Contemporary Fine Arts Defined
When one hears the term “ART,” the picture that comes to mind is an artist at work on a new artwork. Art is actually a broad spectrum of human activities including beauty, creativity, technical skill, emotional strength, or personal conceptualization. These are just a few of the many varied forms of art that exist today. Some forms of art include art painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture. As you can see, there are numerous forms of art, but only a few types of art are used in modern day artistic creation.
Before looking further into the various forms of art that exist today, let us first look into the definition of art itself. According to the dictionary, the definition of art is “a visual art that expresses or manifests the artist’s creative instinct.” This definition is almost identical to the conventionalist definition of art, which is “a form of creative expression produced by a human being.” However, with both definitions, the creative impulse is what determines the outcome of the artworks, not the medium that was used to create them.
Conventionalist art, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, “uses pictures, sculptures, etc., as a means of presenting a subject.” This definition is relatively simple and most commonly known. However, the more specific definition of “conventional” is “existing in and used by the arts for aesthetic purposes.” In other words, conventional visual arts are those works created or designed primarily for aesthetic value, with no relation to any particular form of expression. These visual arts include paintings, sculptures, and other objects that are designed for decoration only.
On the other end of the spectrum are the visual arts, which include photographic art, music, architecture, multimedia art, motion graphics, digital art, and visual communication. These forms of art are typically for aesthetic value and do not communicate any type of message. The most famous example of this is the work of conceptual artist Jasper Johns. Though his work is considered decorative rather than fine art, his artistic interests and influences have left him with a unique place in the field of conceptual art.
As for the third definition, the one that describes contemporary fine artists, the most inclusive one in this article, is “a form of art that makes use of the output of other human artists in order to achieve its expressive purpose.” In other words, it is a form of art that originates from the interaction of multiple artists. Some artists make use of other artists’ works to help in expressing their own ideas, while other artists contribute works to a collective expression. In most cases, contemporary fine art definition refers to works produced by individual artists and circulated throughout the community. This is opposed to works that are produced by major institutions such as galleries and museums.
When it comes to contemporary fine arts, there are more definitions available. These include online articles on Art Online, a glossary of terms used in the field of fine arts, and a glossary of art forms. Other sites discuss the various interpretations of art and describe different types of artwork. Some art collectors and enthusiasts even set up websites to share their collections, ranging from images of paintings to sculptures. A popular online website that can be visited in order to learn about art forms is A Fine Art World.