Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Report - Cultural relationships with design

1. Celtic history comes from a very strong background, from many different countries that have merged to form what we know as Celts. We relate this culture mainly with Ireland, Scotland and Wales although it can be seen throughout most of Europe. The Celtic arts have been virtually unbroken throughout all the Celtic countries.
Their art forms are commonly seen in metal work and jewellery, although in the past it was seen in weapons such as swords and shields. Their artwork was very tribal and distinct to certain areas for example the Irish Celts use a lot of crosses and knots for their designs.
The Celtic cross symbol is often used by the Irish and Scots to symbolise their country of origin. And in many cemeteries throughout the world you can see examples of these crosses. Modern jewellery is worn depicting the cross or Celtic designed rings, in other art forms such as quilts the intricate Celtic knots are often used to quilt with. The the huge range of Celtic designs that are around today has seen a strong revival using various mediums to display them for example jewellery and designs used for tattoos.
The Celtic culture in it self has always been part of Australian culture due in part to the origin of the convicts and early settlers that came to Australia and in true Celtic fashion has been passed down through the generations.

2. In the Aboriginal culture, their art reflects their vibrant ceremonial and religious life which have generated a fantastic array of art forms, included in this is body painting and personal ornamentation, ground sculpture, bark painting, wood carving, rock painting and engraving. Artistic expression were formed by religious beliefs and the designs and motifs symbolised many meanings relating to the ownership of the land and their relationship to many ancestral beings.
Aboriginal art has very strong links to the land, they have a deeper awareness of their dreaming ancestors and this is depicted through their art.
In white society not everyone is considered an artist however in the Aboriginal culture everyone is considered an artist, whether they paint, dance or sing.
Depending on the location of the Aboriginal tribe their art form took in the different aspects of their culture, for example in the central desert, ground drawing is a very important style of art.

I think that other cultures may not fully understand Aboriginal art but appreciate it for its style and design, and like other tribal cultures its art has meaning to the people but expresses it in many forms.

3. Escher's work has a hidden depth and perspective in all forms of his art from the lithographic prints to the wood engraving and carving. His art transcends cultures and beliefs and looking at his work you can see many different cultures coming through his work from the Celts to the Islamic countries.
Escher's' work makes you want to look more deeply into it to see what you can discover for yourself. His use of light and dark and the intrinsic patterns that have been created and the way they have a strong 3D feel to them shows so much creative depth that I can understand why people want to try and emulate his work.
Escher's' work has a fantastic understanding of balance, contrast, light/dark. colour, harmony. All factors that make his work great.

4. You can learn so much about the people and their lives that came before us by looking at different cultures and the past. The time period and what was happening, its like travelling to different countries without the hassle of visas, and jet lag. Viewing art from different time periods allows us to see it as a social commentary or kaleidoscope of the times, the changing nature of art and the political statements that art sometimes contain.
The methods and traditions used in creating art, the cultural aspects and the pressures and economic times and how many artists lived whilst trying to create their art, and how many art forms have transcended time and all the modern living that we are doing now.
I think it is fascinating to discovery and look at history, but also see the possibilities that we can use in today's society and culture.

5. Looking back into history allows us to move forward with design by using tried and true examples that have worked previously. It seems that although we live in the modern world, art tends to move in a cyclic fashion with reoccurring themes such as fashion, music and art, and despite technology that is available when we are creating artwork, we still cannot create the depth that was around previously. We seem to rely heavily on technology, but more and more people are seeking to return to the simpler way of life and their artistic/creative skills are seeking skills from the past.
Think of modern art and unless you study art, could you name any famous artist of the current time period but on the other hand most people could name artists like Monet, Picasso, Goya, Da Vinci, Dali etc. and the reason why we can name them and associate with their art is because they gave the world something that could be appreciated and that has stood the test of time, whereas we have become such a throw away society that nothing new seems to last.
If you look at some of the literature and books that where around say in the Renaissance and Baroque period you would be able to see the composition and layout of these pages are similar to what we try and create today. The principles of the rule of thirds, golden triangle etc are easily seen in many of these texts.


6. Although growing up in a house where my father loved to talk and discuss ancient art and history, I suppose I didn't pay much attention as art really didn't interest me much at that time. In saying this I now appreciate and view art a lot differently and the skills and knowledge that any artist has to apply, the dedication in which they were consumed and the lifestyle many artisans had to endure to create their art.
Textile art has more interest to me than that of any other medium mainly due to the fact that I enjoy creating handmade quilts, cross stitches and embroidered pieces of art. I view art more of expressing ones personality and lifestyle than as a political or religious statement, and admittedly there is some art that I just don't understand or don't appreciate as much as others.
7. Definitely the strongest cultural influence in my life would be the English culture, with Celtic strains thrown in. The Australian culture in smaller doses (more noticeable when I stayed out in the small country towns with my grandparents).
The different cultures that now influence me would be the Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy and Morocco and French and the Irish Celts), these countries interest me for their food and their art especially the Celts.

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