement to the Clothed Maja. Both paintings are wrapped in mystery, as to who the model is and who the intended recipient, but most people conjecture Fransisco was romantically involved with the sitter. Either way, it would get the artist into much trouble. It even got him fired from a lucrative court position, as a result of the Spanish Inquisition deeming the painting obscene.
Later we continue to have scandals resulting from a repressed mass of people. This John Singer Sargent painting called “Madame X” was originally painted with one shoulder strap off and on her arm. Mothers cover your children’s eyes, they’ll be scarred for life! Sargent later had to repaint the strap in it’s correct position, to appease the prudish public.
In the nineteenth century, the “Father of American Painting” Thomas Eakins would be in hot water for removing the loincloth of a **** model in an art class. One of the girls promptly told her parents of such a horrible thing, which would lead to Eakins’ removal from professorship at the Pennsylvania Academy. Eakins wasn’t ashamed of the ***** human body and frequently shot many **** photos, even posing **** himself on the other end of the camera as well. His paintings sometimes had ****** in them as well.
Subtle Undertones?
Modern photography is rife with ***** forms ranging from the sexually charged to the artistic *******. Modern advertisement also has subliminal sexual undertones for its psychological value, portraying people in borderline explicit poses and gestures in an effort to maximize effectiveness. *** sells!
Speaking of *** selling, the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn have been known to contain subliminal messages to reach the subconscious. The Dutch word for *** has been found in the underpaintings of several works written in large, barely visible letters. The painting of the Militia of Captain Cocq could possibly have a deep subconscious image. The shadow of a hand on the other man’s crotch? Captain who? Interesting.
Modern and Contemporary Nudity
Painting in the modern day, especially at art schools involves the female **** for a variety of reasons. Besides its classical and/or romantic value, the female body is generally a good subject to paint for its curves and contours, giving the student valuable practice in form and shape. One may say that society has come a long way since Fragonard’s Swing painting. But at the same time it is not that probable that a painting of a school teacher skinny dipping with his students would be generally accepted, at least not in modern America.
So times change, as well as views on sexuality, nudity, and the human body. Each society and culture has its own views, and inside each has subcultures with differing views and values, such as nudist camps. It also matters which part of the world you’re from, as a nudist beach in France is more the norm than a nudist beach in New Jersey.
No matter what day and age, boys will be boys and seek the ***** drawings in art books, erotically charged paintings will turn us on, subtle sexual undertones may touch our subconscious and we will always have **** paintings on our walls for whatever the perceived value.
By: Daniel Kretschmer
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Filed under Arts And Entertainment by on Jun 18th, 2010.