Near Eastern Art � Vehicle Art: The Story of Mobile Creativity - by Annette Labedzki

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Near Eastern Art – Vehicle Art: The Story of Mobile Creativity

Vehicle Art – Introduction & History

Among the mobile creative forms in Pakistan the heavy-load vehicles art is the most prominent one. Interestingly, in a nation with the per capita income of less than $2,000, an average transporter’s ‘decoration’ expenditure is $3,000-5,000 per vehicle! The penetration of this genre is reflected by the fact that the drivers/owners consider an unornamented heavy vehicle ‘unacceptable.’ In the due course, oil/water tankers and rickshaws were also roped in for artistry. However, small surface area here inhibits creativity and flamboyant imagery. Unverified accounts indicate 19^th century as the starting point of this style, yet the expert opinion on the actual dates remains divided. The early nineteenth century traders, farmers, and other citizens decorated their bullock carts & horse carriages in vibrant patterns, which graduated eventually into vehicle art.

The Details

Some schools of thought refuse to acknowledge the genre as a formal dimension. However, the bright colors, bold patterns, intricate designs, and popular themes have helped it proliferate much farther than any other style. This style is popularly called ‘Moving Art,’ where the base metal structure of the automobile takes place of a stationary canvas frame. Apart from the standard paint medium, external embellishments, like shells or corals are also employed. In most cases, structural adornment similar to ’shaped canvasses’ is done right above the frontal windshield of the vehicle. This is either prepared over metal designs or as woodcarvings. Other additions can be string lights, fixed neon lights, bells, chains, and mirror work to name some.

Karachi is considered the hub of professional vehicle decoration trade. Nevertheless, various representational forms carry their unique regional flavors. The trucks from Baluchistan and Peshawar flaunt heavy wood trims, while those from Rawalpindi and Islamabad use prominent plastic artifacts. Camel bones adorn the trucks in the Sind region.

The subjects often revolve around beautiful spiritual messages and holy verses, set in ornate Arabic, Urdu, or Hindi dialects. The ornamental literature in the form of calligraphy, praises the Lord for the wonderful world. Some of such works are carried out with a touché of Romanticism to idealize peasantry, flora & fauna, and women. The unorthodox themes include the replication of Indian movie posters or the portraits of Indian stars, a rage among the Pakistanis.

The Artists

Cornered as informal and raw, Pakistani Vehicle Art could not fetch fame and identity for its artists. These people are commoners carrying goods from one place to another to earn a modest living. They lead nameless lives, while spreading creative joy to their customers.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to judge the importance of Pakistani Vehicle Art as several vehicle owners are found taking personal interest in themes, tools, and techniques involved in decorating their vehicles. These artworks travel everywhere and are often symbolic of the owners’ religious, social, and political views along with their general outlook towards life.

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Image: Aesthetic, Functional, and Valuable - by Annette Labedzki

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Image: Aesthetic, Functional, and Valuable

Image – The Concept

The word ‘image’ comes from the Latin word ‘imago.’ It refers to a picture that resembles an object, a living entity, or a scene. Broadly speaking, images may be created both, manually and digitally (with the use of latest computer based technology). Most of the manually created images include carvings, drawings, and paintings. On the computer, images can be generated using input devices and various creative software programs. The three most commonly used image file formats for scanning, internet, and printing use are JPG, GIF, and TIF.

Types of Images

Images can be two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D). While 2-D images include screen displays, photographs, maps, graphs, and even abstract paintings, 3-D ones have an ‘illusion’ of depth in them. Applicable in videos, photos, and statues mostly, this effect is created by presenting a slightly different image to each eye. There are special software available in the market to create 3-D images. The various types of images include:

• Fixed – Also called as hard copy, it refers to a type of image, processed digitally, or photographed, and transferred on fabric or on paper.
• Volatile – This type of image has a temporary existence. It could be something as simple as a mirror reflection of an object or their display on a cathode ray tube.
• Moving – This refers to movies, videos, and animated display. Moving images are created with the help of a video camera that takes a series of photographs rapidly in the strips of film.
• Still – Referring to a non-moving, static image, this term implies the ‘non-mobile’ ones. Photographs are an excellent example of this type, where the images are captured through a device called camera. The medium of recording in a camera can be either a photographic film or digital memory. Digital images can be stored electronically and can be reproduced on paper as well.
• Mental – This type of image exists in the mind of an individual as either memory or imagination. It refers to the perception of an object, scene, or event not actually present for the senses. The subject in question may not even be real and may exist simply as an abstract concept. Sigmund Freud’s theories on human behavior are based on mental images.

Conclusion

Images have come a long way with the developments in technology. Graphic designing is now a full-fledged career option with scope in almost every field. Medicine, entertainment, engineering, designing, and animation – today images play an invaluable role everywhere, facilitating a fertile, growth-oriented future.

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His Most Famous Assemblage (Canyon) � Robert Rauschenberg - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Assemblage (Canyon) -   Robert Rauschenberg

Born into a family of Fundamentalist Christians on October 22, 1925, Milton Ernst Rauschenberg or Robert Rauschenberg was one of America’s most prolific and significant artists. He got his art training from the Kansas City Art Institute and at New York’s Art Students League. Robert Rauschenberg hands worked at various creative mediums and styles, such as photography, printmaking, papermaking, performance, and dance. He gained fame in the 1950s for his atypical transition of ‘Abstract Expressionism’ to ‘Pop Art.’ Robert Rauschenberg is well known for his “Combines,” especially “Canyon,” an innovative and somewhat chaotic compilation of painting and sculpture, using eclectic everyday provisions and items.

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Canyon” (1959), a mural ‘Combine,’ is an assemblage of buttons, photographs, a stuffed bald eagle, carrying a rope attached to a pillow that is perched from the main panel and tied to a string. The 87″ x 70″ x 24″ mural is promptly pulled down to the ground with an assured gentle landing. “Canyon” is a soft insinuation towards Rembrandt’s ‘The Rape of Ganymede’ (1635). To maintain a relentless rapport amongst the pictorial subjects in “Canyon,” Rauschenberg delved greatly to bring out new items such as, sheet metal and enamel on wood. The artist once said, “I think a painting is more like the real world if it’s made out of the real world.”

Art that was appealing and interesting, created out of the banal, formed the core & the emphasis of Robert’s creation over beauty, a fact well corroborated through his “Canyon.” The ‘Combine’ employed a broad spectrum of elements, such as oil, house & tube paints, pencil, paper, metal, photographs, fabric, wood on canvas, buttons, mirror, stuffed eagle, cardboard box, pillow, and nails. This diverse work of multiple connotations, unifies just one creative philosophy, that of free & independent randomness. To clear his understanding of art, Robert once commented, “It is neither Art for Art, nor Art against Art. I am for Art, but for Art that has nothing to do with Art. Art has everything to do with life, but it has nothing to do with Art.”

All through his artistic journey, Robert Rauschenberg urged to communicate to the audience through objects and items that played as representational aids, giving American contemporary art and sculpture a new meaning and aspect. Robert Rauschenberg’s other famous assemblages, other than “Canyon” are ‘Gloria’ (1956), ‘Summer Rental III’ (1960), and the famous ‘Monogram’ (1959). The master of creative experimentation, Robert Rauschenberg, died on May 12, 2008 due to heart failure in Captiva Island, Florida. His ‘Contemporary Art’ piece “Canyon” presently graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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Western Art � Electronic Art: The Crossroads of Technology & Creativity - by Annette Labedzki

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Western Art – Electronic Art: The Crossroads of Technology & Creativity

Electronic Art – The Concept

Originated in west, Western Art dominates most parts of the world. It is of course one of the oldest in the history, dating back to approximately 3000 B.C., with a very clear line up of creative competence. Creative improvements and widening were witnessed in the form of carvings, paintings, standing stones, and other sculptures. Presently, Western Art is more a high-tech zone, involving the use of electronic media and equipment for the development of creative – a horizon known as Electronic Art. Owing to its immensely accurate, intricate, and creative output with tremendous efficiency, this technical genre is considered the strongest pillar of the art history.

The Details

Creatively, Electronic Art can be divided in the following elements:

• Information
• Media
• Video
• Digital
• Interactive
• Internet
• Electronic Music

Of these, Media Art is the one involving creativity in the most fundamental sense such as painting. A mix of Conceptual and Systems Art, the designing part in Electronic Art is done with the help of electronic devices. High precision cameras capable of producing some effects help capture the shots, which are then digitally processed and improved on computer to get the desired artworks. Owing to global technology proliferation and quick & accurate turnaround, Electronic Art is fast gaining a lot of popularity. Digital paintings are given the perfect touch with the help of modeling software, some digital cards, and often robotics too. Digital colors in huge variation of shades well compensate for ‘messy to many’ water or oil colors.

The Pre-requisites & Scope

The only pre-requisite with Electronic Art is that you need to have the advanced digital skills. The artist needs to learn to use the graphics software to attain the required result. Once adept, the range of creativity can be encashed through general artistic exhibitions, architecture, civil engineering, movies & animations, digital outdoor advertising, stage designing, web designing, video games. The artists may project themselves through their websites or subscribing to various online art supporting organizations. Therefore, apart from satiating the creative senses, Electronic Art is one of the most rewarding careers.

The Artists

Roy Ascott (British – 1934), Maurice Benayoun (Algerian – 1957), Angie Bonino (Peru – 1974), Heiko Daxl (German – 1957), David Em (American – 1952), Ken Feingold (American – 1952), Ingeborg Fulepp (Croatian – 1952), Perry Hoberman (American – 1954), and Eduardo Kac (American – 1962), are some of the key Electronic Artists.

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Art is a Reflection on Society � a Perspective - by Annette Labedzki

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Art is a Reflection on Society – a Perspective

Art has always been a reflection of the emotions, personal struggle, and the path breaking events of a contemporary society. When a society demands or undergoes a change, art has mostly subtly complied with it. The Oxford Dictionary describes art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” In effect, art definitely is an expressive platform for individuals, groups, as well as society, especially the radical changes or events witnessed thereof. It usually depicts the current or a particular scenario in the purview of the political situation, economic, social, geographical, the emotions spun therein, the undertones of revolutions, and uprising, to name just some.

If we go periodical about discussing art as a reflection of society, then we begin from the most ancient. The ‘Prehistoric Art’ consisted of paintings on the rocks and caves, which symbolized their routine lifestyles and rituals. The paintings were therefore, an evidence of their culture, which helped historians derive information about the life, culture, and the civilization of this era. The famous ‘Indus Valley’ or ‘Harappa,’ ‘Greek,’ and ‘Egyptian’ civilizations, especially had prolific artistry, including sculpture, architecture, paintings, engravings, and metal art. In fact, the most we know about these amazingly rich civilizations, is credited to their narrative artifacts and buildings only. For instance, the ‘Egyptian Civilization’ believed in life after death. The society therefore, had a strong spiritual framework, concentrating more on the human journey after death. They believed in immortality and worshipped many deities, a fact distilled from the paintings adorning the walls of the great Pyramids. The Greek Civilization however, was more emphatic about the human form, its poise, and beauty, reflecting mostly on the attires, body languages, hairstyles, and cultures prevailing over different periods.

Creativity adopted the sects of ‘Art Movement’ to depict the realities of a contemporary society, vis-à-vis, its stable fabric, regularly changing aspects, and even revolutions. The impact of the contemporary socio-political scenario has also always been portrayed. For instance, before the First World War, Paris used to bustle with great political activity. This restlessness somewhere influenced the development of ‘Cubism’ by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. ‘Cubism’ involved the depiction of a particular subject from multiple angles, a practically prevalent situation then. The artistry turned mysterious in essence, to manifest the hatching of diverse political conspiracies in Paris at that time.

Expressionism’ was another art form developed, when the society was undergoing transitions at different levels, including creative. There was a revolt against the traditional outlook towards art. A modern approach was adopted. The ‘Modern Art’ was a blend of ‘Abstract Realism,’ in which the subject was distorted to depict its reality and emotional upheaval. The colors in the paintings have nearly always portrayed the true emotions of the subject, the event, or the mood of the artists.

To conclude, we can say that art may always not be beautiful aesthetically or comprehensible to all. It however, should be powerful enough to portray the current emotions of the society, including exposing harsh and subtle truths, while also encouraging the betterments. The only constant in the world is change. In tune, societies metamorphose through different annals of time and art helps capture the resulting twists and turns in the contemporary culture and lifestyle.

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Western Painting � Digital Painting: An Art Style with a Mix of Tradition and Modernity - by Annette Labedzki

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Western Painting – Digital Painting: An Art Style with a Mix of Tradition and Modernity

Digital Painting – The Concept

Digital Painting is a budding Western Art form, involving the use of the traditional styles of painting, including impasto, oils, and watercolor, executed finally through digital tools on a computer. The painting is made on the computer directly by using various brushes and painting effects. However, it is definitely not an exclusively computer ‘generated’ art style. Traditional art styles, such as pastels, watercolors, oils, air brushing, and even charcoal effects can be created using the digital medium.

The Details

Most Digital Painting software, like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and ArtRage enable the artist to create their own brushes, by giving them the flexibility to choose the correct shape. These Digital Art software have been designed specifically to provide several options to painters, including millions of colors, palettes, brushes, and other painting tools, and a canvas, whose size can be chosen. Most famous types of Digital Painting are Realism, Watercolor, Fantasy, and Impressionism.

Advantages

Digital Painting allows for a hassle free environment with almost no mess. The artist can ‘undo’ a mistaken stroke, at any moment. Graphics Tablet replicates an actual drawing surface and helps ensure precise hand movement of the artist. However, some people say that the control accorded in holding a brush directly in the hand is much better than that available in the digital style of painting. The digital artists have at their disposal, several tools not available to the traditional painter. Some of these include a virtual palette consisting of millions of colors and almost any size canvas or media. Digital Paintings accord flexibility in as much as they can be simply printed on a paper, or can be uploaded on a computer. In addition, being technical in nature and various online tutorials available, anyone interested can learn it.

The Essence

Digital Painting demands a lot of patience, as it requires tremendous attention to details. Color combinations as well as the artist’s perspective, both are very important. This beautiful art style requires discipline as well as the ability to ensure a good creation, necessitating both, talent as well as technical skills on the part of the artist. While one may argue on the benefits and the drawbacks of Digital Paintings vis-à-vis traditional paintings, it is also true that art is simply about expression. It is not so much about the medium, as much it is about the artist’s creativity and pleasure or attraction it creates for the viewer. In such a scenario, the importance of theme soars high. Digital Painting is still an evolving art form with a lot of creativity and talent yet to come.

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Simple Steps on How to Draw a Skull - by Annette Labedzki

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Simple Steps on How to Draw a Skull

The skull is one of the universal and primitive figures vis-a-vis art. Considered fascinating and beautiful, this structure symbolizes the fundamentals of entity: life and death. It usually adorns a paranormal impression, maybe because often through it, we tend to explore the uncanny questions of life after death.

In art, a skull is flaunted as a logo/symbol, tattoos, or other designs. Owing to its ease of formation, it is a favorite draw for many. The skull is the division of the skeleton, which envelops and protects the brain and the sense organs.

To start with drawing a skull, gather its visual clip for reference. Conduct a few practice sessions on rough papers before you begin. The following steps concentrate on the steps to create a 'successful' skull drawing:

Step 1. Draw a big egg shaped figure as the outline of the skull.

Step 2. The prominent skull features – the eyes and the mouth - must be recognized and marked in the egg shaped head. Make sure to keep the distance between the eye sockets even. Also, examine keenly the total shape of the sockets, eye openings, and their contour. They are usually not defined circles, but are irregularly drawn out like distorted eggs. Lightly, sketch out the skeleton shaped nose.

Step 3. Carefully sketch the cheekbones and the eyebrows bone structure. Darken the eye and the nasal openings. These three depressions will have the darkest tone on skull drawing.

STEP 4. Form the jaw by drawing a door handle like shape. Fit it well up to the cheekbones.

Step 5. Start concentrating on the details, like sketching the teeth and some cracks in the skull. Mostly, the teeth are set in a weak grey shade, rather than white. This makes your teeth look more natural and realistic. Darken with pencil lines or ink to define the scalp, the nose, and the cheekbones.

STEP 6. Finally, outline the whole skull with a darker pencil for highlighting it on a white paper.

To discover a more realistic approach of drawing skulls, look at anatomy books and three-dimensional sketches, easily available on net. Replicate the drawings of actual skulls, or draft from a skull model with a pencil, until you perfect all the niceties and details. The skull is an iconic symbol, simple to sketch. It is measured as the foundation of portrait drawing. With a large number of fancy painters including skulls in their works on shield, swords, and various sculptured imaginations, skull sketching is here to stay.

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