Even though we can look and think we know what we see as well as have our own opinions on a painting sculpture etc., we may not be able to completely understand a painting’s concept and idea or what it’s trying to communicate. If someone is interested in exploring art and have appreciation for it, since it might be difficult to understand it might be beneficial to gain some extra knowledge relating to it.
There is always going to be someone that doesn’t like a piece of art but the question is does he/she understand it? How does he/she judge the value of art?
There is always a hamartia in a piece of art to somebody, because of the way they perceive the message or don’t perceieve one at all or just simply misunderstand it.
On the other hand there is the obvious fact that without understanding art you can still enjoy it, although without knowing anything on the artist or without having a simple understanding about art you may encounter some unanswered questions relating to specific aspects that could further increase your appreciation such as knowing when it was created which can really effect the way in which you interpret art.
Learning about art could also lead to realizing what the true value is of art to you, whether its about how expensive it, or the beauty in it whether it’s appealing to your eye or not. These opinions on how much value art has could change when you realize the concept of it for example a painting that could look so basic and “easy” to the viewer that doesn’t understand art could be completely different from that of someone who does understand, but then again how can we know what to judge a piece of art on when there is different opinions?
Art history is therefore an excellent subject to learn more about if you already have more than a fleeting interest in art. It can help you to enjoy art even more and fuel your love for the subject, whether you want to go into the area as a career or simply want to expand your knowledge.
One of the main reasons to look further into art than just looking at it, is uniqueness. The idea that every single art piece is different and has it’s own concept and story as to why it was made. All art tells a story.
Art isn’t all about different techniques and that isn’t what makes a piece unique, an artist works from self expression and it’s hard to understand it in the minimum if we don’t even know their religion or their culture which will have an effect on their form of expression, which will slightly put us in the artists shoes and will help us understand when we’re left with the question “what is the point in this?”
With so many things affecting and influencing art, having a better understanding of certain artists’ history or pieces created within a specific time frame can allow you to better appreciate what you see, as well as pick up on aspects you may not have noticed before.
After all art has been used to explore and express identity. Identity is not just a central concern of contemporary life; I was also a central concern of the older lifestyle from decades ago which brings back the idea of knowing the period in which a piece of art was made. The idea and concept has been carried through society and has been explored and expressed through the use of art.
What is the point in trying to understand other people’s indetity? We experience art on a daily basis because it’s universal and therefore everywhere. Art plays a huge part in making our lives more interesting. Imagine just for a second, a world with no art. You may think that it’s irrelevant but think about the music you hear on the way to everyday events, that you can relate to, imagine a world without color. Art gives people a way to be imaginative and express their identity. For some, art is the main reason they get out of bed in the morning, if it’s such a motivation for some then the least we could do is appreciate it. Art is such a big part of everyday life, it’s everywhere look at the desk, room or building right this moment. Someone designed it. Your clothes are art. You could say that art is created for a reason or purpose, it brings joy to people, or relates to people if they’re going through the same situation. When we were young we used to think that art was only drawings and paintings and the beauty on the outside of it but it’s so much more than that. Art contributes to society it makes people more open minded trying to make people understand not only other perspectives but the artists perspective which will help by gaining knowledge of it. Art not only has the power to move us but also to educate us.
Art is kind of a cultural conscience. Art makes people look a bit deeper and closer at social issues, making you notice more, this is of corse if you understand the art. It helps people see what is right in front of them but they can’t easily perceive it. It can push people to rethink about their opinion on the subject’s behind it. It will encourage critical thinking, because art in itself inspires you to be more aware and, art history can make this stronger. Learning about a piece of art will make you see it in a different way, some pieces you used to see as ugly are now beautiful because you went beyond just looking at them from the outside. As well as it will leave you open to discussion with more knowledge behind your opinion.
Learning about the meaning behind a piece of art could help you emotionally the product of the artist’s self expression can help many people who share the same opinions but they don’t know how to express themselves. The artist has a desire to express themselves and create something of joy and value, which is what art should be valued by not by how much it’s selling for or whether or not it’s beautiful to the eye. Everything in art has a purpose to someone and valued by people who understand the purpose and meaning. “An odd feature of the colors is that they don’t seem to have any special purpose” (Ackerman, 2002), that’s wrong, colors change everything imagine the difference in between a colored picture and a black and white one.
Art is everything but a shadow of perfection it’s about the beauty of expressing themselves not only through text but through different mediums to communicate something so important to them and that is why we need to understand the beauty behind the art.
Even those who view art as an ideal they can’t say that art Is not a realistic mirror of life and civilization of an era. Art history is history and history effects a lot of things, not just the art. In the sence that learning about art history will benefit the welcoming to past events you may not know much about. Some history is communicated through art, looking through different art in different eras helps us to understand the past which is important. All in all, understanding the importance of art and art’s meaning and history is a great way to enjoy art and make sense of eras past.
