Arts-Source

Art Exhibitions - 4 Way to Create a Cohesive Exhibition

2008-06-03T18:01:00.001-06:00

When a visitor walks into your art exhibition their first impression counts. If it doesn't look professional they may not take the artwork seriously, or even worse, they may not stop to look around.

There is enormous benefit in making an art exhibition look professional. Visitors will perceive value in the artworks, they will be able to view the exhibition without being distracted, they will have a lasting impression of the event, and they might be impressed enough to recommend the exhibition to others.

One way to make your art exhibition look professional is to create cohesion. A cohesive exhibition is done by unifying or linking the artworks in some way by using a common element. If your audience cannot see a logical connection then the exhibition may appear random and confused. As a result, they may not linger long enough to take in the whole essence of the exhibition.

Four easy ways you can create an exciting, cohesive art exhibition is by selecting an exhibition theme or title, adopting only one artistic style or genre, using only one art medium, &/or limiting the color palette. These ideas can be mixed-and-matched together to create an even more dynamic exhibition.

1. Select an exhibition theme and/or title.

The simplest way to give your art exhibition cohesion is by selecting a theme or title. For example, you may decide to have an exhibition theme on industrial landscapes, child portraits, or Greek architecture. Each artwork in the exhibition will be an interpretation of this theme and as such a unity will exist between them.

Selecting a specific exhibition title will have a similar result. For instance, having a title such as "Urban Myths", "Creating Illusions" or perhaps "Say Cheese!" will make selecting appropriate artworks easy, thus creating cohesion.

2. Display only one artwork style or genre.

Unifying your art exhibition by adopting only one style or genre is a sure fire way to create a link between the artworks. For instance, you may decide to have an exhibition of only impressionism works, or cubist paintings or perhaps surrealism. By having each artwork limited to a specific style or genre the audience will easily see a logical connection between them no matter how limited their art knowledge is.

3. Display only one main art medium.

Displaying only one main art medium at your exhibition will give consistency to the event. Having multiple mediums can leave your audience overwhelmed and confused if their senses are over stimulated. For instance, you may decide to display only watercolor paintings, chalk pastel paintings, or ceramic sculptures. By limiting your choice of medium each artwork will have a seamless flow into each other as your visitors walk around the exhibition.

4. Limit the colour palette of the exhibition.

This is not a very common technique, however if done correctly it can create a dynamic and exciting exhibition. A limited color palette is pleasing to the eye and your audience will feel at ease. Often a limited color combination will happen naturally when you select a common theme or topic for your exhibition. For instance, an art exhibition on mountainous landscapes might show predominately browns and blues.

As you can see it is relatively simple to create a cohesive art exhibition by adopting common elements which all artworks will contain. As a result your cohesive exhibition will look professional, add perceived value to the artworks, allow your audience to view the exhibition without distraction, and leave them with a positive lasting impression.

Appreciating Poetry: Understanding Poetic Conventions

2008-06-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

Poems are created to express what people consider to be meaningful and memorable in their lives. Poems are written in a style that seeks also to be meaningful and memorable.

Many poems make use of recognizable and accepted poetic conventions, though many poems break away from conventions. Familiarity with and understanding of many of the different poetic conventions can help a person to more fully appreciate the meanings and memories that are embedded in a poem.

Poetic Elements

The most common elements found in poetry are rhythm, rhyme, meter, and sound. These elements are what make poetry recognizably different from prose.

The rhythm in a poem comes from the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables and from the number of syllables in a line. Rhythm gives the lines of the poem movement and conveys a musical design.

The basic unit of meter is called a "foot." Most commonly, a foot consists of two syllables or three syllables. In a two syllable foot, one syllable is stressed and the other is unstressed. In a three syllable foot, generally either the last syllable is stressed or the first one is stressed.

Here are the names and examples of some common meters.

Iambic meter has the two syllable pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example: "That time of year thou mayest in me behold."

Trochaic meter is the opposite of iambic meter. A trochaic foot stresses the first syllable. For example: "Twinkle, twinkle little star."

Anapestic meter is a three syllable pattern with the third syllable receiving the stress. For example: "And the sound of a voice that is still."

Dactylic meter is a three syllable pattern where the first syllable is stressed. For example: "This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the hemlock."

When the meter of a poetic line contains three feet, it is called a trimeter. If the line contains 4 feet, it is called a tetrameter, which is very common. Another common meter is the line that contains 5 feet, called a pentameter. A line with 6 feet is called a hexameter; a line with 7 feet is called a heptameter; and so on.

Putting meter and rhythm together, here is an example of a beautiful line of iambic pentameter from Shakespeare. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" By the way, Shakespeare often used iambic pentameter in his plays. Here is an example of trochaic tetrameter. "Tell me not in mournful numbers." Or think of "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Here is an example of anapestic trimeter. "And the sound of a voice that is still."

Rhyme in a poem is the sound pattern produced by the regular repetition of consonant and vowel sounds. Most commonly, lines of a poem will rhyme at the end of the lines. When a rhyme occurs within a single line, it is called an internal rhyme. The sound pattern created by rhyming lines in a poem is called the rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is typically denoted with alphabetic letters, such as ABAB, or AABBCC. Not all poems exhibit a rhyme scheme, and those that do not are generally called free verse.

The sound of a poem often is created by the use of alliteration, assonance, or consonance. Alliteration is the most common of the sound elements. Alliteration is a pattern where there is repetition of the first consonant sound in two or more words in a line. Here's a good example from William Blake. "Tyger, Tyger burning bright." By the way, that line is also a good example of trochaic tetrameter.

Assonance generally involves the repetition of middle vowel sounds such as the use of "nine" and "white" in a line of poetry. Consonance involves the close repetition of similar consonant sounds following differing vowel sounds, such as the use of "head" and "bird" in a line of a poem.

Poetic Devices

Among the poetic devices commonly found in good poetry are simile, metaphor, and symbols. These devices, when well used, help to create a picture in the mind of the reader.

A simile is a definite and explicit comparison between two objects or concepts, usually linked with the words, "like," "as," or "than." A good simile is often surprising as it links two unlikely things. The simile creates a concrete image. Here's a great example from Robert Burns. "My love is like a red, red rose."

A metaphor differs from a simile in that it is an implied comparison between two objects or concepts. A metaphor does not have the linking words that a simile has, and it represents one thing in terms of another. Here's an example. "My love is a red rose of the heart." Notice how different this metaphor is from the preceding simile.

Lastly, the poet often uses symbols in their poem. A symbol is a concrete item which represents an idea or feeling. The use of a symbol gives the symbolic item a deeper meaning and creates another type of picture in the reader's mind. In Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," the forked road represents choices in life and is an easily understood symbol.

Conclusion

Understanding the most common elements and devices used in poetry helps the reader to more greatly appreciate the work of the poet. Understanding the elements and devices also helps the poet to be able to convey their meanings and memories to the reader in wonderful, poetic ways.

80's Video Games Influence the Contemporary Arts

2008-01-02T16:38:00.000-06:00

The nostalgia of the 80's has been simmering in the fashion world for several years. It is perhaps not a surprise that the pop culture of the 80's is also rearing its head in the art world.

We have seen graffiti, which was once considered a vulgar expression of inner-city youth, become a tool for marketers and embraced as a creative outlet for urban artists.

This was made apparent on a recent episode of 'The Apprentice', Donald Trump's reality program aimed to select a candidate from a group of smart, resourceful and business minded men and women. One of the tasks given to them on the series included creating an advertisement for a new game. They were to create a graffiti inspired advertisement on the side of a building to be used as a billboard.

Well, if Donald Trump has given his approval...

Speaking of games, another big hit in the 80's was video games - Pac Man, Mario Brothers and others were played by most teens at one time or another. These teens are now adults looking back with a hint of nostalgia at their youth, despite the fact that it was only 15-20 years ago. But technology changes quickly and so these icons of the 80's are now being featured in art galleries like Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in Hollywood.

The gallery features pieces that take a contemporary look at video games and is possibly helping to create a new genre in the field.

A painting depicting Pac Man as over-the-hill and on a drip of pellets went for $3000 according to a Reuters press release.

The artist, Greg Simkins, claimed he started out by painting graffiti in back alleys before working with canvas. And he's not the only one bringing this strange combination of video and art to the public.

So what should we expect in the next five years? Well, for the art world change is always good, although often criticized in its formative years. So we may have to wait and see if 'video-game art' will make a solid stand in the art community. What we do know is that the original game players are now coming into their 40's and anyone under that age will have grown up with video games as a part of their childhood, just as 'I Love Lucy' was a part of another generations'. Because of that, the images will likely have an emotional pull and impact on new and existing collectors today.

How to Start Your Own Art Collection On a Budget

2007-12-12T09:05:00.000-06:00

It is amazing how the art world seems to have taken a hold of general society. Many more individuals are inclined to forgo reprints and posters and start collecting their own unique art pieces for their homes and offices.

Are you interested in starting your own collection of original art? If you do not have thousands of dollars to spend on famous original artwork then you may wish to consider some other ideas and sources for your art pieces.

One avenue to consider, especially if you have not spent much time cultivating your tastes, is to rent art from a local gallery. You can have an original piece from local artists for a fraction of the cost of purchase. You can also trade in your selection for new pieces which may be refreshing in a business environment, or even a smart way to select art for personal enjoyment if you are not sure which pieces will suit you long term.

Another avenue is to go to local art schools or check your paper for shows by student artists. Here you can buy original pieces by up-and-coming artists for much less than established artists. It also allows you to invest in the growth of local talent, and possibly make an investment that will appreciate enormously in value should the artist truly excel in their field.

If you have an artist's community in your area - studios that are rented by local artists, you may also find that they hold open houses during the year. You may find artwork on sale as they promote themselves through this avenue. It also gives you a chance to speak with the artist and get a real history on the work you select.

Often art collectors are interested as much in the career of the artist as they are in their work. Finding an artist that moves you may cause you to consider collecting from a single artist rather than creating a diverse collection. Following the career of a new artist may give you a more valuable, as well as meaningful, collection down the road.

You may also finding interesting pieces in antique shops, markets and consignment stores. Always keep your eyes open for artwork that appeals to you and do not be too concerned with the value. Art is always subject to individual interpretation and only you can decide if a piece is worthy of your investment.

Do enjoy immersing yourself in your art collecting. Whether it is simply an occasional hobby or becomes an ongoing passion, art is an extension of our imagination that is one of the few truly human pursuits - it fills no need other than emotional - and yet has an impact that intrigues and fulfills us like no other.

Van Gogh's Health and his Medications Intrigue Many

2007-12-12T08:57:00.000-06:00

If you’re not an art aficionado then at best you may be able to only identify with Vincent Van Gogh as the artist who cut off his ear. Physically and mentally he had more woes than just his missing ear.

For review, here’s a brief recap of the ear-story. Reportedly, on December 23, 1888 Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin had an altercation in which Van Gogh is said to have threatened Gauguin with a knife. Later that evening Van Gogh returned to the "Yellow House" in Arles where he lived and mutilated himself. Holding the open razor in his right hand, he sliced through his left ear; starting high at the back and chopping downwards so that all the lower part of the ear had been hacked off. This left part of the upper ear still attached as a repugnant flap of flesh.

Van Gogh then wrapped the ear in cloth and made his way to a favorite brothel where he presented this "present" to a prostitute. The police were called in and Van Gogh was subsequently hospitalized. The severed tissue of the ear was placed into a jar of alcohol in case it might be needed as evidence. Some months later it was thrown out.

Further, if you take his ear cutting episode into account, he retained very little memory of it afterward. Perhaps the reason for this lapse was detached amnesia. He could have injured himself in a dissociated state and therefore may have not felt as much pain as another person would. A fit of despair could have been a trigger and he could have lost memory of the traumatic event afterward. That’s one theory, anyway.

Vincent had other ailments other than the mere ear-incident. He had a history of physical problems due, in part, to his poverty and the fact that he was often malnourished. Van Gogh was supposedly also addicted to absinthe, a dangerous narcotic drink popular in the late 19th century. Speculations as to the cause of Van Gogh’s physical problems include syphilis, tinnitus, lead poisoning, Meniere's syndrome and epilepsy. There has also been some discussion that Vincent was the victim of "bad genes". Vincent Van Gogh’s family wasn't of strong lineage. Both of his brothers died young and his sister, Wilhelmina, spent most of her life in a mental asylum. Nonetheless, much of the present discussion about Van Gogh’s heath are purely speculative; mere opinions. Though some find the topic itself it very interesting, there may not be any direct correlation between his illnesses and his brilliance in art. Regardless, the masses still believe Vincent Van Gogh was a phenomenal man. He expressed his beliefs, his thoughts, and his soul in his work. When you see a painting by Van Gogh, it’s not necessary to believe he painted it because he had syphilis. Look past the fact that the man lived in an asylum. Rather, focus on the art and the spirit it expresses instead of the autism or gonorrhea or tinnitus or lead addiction or vertigo that so many people claim he had.