People often wonder where creativity comes from.

Creativity Definition – What is Creativity?

How can an ordinary person become a creative one?

Creativity isn’t about a new age, hipster, or beatnik look or lifestyle; you don’t have to don a new personality or even learn a fine art to be creative.

Creativity is inherent in all of us, from the dentist that designs a perfect new smile to the house movers that know just where to put furniture to make a room beautiful.

Creativity is simply the expression of self through creation. All you have to do to be creative is to create. It could be fine art, but it could also be something that entertains people or something that simplifies life or makes it better or more interesting. It could be the creation of something that defines new ways of doing or thinking about things.

Making just a few simple changes to your outlook and adding a few simple practices can radically bring out your creative side.

1. Stop thinking and start feeling

When you get caught up in your head overthinking an idea you can kill it by worrying about the ifs and buts too much.

While thinking is necessary for exploring the idea and seeing it in the right context and arriving at the best conclusion for how to express it, it is equally, or sometimes even more important to listen to your heart and gut.

Humans respond more deeply to emotion than to logic. This is what makes us human

That is true for you as the creator and for your audience as the viewers and appreciators of your work.

If you listen to your heart and let your emotions guide you, you may end up with an end product that is better than you first imagined.

There is a school of thought that says that when you have done all of the preparations for an endeavor, if you put it aside for a while, your subconscious will continue to work on it for you so that when you come back to it, you will have better ideas and be able to finish it with ease.

This brings to mind what the famous writer, James Stephens, said: “What the heart knows today, the head will understand tomorrow.”

2. Tell a Story

One thing that is unique to human ability is storytelling. A good story can bring out our emotions: anger, fear, laughter, love, and pride.

Telling stories entertain us with benefits.

Through well-told stories, we learn how to empathize and think, how to act, to learn, to socialize, and many other things that improve us.

Every vocation in this world, whether it is professional or personal, is often enhanced through storytelling.

A good storyteller advances fast in their chosen endeavors. A politician doesn’t rise quickly to the top through the policies and actions he actually makes, he rises fast through the stories in his speeches; by manipulating the heartstrings of his constituents.

Maybe that is a negative example, but it’s an easily recognizable one.

For a positive example, let’s look at the architects of Dubai, the people that created the world’s tallest building as not just a feat of engineering, but as a work of art – Burj Khalifa. The creators of this magnificent and beautiful structure built not just a building but told a story – creating history with bricks, metal, and cement.

Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties which owns the building, said: “Burj Khalifa goes beyond its imposing physical specifications. In Burj Khalifa, we see the triumph of Dubai’s vision of attaining the seemingly impossible and setting new benchmarks. It is a source of inspiration for every one of us in Emaar. The project is a declaration of the emirate’s capabilities and of the resolve of its leaders and people to work hand in hand on truly awe-inspiring projects.”

3. Leave Cynicism Behind

Cynicism may protect you from being naïve or from putting up with what you shouldn’t, but it is of no use in the creative process.

Imagine your idea as a simple dot. When new ideas come into your head about your project, whether they’re going to be used or not, that dot begins to grow; you begin to innovate.

Don’t be a cynic during this process and don’t think about constraints. You don’t want to put jagged edges and holes onto your growing circle of ingenuity.

H.L. Menken defined a cynic as “a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.”

Yes, during the creative process you will find that some of your ideas will work well and some won’t, but think of it as an organization – don’t judge the ideas that you leave behind harshly. Even though they didn’t work, they helped you fully form your final idea.

4. Explore things outside your usual sphere of influence

We often get caught up in our own worlds and don’t notice and think about other aspects of life outside of our own interests. Observe the world around you and the world at large

The next time you’re roaming around a gallery or are viewing some other event or element of creativity, look closely at the other worlds you are being mentally and emotionally exposed to.

You could take it one step further and do this purposefully. Say you’re a scientist – explore a cathedral or other center of religion and consider the reverence people have for the unknown. An economist might listen to a symphony and listen to the musical side of mathematics.

Explore things outside your usual sphere of influence. Keep delving into things you are unfamiliar with so that you round out your experiences and move in the direction of a holistic world view.

Staying abreast of what is happening in the world around us gives us connections to many ideas and the people that create them or create from them. This will only enhance your own creativity.

5. Reflect

Do you take a moment each day, consciously or unconsciously, to daydream or reflect?

Each of us has guiding principles and philosophies that shape our outlook on life.

These principles and philosophies help us answer questions about our happiness and what excites us.

If your principles or philosophies are unformed or are lacking, take steps to fill them out and help them take shape. It may happen that in the process of creation, you will have epiphanies and a new viewpoint will be born out of it.

Assessing the value of what we have done or what we are now doing gives us insight into how we or our creations help ourselves, help others, and help the world. Taking a moment out of our fast and busy lives to assess the value of our viewpoints and our creations is important.

6. Brush up on your skills

Maybe you’ve become bogged down by day to day life and you haven’t picked up the tools of creation for a few months, years, or decades.

Sometimes when this happens we are hesitant to create again, thinking that we just don’t have what we used to so it’s useless to begin again.

Don’t let such an attitude hinder you from creation. Pick it back up and practice.

They say practice makes perfect, and it’s true. Perfection doesn’t have to be a nearly photorealistic representation of something real – many people think that Van Gogh’s A Starry Night is perfection, yet he left bits of canvas showing through.

Present day high school art teachers would have a fit if one of their students did that, but it’s one of the most beloved images of all time.

Perfection is the beautiful representation of what made the artist’s heartbeat with emotion.

While you’re brushing up on skills you have or once had, go ahead and learn something new.

Tiptoe out of your comfort zone and experiment. If you’ve always sculpted ballerinas with clay, try something radical like entering a beachside sand sculpting contest. If you learned classical piano as a child, experiment with the chords and beats used in rock music.

Try something different.

7. Use your hands whenever you can

Our hands don’t get much use in this modern world.

We have dishwashers that take away the slippery soapy experience of cleaning dishes, keyboards that have replaced the familiar scratch of pencil on paper, and some people don’t even have to move their wrist to brush their teeth now that electric toothbrushes are available at home.

Have you ever heard of body memory? It’s the phenomenon by which you turn toward home while driving without even thinking or how you can get lost in thought while doing mundane tasks but still perform them perfectly without thinking.

Using your hands to do things also does something else to your brain.

It’s been shown that the act of putting words on paper with a pen or pencil makes your brain think that you’ve actually spoken the words aloud to a person.

Street Art Has A Remarkable Attitude, Satire, And Creativity

Therapists use this trick of the mind to help people cope with their personal issues with others by writing letters they won’t send. The mind gets the same release it would if the words were actually spoken to the other person.

Both of these strange oddities of the mind can be used to make you more creative if you use your hands to do familiar or new things. When you’re doodling or writing in a diary, do something a little different each time. You’re practicing the body memory you already have and you also creating new ones.

Use doodling, writing, or any hand use-dependent art to express your inner thoughts and feelings.

This doesn’t have to be for show, it can be just for yourself, but you’ll be surprised at how much satisfaction you’ll get out of seeing your ideas form in the tangible world.

Even playing in the dirt, finger painting, or the way you wash your car can be outlets of playing with creativity through the use of your hands.

8. Collaborate

Getting together with another person to create something will expand your creative horizons.

Sharing ideas, methods, and materials will give you the opportunity to work in ways you haven’t before and each of your thoughts will spark great ideas in each other’s minds.

You can mix and match your life experiences, knowledge, and talents to create a great story.

9. Stay positive

Don’t let your ego sway you.

There are two ways your own perception of self can hinder you. Either your ego says to you that you’re not good enough, which could keep you from expanding your talents, or your ego to say to you that you’re the best, which could cause you do not want to expand your abilities.

Either way – don’t let it control you. Stay positive about the creative process, but don’t get too carried away.

10. Keep it simple

Complexity can destroy the very essence of your ideas.

Imagine that a florist is going to put together a bouquet of roses together. Now imagine that she uses 12 different colors of rose and then puts them in a vase covered in a complicated geometric pattern of various colors.

It’s overkill.

Trust the idea to form itself with your help and don’t overthink it.

Expanding your experiences will encourage you to embrace life and live it fully. These ten acts will not only enhance what you create, but they will also help you to create a life that resonates with vitality and inspiration.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts

The post Creativity Definition – How To Be More Creative? appeared first on The Artist.

No. It is for everyone!

While the world becomes increasingly wired, hectic, and turbulent, drawing remains the purest form of self-expression. No filters, No Apps, No technology, No photoshop, Just you.

Sometimes, art makes us happy; sometimes, it makes us uncomfortable

For example, the illustration shown here.

It can be a little hard to stomach. The colors are soft and cozy; it feels quiet, and simple. The man with his sweet kitty are easy to understand. Only when you begin to look at the whole picture do you see the other animals; the whole meaning evolves. Pawel used his skills to depict war, corrupt politicians, life and death.

Pioneer illustrator, Robert Weaver, said, “we have to show the notion of left-handedness and depict crime on the street, not a couple on a date,”

..and that is what Polish Illustrator, Pawel Kuczynski does. He created something powerful.

Drawing is a bit of a forgotten art form. Most people don’t doodle everyday. Let’s try an experiment. Sit down, and take a pencil. Try drawing something simple—for example, a cow. It doesn’t have to be a happy cow, or an existential cow, just a simple cow.

Does it feel strange to try to piece it together? We all know what circles, triangles and squiggles look like, but how do those form a cow?

With some practice, this process not only gets easier, but it helps your mind grow. It helps you, up in that brainy gray matter, visualize forms. You learn how to put lines together and create a picture. Through practice, you can take these mental images, break them down, and put them on canvas.

Drawing is civilization’s most simple and natural forms of art

Did you know the history of art is almost as long as the history of our entire species?

Art dates back to when humankind first made tools. It shares secrets about every shift and era in history. Its uses range from scientific notations, to happy ballerina paintings, to technical design. Don’t forget, even those lazy scribbles in your middle school math notebook were primitive art.

40,000 years ago, early humans were decorating their cave walls with illustrations. It’s possible these paintings were vast social commentaries, but, more likely than not, they were simple doodles. In fact, primitive art looks just like those scribbles in your mathbook—simple caricatures of simple objects. However, there was also a special style called “finger fluting.” Prehistoric artists drew shapes and patterns using their fingertips. It’s not terribly pretty, and you wouldn’t want it on your living room wall. Still, it’s a sign that early humans valued self-expression. They weren’t just killing giant mammals for fur; they were busy creating art.

Over the following 3,000 years, drawing evolved and became more stylized. The Greeks and Romans focused on realism. They wanted their art to actually look like the subject. Physical correctness was most important. Conversely, Islamic and meditative art was pattern-based. Rather than painting a person or place, the image was a bundle of beautiful sweeping shapes and intricate designs.

Art continued to develop until, finally, the 1800’s brought Impressionism and its whimsical swirls of color. Rather than drawing an object exactly how it looked, artists drew their impression of an object. Monet, Van Gogh, and other impressionists, used layers, lines and dots to create a mind-boggling effect. Their art wasn’t simply a caricature; it was an interpretation. It excited the imagination and inspired audiences to use their creativity. This style spiraled into a whole new world of art: the age of “-isms,” including the creatively named “post-impressionism,” “expressionism,” “dadaism,” and many others.

Artists everywhere were developing different styles to express their particular skills and ideas. Now, more than ever before, art was expected to push boundaries; rigid “rules” about proper style were slowly forgotten.

Finally, in the mid 19^th century, cartoons began to evolve. They took political commentary to a new level. Through cartoons, artists could criticize politics quickly, and with more bite. Suddenly, words and ideas were more important than an image. This snowballed the use of art for political and social reasons. However, the last century brought along even more amazing developments in art.

Art styles of the 20th century developed alongside technology. The 1990’s ushered in a massive shift. Everyone and their dog used cameras and made art.

100 years ago, an illustration would be a primary, active, medium. It would be the “main attraction,” whereas today that is not the case. We see thousands of images every day on the internet and television. Even kids can photoshop a simple image into art. A single photograph can no longer stand alone as a whole story. Still, the power of drawing and creation hasn’t changed. While the world becomes increasingly wired, hectic, and turbulent, drawing remains the purest form of self-expression. No filters. No photoshop, Just you.

But isn’t drawing only for artsy-types? 

No. It is for everyone!

Draw something.

The Big Draw,Doodle-ins, Dine and doodle – People gather together and draw, even when they have no training. You don’t have to search your soul, travel the world, or spill your deepest feelings, just draw something. Anywhere. Sit back and let something come to you. When you start to get lines, ideas, or a corner piece, you’ve already started.

All you have to do is put your pen to paper, and remember to be easy with yourself. Focus on expressing yourself, not an end product. Focus on creating.

Freedom and power grow the more you practice, and begin the moment you try.

The post Drawing Is So Powerful, And Why Everyone Must Draw appeared first on The Artist.

The Scream exhibits the horrors of everyday life, ransacked with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. It is considered the ‘Mona Lisa’ of its era, and since its origin has made waves in the artistic world, so what are some of the unknown facts about “The Scream”

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian artist born in 1863. He lived to reach 80 years and painted several pieces of art drawing on despairing themes of death, love, sadness, and fear. Munch remained relevant to date and even we see a lot of his artworks in modern wall art space

Munch faced many tragic deaths of his family members growing up and was constantly afflicted with depression.

Perhaps that’s why his dejected state was quickly reflected in his works. 

1. What’s in a name? 

The initial title of the painting was not termed “The Scream”. Its original German name was called “Der Schrei der Natur” which translates to “The Scream of Nature”. Munch disclosed the rationale of the name in a poem behind the pastel frame.

In his prose, he spoke about a melancholic evening with friends and an onset of anxiety under the setting sun. In truth, the figure was covering his or her ears from the shrieking surroundings. 

2.Fourth Time’s a Charm

Munch painted four different versions of The Scream. The first painted version was showcased in Oslo in the year 1893. Later the same year, he painted a pastel version. In 1895, he worked on another detailed pastel version and finally, the last painted piece that dates back to 1910.

He created a lithographic print which enabled him to mass-produce and sell many monochromatic versions. In 1984, Andy Warhol was commissioned to create an ignited pop art version of The Scream which sustained its popularity even in the 20th century.

3.Robberies and recoveries

The Scream has been stolen twice over the years. February 1994 was quite an eventful month for Norway. Preps were underway for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. It was also the same day Oslo’s National Gallery was broken into. Thieves absconded with the painting and left a note that read “Thanks for the poor security”.

The investigation continued for 3 months before the painting was discovered and 4 men were convicted of robbery. In 2004, armed robbers escaped with the 1910 version of The Scream from the Munch Museum in Oslo in broad daylight.

Two years later, the painting was recovered and 6 men went on trial for the theft but while only 3 of them were sentenced by the court. 

4.Mars to the rescue!

Mars, Inc. stepped forward to play a part in the recovery efforts during 2006. Picking up on the timing, they exercised a marketing ploy to promote M&Ms the new dark chocolate flavor. The TV commercial showed the red M&M playing hopscotch with the painting. Furthermore, a reward of 2 million M&Ms was offered for the retrieval of the picture.

Funnily enough, the temptation seemed to have overridden one of the perpetrators’ desire to keep the painting. He disclosed the whereabouts of the artwork in exchange for conjugal visits and 2.2 tonnes of M&Ms. Mars thought it best to grant the prize to the Norwegian authorities who requested that the cash amount be donated to Munch M-useum.

5.The Scream in pop culture

The painting has made its way into 21st-century pop culture, particularly in films and television. The writers of the British sci-fi legacy show “Doctor Who” were greatly influenced by the protagonist of The Scream, as confirmed by Executive producer Steven Moffat. They invented eerie creatures called The Silence with very similar physical characteristics that first made an appearance in the 11th Doctor’s era in 2011. Wes Craven, the director of hit slasher movie “Scream”, confirms the famous killer mask to be a byproduct of his love for Munch’s artwork. That mask has now become a top-of-the-mind symbol for just about all living individuals.

6.Hinting Suicide?

According to Sue Prideaux, author of Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream, Munch painted The Scream during a very distressing time in his life. It was believed that he was destitute, fresh out of a futile relationship, and worried about harboring a mental illness that was prevalent in his family.

It may also not come as a surprise that the bridge depicted behind the screamer was an actual spot for jumpers. Coincidentally, it was a stone’s throw from a slaughterhouse and an asylum for the insane where his schizophrenic sister was admitted. 

7.The screamer a Peruvian mummy?

Right about the time The Scream was created, a mysterious mummified figure was discovered near the Utcubamba River in Peru’s Amazonas region.

The mummy was identified as one of the Chachapoya warriors, also known as “warriors of the clouds”, that lived in the 16th century and belonged to the region of modern-day Peru. The mummy’s hands were also found on either side of a shrieking mouth, freakishly like the screamer’s depiction. 

8.Record high sale at auction

At an auction held at Sotheby, London in 2012, the pastel version of The Scream was sold for a whopping $120 million, making it the most costly piece of artwork ever to be sold at an auction at that time.

The gentleman who bought the artwork was an American investor and art collector by the name Leon David Black.

9.An emotional connection

Harvard neurobiology professor Margaret Livingstone, through her studies performed on macaque monkeys, states a finding that the brain is more likely to respond to exaggerated faces like the screamer’s tortured look of shock.

She provides a rationale for why we connect to emotional expressions highlighting “it’s what our nerve cells are attuned to”.

10.The Scream lies in the public domain

All of Munch’s works, including The Scream, are in the public domains of nations that observe the ‘life plus 70 years’ copyright term. Munch was deceased in 1944 so 2015 marks the year his works were released into the public domain of Brazil, Israel, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, and those within the European Union. It was already considered public domain in the US.

Conclusion:

Well, these are some of the unknown facts about The Scream. So many truths and possibilities behind a single expression! The Scream holds an intriguing mystery that draws viewers is based on a seemingly strange but relatable association. The picture is an unfiltered display of our very own state of mind.

The shaded curves in various directions resemble a vortex-like appearance that pulls in the observer in Munch’s personal reality.    

The Scream will always remain a classic masterpiece and an apt representation of the symbolist and expressionist movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Also, check out Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature)  [html_block id=”12849″] 

The post 10 Things You Don’t Know About The Scream appeared first on The Artist.

May it be the story of a single person, of a community, or of a nation, art has in many ways contributed to the beautiful way these stories are told.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls” – Pablo Picasso

The definition of art can be multi-disciplinary.

In the same way, art can also convey an experience that’s so common that many people can relate to it. Take Adolf Menzel’s The Balcony Room, for example.

This piece shows a space with strong light pouring into a typical room while a breeze blows into the white curtains.

Instead of making something revolutionary or innovative, Adolf Menzel took the very common scenario – a room in an ordinary house – and turned it into a masterpiece.

Through art, Adolf was able to enhance what otherwise was a common experience and turned it into a serene, emotionally charged story that everyone can appreciate.

Why do we make art?

The purposes, motivations, intentions, and inspirations behind the art are endless. Below are just some of the reasons why we make art:

1. To form part of a ritual, ceremony, or cultural tradition

Whether you refer to the finely crafted instruments of the different ethnic tribes in the Philippines or look at the creative mascots of different sports teams, we use art to creatively represent practices that have been part of our lives for years.

One of the most common reasons why we make art is to form part of a ritual or tradition.

Look at how beautiful modern-day weddings are – every item is planned to be a work of art!

One of the most comprehensive events depicted in history is The Last Supper by Da Vinci

2. To practice faith in a more tangible way

Believing in a higher being can be a unique experience, and art is used to make those beliefs much easier to grasp and feel.

Creativity is one of the demarcating landmarks that differentiates us from animals. It is what makes us human.

Faith is another factor that has been a key theme behind reasons for making the art.

Look at how the Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo or the Christ the Redeemer statue or Indian Paintings from Rajput. Just looking at these world-renowned works can strengthen or renew a person’s faith. A theme that has the most answers to – Why we make art

3. To record history

Another reason people make art is to record a moment of the past.

More specifically called History Painting, we use art to capture the most significant historical scenes. Some notable examples include Benjamin West’s Death of Benjamin Wolfe and Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii.

These paintings and other art forms have a special way of making history a point of interest to otherwise disinterested people.

They spark discussion, commemoration, and appreciation of important historical events.

4. To teach something as an alternative to verbal or written methods

The changing generations have made it much harder to attract the attention of our young learners.

The question – of why we make art – is becoming less relevant these days.

With the help of art, people who would otherwise ignore books can be taught concepts more effectively using visual arts.

These can be seen in the form of visual Public Service Announcements and awareness campaigns in the form of films. In some cases, artists make art with great imagery that can also complement written messages

5. To tell a story from literature, myths, religion, and poetry

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings inspired by Christian history.

There are also a lot of famous paintings that depict significant parts of famous literature. Sometimes visualizing a story is the best way to appreciate it.

That’s why we use art and why people make art – to elaborate on the myths and religious aspects of an event or a period

6. To create someone’s portrait.

It’s not just about someone getting their portrait painted.

It’s about how the artist sees that person. The most famous example, of course, is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, whose smile has captivated the world throughout history. Van Gogh’s portrait of Dr. Gachet, who happens to be the artist’s close friend. Read Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?

The faces of these people, their expressions, and the painting itself have the power to show you what these people mean to the artists who made them.

7. To allow the artist to express oneself.

One of the most adopted reasons for people making art is to allow themselves to represent their thoughts and life.

When Edward Munch painted The Scream, he was thinking about the orange sky he had just recently seen which, to him, it looked like nature was screaming. This is how he used art to effectively convey his idea or opinion about something.

Similarly, Frida Kahlo documented her lust for life through her deep and surreal works, and those were a true depiction of Frida’s life and thoughts.

8. To reflect the beauty of nature, a landscape, or a city

When Vincent Van Gogh was spending time in the sanatorium, he created the view outside his window, now the famous Starry Night.

While beautiful scenes are sights to behold themselves, they become a new creation when turned into art.

Similarly, Edward Hopper has documented every flavor of nature in his numerous works. Most of people make art to document nature, a landscape, or a city.

Claude Monet’s famous paintings are a classic example of experimentation of using interchangeable nature of light and shadow by repeatedly producing the same visuals of nature multiple times to discover more than one angle of nature’s light to shine on one image.

9. To illustrate a narrative or a diagram.

Why we make art – To teach people. Art can be quite educational too, especially when it is used not only to provide aesthetics but also to serve as an aid to educational materials.

Often people make art or infographics about certain things that are much easier to understand and digest than their strictly written counterparts, making the artistic version more effective as it is appreciable.

10. To depict reality and ideals.

Often referred to as realism and idealism, art can either capture a perfectly undistorted image of reality (i.e. a natural landscape or the image of society) or portray the artist’s aspirations or ideals for those realities.

In other words, art is a way for an artist to say “this is how I see the world,” and then sometimes say “this is how I think it should be.”

11. To provoke thinking and discourse.

Whether it’s a painting that dramatizes the horrors of war or a dark depiction of domestic violence, art can shock one’s senses to force a person to think deeply about a real social issue. It can spark debates and even cause revolutions.

12. To illustrate their dreams.

Perhaps one of the richest sources of inspiration is a person’s dreams.

Many notable works of the likes of William Blake and Salvador Dali have been inspired by their own dreams.

Many artists gained inspiration from dreams and depicted a great level of detail.

13. To experiment with different elements.

Sure, you’ve got your ordinary colored paint and brushes, but did you know that painters have also tried to use sand, straw, or even wood to make their creations?

The variety in the elements also gives rise to a new artistic perspective on the same subject. For instance, a painting of a flower would look totally different, if not more intriguing when depicted in sand art.

14. To experiment qualities of a particular medium.

Even with the same elements, artists tend to get creative with their creativity. That’s how concepts such as pointillism and cubism came to be. As artists grow, they use their art to outdo their creativity, allowing their works to become more diverse.

Closing thoughts – Why do we make art? What motivates artists to create art?

In fact, art is the only way we can relay our experiences effectively to others.

Good stories have to be able to convey a thought, reflection, and meaning to a person who was never part of any of those experiences.

The challenge is to creatively bring together reality, imagination, medium, and technique to produce something that will make the audience feel like they are part of that story.

Art matters.

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Some of the sculptures mentioned in this article were commissioned by city authorities to either commemorate the rich history of the towns or celebrate the works of notable writers, artists, and activists who contributed great efforts for fundamental causes.

Behold sculptures and figures that made an impactful mark around the world. Some of these sights took decades in the making! Installations such as Chicago’s ‘Cloud Gate’ or ‘Statue of Liberty’ are now identified as city markers.

Such feats would not be possible without the tremendous vision, perseverance, and sparkling curiosity of below mentioned artists and sculptures who’ve turned streets into attractions, hills into symbolic sights, and political agendas into murals.

Each sculpture was born from a unique story and stories continue to be the leading force behind amazing and even bizarre ideas.

Prepare to be mesmerized by 50 of the most fascinating and inspiring public art around the globe!

1.The Singing Ringing Tree by Mike Tonkin

 The Singing Ringing Tree beautifully curated by artists Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu in 2006, sits majestically in the Pennine hill range overlooking Burnley, England.

The 10 feet tall structure is composed of rows of galvanized steel cylinders in such a way that it resembles the shape of an actual tree. Here’s the real magic though – when the wind passes through the sculpture, a tune can be heard almost as if it is alive and singing.

In 2007, the structure was dedicated to the National Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

2.Les Voyageurs by Bruno Catalano

Les Voyageurs, sculptures of two men with missing torsos holding travel bags in Marseilles, France, is both an ode to new beginnings and a nod to completed journeys left behind. French artist Bruno Catalano evokes sorrowing feelings and memories every traveler feels when migrating to find a home in a new place.

The gravity-defying sculptures carry an air of melancholy and are said to be inspired by Catalano’s real-life nomadic lifestyle, with him traveling, sailing, and moving all his life.

3.Non Violence by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd

Non Violence, also cited as The Knotted Gun, by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd was completed in 1985 and aptly placed by the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York.

The sculpture is a gun with the front end twisted up in a knot. Reuterswärd fashioned this display soon after the murder of his friend, John Lennon. It is a stirring display symbolizing peace and hope for a future free of violence.

4.The Shoes on the Danube Bank by Can Togay

A sight of sadness for most and trauma for some, The shoes on the Danube Bank, by Can Togay and Gyula Pauer, commemorates the tragedy of World War II where hundreds of Hungarians were ordered to leave their shoes on the bank before getting shot.

The strip, completed in April 2005, features 60 pairs of shoes, all made of iron and attached to the stone embankment. 

5.Frank Kafka’s Head by David Cerny

The mechanized kinetic structure of Prague’s most celebrated literary figure Franz Kafka by artist David Cerny is one of the most mesmerizing installations in the world.

Frank Kafka’s Head or ‘Metalmorphosis’ was completed in 1991 and sits in downtown Prague close to where Kafka worked during the day. The bust is a reflection of Kafka’s inner mental torment, capturing the ‘mad genius’ syndrome that plagued him for life. Most of Kafka’s written works revolved around the themes of anxiety, alienation, and absurdity.

The bust is made up of rotating layers of stainless steel that twist randomly and fall into place uniformly to reveal Kafka’s face before disintegrating again. It’s a phenomenal monument mimicking traditional clockwork.

6.The Flying Balloon Girl

Touching tribute to freedom, The Flying Balloon Girl, imprinted on the West Bank Barrier, Palestine, by Banksy in 2005 is a true icon of hope.

The art is an image of a young girl ascending upward holding on to floating balloons. Banksy, a pseudonym for a street artist whose identity is a mystery, is known for leaving prompting imagery based on themes of escapism, barriers, and peace.

7. Declaration by eL Seed

Declaration by eL Seed, a spiraling fuchsia 3D model of Arabic calligraphy is a sight for sore eyes in Dubai Opera, UAE. eL Seed is a renowned French-Tunisian street artist and calligrapher who dedicated this work as an ode to the city he calls home.

The sculpture, completed in 2018, showcases a line from a poem written by the Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that reads ‘art in all its colors and types reflects the culture of the nations, their history, and civilization’.

8.Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate or ‘The Bean

Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate or ‘The Bean’ as it’s now called is a hot tourist spot in downtown Chicago, USA, and a real identifier of the city. The reflective structure was unveiled in 2006 and since then has become a popular hustle and bustle pit stop that pulls a lot of crowd in.

The gigantic 33 x 66 x 43 feet structure was born from Kapoor’s attempt at playing with shapes and experimenting with new architecture perspectives.

9.The Architectural Fragment

The Architectural Fragment, a Melbourne favorite, was designed by Petrus Spronk as part of the Swanston Walk Public Art Project in 1992. The structure is shaped like a monument sinking into the ground outside the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.

The word ‘Library’ is etched in a half-buried manner on the top of the sculpture in gold leaf. Spronk was inspired by the ancient architecture of Grecian buildings in Samos as well as Pythagorean calculations founded by mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras, who belonged to the Island of Samos.

10.Nelson Mandela by Marco Cianfanelli

Nelson Mandela by Marco Cianfanelli is a deconstructed monument that portrays the side angle of the political leader, Nelson Mandela. The structure rests along the road in Howick, a town in South Africa, where Mandela was captured in 1062 by the apartheid security police.

The jagged steel vertical columns mark 50 years to Mandela’s arrest hence 50 columns. Aptly, at first sight, they resemble prison bars but drawing in reveals the shape of his face. The South African artist calls his work ‘Release’ based on the notion of freedom but also on the movement of light in and out the structure from where one stands.

11.The Yellow Pumpkin

The Yellow Pumpkin is an unexpected sight on a beach located in Naoshima Island, Japan.

The sculpture is one of the many similar ones by a female artist, Yayoi Kusuma, who carries an eccentric vision for what art should look like. The pumpkin is of a vivid yellow shade dotted with black spots giving it a very ‘pop’ effect.

It is placed at the edge of a pier facing the most expensive resort on the Island, the Benesse Hotel. Though Kusuma is now recognized as the world’s top-selling female artist, she had a rocky road to fame. Depending on therapy and art to battle mental health challenges, her usage of polka dots on bright color palettes is symbolic of fighting the darkness.

12.Parda Marfa

If you were to cross Highway 90 in the Chihuahuan desert of Texas, you would be a witness to the duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset’s Brainchild Prada Marfa. The mock biodegradable store, set up in 2005, is a proper boutique showcasing several Prada bags (without the bottom) and 20 right-heeled shoes. The fake store is meant to wither away over time reuniting with the earth and is the artists’ bold take on commercialism and gentrification. 

13.Gustav Vigeland’s 200 mesmerizing life

Gustav Vigeland’s 200 mesmerizing life-like sculptures can be found in the world’s largest sculpture park in Oslo, Norway. The landmark was completed in 1949 – 6 years after the artist passed away, unfortunately.

The bronze stone and wrought iron figures depict mankind in all stages of life from birth to death, experiencing joy, tragedy, fear, and so on. Visitors can see the stone figures playing, couples in love, a man struggling with parenthood, warriors, women dancing, and just about everything that life does and does not celebrate including violence and anger. Vigeland wanted each onlooker to resonate with each emotion represented.

14. Teddy Bear

A rather odd sight for an airport, a giant yellow teddy bear rests under a large lamp in the middle of Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar. Swiss-born artist, Urs Fischer is a fan of contemporary art and practices photography, painting, sculpting, and installation. The 23 ft. tall sculpture looks to be made of regular stuffing but in fact, is created from cast bronze. It was purchased in an auction by a member of the Qatar Royal family for a whopping $6.8 million in 2013.

15.Jacob’s ladder by Gerry Judah

Jacob’s ladder, designed by artist British-based artist Gerry Judah, located in Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park, New Zealand is a noteworthy mention. The majestic white tower completed in 2012, stands 111 ft. tall and resembles a silhouette of a floating scarf.

Crafted from a hundred horizontal steel tubes of different lengths placed on top of another, the structure comes together as a curving, shape-shifting body. Overlooking the scenic park, it really is a wondrous sight to behold.

16.Floralis Genérica By Eduardo Catalano

Renowned Argentinian architect Eduardo Catalano’s Floralis Genérica is a commendable work of design. An enormous mechanized structure shaped like a flower sits in a pond outside the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The 43 ft. petals of steel and aluminum open each morning to reveal 4 stamens and closes every sunset since establishment in 2002. It was become a hugely popular photo-op site for visitors and tourists alike catching the demo at dedicated hours.

Catalano is lauded for his understanding of architectural elements of space and structure. 

17.Puppy By Jeff Koon’s Artist

Jeff Koon’s Puppy might be more than just a cute furry pet. A 43 ft. high structure of a West Highland Terrier that was built outside of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain in 1997, sports a flower garden growing over 70,000 flowers in 44,000 lbs. of soil.

The image of the monument has become the national souvenir of Bilbao, being featured on mugs, towels, and miniature figures. Jeff Koon is known for making his mark with mega artworks like flowers and balloon dogs in loud colors that pop in the landscape. 

18.Eight-Legged Spider By  Louise Bourgeois

Another creature guarding the gates of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain is a freakishly real eight-legged spider. The overpowering structure designed by Louise Bourgeois in 1999 is a terrifying sight but holds a personal connection to Bourgeois herself. The spider, Maman, is meant to be protective of her eggs the way a mother shields her children.

The 30 ft. mammoth structure is a reference to her childhood, having to deal with an absent and unfaithful father while relying on the support of her loving, bearing mother. The spider balances on the slenderest of legs, revealing both strength and vulnerability alike. 

19.First Generation By Chong Fah Cheong

First Generation, a sculpture of young boys at the edge of the bridge jumping into a river is a breath of fresh air by artist Chong Fah Cheong. Located in Singapore, the river is an important marker in the history and development of Singapore. Crowds of youngsters used to swim in this river before the 80s era. The work was commissioned by Singapore Tourist Council in the year 2000 as an attempt to depict the period of olden Singapore heritage. 

20.The Wings of Mexico by Jorge Marin

The Wings of Mexico is one of the most “Instagram able” spots in Dubai, UAE. Mexican artist Jorge Marin sculpted the angelic wings in 2018 overlooking the regal view of the grand Burj Khalifa. The wings celebrate triumph, dreams, and the potential of the human spirit. The structure looks extra ethereal during the hours of the night at the heart of downtown Dubai.

21.The Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree by Antonio Navarro Santafé

The Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree is a touching tribute by sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé to the history, culture, and identity of Madrid, Spain. Established in 1967, it represents the city’s coat of arms and is the subject of great folklore. The 13 ft. tall statue of a gigantic bear coming up to a tree in search of fruit can be seen in the public square of Puerta del Sol.

22.The 600 ft. mural of Black Lives Matter by Sophia Dawson

The 600 ft. mural of Black Lives Matter by artists Sophia Dawson, Patrice Payne, and Vijay Mohammad is the largest display of protest through artwork across the streets of Manhattan New York. All letters either highlight a political statement or lament the black individuals who fell victims to systemic racism rooted in the country. This was one of the many murals created across US cities as a solidarity effort following the unjust death of George Floyd in 2020.

23.The sculpture of Brazilian Formula 1 race car driver by Ayrton Senna

The sculpture of Brazilian Formula 1 race car driver, Ayrton Senna, is Paul Oz’s most impressive work to date. In a 1994 race that took place in Italy, the Formula 1 champion was killed in a fatal car crash. Some 3 million people gathered on the streets of Senna’s hometown to mourn and pay their respects. The life-size 60 kg bronze statue that took Oz 12 months to complete was unveiled in 2019, marking 25 years to Senna’s death, and now rests in Barcelona, Spain.

24.Shedding light By Jeff Koon 

Shedding light on another one of Jeff Koons’ public art, the Balloon Flower is a shiny red structure of the most polished stainless steel shaped like a knotted balloon. It sits in a fountain right next to the new One World Trade Center, New York City, and was created as a homage to 9/11 survivors. The glossy installation is definitely an eye-catcher in the vicinity.

25.The Force of Nature by Lorenzo Quinn 

The Force of Nature by Lorenzo Quinn is a daunting statue of what appears to be Mother Earth swinging planet earth with all her might. Quinn’s inspiration lies in the havoc created by hurricanes and wanted to personify the natural occurrence. Currently, there are 4 of these sculptures around the globe – in Shanghai, New York City, Doha, and London.  

26.The Angel of North by Antony Gormley

The Angel of North Britain’s largest monument, The Angel of the North, was modeled by sculptor Antony Gormley after his own body in February 1998. The Angel was a figure of much controversy when constructed but once it found a home in the town of Gateshead, UK it became an identifying symbol of the region. It is deemed as the largest angel structure in the world, weighing 200 tonnes and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art. 

27.the Statue of Franz Kafka

Another sculpture commemorating Franz Kafka can be found in Prague’s Dusni Street where Kafka spent most of his life – also featured much in his stories. Czech sculptor Jaroslav Róna based the Statue of Franz Kafka on a scene from Kafka’s debut novel, Amerika (1927), in which a very tall, headless figure partaking in a rally is supporting a political candidate on his shoulders. Róna completed this piece in 2003 – According to Kafka, the scene in the book signifies the description of a struggle. 

28. Giant ogre-like creature By Ervin Loránth Hervé

Thanks to artist Ervin Loránth Hervé, there is a giant ogre-like creature that’s ascending from the ground with a violent, frightening expression in Budapest. The behemoth stone structure is the attraction of Budapest’s Szechenyi Square where it’s seemingly breaking through the earth. It catches the attention of many tourists and passersby alikeand hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art.

29. The Freedom Sculpture by Zenos Frudakis

Like straight out of a theatre play, the Freedom Sculpture by artist Zenos Frudakis curated in 2001 is a poignant ode to breaking free. Located in Philadelphia, the structure is embedded in a wall with 4 mummified figures, all alluding to one figure trying to release in 4 steps. Upon seeing the composition from left to right, we can judge that the locked figure struggles to tear the hold and is finally victorious in the last frame. Frudakis conceptualized this piece from a personal internal struggle of his own but understood this to be a universal desire and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art. 

30.Alberta’s dream by Jaume Plensa

Alberta’s dream by the Spanish-born world-famous artist Jaume Plensa depicts a bronze figure of a man slouching on the ground, hugging a trunk of a tree in Calgary, Canada. The statue is engraved with the names of Alberta’s cities with ‘Edmonton’ across the front body and ‘Caligary’ on the back. The sculpture is said to have deep political and social references but the true meaning is yet to be known.

31.Green’s Horse bust By Nic Fiddian

Nic Fiddian-Green’s Horse bust is a real sight of majestic grace. Located in West Sussex, England, the structure stands a staggering 35 ft. tall. According to Green, the bust represents the bond between man and horse, with a horse having ‘a greatest effect on man’s destiny. This is one of the many horse structures of Green’s, with several of them depicting the animal face down drinking water, symbolizing tranquility and peace and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art .

32. A-maze-ing Laughter By Yue Minjun

The statues of ‘A-maze-ing Laughter’ are the subject of much excitement in Vancouver, Canada. The sculpture of 14 bronze-cast men laughing in harmony designed after the artist, Yue Minjun, himself has become a local landmark drawing in flocks of visitors and tourists.

The installation was exhibited at the Vancouver Biennale exhibition from 2009-2011 and was gifted to the public of Vancouver by a donation from Chip and Shannon Wilson. The statues are more than just frozen smiles but symbolize the concept of individuality and self-expression.

33. Mustangs By Robert Glen

Robert Glen’s Mustangs will always remain the talk of the artistic sphere. The sculpture of magnificent horses galloping across a body of water just outside of Dallas, Texas. Commissioned to create the piece in 1976, Glen spent a year just researching the behavior, structure, and anatomy of horses. On September 25, 1984, the installation was assembled in a public square, eight years after the conception of the idea. The 9 majestic wild horses are now renowned as the largest equestrian sculpture in the world and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art .

34. Digital Orca by Douglas Coupland

Something out of a video game, Douglas Coupland’s masterpiece, Digital Orca, is an interesting sight of a killer whale mid-leap at the Vancouver harbor overlooking the mountains of Cypress Provincial Park. The structure is fashioned in such a manner that it looks completed pixelated to the naked eye. Commissioned by the city of Vancouver, the piece was completed in 2009. Coupland wanted to create a whimsical sculpture that people could enjoy marveling at and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art .

35 . Les colonnes de Buren By Daniel Buren

Inside the Palais Royal, once the home of Cardinal Richelieu, Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of France, lies a courtyard of contemporary installations of black and white striped columns called Les colonnes de Buren. Spaced at intervals, with each cut off at different heights, the work of Daniel Buren was a subject of much controversy when set up in 1986. The columns, comprised of marble, are meant to unify the past, present, and future by embodying a deeply historical relationship of underground and street Paris. Though, the sight does appear to be in friction with the 17th-century architectural landmark.  

36.Inside Australia By Antony Gormley

Step inside the largest outdoor gallery, Inside Australia, curated by the ingenious, award-winning artist, Antony Gormley in 2003. Lake Ballard, near Menzies in Western Australia’s Goldfields graces onlookers with one of the most wondrous sights to behold. On the west of the 70-miles long shimmering salt lake appear 51 stick-like figures rooted on plain land. The cast black chromium steel sculptures represent the local residents of Menzies. Gormley wanted the sculptures to be viewed from all angles clearly hence, the leveled ground chosen. The figures are spaced out at 500m and provide the perfect backdrop to the lake, white sand beaches, and Western Australia’s breathtaking landscape and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art . 

37.The sculpture of Cumil the Sewer Worker By Viktor Hulík

The sculpture of Cumil the Sewer Worker of Bratislava, Slovakia is an endearing one. Camil is one of the many statues that Slovak sculptor Viktor Hulík installed as per the city’s request to enhance the look and feel of the town, post-communist period in 1997. The statue appears to be resting his head outside the manhole it is emerging from. His name Cumil actually means ‘watcher’ in Slovak. He welcomes the town passerby with a charming smile and calm aura. 

38.The Dandelion Lights by Mirek Struzik

The Dandelion Lights placed along the Dubai Opera road overlooking the Burj Khalifa are the stuff of fairytale. The 14 whimsical flower structures designed by sculptor Mirek Struzik in 2017 glow in the evening with magical iridescence. The intricacy of the structure along with added light effects has lent itself to become an audience favorite. The large-scale, electropolished stainless steel structures provide an organic sight juxtaposed to the lean and modern infrastructure of the Burj.

39. Stravinsky fountain in Paris by Jean Tinguely

The quirky yet amusing Stravinsky fountain in Paris, France steals all hearts. The disorderly sight of silly, colorful, sculptures resembles the look of a circus. The genius of sculptor Jean Tinguely and painter Niki de Saint Phalle put together elements inspired by Igor Stravinski’s 20th-century classical music – a display of red lips, a treble clef, a mermaid, and other unconventional animal figures that are mechanized and spray water from the fountain. The attraction was unveiled in 1983 and has been the most photographed in the vicinity. 

40. Love Me sculpture By Richard Hudson

Another monument decorating the vicinity of Burj Khalifa, Dubai is Richard Hudson’s Love Me sculpture. The glorious three-dimensional, heart-shaped sculpture is made of mirrored steel and weighs 7000kg. Hudson describes the sculpture as a symbol of peace and love that transcends all boundaries. The 5 meters tall and equally wide structure was unveiled in 2019 and now sits outside the Dubai Mall attracts thousands of crowds and photo captures alike and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art . 

41.Escadaria Selarón by Jorge Selarón

Escadaria Selarón or the Selarón steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is one of the most striking staircases in the world. Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón has humbly paid this tribute to the people of Brazil. The artist who found a home in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro in the ‘80s had noticed the stairs near his residence needed renovation. Little by little, he began covering the steps with bright, patterned tiles mostly bathed in colors of Brazil’s flag – yellow, green, and blue. His pastime turned to a passion project and started gaining attention around the world; people started sending him tiles of their homeland to be embedded in the staircase marking it as a poignant harmonization of unity and culture. The 215 steps are a marvelous sight to lay eyes on.

42.The East Side Gallery

What was once the Berlin Wall is now an open art gallery 1.3 km long showcasing some of the most vivid, thought-provoking, and interesting works of art. When the wall came down in 1989, 118 artists from 21 countries congregated to paint the East Side Gallery.

What manifested were a series of political and social statements depicting freedom and visual protests against extreme regimes. The 1316 meters long remnant of the Berlin Wall was given memorial status in 1991, a year after it was declared as an open-air gallery officially and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art . 

43.Parc Guell by Antoni Gaudi

Parc Guell deserves to be called one of the most fascinating sights in Barcelona, Spain. The 45-acre park meticulously designed by the pride of Spain, Antoni Gaudi, in the early 1900s is the largest public art installation of all time – rich in most exquisite architectural elements. The park features pillared monuments, animal sculptures, and curved walls of the most eye-catching ceramic tiles. The park was initially meant to be a luxury residential complex but the idea was dropped and a famous public attraction was developed. Some 2.9 million tourists visit to enjoy the park each year.

44.The Statue of Liberty by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi

A monument that needs no introduction, the Statue of Liberty in New York is one of the most famous figures in the world arguably. A gift from France to the United States to celebrate 100 years of Independence, the 305 ft. structure took French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi 13 years to complete. To date, the statue of the Roman goddess is seen as a universal symbol of freedom. The colossal structure made of copper with a framework of steel rests on New York Harbour in Liberty Island and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art. 

45.The Sail by Mattar Bin Lahej

Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej’s calligraphic structures called The Sail standing on waters outside the Address Beach Resort, Dubai is hypnotically stunning. The sail reads the following quote from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – ‘The future will be for those who can imagine, design, and implement, the future does not wait for the future, but it can be designed and built today’. The reflective structure stands 5m high and is curved like a small sailboat.

46. La Défense, Paris By César Baldaccini

When walking through La Défense, Paris, expect to be towered by a giant sculpture of a thumb. Designed by sculptor César Baldaccini in 1965, the thumb stands over 40 ft. tall and weighs more than 18 tonnes. Every crevice and crack on the thumb appears realistically visible. César often liked to work with his hand impressions and create absurdly enlarged structures out of them that have now found a home in many museums and parks around the world. His method of creation? Fashioning objects from scrap metals and industrial materials and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art.

47.Forever Bicycles By Ai Weiwei’s

Ai Weiwei’s installations will always have one thing in common – bicycles. Weiwei assembled a three-dimensional structure of 1200 bicycles on Waller Beach at Town Lake Metropolitan Park in Austin, United States called Forever Bicycles. The installation with cycles stacked in huge numbers resembles a large honeycomb. The art was the Chinese artist’s ode to his childhood when he traveled across Beijing on a bicycle. The magnitude and repetitiveness, on the other hand, alludes to China’s mass production which fuels the manufacturing industry. The installation, however, was removed from Austin due to insufficient funds required to maintain it.

48. Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg

Art can be whatever it wants to be. There is no better example of this than Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen’s Spoonbridge and Cherry. In the heart of Walker Art Center’s Minneapolis Sculpture Garden rests a giant spoon with a cherry at the tip of it that sprays water into the spoon. The fountain, made of aluminium and stainless steel, was completed in 1998. The cherry alone weighs a shocking 544kg. The playful and iconic structure was inspired by Van Bruggen’s happy memories of childhood during World War II.

49.By the sea In The Year 1997

Sydney’s By the sea annual exhibition is a must-visit attraction for art lovers and adventurers alike. The Bondi beach welcomes visitors to explore the world’s largest sculpture exhibition that stretches 2km along the coastal line. The exhibition features over 100 fantastic and intricate art pieces by Australians and other artists across the globe. The free exhibition has been running every year since 1997. 

50.Clothespin By Claes Oldenburg

Clothespin, designed by Swedish-born sculptor Claes Oldenburg is an enormous peg located at Center Square, Philadelphia. Oldenburg is noted for his attempt at radically altering everyday objects that have eventually now become outdoor monuments. The 45 ft. tall clothespin is meant to be a reference to bridging income level gaps and hence is the Most Fascinating Public Art. 

Conclusion:

Stepping off this adventurous journey into the sculpting world of creative geniuses, may your knowledge lead you to visit these well-known landmarks around the world someday.

These artworks help us widen our imaginations, piece together their formations, and reinstate the very fundamental characteristic of art – it can be anything one wants it to be.

That’s possibly the reason why people associate these sculptures with their cultural identity and continue to maintain their upkeep.

These iconic structures evoke joy, positivity, curiosity, and even sensitivity among onlookers but most of all remain memorable in the hearts of many generations. Do you wanna check out 7 Most Powerful Works By Jeff Koons.

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The Woman

The watercolor depicted as a singular biomorphic form with subtle dots in the center floating in a seemingly black abyss.

The Woman was made in the year 1953. This artwork is reminiscent of female genitalia with red spikes surrounding it. The overall effect of the work is aggressive and bizarre and it shows the signs of Kusama’s struggles with mental illness and anxiety towards sex. This was Kusama’s attempt to represent what she believed to be her alternate reality. Is one of the Experimental Artworks.

No. F

The bluish-grey underlay obscured by small, white semi-circles, which consume the entire canvas.

No. F was made in the year 1959. No F was one of the infinite Net series artwork. From a distance, the subtle painting looks delicate and monochromatic, but when viewed up close, the complexities of the canvas’s surface become apparent. Although these time-consuming and obsessive nets were painstaking to create, they were quite therapeutic for the artist.

Accumulation No.1

Consisting of an abandoned armchair painted white and completely covered with soft, stuffed phallic protrusions.

Accumulation No.1 was made in the year 1962. This art was one of the first in Kusama’s iconic Accumulation series, in which she transforms found furniture into sexualized objects. The menacing piece works to confront Kusama’s sexual phobias and it’s both aggressive and humorous. These psychosexual works by Kusama proved to be a significant precursor to post-minimalist art. Is also one of the Experimental Artworks

Narcissus Garden

1500 plastic silver globes laid on a lawn.

Narcissus Garden was made in the year 1966, it was Kusama’s first successful experiment with performance art. The twelve-inch in diameter 1500 mirrored balls are tightly arranged, creating an infinite reflective field that distorted images of reality on the surface of the balls. The main theme of this art is that the viewer is forced to confront their own vanity when looking at their distorted reflection on the surface of the balls.

Anatomic Explosion on Wall Street

Nude performers dancing to the rhythm of bongo drums.

Anatomic Explosion on Wall Street was made in the year 1968. The work featured nude performers dancing to the rhythm of bongo drums while Kusama, who called herself ‘Priestess’, painted blue dots on their naked bodies and presided over the event. This performance was in opposition to the Vietnam war.

Pumpkin

Yellow pumpkin sculpture painted with rows of black dots fanning out from large to small around the gourd.

Pumpkin was made in the year 1994. the pumpkin’s big scale and bulbous gives it a kind of cartoonish appearance. Kusama has described the pumpkin motif as an alter ego, once again emphasizing how her work and identity are intrinsically intertwined.

Obliteration Room

A pristine room along with furniture and an explosion of colorful dots.

Obliteration Room was made in the year 2002. It starts out as a blank canvas, to resemble the interior of a domestic environment, the walls, ceiling, floor, furniture everything is painted sterile white. Visitors to the room are handed a sheet of round stickers of various shapes and sizes determined by Kusama and are free to affix them in any way and on any surface of the room. Is one of the most Experimental Artworks of Yayoi Kusama.

Infinity Mirrored Room- The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away

Dark chamber-like place completely lined with mirrors with small LED lights hung from the ceiling and flickering in a rhythmic pattern.

infinity Mirrored Rooms- the souls of millions of light-years away was made in the year 2016. It is one of the infinity room series which started in the 1960s. This particular room consists of small LED lights hung from the ceiling and flickering in a rhythmic pattern creating pulsing electronic polka dots. The LED lights reflect through the mirrors to create an illusion. Only one visitor at a time can experience this installation.

Sex Obsession Food Obsession Macaroni Infinity Nets & Kusama

The artist lying naked on her famous soft sculpture surrounded by macaroni pasta.

Sex Obsession Food Obsession Macaroni Infinity Nets & Kusama was made in the year 1962, one of the infinity sets, Kusama’s aim was to subvert her own discomfort in effect to conquer it, so she inserted herself into the piece to represent a manifestation of her sexual aversion. This brave presentation of herself in physical dialogue with her own fears positions Kusama as a participant in the burgeoning Feminist art movement of the time and also lets us know about her work in the late 1960s in which she used her body and the body of others in public performances.

Conclusion:

These are some of the most experimental artworks of Yayoi Kusama. is a Japanese artist who is sometimes called ‘the princess of polka dots. Do you want to know the most famous realism paintings ever made? [html_block id=”12849″]

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Vincent’s works offer endless wilderness that seemed to violate laws of human imagination. Exploring his mysterious mind is a tough journey indeed, if happens, mission accomplished.

An undertaking as ambitious as this—creating the world’s first feature-length painted film on a figure as captivating as Van Gogh—needs careful handling to be executed successfully, and the Oscar-winning team of Breakthru Films and Trademark Films seem poised to deliver.

Four years in the making, the 80-minute feature is composed of over 62,000 individual frames, each a unique oil-on-canvas painting created by a team of 80+ painters.

Genius

The Dutch painter’s time in this world was brief; he was just 37 at the time of his unfortunate and controversial death in 1890. Born to a religious family, Van Gogh spent a portion of his life as a missionary before his entry to the art world, not as a painter, but as an art dealer.

Of his few living years, only those towards to the end were spent painting, but those were painted with fervor. It is estimated that he created around 2,000 works in his lifetime, from his birth through his prolific final years.

Mental illness plagued Van Gogh, but it undeniably helped create the masterpieces the world appreciates to this very day. And while the world may never know exactly how he saw the world, Loving Vincent movie attempts to construct the story of Vincent’s life through interviews and letters, presented meticulously through the medium that he chose to explain his existence.

Loving Vincent Movie – A Labor of Love

The film promises to be a visual delight and the first of its kind as an animated feature presented fully through paintings in the style of Van Gogh.

The phrase “labor of love” comes to mind to describe the films in its dedication to not only the style of Van Gogh, but its use of his words and the words of those closest to him to make us not only see but also feel the story of Van Gogh’s life leading up to his eventual (disputed) suicide.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]The skill and dedication of the painters involved, many of them students, is evident in every microsecond of the footage released so far, but it’s the team’s genuine love of Van Gogh that elevates it above a mere exercise in efficiency and production.[/quote_colored]

It is for this reason that a full-length film was chosen to convey the story. The filmmakers did not feel that a short production could properly dive into the life of the painter and pay tribute to his legacy, so the project now known as Loving Vincent was born. It’s all there in the title; you get a sense that everyone involved in the project truly does love Vincent.

Loving Vincent Movie – Converging Art, Passion and Technology

Dorota Kobiela, the director of the project, is a rising star among animators. Since graduating first in her class from warsaw Academy of Fine  Arts, Kobiela has gained fame for award-winning films such as Little Postman, Chopin Drawings, and The Flying Machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxSnZLR_UEI

The production team includes Hugh Welchman, himself a famed animator, Ivan Mactaggart, a financier for several high-profile films for Trademark, David Parfitt, chairman of several film boards and producer of theater and film, and Sean Bobbitt, a former theatre chain founder who has collaborated with Kobiela previously on The Flying Machine.

It’s easy to see how Loving Vincent might inspire artists of the future.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]We can not only honor the styles of long-gone artists using modern technologies, but we can advance, innovate, and increase our understanding of what made their works so influential in their own time.[/quote_colored]

Loving Vincent follows the age old adage of ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’ and, in doing so, expands our perspective on the works of Van Gogh.

Hopefully the film and its 80+ artists will inspire artists to honor their heroes in the best way possible—by creating something new. We’re truly inspired.

The post Loving Vincent, A Labor of Love appeared first on The Artist.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance born on 6 March 1475 in the Republic of Florence and died on 18 February 1564. Famous work of Michelangelo are David, Pietà, The Last Judgment and Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who was born on 25 October 1881 and died on 8 April 1973. Famous work of Pablo Picasso are La Vie (1903), Family of Saltimbanques (1905), Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler (1910), Girl before a Mirror (1932), Le Rêve (1932), Guernica (1937) and The Weeping Woman (1937).

Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor who was considered as the progenitor of modern sculpture born on 12 November 1840 and died on 17 November 1917). Famous work of Rodin include The Age of Bronze (L’age d’airain), 1877 The Walking Man (L’homme qui marche), 1877–78 The Burghers of Calais (Les Bourgeois de Calais), 1889 The Kiss, 1889 and The Thinker (Le Penseur), 1902.

Constantin Brâncusi

Constantin Brâncusi was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who was born on February 19, 1876 and died on March 16, 1957. Famous work of Constantin Brâncusi are The Endless Column (1938), Bird in Space (1919), Torso of a Young Man (1917–22), The Newborn (1915), Mademoiselle Pogany (1913), Prometheus (1911), Sleeping Muse (1910) and The Kiss (1908).

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol born on August 6, 1928 was an American artist, director and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement and died on February 22, 1987. Famous work of Andy Warhol are Chelsea Girls (1966 film), Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966 event) and Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962 painting)

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath who was born on 15 April 1452 and died on 2 May 1519. Famous work of Leonardo da vinci are Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man and Lady with an Ermine. The artist is called as the father of paleontology, ichthyology, and architecture.

Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp born on 28 July 1887 was a French-American painter, sculptor, chess player and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, conceptual art and Dada and he died on 2 October 1968. Famous work of Duchamp are Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 (1912), Fountain (1917), The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even (1915–23) and Étant donnés (1946–66).

Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí was a prominent Spanish surrealist artist born on 11 May 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain and died on 23 January 1989. Famous work of Salvador dali are The Persistence of Memory (1931), Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment (1935), Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War) (1936) and Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937).

Henry Moore

Henry Spencer Moore was an English artist who was born on 30 July 1898 and died on 31 August 1986. Moore is best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures and famous for Reclining Figures, 1930s–1980s.

Alberto Giacometti

Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman and printmaker and was born on 10 October 1901 and died on 11 January 1966. Famous work of Giacometti are Grande Femme Debout I, L’Homme qui marche I and L’Homme au doigt.

Antonio Canova

Antonio Canova was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor who was born on 1 November 1757 and died on 13 October 1822. Famous work of Antonio Canova are Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, The Three Graces, Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker and Venus Victrix.

Lorenzo Ghiberti

Lorenzo Ghiberti was a Florentine Italian artist of the Early Renaissance who was born on 1378 and died on 1 December 1455. Famous work of Lorenzo are Gates of Paradise, Florence Baptistery and Tomb of Ghiberti.

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Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder was an American sculptor known as the originator of moving sculptures and was born on July 22, 1898 and died on November 11, 1976. Famous work of Alexander Calder are Cirque Calder and Mercury Fountain.

Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings who was born on 19 July 1834 and died on 27 September 1917. Famous work of Degas are The Bellelli Family (1858–1867), Woman with Chrysanthemums (1865), Chanteuse de Café (c. 1878) and At the Milliner’s (1882).

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois was a French-American artist, best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art. He was born on 25 December 1911 and died on 31 May 2010. Cells, Maman and The Destruction of the Father.

Étienne Maurice Falconet

Étienne Maurice Falconet is counted among the first rank of French Rococo sculptors, whose patron was Mme de Pompadour. He was born on 1 December 1716 and died on 24 January 1791. Famous work of Falconet are The Bronze Horseman and Seated cupid.

Umberto Boccioni

Umberto Boccioni was an influential Italian painter and sculptor. He was born on 19 October 1882 and died on 17 August 1916. Famous work of Boccioni are Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, The City Rises and The Street Enters the House

Benvenuto Cellini

Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, draftsman, soldier, musician, and artist who also wrote a famous autobiography and poetry. He was born on 1 November 1500 and died on 13 February 1571. Cellini Salt Cellar (Saliera), 1543 was his famous work.

Jean Arp

Jean Arp or Hans Arp was a German-French sculptor, painter, poet, and abstract artist in other media such as torn and pasted paper. He was born on 16 September 1886 and died on 7 June 1966. Famous work of Jean Arp are Shirt Front and Fork and Cloud Shepherd.

El Greco

El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. He was born on 1541 and died on 7 April 1614. Famous work of El Greco are El Expolio (1577–1579), The Assumption of the Virgin (1577–1579), The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586–1588), View of Toledo (1596–1600) and Opening of the Fifth Seal (1608–1614).

You may like to read – 20 Most Famous Raja Ravi Varma Paintings

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The word “culture” is used in different ways by different people.

To some, it might mean a string quartet and the use of multiple utensils at dinner. To others, it might be used in a vague way when planning a holiday overseas. If you are a scientist it means a petri dish full of microorganisms.

This is something every human experience and the way you experience it can define your life.

Culture is shared. Culture is learned, and it is not biological.

Rather, it might be said that it is developed as we seek to satisfy our biological needs. It belongs to us, to our families, our peers, our art, and institutions.

What is Culture?

Culture means the patterns and characteristics of human behavior.  Culture is one collective term of religion, beliefs, social norms, arts, customs, and habits that we possess

The interesting part is that culture, as a term, almost eludes absolute definition.

Because it is something intrinsic to our humanity, perhaps, and humans, as a rule, also elude definition. That has not stopped some of history’s brightest minds from attempting to define it, however.

The first person to use the term “culture” in the way we currently understand it was  Edward B. Tylor, an anthropologist,

He explained culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” ( Primitive Culture, 1871).

The Famous Definitions of Culture

Geert Hofstede said

“Culture is the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values.”

Linton said

“A culture is a configuration of learned behaviors and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society”

In L.A. Samovar & R.E. Porter (Eds.), Communication Between Cultures. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. refers

“Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another.” – National cultures and corporate cultures.

Edgar Schein quoted

“Culture is the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organization, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic ‘taken for granted’ fashion an organization’s view of its self and its environment.”

What is Culture in Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of humanity, including prehistoric origins and contemporary human diversity. Often, it is confused with many other disciplines around humanity, history, sociology, etc., anthropology is far broader in scope

The culture of a society pervades it to its very roots.

• Biological anthropology — the study of the biological side of human including the evolution
• Archaeology – the study of past human cultures through their material remains.
• Linguistic anthropology – the study of human communication, including its origins, history, and variation, and change.
• Cultural anthropology – the study of living peoples and their cultures, including variation and change.

The fourth discipline – cultural anthropology – defines the culture to a deeper level by analyzing various two key aspects of culture

1. Diversity – Refers to the distinctive behaviors of humans and societies
2. Change – Refers to the evolution of these distinct behaviors and humans adapted to it.

Overall, cultural anthropology refers to how culture affects the way people live, the way they interact, the art they make, the jobs they hold, their beliefs, and relationships.

And yet an archaeologist digging up an ancient site, finding wall stubs and pottery fragments, could never say that they have dug up “culture”.

The results of the culture are there for all to see: the patterns on the pottery, the places of worship, the way a family home was set up. But they are remains, nothing more.

Culture belongs to life itself.

The relation between culture and society

It can be a little difficult to draw the lines between culture and society. Both involve the way we live, both involve beliefs and systems, both are formed by groups of people.

A society is a group of organisms that interact with one another. This might mean a school of fish, a flock of birds, a beehive, and so on. Human societies are similar, as they are groups of individuals who interact with one another, though not always directly. In human societies, however, the behavior of the group is not just determined by survival, but by history, tradition, and expectation.

Yet people living in a single society can have different cultures. So society and culture are not the same things – but they are linked.

If culture is a pattern of people’s behavior, and if people live in societies, then, of course, they are going to be tied together at multiple points.

And culture cannot exist without society, without people coming together and exchanging ideas and experiences. Without groups of people living together, why would we ever have needed to develop language or politics? You cannot have one without the other.

Culture is all about Learned Behaviors

Culture is not something that we are born knowing. No baby is born being able to understand art, or speaking the language of its parents. Yet what it does possess is a desire to communicate and be understood – a desire it generally seeks to fill by screaming, which works out just fine, to begin with. But then, it learns that different noises mean different things, and so language begins to be learned.

Because of this, culture is also something that accumulates. It is built on overtime.

It’s not as though a group of people in 1000BC sat down and discussed whether they were going to use forks or chopsticks, or whether they were going to teach math in school. These things developed slowly – and now, millennia later, schoolchildren are learning mathematical concepts developed by ancient Greeks.

Art and Culture – A soulful connection

Art is yet another concept that is very difficult to define.

Abby Willowroot  – “Art speaks the soul of its culture”

But when it comes to a shared understanding of art within a group of people, one could say that art is the physical manifestation of the culture to which it belongs – to the point that sometimes it almost seems impossible to separate the culture from its art.

If you pass a wedding venue and see it crowded with paper swans, it doesn’t matter if you are in Texas, Perth or Abu Dhabi, you will immediately recognize the sight as belonging to the culture of Japan.

Geometric patterns with bright colors and striking contrast might bring to mind traditional Kenyan textiles, even if seen in a window in Prague.

“Scandinavian interior design” could be found in a desert.

In addition to this, there is a reason great art movements tend to find their momentum in cities.

That’s where you can find the most people, packed in closely together – and, as a result, that’s where the cultures to which they belong become the richest, the densest, the most likely to turn into something new.

And sometimes, finding themselves so close to other cultures, they find themselves rubbing together and creating sparks.

An Adaptive Mechanism

When we look at the human experience in all its needs and forms, culture can sometimes seem like something of an extra.

True, humans create art, and language, and politics.

But these things, while adding to the richness, complexity, or possibilities of our lives, do not seem to be necessary for survival.

After all, a person could live in a hut on a hill for their entire lives and never see another human being.

They might never learn a language, create art, or develop an understanding of authority; as long as they can hunt and gather, they will do just fine.

And yet, if you look at cultures across the world, there seem to be very obvious differences between them that have sprung from a need to adapt.

For example, humans are warm-blooded creatures, which was fine when we were all living in subtropical conditions a few million years ago, but when you look further afield and forward in time, you see the mechanisms humans have put in place to survive the environments they moved to.

Thus we have architecture and communal planning.

Unlike other organisms, we did not wait for evolutionary adaptation to allow us to thrive in these new climates. Instead, we invented things to help us – things which became a part of the cultures which developed them.

From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, to the shape of our roofs, we can see how each culture was affected by humanity’s need for survival.

And, let’s be honest, it worked – we have dominated the planet with our technology and subsequent population growth. (Whether that is a good thing or not is quite another matter.)

Culture’s relation to Nature

Depending on the way we have defined culture, it can be argued that humans are not the only species to have developed it.

Not that we’re going to find any other animals that create paper cranes for their weddings, but using the broad and relatively simplistic definition of a complex pattern of learned behavior, we can see examples of culture in other species.

Chimpanzees, along with other intelligent primates, seem to be the closest contenders for this.

The young chimpanzees learn from the older ones – whether hunting or gathering skills, communication, or sexual education.

This is a fascinating addition to any discussions one might have regarding culture.

It opens up the possibility that culture is not strictly something that belongs to humans, but perhaps that it is the skill we have developed above all other animals.

We can be outrun, out-swam or out-fought by any number of other species. But our patterns of behavior, in terms of complexity and possibility, leave them all behind.

Culture, from a historical perspective..

The following extract from Kevin Avruch, famous anthropologist and sociologist

A great deal of the problem [of understanding the idea of culture] is caused by the different usages of the word as it was increasingly used in the nineteenth century. Broadly talking, it had been found in three ways (most of that can be found nowadays at the same time). Initial, as stated in Matthew Arnolds’ Culture and Anarchy (1867), cultures are known as special intellectual or imaginative endeavors or items, what right now we might get in touch with “high culture” in contrast to “popular culture” (or “folkways”).

From this classification, only a portion – typically a small one – associated with a sociable team “has” culture. (The rest are possible resources for anarchy!) This sensation of traditions is a lot more closely linked to beauty rather than to interpersonal science.

To some extent in the reaction to this utilization, another, as pioneered by Edward Tylor in Primitive Culture (1870), described a quality possessed by everybody in most social groupings, who nevertheless may be arrayed over an improvement (evolutionary) continuum (in Lewis Henry Morgan’s plan) from “savagery” through “barbarism” to “civilization”.

It is actually really worth quoting Tylor’s definition in their entirety initial, mainly because it became the foundational one for anthropology and 2nd because it in part explains why Kroeber and Kluckhohn located definitional fecundity from the early 1950s. Tylor’s meaning of traditions is “that intricate whole which includes understanding, notion, artwork, morals, regulation, custom, and any other features and practices obtained by a person as part of society”.

As opposed to Arnold’s perspective, all people “have” customs, they will obtain by virtue of account in some social team – culture. And a total grab case of stuff, from knowledge to behavior to features, tends to make up customs. The extreme inclusivity of Tylor’s description stayed with anthropology a very long time it can be one particular reason politics experts who became interested in social queries from the late 1950s experienced it needed to delimit their relevant social domain to “political culture”.

Although the best legacy of Tylor’s definition lay down within his “complex whole” formulation. This was recognized even by those later anthropologists who forcefully denied his evolutionism. They had taken it to mean that cultures were wholes – integrated systems. Even if this assertion has fantastic heuristic importance, in addition, it, since we shall disagree below, simplifies the entire world substantially. The third and last using traditions created in anthropology inside the twentieth-century work of Franz Boas and his awesome college students, although with roots within the eighteenth-century articles of Johann von Herder.

As Tylor reacted to Arnold to establish a technological (as opposed to visual) grounds for customs, so Boas reacted against Tylor and other interpersonal evolutionists. Whereas the evolutionists stressed the widespread personality of your single culture, with assorted societies arrayed from savage to civilized, Boas emphasized the individuality of the many and diverse ethnicities of several people or communities. Additionally, he dismissed the worth judgments he found inherent in both the Arnoldian and Tylorean sights of the tradition for Boas, you need to never separate higher from lower traditions, and another ought not differentially valorize civilizations as savage or civilized. Here, then, are three totally different understandings of tradition.

A portion of the difficulty within the expression depends on its number of connotations. But to compound concerns, the difficulties usually are not merely conceptual or semantic. Every one of the usages and understandings come linked to, or Primary Principles 2 Precisely what is Customs? | © Spencer-Oatey 2012 might be connected to, distinct politics or ideological agendas that, in a single type or some other, still resonate these days.

Conclusion – What is Culture?

Culture is inherent.

Culture is developed as we seek to fill our basic needs.

It is learned, taught from one generation to the next, picked up when you had no idea that you were paying attention.

Culture is cumulative, ideas, and behaviors collected by each society.  Yes, like they were debris being picked up and carried along by a river.

It is not programmed, it is not automatic, but it is not something that we can avoid becoming part of.

The beliefs and social behaviors are ingrained into every human on earth. These social norms are connecting us to each other within our own culture.

And cross-culturally, these norms are allowing us to reach each other across what sometimes seems to be unfathomable distances.

Culture is everywhere – It’s is in art, music, dance, the way we decorate our pottery.

It is our governmental systems, it is our leisure time, it is the places of worship we build.

Culture is the way we speak to one another, whether we take our shoes off before we come into the house.

It is shared behavior; the result of humanity trying to negotiate the world it finds itself in and thriving as it does.

The post What is Culture? appeared first on The Artist.

As both fields have developed over the years, people have tried to separate the two. This is more difficult than one might think.

Design is no longer following cut and dried rules, and art is no longer just pictures in a gallery.

What if the architect that creates a building with curved, sloped sides, so that it looks like a continuation of the landscape – is this design or art? And what of the artist who uses typography and stencils as their medium – is this art or design?

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]

The first argument one can make is that design is, in fact, a kind of art in its own right and that the attempt to separate them is meaningless. The other is that they are completely distinct practices that happen to share some attributes[/quote_colored]

Yet what each of these ideas seems to end up doing is arguing both sides. By pointing out the places where they diverge, we must also show the places where they fit together and vice versa. One of the recent researches has arrived a table to illustrate the differences between art and design, but in doing so had to find points of contrast that fit together.

Art, for example, was said to be an abstraction of the concrete, while the design was a concretization of the abstract. Art was said to act on the mind, while design acted on reality, and so on.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]One cannot deny the differences between art and design. Yet the two still remain inextricably linked; in a gracious harmony with one another.[/quote_colored]

How far does this relationship go?

Art Questions, Design Answers

The typical approach to a piece of art is not to ask “what is its purpose?” but rather “what does it mean?” – a question that, invariably, leads to more questions. Arguably, the success of a piece of art might be measured by its ability to make people ask questions of themselves and the world around them. It exists to serve no purpose but its own existence – to be art. To challenge, or set people on a path of reflection.

Design, on the other hand, is intended to answer questions, beginning with “what is its purpose?” It does not challenge; it assists. It exists to solve problems. The problem could be anything from “how do I get more customers to notice my storefront?” to “how can we make the face of our watch easier to read?” or even “how can we make this safety belt more comfortable?”

Think of art you might see every day, street art, for example. Those huge, colorful murals one finds on city walls, designed to make passers-by think about the nature of society, or government, or themselves, even as they go about their daily commute.

This is art.

But what about the sign which tells them where the bathroom is, or the colorful poster informing them of an upcoming event, or the easily understood markings on the road which show the pedestrian crossing?

These involve shapes, and colors, and lines, but they are not forcing people to ask questions – they are answering them before they even arise. This is design.

Art Inspires, Design Motivates

Both art and design might be said to be about communication. Both aim to create a reaction. They even use some of the same methods in which to achieve these goals. The reactions, however, are where we can find another major difference: art, generally, aims to make those who view it have an emotional experience, to be inspired to think a certain way or to consider a certain topic.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]The artist shares their emotions and views through choices of color, shape, and content. Design aims to motivate. To make the people who view it actually do something – also using color, shape, and content.[/quote_colored]

One of the most famous paintings in the world is the Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. It shows a surrealist scene of clocks melting in the foreground of an open landscape. It brings to mind thoughts of decay, of dreaming, of the chaotic nature of the universe, of whether we can ever correctly perceive our own reality; the clocks create strange shapes, lying next to a monstrous half-face, cast in shade, while a pale yellow horizon gives the scene depth by drawing the eye to the background and contrasting with the shadows.

Similarly, one of the best design inventions in POST-IT notes

That particular shade of yellow, by the way, is one you may well see every day. It is the color of a post-it note.

Post-it notes have one of the most famous design stories out there: Dr. Spenser Silver, trying to create an extra-strong adhesive, accidentally made one so weak that it could be removed and reapplied over and over again. After some development, the post-it note was born.

The most common color is that light yellow, not chosen because the designer wanted us to consider eternity, but because it is eye catching and contrasts well with anything written on it in darker ink. Same color, same principle, same effect – and vastly different reactions.

Art is Interpreted, Design is Understood

“I don’t understand it,” complains the disgruntled tourist in the gallery. “What’s it supposed to be?”

“You’re not supposed to understand it,” soothes the friend that dragged them here instead of the cheese festival, “that’s the point.”

And, one might say, that really is one of the main points of art. All those questions it forces us to ask ourselves lead us to an interpretation. Yet no-one will have quite the same interpretation as anyone else; they will be affected by their own perceptions, history, and worldview. Again, this may well be the point, that each person will have a different answer to the question asked.

Design, on the other hand, seeks to provide a single answer. The same answer for everyone, and the more easily understood, the better. It would not do, after all, for every person who looks at a street sign to come up with their own personal interpretation of it. “Sorry, officer, it’s just that orange is such an indecisive color, don’t you agree, that I simply felt like the sign might also have meant that you didn’t have to turn there, you know, that it was up to how you felt in the moment… you’re fining me how much?”

And yet, design so often relies on artistic principles, and art can, in fact, seek to communicate a single message to everyone. Again and again, we see these factors overlap.

Take, for example, the art which represents a specific culture. Sometimes, it can be the only way a person from one culture can begin to understand another – and the fact that it results in this understanding means that it has, in fact, managed to convey a specific message.

We still cannot separate the two.

Art is a Talent, Design is a Skill

To be successful in either art or design involves talent and skill.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]Talent is an innate ability; it cannot be taught. Skill, on the other hand, must be taught. The rules and practices that will be used in the creating process must be learned methodically.[/quote_colored]

But is it the same for each? If design is truly about using known reactions to create predictable results, then perhaps an innate talent is not all that necessary. You know that using a particular shape, color or texture will elicit a certain response, and you design accordingly. And whether you are designing shoes, kitchens, or car doors, you can learn what is required for each.

An artist, on the other hand, can become an expert in every artistic skill there is, but still be unable to create a piece that truly effects those that see it. They might be able to perfectly recreate a still life, or draw a straight line without a ruler, or knead, sculpt and bake a clay figure without any assistance. Without talent, however, without the ability to make personal choices, is it really art?

Again, each of these arguments can be taken the other way. A designer may know all the rules of their trade, but will require the talent for true innovation. An artist may have the perfect image ever conceived tucked away in their head, but without the skills to put it on the page or canvas, that is where it will stay.

Art is Imagination. Design is Imagination+Intelligence

Sometimes, a piece of art and a designed work will share an aim. Not just something basic, like knowing that yellow draws the eye, but a deeper reaction than this.

We may say that art is more emotional than design. Yet design can also be based on emotional reactions; an excellent example is the seating plans at Planned Parenthood offices. Some sections of seating are placed close together for people sitting in intimate groups, others are more open, so people can speak to others they meet, and some sections have seats facing away from each other to allow isolation.

Emotional needs are being met through furniture, through design.

Art often seeks to elicit specific reactions as well, as the artist will know that certain images will often be met with certain responses. This is one of the places where the separation becomes the most difficult: each uses a knowledge of human behavior, and each uses this knowledge to meet its goals. In seeking a difference, perhaps we might look at how the knowledge is used.

Think of any of the famous pieces of art which feature death. The concept is an unpleasant one; the viewer experiences a jolt of sadness or fear. This is predictable, but the art itself is not. Then consider a famous poster brought out recently which featured the striking image of babies’ cots laid out, interspersed with tiny coffins. Again, we experience a jolt. But this time, the reason is clear: the poster uses this image to remind viewers to practice good hygiene around infants, preventing the spread of disease.

Art is a Journey, Design is a Process

Perhaps, in the end, one of the few lines that can be drawn between art and design is that one has an ending, and the other does not.

Design is about meeting goals. There is a problem, and the solution must be developed. The idea for the solution will require creativity and imagination, but the goal itself with be reached through a disciplined process of rules, research, and the application of knowledge.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]Art begins in the mind of the artist.[/quote_colored] It may be planned, or it may be started from the faintest inkling of an idea with no guidance but a blank canvas. The artist may think that they have finished, then come back to the piece in a day, a week, or a month’s time, and take it in an entirely new direction.

And even once they have declared themselves to be done, the journey continues with each person who experiences the art after this point. It never ends; it cannot have a goal because the goal would be forever moving.

Closing Thoughts

With our world progressing as rapidly as it is, we find the lines that previous generations may have drawn between art and design becoming increasingly blurred. They share goals. They share methods. They share skills and knowledge.

And, as new innovations and discoveries are made in each, their overlaps allow a cross-pollination of sorts, with each being enriched by the other. Yet we cannot ignore what separates the two, as their very division allows us to understand each one with more depth.

[quote_colored name=”” icon_quote=”no”]Design reaches out to people; art draws them in. Art challenges; design assists.[/quote_colored]

Design solves problems, it belongs to the way the world needs to function. Art points out problems and invites people to consider ideas beyond reality. Design changes the world; art changes the people in it.

We will always find them hand in hand. Design shows you where to cross the road, and art makes you wonder why you were headed that way in the first place. Despite their differences, neither can be considered without the other; nor should they be.

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