Creative Juice (My Intense Devotion for Art)

I have this innate passion for art. My childhood life revolved around it. Believe it or not, I began to draw people, dresses and mansions when I was seven. I could say I did pretty good sketches and designs compared to the second-rate stick drawings of other children my age. I drew my pieces with intense conviction and eagerness. It was like someone was possessing me whenever I get a hold of my pencil and drawing book. I was too focused on my craft that I really felt my imaginations encapsulating my whole being, and taking me further from reality. My family couldn't even come close to me whenever they see me doing what they think as my hobby. For me, drawing was more than just a hobby, it was my life.

I've already let my heart out. With all those emotions I've poured, maybe now you trust that my adoration for art is not a make believe at all. It was real, and as big as life. I swear, I'm not kidding you (LOL). Did I sound so desperate for approval with that? I'm just trying to goof off to balance drama and comedy. Anyway, let me continue with my testimony on art by talking about what I learned about it two semesters ago.

According to an art historian in the name of Barzon, humanities are man's spiritual creations. Under this discipline are: philosophy, literature, language, religion and ARTS. Studying humanities makes us human, cultured and defined. Humanities believe that man is an individual. It is highly subjective, and it values judgment.

Let me share you this term I learned from our professor, Sir Julius Quiz: Aesthetic Sensibility. In layman's term, it is called taste or preference. Sophisticated term, isn't it? You might want to use it instead. Our aesthetic sensibility has something to do with exposure to the arts. We can not say that something is artistic or unrefined without knowing what is true beauty. You can not grasp something until you don't experience it.

Among the many defined expressions of art, there are four art styles I prefer the most: Renaissance Art, Baroque, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. Classic Art is the foundation of Western art history. The characteristics of Renaissance (Rebirth of Classicism) Art are rational, objective, simple, restrained and finite. Renaissance Art follows philosophy, ideals and harmony. Its philosophy includes rationalism, humanism and idealism. An art can not be considered art if one of the three is missing. Its ideals include proportion and balance. According to Plato, "Beauty is a simple quality of a thing which is undefinable. For a thing to be beautiful, it must possess order and proportion."

CLASSIC ART: Nike at Samothrace found in the Louvre Museum, France.


RENAISSANCE ART: La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) by Leonardo da Vinci found in the Louvre Museum, France.


RENAISSANCE ART: Venus de Milo found in the Louvre Museum, France.

Another art style I love is Baroque (17th Century). It started with the Reformation of Martin Luther and Calvin. It is expressed with sensuality, dynamism, movement and decorativeness. It is very different from Classic Art which is devoid of any emotions. Baroque artists used their masterpieces to allure back the Protestants to Catholicism. My favorite Baroque artist would have to be Bernini. He is said to be the most famous sculptor of all time. He was actually the official sculptor of Vatican. If you have watched the movies Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, you will see most of his artworks e.g. St. Peter's Basillica, 4 Rivers and The Ecstasy of St. Theresa which is a controversial piece because it's considered as a metaphor of sex. It was the most scandalous sculpture displayed in the Vatican, that's why it was exiled to Chapel de la Victoria (farthest chapel in the Vatican).

BAROQUE ART. The Ecstasy of St. Theresa found in Chapel de la Victoria.

Modern art is a defiance of what is CLASSIC. We will only understand modern art in reference of what is classic. Surrealism is a 20th Century Modern Art. It started in poetry. Surrealists say that they allow their subconscious to manipulate their hands. It was actually influenced by Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, but we will not delve into that. In this style, unrelated objects were juxtaposed. There is irrational arrangement of figures. Scenes in surreal artworks are dream-like. Surrealists believe in the omnipotence of the subconscious, that is why the works under this expression are free from the constraints of REASON. There are two types of surrealism: veristic and autistic. Subjects are derived mostly from lucid dreams in veristic. It is very representational. Autistic surrealism, on the other hand, is abstract. It is oftentimes confused with Abstract Expressionism.

SURREALISM. Marc Chagall's Love Above Town found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.


SURREALISM. Marc Chagall's Love, a Hat and a Song found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.


SURREALISM. Salvador Dali's Persistence of Memory found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.


SURREALISM. Salvador Dali's Hallucinogenic Torreador found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Abstract Expressionism is also a Modern Art. Artists of this style claim that the painting is not important, it is the act of painting that matters the most. It is very subjective and non-representational. The painter is the only one who knows the real meaning behind his masterpiece. They show and release their tension through this style. It is highly characterized by the energetic lines and restlessness. One of the famous abstract expressionists is Jackson Pollock. He was the one who painted "No. 5", the most expensive painting in the world which costs approximately $137M.

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM. Jackson Pollock's No. 5 found in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Learning about different concepts of art is truly one of the best ways you can reward yourself. Being knowledgeable with art can help us boost our ego, because not everyone has the diligence on getting to know the different artists who made a mark on the civilization of our world. Imagine that you're in a museum, in Louvre or Museum of Modern Art for an instance, someone asks you about a certain work of art. Wouldn't it be nice if you say all the interesting things you know about it with confidence? Think about it. Don't ever let go the chance of feeding your brain with anything about art.

To sum up all the things that was taught to us in Arts and Society class, I learned that Art is not nature. It is because art is made or influenced by an individual (there is human intervention), while nature is God-made and/or biological. Art is everywhere. Art is an expression. Art is an experience. Most importantly, art is a form of communication.

All images in this post are not intended for copyright infringement.
All facts courtesy of my AH 5 lecture notebook.