I Could Have Made That: Why I Don't Get Minimal Art

As an artist, and graphic designer by trade I've studied lots of different art movements. I was always drawn to the more modern movements including impressionism, surrealism, and cubism, but enjoyed renaissance art as well. Despite my best efforts though, there was always certain pieces I just couldn't wrap my brain around. Often either a room full of simple geometric shapes, a series of repeated cubes or a simple curving arc. These pieces would be intimidating to me; I simply didn't get it. It was as if these pieces were too "deep" intellectually for me and I was drowning in them, (not literally, I'm just being dramatic).

Minimalism in art often mystified me as I'm sure it has mystified other casual art enthusiasts. When I finally had to take a class in modern art for my major, I was both interested in learning more about minimalism, and terrified that I still wouldn't get it. When we finally reached the topic of minimalism, suddenly everything clicked and made sense, not a lot of sense, but enough that I could appreciate this unique art movement.

I hope that by discussing minimal art and how I see it from an artistic viewpoint, I hope to eliminate some of the intimidation of these pieces and help others become interested in this movement. I don't claim to be an art historian or expert, this is just my interpretation and opinion.

Minimalism Defined

So what exactly is minimalism as it applied to art? Basically it is based around the concept of "Less is More." This concept can be applied to anything from paintings to sculpture and allows the artist to use only the most basic elements that are required to create the desired effect. Geometric shapes are the staple of the minimalist artist as even the most complex figure can be reduced down to simple geometric shapes. Minimalism often overlaps with other art movements depending on the artist but some of my favorites include Richard Serra, Donald Judd, and Dan Flavin.

The Art Object and Concept of Artwork

When looking at minimalist artwork, it is important to remain open to new ideas about what qualifies as art, and what the "art object" is for a particular piece. When looking at more traditional art, seeing the art object is easy; it is whatever you're viewing aka the painting or the sculpture. For minimalist art the object has become detached from the actual piece. For example, lets think about a work by Richard Serra called "Tilted Arc," which was originally installed across the Federal Plaza in New York NY. This arc was a massive tilted arc of steel at 120 feet long and 12 feet high, slightly tilted. The piece took up most of Federal Plaza and was eventually dismantled due to public controversy (people didn't like walking around it I guess).

Serra said this about the piece:

"The viewer becomes aware of himself and of his movement through the plaza. As he moves, the sculpture changes. Contraction and expansion of the sculpture result from the viewer's movement. Step by step the perception not only of the sculpture but of the entire environment changes." Richard Serra - Found in Wikipedia

For this piece, the art object has been removed from the piece itself, and redefined as the interaction between the viewer and the piece. The way that the piece changes uniquely as each viewer passes it actually IS the art. This concept of interaction is found in many minimalist sculptures as it is typically not the simply shapes that are the piece, but the way it makes the viewer feel, or what the viewer sees at they interact with it. Sure, simple cubes, arcs and other geometric shapes are boring if you just view them from one angle, but when you move around them, get up close to them and interact with them, the pieces become quite dynamic and powerful in the way they influence our movements, our eye, our perceptions, and our feelings of space.

Minimalist sculpture has to be experienced in person, because although an image may give you a good representation of what the piece looks like, what it is made of and what it consists of, one really cannot know what the piece IS until you are there experiencing it. In fact this effect can be so extreme that depending on the work, it can almost be forceful and overpowering, as if you could not stand up close to the piece without being affected by its presence.

Not all minimalist art has the same type of effect but generally they all involve some sort of removal of the art, from the object. Lets look at Dan Flavin as another example. His works consist of simple fluorescent tube set up in a particular way and then lit with different colors. With these pieces, the art is not the tubes themselves, but the interaction between the light given off by them when they are lit and how the viewer perceives that light. When combined with other simple shapes and multiple lighted elements, dramatic effects can be created very simply. Those effects and how the viewer perceives them has become the artwork, as opposed to the physical piece itself.

Why Minimalism can be Intimidating

Looking back at how I felt about minimalism before I understood more about it, I find it easy to understand why these pieces can be so intimidating. Its easier to look at a painting or a typical sculpture because I can appreciate the work without doing anything at all. No matter what you interpret from the picture and what the artist was trying to say, you do not have to consider yourself as part of the work. Along with that, even if you do not want to consider the artist's motive and reasoning, you can still appreciate the work for its technical skill. With minimalist art, its just a cube... or a geometric shape... or a splash of paint. It was difficult for me to accept that without having pure technical skill to fall back on, I might not be able to understand the "greatness" of the artwork. I think the reason I shied away from minimalist art is because the shapes tend to be so simple that I don't want to feel stupid because I "simply don't get it." Instead of think about these works and risk being wrong, I would denounce them as "not real art" like it's my decision to decide what is art or not.

After learning more about the methods behind minimalist art, I believe I can overcome this fear as I know more what to look for artistically from these pieces. I can appreciate these works more now that I understand what they are; not deep on the surface, with only the barest essentials, but deep artistically. Often times I still don't understand exactly what is going on artistically, but I'm less likely to say: "but it's just a cube..." or "I could have made that..." I understand that there is more to these pieces than just their form.

Conclusions About Minimalist Art

It took me a long time to overcome my intimidation of minimalist art, but after studying and reading about it more, I feel that these pieces are very good pieces of art and can have more to do with people, than more typical works of art. I hope that by reading this, you'll be inspired to look more into minimal and other kinds of art that are not as "typical." We might not understand these pieces at first, but through more interest and with an open mind, we might be able to appreciate some truly unique, creative and great pieces of work.

If the piece of art is the interaction between this large cube and me, then I guess even my response of "I could have made that..." is validation that that big cube is fulfilling its artistic purpose. Art that fulfills its artistic purpose is successful art.

References Include: Wikipedia for quotes and artist information, as well as my own classes in modern art.

For more information look up the works of Richard Serra, Donald Judd, and Dan Flavin. Or just do a search on Google for minimalism in art.

Art Style, Movements and Influence Of Western Art

Art is always and everywhere the secret confession, and at the same time the immortal movement of its time – Karl Marx Since ancient age to modern art we have come across multiple art styles & movements. Most of them were new creation or transformation of one or other styles. Efforts by individual, group or brotherhood and schools lined up multiple art style in art history. This is my attempt to bring to light foremost & known art styles, movements and influence. If everything is not covered; its reference will be left for details.

If it is topic of art history then the most coined term would be an art style that covers the period of European history at the close of the middle ages and the rise of the modern world. An art style which born in 14th century and lived up to 17th century. An art movement which was later broken down in more than eight regional forms of development by historians. That means "rebirth" and was characterized by a radical development in the arts, medicine, politics and sciences in Europe.

That’s none other than Renaissance!! That was time in which individual expression and worldly experience became two of the main themes. Renaissance is Italian origin and later it was known as one of the most known European Art Movements. By region – Renaissance was identified by own regional movement in Italy, England, German, Northern Europe, French, Netherlands, Poland and Spain. By period it is known as Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, Harlem Renaissance and Northern Renaissance. The word Renaissance is now often used to describe other historical and cultural moments (e.g. the Carolingian Renaissance, the Byzantine Renaissances).

Leonardo da Vinci was the model Renaissance man representing the humanistic values of the period in his art, science and writing. Michelangelo and Raphael were also vital figures in this movement, producing works regarded for centuries as embodying the classical notion of perfection. Renaissance architects included Alberti, Brunelleschi and Bramante.

Renaissance Classicism sowed two different movements— Mannerism and the Baroque. Mannerism was a reaction against the idealist perfection of Classicism. The appeal of Baroque style curved deliberately from the amusing and intellectual qualities of 16th century Mannerist art to an intuitive appeal aimed at the senses. Baroque employed an iconography that was direct, simple, obvious, and dramatic.

Baroque art drew on certain broad and heroic tendencies in Annibale Carracci and his circle, and found inspiration in other artists such as Correggio, Caravaggio, and Federico Barocci nowadays sometimes termed 'proto-Baroque'. Although Baroque was antiquated in many centers by the Rococo style, beginning in France in the late 1720s, more than ever for interiors, paintings and the decorative arts, Baroque architecture remained a practical style until the arrival of ascetic Neoclassicism in the later 18th century. Ingres, Canova, and Jacques-Louis David are among the best-known neoclassicists.

Neoclassicism was nothing but a reaction against both the surviving Baroque and Rococo styles, and as a desire to return to the perceived "purity" of the arts of Rome & Ancient Greek. Neoclassicism was also solitary representation of the American Renaissance movement. As Mannerism discarded Classicism, Romanticism too refused the ideas of the Enlightenment and the aesthetic of the Neoclassicists. Romanticism movement turned world’s attention toward landscape and nature as well as the human figure and the supremacy of natural order above mankind's will. Hudson River School was highly influenced by Romanticism.

However Neoclassicism sustained to be a foremost vigor in Academic Art through the 19th century and beyond. Academic Art was a relentless antithesis to Romanticism or Gothic revival.

In 19th Century, after impacts of industrialization - Poverty, squalor, and desperation were to be the fortune of the new working class. Where Romanticism was optimism towards mankind; situation put art looking towards reality giving chance to Realism. Social Realism, Magic Realism, Photo Realism and Contemporary Realism are newer forms of Realism. Related movements were the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and Arts and Crafts Movement.

Neo-classical movement rejected the extreme romanticism of Dada (that hunted the discovery of authentic reality through the abolition of traditional culture and aesthetic forms), in favor of control, religion and a dyed-in-the-wool political programme. Dada ignored aesthetics. Dada became an influential movement in modern art. It also influenced Surrealism, Pop Art and Fluxus.

Realism’s concept of seeing world by human eye gave birth to Impressionism. Use of bright color improving more visibility (as opposed to Academic art) and strokes that were mixed in viewer's eyes were key features of impressionism. The Group of Seven was strongly influenced by European Impressionism of the late Nineteenth Century.

Fauvism & Post-Impressionism followed Impressionism. Later Fauvism; modern art started shaping self in multiple new forms including Cubism, Expressionism, Abstract Art, Dada, Abstract Expressionism , Futurism, Naïve art, Op Art, Surrealism, Minimalism, Pop Art and other. Modern art and its forms itself needs separate discussion.

After its transformation of several forms; painting is yet breathing in ‘Contemporary Art’ and ‘Post Modern Art’.

Reference:

Art History Style Study References

Blog On Art History, Style & Artists [http://historyofart.wordpress.com]

African Art Galleries

African art culture consists of different art forms created by various tribes. This African tribal art is regarded as one of the finest creations in the world of art. Africans use art for cross-cultural dialogues, personal therapies and in order to communicate with gods and ancestors. Hence, art is an integral part of the daily African life. The main material used for most African art forms was wood, which was decorated with clay, shells, beads, ivory, metal and feathers. Masks and figures have also been the most important types of art forms that were used in religious ceremonies. The tremendous collection of all these African art forms and their replicas can be found in different African art galleries all over the world.

These art galleries display the most sought after and authentic art pieces of the African art culture, which is difficult to find anywhere else.

There are a number of African art galleries in different cities that promote their local as well as international African artists. Some of these art galleries attempt to participate in at least 10 big expositions every year and there have been many shows of these galleries in the U.S. too. African art has been known for its culture and tradition. Most of the African art forms depict the understanding of aesthetic principles and latest developments, religious and ceremonial values and other moral ideas. Hence, the work of many African artists help to have a detailed understanding about the African people, their culture and their wildlife through various oil paintings and other art forms. The Hamill Gallery of African Art and the Mark Art Gallery are amongst the many African art galleries located in different parts of the world.

African art galleries showcase the unique collection of African art that includes Tribal Masks, Statues, Figurines, Paintings, Ostrich Egg shell decoupage, ethnic clothing, Djembes (type of drums), textiles, jewelry and other artifacts. Though a proper knowledge of the African history is necessary in order to understand African art, the work displayed by various African art galleries gives an idea about the visual impact and spiritual power of the tribal art.

History of Abstract Art

Abstract art is a form of art in which an object or a form is developed in either a simplified way or an exaggerated manner. Abstract art is one of the major forms of art design which attracts a wide variety of people and art lovers. This form of art developed long back with a significant history comprising of various popular artists. Abstract landscape art, 3D abstract art, and fantasy abstract art are the most popular varieties of abstract art.

The three major forms of abstract art are cubism, neoplasticism, and abstract expressionism. Several artists are credited with the foundations of abstract art. Among those artists, the most famous cubists were Pablo Picasso and Georges. Piet Mondrian's works are one of the best examples of neoplasticism. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock are excellent examples of abstract expressionism.

The history of abstract art involves more than 20,000 artists along with their interesting art backgrounds. Images and in-depth information of these artists are available in their biographies. History states that the abstract form of art design developed in the early 1900s. Neo-plasticism (1920-1940), abstract expressionism (1940-1955), conceptual art, contemporary realism, photorealism, and hyper realism (1960-1975), and neo-expressionism (1970-1990) are some of the major developmental stages in the history of abstract art.

Post-Modernism is a stage which began around 1975, and still considered very famous in abstract art form. Ancient history reveals the truth that abstract art had been used in decorations for textiles and pottery, even in the early twentieth century abstract patterns. In the twentieth century, abstract art type was widely accepted. The first original abstract art form was developed by Wassily Kandinsky in 1910. In 1912, he wrote a theory based on abstract art called On the Spiritual in Art. This theory stated that portrayed art should be based on spiritual realm, and not just the things we see ordinarily as the visual world.

Miroslav Klabal is a Multitalented Art Dealer

Miroslav Klabal is one of the most well recognized names in the world of art these days. However, it is a fact and we all know that recognition does not come easy. Miroslav Klabal better known in the art world as Mirek Klabal and his wife Maryann Klabal had to undergo so many things before they achieved the position and recognition that they enjoy now. Miroslav Klabal owns some of the most amazing art pieces made by renowned artists. He has a special interest for these types of art pieces and loves colleting them. He is the proud owner of several amazing art galleries that are located in New York and he loves to be associated with the art world.

Art has different meanings for different people and people interpret this as per their own understanding of things and events. Art reflects the basic reality and tenets of the human life besides many other things. For art lovers owning a piece of art drawn by an artist is like owning the most amazing thing in this whole world. Miroslav Klabal not only loves collecting and appreciating good art but is also an art master. Art master is the source through which people can buy the piece of art that they have always wanted. Possessing an amazing piece of art is what all art lovers want to do.

To buy a genuine piece of beautiful art you need to have a proper knowledge about art and its various other aspects. This is but quite natural that the art dealer with whom you are dealing must also have a good knowledge about all these aspects. This is where Klabal excels over his contemporaries; he has a thorough and comprehensive knowledge about all the aspects related to a genuine art masterpiece. He knows what art lovers want to see in art masterpieces and helps people buying genuine art masterpieces drawn by renowned artists.

MK fine art, the incredible art gallery owned by Klabal and his wife is the place where art lovers like to be in these days. This is due to the magnificent collection that he has in the gallery. The décor and the background music makes this place a huge hit and a must visit spot for art lovers all over. After all, who would not love to see for themselves all the wonderful collection of art at a time under one roof? And if you happen to like one of the art pieces in his gallery, you can buy this provided Klabal approves of this. He takes special care to sell art pieces only to those people who genuinely love art and will take good care of it.

Mk Fine Art Is A Creative Base For Art Lovers

The concept of art has found a new meaning with the support of Mk Fine Arts. The need of art in ones life is as important as a person's own life. The extreme need of art is possibly because of the way paintings reflect your life, your way of understanding things, ideas, thinks and point of view. The painters or artists always reflect the lifestyle or some aspect of perceiving things. Mk fine art is a famous fine art group run by Mirek Klabal and Maryann Klabal, who belong to Greenwich Connecticut. Fine art is a creative field and you got to have a special appreciation for it. One should have a creative bent of mind to understand the real truth and meaning behind the masterpieces.

Mk fine art has a collection of one of the most renowned and excellent pieces of arts. These masterpieces have been painted by a variety of top artists. It is because of this that Mk fine art has never compromised on the collection of art masterpieces that adorn their art galleries. Marc Chagall is one of the greatest artists, whose work adorns the art galleries of Mirek Klabal. Apart from Chagall's masterpieces, Mk fine art galleries have a collection of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav, Joan Miro and many more. Mirek and Maryann Klabal have dedicated their life towards creating a new place of art in the world of appreciation.

Mirek Klabal is quite particular about the person to whom he sells his collection. In fact, he likes to personally meet the person and get important details. Basically, he tries to make a relationship with his buyers and to decide whether or not the buyer would be able to take care of that piece of art or not. Mk fine arts have grown on the graph of popularity, over time. They have been involved in making certain contributions to charities and raising funds for National Alliance of Autism Research. Mk fine art has become a well known name in the field of art and has become famous for catering to the senses of the elite.

If you are new to the world of art and wish to buy one of the best works of a famous artist, then Mirek Klabal of Mk fine arts is there to help you. You may come across a variety of art dealers who are simply a fraud selling fake art pieces using the name of Picasso or Chagall or any other renowned artists. Mirek will not only guide you through the proper way of buying your favorite art piece, but will also explain to you the intricacies of art field. He would help you in every possible manner to select the right masterpiece and save you from buying an art masterpiece from a fraud. Mk fine art is the most reliable person to go for genuine art masterpieces. You don't have to worry about the quality and excellence of painting bought from Mk fine art.

Money is so precious and even when someone desires to part with it to buy an incredible art piece; the number on thing on their mind is not to buy from a fraud. Art pieces from Mk fine art have a special value, so you don't have to think even a little bit about buying masterpieces from Mk fine art. It is because quality work and original work is guaranteed here. Art brings a sense of reflection in ones life and if it is genuine then it will bring out surge of true emotions in your life. Art signifies beauty that is embedded with creativity and intelligence. Moreover, fine arts' wares are meant to add shine to the ambience of your place.

What Are Your Career Futures with an Art Degree?

Graduates with arts degrees often feel some difficulties to determine their career goal in the initial stage. In general view, most of jobs seem to suit the arts degree graduates but when come to decide a career goal, it seem like hard to define one. Unlike graduates from science and technology fields, graduates from the arts fields feel that their program of study hasn't necessarily prepared them for specific jobs or careers. Many arts degree graduates become apprehensive once graduation approaches.

Are these the facts of art degrees? Is pursuing an art degree a waste of money and will only get you a job flipping burgers? These popular art degree's myths affect many students who are interested in art degrees and they stop moving their step into art fields and force themselves to take science & technology related degrees for a brighter future.

The Facts versus Myths

In actual, the facts are contrary to the popular art degree myths, a variety of career possibilities await art graduates, almost half of all job vacancies available to new graduates are open to students with arts degrees. These employers are particularly interested in transferable skills.

Let review the true facts of these popular art degree myths and you will realize that you are totally employable with your Arts degree and arts degree graduates are really in high demand in the jobs market with well-paying positions.

Myth 1: A Bachelor of Arts degree is not enough to find a well-paying, interesting job. You need to go to Law School, the Faculty of Education, or a technical training institute to be competitive for professional employment.

Fact 1: Based payscales.com salary survey conducted in 2006, average salary for bachelor's arts degree graduates in various job fields at United States are ranging from $32,000 to $55,000 annually, without having any further college or university study.

Myth 2: A Bachelor of Arts degree will get you a job of flipping burgers.

Fact 2: Based recent job survey conducted by a well-known survey company, arts graduates are often employed in a professional or managerial capacity (50 - 81%). This compared favorably with those in Commerce (60%) and those with technical or vocational diplomas from colleges and technical institutes (24 - 35%).

Myth 3: A Bachelor of Arts degree is a waste of time and money and does not earn as much money as a bachelor degree in science and technology.

Fact 3: According to a job survey report from "Express News" of University Alberta, Those with a general arts degree do well in the long term, although initially they may not make as much as graduates of professional faculties, what's really striking is the gains they make over five years, the gap starts to close. This is because Arts graduates emerge with highly developed research, communication, creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills that are in high demand because they are difficult to teach in the workplace. Many employers want this type of well-rounded employee, who can be trained for more specific skills.

Arts Degree Students Are In Demand

Almost 50% of job markets are opened for students with arts degrees. Many of these jobs are within Arts students' reach upon graduation, particular if they have already identified their unique interests and abilities. Career opportunities for Arts degree graduates are ranging from non-profit, to private business and to government sectors; examples of job titles held by Arts graduates are:

• Manager
• Events Planner
• Advertising Executive
• Program Coordinator
• Counselor
• Marketing Professional
• Facilitator
• Corporate Trainer

In Summary

Arts degree graduates are in demand in the job markets, a variety of career possibilities are awaiting for art degree graduates at a well-paying level and expandable career future.

Art Master New York: Mirek Klabal's Art Gallery is the Perfect Destination to Buy Masterpieces!

You have been searching for that masterpiece by Chagall for a long time and suddenly you find out that the masterpiece is up for sale, what would you do? Go ahead and buy it without giving even a second thought? Well you may just be heading towards disaster if you do not cross check and get more information about the piece of art that you want to buy. For art lovers buying a piece of art is like buying a lifetime possession, so naturally you would want to buy things that are perfect and also the best.

Mirek Klabal is one name in the art world that you can completely bank upon. He is an art master in New York, and can turn out to be the best guide for helping you in buying any thing related to the art world. There are several art masters that work towards helping out art lovers to buy the kind of art they are looking for. Mirek Klabal, the New York based art dealer is of the view that art lovers always buy genuine pieces of art from and not fake ones from a fraud art master.

Mirek Klabal has many art galleries located in New York and has an incredible collection of art masterpieces in these galleries. Art pieces from all prominent artists can be found in his galleries and buying from him is also hassle free. An art master is the source through which anyone can buy great pieces of art and fine arts.

If you are buying from Klabal's gallery, MK Fine Arts, be sure to check out all his galleries and see what he has in his collection. You may just find exactly what you have wanted to always buy. If you find with Klabal what you wanted to buy, nothing can be better than this. You can be rest assured that you will get the best at the most appropriate price.

It may be very common for you to find an art master who has an incredible collection of art pieces, but he is not willing to buy or share anything with other art lovers. Mirek Klabal is a completely different person in this regard and simply loves to indulge all art lovers. He does not believe in hoarding and hiding away his collection from art lovers. Rather he believes in displaying and sharing his collection with one and all. So if you find that he has the piece of art that you have so desperately wanted to buy, you can get it from him without any hassles.

Being an art master in New York, buying, collecting and selling arts and fine art is not the only thing Mirek Klabal is involved with. He likes helping out people in distress and consequently does whatever he has in his capacity to help out people in any kind of suffering. He is one art master who strives to be different from the rest of the horde and has in fact been very successful in doing this.

Where To Find Contemporary Art Auctions

There are many choices available today if you are a contemporary art collector. Whether online or offline, depending on your budget and preferences, there are a lot of places where you can buy contemporary art

If you are a serious contemporary art collector, pay a visit to your local fine art auction house. They usually have a schedule of the list of contemporary art to be auctioned on any day as well as some background information on the art pieces being auctioned.

If you do not have the budget or can't find an art auction house near your neighbourhood, get online and there are also many sites offering a wide range contemporary art auctions.

There are many art galleries who have taken their art pieces online to help people decide whether a particular style of contemporary art suits them. Just search for art galleries on Google bring up nearly 1000 different art galleries from around the world showing their contemporary art collections.

Another place I like to visit is online auction sites like ebay.com and bidz.com. They have a wide variety of contemporary art to choose from and their prices does varies from one seller to another but generally, it is pretty cheap.

I know many new artists use eBay and other auction sites as a way to get their contemporary art seen by many people. Since their art is still unknown, many art galleries may not be willing to place their art pieces on sale in their galleries.

However, I do advise caution on online art auction sites since there are many fakes art pieces on auctions. Some sellers are honest and acknowledged it is an imitation. However I brought some contemporary art pieces which were not what the seller claims it is.

If you are a serious art collector or collect art for investment but do not have sufficient knowledge, I would advise getting a art appraiser to help you. This is particularly so for expensive contemporary art collections as you do not want the risk of buying a fake art work. The extra cost is worth it.

The internet has opened a whole new way of buying contemporary art, letting people choose and compare various contemporary art collection from different artists, new or famous in the comfort of their homes. You are also able to buy contemporary art from other countries and cultures easily. Distance and language barriers are not a factor in today's world.

How To Select An Art Piece In An Art Auction

Nowadays, there are many art auction houses available online such as sotheby and ebay. However, before attempting to bid for a fine art auction, there are some points you need to take note especially if you are a beginner to art auctions.

If you are new to fine art auctions, you might first decide what it is you like to collect. Is it abstract art, oil-based painting, impression art etc?

You also might want to read up on the art category that you prefer to buy. Take for example, you are into abstract art. It would help you in your art auctions if you knew more about abstract art history, the various abstract art movements. The best way to start would be on the internet. One such site is http://www.artsconnected.org. They provide comprehensive search tools for visitors to research on their favorite art category.

The other way is to browse the various art magazines, books, periodicals. You could go to your local bookstore, amazon or even the local library. Visit a few fine art auction houses and get a feel for the type of art you are interested in. Art Auction houses will usually provide detailed information on the art piece being auctioned.

How Do I Know The Art Piece I Like Is Real?

Ok, so you finally found an art piece you like. The next question you are probably asking is how do I know it is authentic? Since the value of an art piece is subjective depending on the person looking at it, it would be best if you can afford it to get a professional art appraiser to value the art piece.

For large fine art auction houses such as sotheby, you can be assured that the art piece is already appraised and is authentic. However, if you are looking for an art piece at smaller auction houses or online art auctions such as ebay, you do need to be extra careful. Particularly so for online art auctions where there are many fake art pieces being auctioned.

If you like a fine art being auctioned online, the best way if possible would be to communicate with the art seller before buying. Online art auctions usually keep a track record of the art seller’s sales history and can help you to determine whether the seller is a reputable person.

Art Master Mirek Klabal: Your Guide to Buy The Art Masterpieces!

Art has different meanings for different people. But one thing is common for all; everyone loves and appreciates good art. Again good art also holds different meanings for different people. Well, it all boils down to individual choice and selection. So, if you want to buy a piece of art then you must know whom to approach. Yes, the art master is the best guide for you in this matter. Mirek Klabal is a New York based art master and dealer who has been helping people by showcasing the best art and helping them in buying them.

The art world is infested with fraud art masters and this is exactly why you have to make a proper selection when looking for a reputable and knowledgeable art master. So ask many questions about the art dealer before you set about buying a piece of art from the dealer. Dealing with Mirek Klabal means that you are tension free during every step related to the purchasing of art.

Mirek Klabal has art galleries located in New York, which has a huge collection of art masterpieces. If you are looking for Chagall, then Mirek Klabal has a huge collection from which you can buy. He has a huge collection and so you must be wondering why on earth someone would share his or her collection of Chagall. Well this is where Klabal is different and way ahead form all the other art maters and dealers who are working as art dealers.

Klabal firmly believes that sharing things with others, whether its art or any other thing, is a source of great joy. He is one person who believes in really doing what he feels, not like other art dealers who say great things buy fall shy of actually executing it. Just make sure that you make a wise choice and do not fall prey to fraud art masters and dealers while buying a piece of art.

You must be very careful when buying Chagall or any other art masterpieces due to the presence of a large number of fake art pieces. Well, it is so easy to get duped if you do not posses proper knowledge about the art masterpiece that you are purchasing. You may think that you have made a great bargain and deal only to find that the piece of art is absolute fake. Leaving aside the monetary loss, you will feel cheated and hurt if you do not get the original piece of work done by your favorite artist, so take great caution beforehand.

Art master Mirek Klabal is a great source for you to go to buy the kind of art that you have always wanted to possess. Mirek Klabal works in conjunction with different art dealers and mostly works towards selling masterpiece art to customers. He is a great person to go to get advice from about whether or not another art dealer is a fraud.

Mirek Klabal is a Creative Art Dealer in New York

Art is the reflection of your ideas, thoughts and feelings. In fact, it is the best way to paint your emotions on the canvas. You can express more with pictures than with words and this is the perfect way to describe the beauty in Mirek Klabal's collection. Mirek Klabal's collection is the master piece and gives you an opportunity to view mesmerizing paintings. Art is the only means of expression that knows no boundaries. The main aim of art is to show the reality and fantasy in the most exquisite manner. Indeed, art is meant to woo the senses and heart.

An art dealer truly understands the meaning of the beauty reflected in paintings. Mirek Klabal is a good art master, who has a huge collection of creative art that can catch your senses. He has an expressive collection of Chagall's paintings in the world. In fact, Mirek Klabal's art gallery in New York is the most happening place for buying quality piece of art. An art dealer deals in the most beautiful paintings available. And his main aim remains to promote art and its relevancy in one's life. Mirek Klabal art gallery signifies the destination point of art that defines the true meaning.

Art dealers have a special craving for art and they also have a passion for art. There are various art dealers that have a series of paintings that represent a certain period or time, while many others have a collection of modern art. The art dealer has to cater to all types of customer likes and preferences. An art dealer can be considered as the hub of creativity. Art dealers have a deep understanding of the particular talents for the individual artists.

The art dealer coordinates with various artists to develop a network. The art dealer also links-up with the distributors and buyers, who have a special interest in the field of art. Mirek Klabal is a well-known name in the field of art. His art gallery defines the true meaning of art. When dealing with Mirek Klabal, you are in safe hands. Customer satisfaction is the main target of the art dealer. After all, he has to cater to the huge masses and has to be cautious about their passion for art.

Submitting your artwork to the art dealers is not an easy task. You have to select the appropriate art dealer for this purpose. After all, you are taking so much pain to create a painting and if the art dealer does not value your painting, you will not get the deserved recognition. Submission is not the only significant part, buying is also necessary. If the buyers will not buy your paintings, then you won't have a market. Basically, it depends on the network of an art dealer that creates base for the carrier of an artist.

The world of art has its own lifestyle. If you are an art lover, then you can enjoy the complete enthusiasm. The word art itself signifies life beyond human ideology. You can express every thought in the light of colors. The art has the power to give a way to your innovations and creativity.

How To Get Reprints Of Some Of The Greatest Art Ever Created

Art has long been a favorite pastime. Just as long as art has been around people have been collecting paintings and original pieces of art, many are hard to find and expensive to purchase. In recent years interest in art collections has grown enormously among people of all ages. With the explosion of desire in finding collectable art pieces, some have turned to a new sort of collection, collecting art posters.

Although it has been possible for years to find reprints of famous pieces of art not until recently have reprints developed actual value. The entrance of collecting art posters has made it possible for anyone to collect famous works and has changed the reprint business all together. Art posters are reprints of original famous and unknown art and can range from the Mona Lisa to a movie advertisement poster.

With the renewed interest in collecting art, though it may be reprints only, collecting art posters have raised prices and led to art poster auctions. Art poster auctions are similar to art collectible auctions in that you can bid on great works of arts, the main difference is in regular art auctions you are generally buying an original whereas in art poster auctions you are purchasing reprints of art on posters. The popularity of art poster auctions has exploded too. People are beginning to pay between $100 to $2000 or more to purchase a reprint poster of certain works of art.

Famous paintings are not the only works available for purchase at art poster auctions. You can also find movie posters and advertisement posters. People are seeking older advertisement posters the most. If you have an advertisement in poster form in good condition from the first half of the twentieth century it may be worth a bit of money at an art poster auction.

These art poster auctions are not only popular in the United States. Collecting art posters at auction have become a worldwide favorite pastime. People are searching the planet to find certain posters and as a result the prices at art poster auctions are on the rise.

Music posters are also gaining popularity at the art poster auctions. Although not yet as expensive as other types of posters in the near future we may find the price just as high for music concert posters as any other kind. As long as the interest in art poster collecting continues, the art poster auctions will continue to grow and so will the price of reprints. More and more people are enjoying the beauty of art works thanks to art poster auctions. Every generation has collections of art that has made the art famous and art posters are the art collections of the 21st century.

Famous Art Galleries

Art galleries are the perfect settings for exhibiting art, generally visual art such as paintings, sculptures, and photography. Basically, art galleries feature a variety of art styles including contemporary and traditional fine art, glass art, art prints, and animation art. Art galleries are dedicated to the promotion of emerging artists. These galleries provide a platform for them to display their works along with the works of nationally and internationally renowned artists.

The U.S. has a wealth of famous art galleries. Many small towns in the U.S. boast of an art gallery. The High Museum of Art, Alleged Gallery, Henry Art Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Agora Gallery, Rosalux Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, The Alaska House Gallery, and Anchorage Museum of History and Art are some of the famous art galleries in the United States. Today, there are online art galleries exhibiting original artwork.

Many famous art galleries display regional pieces of art such as African art, American art, Indian art, and European art, along with folk art, modern and contemporary art, and photography. These galleries collect, exhibit, and preserve the works of art for the coming generations. Many famous art galleries strive to entertain and educate their regional, national, and international audiences. Some famous art galleries specialize in particular areas such as portraits. A good number of famous art galleries are owned and operated by government.

Most famous art galleries provide an opportunity for visitors to purchase outstanding artwork. Also, they organize several art-related activities such as music concerts and poetry readings for children and adults. Art galleries organize seminars and workshops conducted by renowned artists. Committed to excellence in both art and service, most famous art galleries offer you a rich, unforgettable experience.

Just Art Organization In Dallas Texas Announces A New Art Website Has Been Released

With the new school year upon us, what better way to celebrate than with the grand opening of a new art website which is home to ten Texas artists celebrating art & life. Just Art reports the release of their new home page highlighting the artist's paintings, as well as the artist's varied art techniques.

The Just Art Organization site at www.just-art.orghouses the ten artists painting gallery online. It is completing an extensive renovation to showcase the Dallas Texas artists work. Just Art artists share their experience with fellow artists to help each other in creativity, art critique, and support. Just Art Dallas artists meet bi-monthly, painting as a group in a creative atmosphere where they show their works and share about themselves. Just Art's mission states: "Art is a creative journey seeking the truth with one's self." Just Art Dallas Texas gallery at features art by emerging and established artists.

The Dallas Texas artists enjoy the distinction of having won recognitions in many local, national and international exhibitions. Their art is hanging in Churches and Temples in the greater Dallas area Just Art artists constantly strive to create works of art with freedom while using extensive knowledge acquired from many years of experience.

The organization features American art painted by a diverse group of artists with cultures from around the world, where each artist brings a unique perspective of creativity. The artists' paintings celebrate creativity of multi cultural Americans. The paintings are love of life, celebrating people, Christian art, Jewish art, nature, & our world. Just Art is showing original art works for sale online. The art site is a source for finding helpful art paintings & gallery sites and more information on Texas artists and Texas galleries.

Abstract Art Galleries

An abstract art gallery or museum usually hosts art exhibitions and is also used as a location for the sale of art. Some of the abstract art form represented in such museums includes fauvism, cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism.

Some famous abstract art galleries in the world are Centre Pompidou, located in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Pecci Museum of Contemporary Art and Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Italy. England hosts some famous abstract art museums like Annely Juda, Estorick Collection, Modern Art Oxford, Serpentine Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives, Tate Liverpool and Pier Art Gallery. The United States also boosts two popular art galleries, the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum.

Centre Georges Pompidou, commonly known as Pompidou Centre, houses around 50,000 art works including paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs. On the other hand, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a small museum on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, which primarily contains the personal art collection of Peggy Guggenheim. However, the museum also displays collections of other prominent American modernists and Italian futurists, and includes work based on themes of cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism. The museum has gained prominence in Italy for its collection of European and American art of the first half of the 20th century.

England houses some well-known art galleries. Modern Art Oxford and the Tate Gallery have some amazing abstract art collections. Modern Art Oxford was established in 1969 by a small group of Oxford dons and hosts works of renowned artists like Tracey Emin. Tate Gallery encompasses Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St. Ives and Tate Modern, and houses some of the best abstract art in the world.

In the US, the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum exhibit some famous work of abstract artists. The Museum of Modern Art houses some best modern masterpieces in the world, like Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso, The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí, and Broadway Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian, among others. It also displays works by leading American artists like Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and Edward Hopper. On the other hand, the Whitney Museum displays contemporary American art by some lesser-known artists.

Abstract art galleries provide a unique opportunity for art lovers to study and admire the works of their favorite artists, and with modern technology, most of these art works are also accessible to art patrons through virtual art museums.

Buying Fine Art

To the uninitiated the prospect of buying fine art for investment can be as daunting as being asked to paint the Sistine Chapel or construct St Paul's Cathedral out of match sticks. A glimpse of the plush interiors of the major auction houses or trip to one of central London's sometimes intimidating galleries can give the casual visitor second thoughts about purchasing a piece of art. Alternatively the individual might be unsure about the value or authenticity of the painting or drawing they are proposing to buy, but press ahead with the transaction anyway on the principle that they may not know much about art, but they know what they like. And the gallery assistant has gone to all this trouble and seems to know what they're talking about, so it would be churlish to pull out now.

The best way to make the subjective practice of buying a piece of fine art is to be as objective as possible. In other words, to ensure that you get what you pay for, it is worthwhile learning a bit more about how the art market works and gathering as much information about the particular artist or style or period that you are interested in as you can. There are two principle ways of doing this. You can research the artist's output and historical significance in art books and exhibition catalogues or read reviews by local and national art critics, and you can look through the sales records available in most major public libraries and art galleries to determine how much their work goes for.

A natural place to start researching price would be with the seller of the piece you are interested in. Judge whether the artist has a track record of selling works of art similar to the piece you like for amounts comparable to what you're being asked to pay. A reputable dealer should have this information on file and be willing to discuss it with you; any reluctance to do so suggests that they have something to hide either about the piece or the amount they are asking for it. As an additional measure, it is worth reviewing the artist's general sales history over the past five years to determine that their price has remained consistent, paying particular attention to the average price fetched.

Once you have established the price that the artist sells for, the research you have done about their life and output should give you an indication of the significance, and relative value, of the piece you are interested in. Is the piece a typical or atypical example of the artist's output? Is it from the artist's mature period or an early work which indicates how the artist's mature style evolved (bear in mind that the majority of an artist's earliest pieces are usually in museums or private hands, so invariably sell for a higher than usual price when they come onto the market)? Does it have any special significance in the artist's life or interesting stories associated with it? Has it ever been discussed in print by experts or the artist themselves?

This investigation should also include uncovering its provenance, exhibition history and ownership history. As human beings require a passport to move from country to country, so do works of art, and the gallery should be able to provide you with the necessary certificates of authenticity. There are a number of areas to be mindful of, though, including the extent to which the individuals who authenticate or attribute the art to a particular artist are qualified to do so. Unless their authority is backed by some professional association with the artist, such as publishing papers in respected journals, curating museum or major gallery shows or having an extensive experience of trading in them, then their opinion is not worth a great deal. Alternatively they could be relatives, employees or descendants of the artist or have some form of legal or estate-granted entitlement to pass judgment on the work of art. And if the artist is alive, don't hesitate to ask the gallery to get in touch with them in person to confirm that the art is authentic.

A further issue to consider is whether the art is original or reproduced by mechanical means, because one of the principle ways art dealers make money is by trading in limited edition prints, where the artists only input in the creative process has been signing a digital or photographic copy of the original. A thorough investigation of the piece, combined with asking questions about it, should uncover this, with the added benefit of revealing how much the seller knows about what they are selling. When you are happy with the asking price and ready to buy, ensure you get a detailed receipt describing the art and its condition and including a money back guarantee to protect you if, at any point in the future, you find out that the art was not properly represented. This receipt should be in addition to the other documentation that the seller provides relating to the art's history, provenance and authenticity.

But before getting to this point, there's the issue of which places you should look to source the art. The first piece of advice here is to have a clear idea of the type of art work you want and set a fixed price above which you will not go. Having done that, it makes sense to throw your net as wide as possible and explore all avenues, with particular focus on the following three options:

o Auction Houses. This can include anything from the local auction house in your area to the big auction houses in London. Naturally, the more prestigious the auctioneer is, the greater confidence you can have in the authenticity of the piece of art, and the higher the price can go. Bear in mind also that auction houses use presale estimates, reserves, and opening bid amounts which should give you a rough idea of the amount the piece might go for, though when it comes to auction time, pretty much anything goes, so you should have your wits about you as you bid against experts in the field.

o Art Galleries. As has been previously mentioned, walking into an art gallery can be a daunting experience. But just remember one thing: all the gallery's show of respectability and wealth, from the good address to the soft furnishings and discreet light fittings, has been built from selling fine art to its customers. In other words, when you buy a painting from a gallery, you're paying not only for the painting but the well appointed environment which gave you the confidence to buy it in the first place. Also, as much as a good gallery may have the necessary expertise to tell you all about the painting you are proposing to buy, they also know how to spot an amateur collector and persuade them to buy a piece they are not a hundred percent sure about.

o Internet. While sites like eBay carry obvious risks about the provenance and condition of the piece of fine art you are thinking of buying, established, authenticated sellers have several obvious advantages to more conventional ways of buying art. Above all, of course, because there is no actual gallery space, you are not subsidising their rent when you buy from them. And once you have found a piece of art that catches your eye you can do all the necessary research about it in your own time without anybody standing over you attempting to influence your decision, in addition to getting a second opinion about it from anyone with access to a computer and the internet.

Of these options, buying art online is becoming the most popular due to the advantages outlined above. But which site to visit first to look into the kind of art that is available? Well, you could do a lot worse than to have a look through Artbank.com, the UK's premier fine art trading website, which has a tremendous variety of pieces on sale at all prices. These can be reviewed in the comfort of your own home to scale against a virtual wall and with reference to a colour chart to determine how they might look against various backgrounds. And if you particularly like the piece, you can also check out the other pieces the seller has for sale, all without the pressure of having anyone look over your shoulder. Paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures and ceramics are all categorised into styles and national schools for easy searching, or you can simply key in your favourite painter to see if any of their work is up for sale on the site. But don't despair if they're not, because Artbank will send you an email to notify you whenever a piece by them comes up.
The beauty of Artbank is that if there is a particular piece you like, you will be able to contact the seller directly to negotiate the price and arrange shipping and handling, because Artbank only charges a fee for using the site. There is no middle man like there is with auction houses and no part of the sale price is being used to pay the rent. In other words, Artbank is the best of both worlds, whilst also offering you the kind of choice and variety that no bricks and mortar gallery can compete with.

Whatever way you choose to buy fine art, though, always ensure that the art has the necessary documentation to authenticate it and is being sold in line with the current market value. Who knows, maybe you have the makings of being the next Peggy Guggenheim, but whatever your aspirations, have fun and the best of luck in getting the piece of art you really love!

Art Prints

Art prints are reproductions of an original work of art like paintings made by a photomechanical process. Art prints capture the rich and vibrant colors of original artwork. Unlike posters, art prints are made using special heavier print stock that is mainly intended for prints.

Compared to posters, art prints are highly durable. A high-quality art print can last for several years. Even though they are longer lasting than posters, they should be treated with special care to prevent fading and discoloration. Certain art prints can be washed with glass cleaner.

Most people think of art prints when they have to decorate a room or a new space. Art prints play a vital role in decorating your rooms. Selecting art prints is very important as they can change the look and feel of a room. Using a carefully selected art print, one can achieve the illusion of lengthening, broadening or heightening the room.

A well-chosen art print reflects the taste and style of the family that occupies the house. Art prints made in different art styles such as Asian, American masters, art deco, expressionism, folk art, gothic art, modern renaissance art, and vintage are perfect to complement one's room decor. In addition to decorating rooms, art prints are a good gifting option. For instance, bird art prints are ideal gifts for nature lovers.

In the early days before the internet became a marketplace, art prints were available only through galleries or museum shops. Today, art prints can be shopped online at a reasonable price. Art prints available online are categorized by artists, subject, colors, and art styles. Gift certificates for art prints are also available.

Most of the websites offer a wide range of online catalog of art prints of famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne, Leroy Neiman, Rene Magritte, and Jack Vettriano. Art prints based on different subjects like American life, animals, architecture, fantasy, humor, landscape, spirituality and religion, music, and world culture are available as well.

Modern Art a Conspiracy Part 2

They have never been interested in others but for what they can get. The opportunity to study other cultures have presented it self severally but they were not up for it. They have written mind alteration books for their vision. It would have been ideal for them to introduce most of these books into their schools for knowledge, more researches and better appreciation of others. But hell no they were only interested in altering our mind set, artifacts and how much they can make from the unknown world.

My gratitude goes to our men and women, most of whom have lost their lives in saying the truth. Truth must prevail; I have realized danger of the silence conspiracy to erase anything African in the face of the earth. The fact that civilization of man started in African has disappeared from the pages of history books, even pyramids of Egypt to some people were built by aliens, It is too good to be African; if given a chance to recreate the map of Africa, Egypt and some part of South African will definitely be carved out of the map to serve their purpose.

There have been conflicting records of when Europeans came in contact with African Art. With due respect to our art historians who have made references to 1905 as the year of European first contact with African Art as widely documented. I beg to disagree. We should not forget the looting of Benin Art treasures. The Punitive Expedition of 1897 was a military excursion by a British force of 1,200 under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson that captured, burned, and looted the city of Benin, incidentally bringing to an end the highly sophisticated West African Kingdom of Benin.

Secondly, the Scramble for Africa (or the Rat Race for Africa) was the proliferation of conflicting European claims to African territory during the New Imperialism period, between the 1880s and the start of World War I. This era was more of art and treasures than territories. You are free to disagree. You can as well tell me of any other continent; that has suffered massive global extortion and exploitation of arts and culture. A visit to museums around the world will shade more light on this.
The earliest documented entry of a piece of African art into a European collection occurred around 1470, with a work that a Portuguese collector acquired from the kingdom of Kongo.

Please permit me to introduce the so called founder of cubism and modern art, Picasso and his rivalry and partner in plagiarism Matisse, who were first European avant-garde artist collectors of African Art. His full name was Pablo (or Pablito) Diego Jose Santiago Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispin Crispiniano de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Ruiz Blasco y Picasso Lopez. We know him today as simply Picasso.

Pablo was born to father, who was also an artist, known as José Ruiz y Blasco; his mother was Maria Picasso y Lopez. His earliest paintings were signed Pablo Ruiz after his father, but around 1901 he started using his mother's name, Picasso. He studied graphics in Spain and graduated in 1900.
Pablo was among the long list of bored minds, whose art of imitation and copying couldn't sustain. He found himself in a nasty dance of poverty and isolation because no artist would want to risk their creations with a copy artist like Picasso. Shortly after graduation He moved to France 1901 where he quickly laid his hands on African art works. In his words I do not seek. I find. You can imagine the innocent creations of African masters in the hands of a man who had copied art most of youthful age. Pablo believed that Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.

Modern art is simply a conspiracy child of racism and imperialism. The so-called founder had these to say. Today, as you know, I am famous and very rich. But when completely alone with myself, I haven't the nerve to consider myself an artist in the great and ancient sense of the word. There have been great painters like Giotto, Titian, Rembrandt and Goya. I am only a public entertainer who has understood his time. What was his time? It was said the confession is good for the soul.

In the part 1 of this article I mentioned the conspiracy of European avant-garde artists, art collectors, art critics, art historians and imperialist to create away out of their creative drought using African Art as escape goat. The artistic elite was mainly concerned with the rejection of academic tradition. African art became a source of inspiration for these artists who were searching for systems of representation other than naturalism and illusionism. The critic front-runner of this group was the French art critic Louis Vauxcelles who coined the term Cubism after seeing the landscapes Braque had painted in 1908 at L'Estaque in emulation of Cézanne. Vauxcelles called the geometric forms in the highly abstracted works "cubes."

Louis Vauxcelles (1870-?) was an influential French art critic. To him are attributed the terms Fauvism (1905), and cubism. Vauxcelles coined the phrase 'les fauves' (translated as 'wild beasts') to describe a circle of painters associated with Matisse as well as the audiences who criticised them (he couldn't decide which were more arrogant).But an artist can demonstrate zero proof of his artistic ability in the context of established representative visual art, yet he could end up as a master of modern art? Tell me you smell something funny about this too.

The Cubist painters rejected their inherited concept that art should copy nature, or that they should adopt the traditional techniques of perspective, modeling, and foreshortening. They wanted instead to emphasize the two-dimensionality of the canvas. So they reduced and fractured objects into geometric forms, and then realigned these within a shallow, reliefs like space. They also used multiple or contrasting vantage points. Louis Vauxcelles and his group were not interested in professionalism but escapism and name calling for the propagation of their supremacy vision. Pablo had them all fooled; the agony is that many are still fooled till date. I guest because of their common denominator of hate and racist drive, none really cared about the long time effect of their deceit.

In the words of Pablo the founder of your modern art; an artist must know how to convince others of the truth of his lies. The people who make art their business are mostly imposters. There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality. How naïve can you be, the man who had over 100 African art in his collection, copied and made money of them do not believe in abstraction.

Lets look into more facts in the part 3 coming soon.

Fighting Fit - Martial Arts and Weight loss

If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.

In this article we list the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.

1. Doing martial arts for weight loss

It's no coincidence that gyms, personal trainers and producers of exercise videos and DVD's are now heavily incorporating training techniques and exercises from a wide variety of martial arts in their workouts.

Boxercise, Tae Bo, Cardio-Kickboxing, Kung Fu Aerobics, and personal trainers using punching bags, focus mitts and kicking pads in their sessions are just a couple of examples of how martial arts training is being used in cardio workouts for fitness and weight loss.

Because martial art training is typically high intensity and usually lasts for at least an hour in most cases, it burns a maximum number of kilojoules or calories per workout and is therefore great for anyone who wants to lose weight and lose it fast.

2. Doing martial arts for fitness

Most martial arts incorporate exercises and drills that improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance, help build muscle strength and improve muscle flexibility so they are perfect for anyone wanting to improve their overall fitness.

Cardiovascular fitness improvements require us to regularly elevate our heart rate for extended periods and most martial arts training can help us do that.

Improving the strength, size and shape of our muscles requires us to regularly subject them to some form of resistance training. Martial arts training helps provide this training by requiring us to perform exercises like push-ups and squats using our own body weight for resistance.

Improved flexibility is a natural byproduct of martial arts training because most, if not all styles of martial art incorporate stretching exercises in their workouts.

As a result of providing all of these fitness benefits, martial artists like boxers and kickboxers are widely regarded as being among the fittest athletes in the world and practitioners of karate, judo, etc are considered among the strongest pound-for-pound and most flexible athletes in the world.

3. Doing martial arts and self-defense

One of the most obvious benefits of doing a martial art is that it provides us with the fitness, strength, skill and techniques necessary to protect ourselves from being attacked by others who are out to harm us if the need should ever arise.

Like an insurance policy, we hope you're never in a position to have to use your martial arts training to defend yourself, but it's great to know this ability is there just in case.

Because they are primarily concerned with elevating our heart rates to burn energy and improve our fitness, many of the workouts listed above like Tae Bo, Boxercise, etc don't really provide this benefit to the same extent as doing martial arts training with a dedicated teacher in a martial arts school that only provides one service - to teach you a specific martial art.

Many people mistakenly believe that because they punch a focus mitt 50 times during a session with their personal trainer that they know how to punch properly and can therefore defend themselves if they need to. This is a big mistake and we hope these people never find themselves in a situation where this belief is tested.

Unless they've had many years of martial arts training themselves, most personal trainers and gym instructors will not be able to offer advice about your punching and kicking technique, they are only really qualified to hold the focus mitts or kick-pad for you while you punch or kick them.

Remember, while probably great at what they do, these trainers are more like aerobics instructors than specifically qualified martial arts instructors.

4. Doing martial arts and self-confidence

In addition to providing us with the ability to defend ourselves, one of the greatest personal benefits that martial art training provides is a high degree of self-confidence.

This self-confidence partly results from the knowledge that we are much better equipped to defend ourselves given that we have done some martial arts training, but it also comes from a sense of achievement once we begin to master the techniques taught to us and the new confidence that results from feeling fitter and stronger and looking fitter and stronger.

Given that one of the first things to suffer, and one of the hardest things to reestablish afterwards, when we become overweight is our self-confidence this benefit is of particular value to those of us who have a weight problem.

5. Doing martial arts to improve body balance and coordination

As well as helping us to become fitter and stronger, martial art training typically involves the mastery of a range of techniques that requires us to be well-balanced and have superior body coordination.

In learning to master these techniques we naturally improve our balance and our coordination which helps us with other aspects of our daily life.

6. Doing martial arts for variety

Martial art training provides great variety in two ways.

Firstly, martial arts training sessions themselves have great variety built into them by including warm-ups and cool-downs, stretching exercises, strength building exercises, cardio exercises and exercises designed to improve and teach us a wide variety of techniques.

This variety is great for our mind as well as our body.

Secondly, there are such a wide variety of martial arts to study that we should be able to easily find one that suits our particular goals and interests.

Whether we prefer to do a martial art that primarily revolves around striking or grappling techniques or a perfect mix of both, or we want to study a highly technical or very simple style, the choice is great.

7. Doing martial arts teaches discipline and provides motivation

Everybody knows that studying a martial art requires and teaches discipline.

Because it is also goal orientated, training in one of the many martial arts also provides a great deal of motivation.

Lack of discipline and motivation are the most often quoted reasons for weight loss failures and for this reason, doing a martial art for weight loss and fitness may help many of us who lack the required discipline and motivation to achieve our weight loss goals to overcome these common barriers to success.

8. Doing martial arts for spirituality

One definition of spirituality is "Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact."

Martial art training has been practiced by millions of people over many centuries because among other things, it has a great ability to spiritually uplift us.

As well as forging a better connection between our mind and body, it also has the ability to forge a better connection between us and our world and us and others.

9. Doing martial arts training is relatively inexpensive

Compared to joining some gyms and hiring some personal trainers, training at a martial arts school or dojo is relatively inexpensive.

Many martial arts schools charge a very modest monthly fee for training and the beauty of this is you can train when and as often as it suits you.

In addition to low ongoing training costs, buying a uniform and any equipment you may need to train in most cases will be relatively inexpensive as well.

10. Doing martial arts has a social aspect

Many people who start doing martial arts training for weight loss, improved fitness or self-defense end up enjoying it most for its social aspects.

As well as training and learning with others with similar goals, many martial arts trainees help encourage and motivate each other and end up becoming very good friends.

Many martial arts instructors too have very friendly dispositions and foster a fun and friendly environment in which to train which endears them to their students who typically also become close friends.

Conclusion

If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.

In this article we listed the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.

The Museum of Buddhist Art - A Rare Collection of Buddha Statues

The Museum of Buddhist Art in Bangkok is reputed to have the biggest collection of Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines based on Buddhist art work from kingdoms dating back to the 6th century AD. The exhibits reflect the cultural heritage of the various kingdoms in Thailand and neighboring kingdoms as well.

Visitors to the Museum of Buddhist Art are usually advised to start their tour in an annex to the main building that houses the Kuan Yin Palace and Museum which displays statues of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The courtyard outside this museum has six miniature wooden palaces housing Chinese deities.

The main theme of the Museum of Buddhist Art, however, is housed in eight rooms upstairs in the main building displaying Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines from the different kingdoms that had an impact on Thai art and culture.

The various schools of Buddhist art of each era blended with the previous and added its distinct touch. Detailed explanations are provided for the Buddha statues, their characteristics, different postures and subtle variations in the folds of the robes.

The museum is a useful source of knowledge for the scholar of Buddhist art and Buddha sculptures. The casual visitor, seeking an overview of an important aspect of Thai culture, would find this museum interesting as well.

Buddhist art from the various kingdoms displayed in the Museum of Buddhist Art

Dvaravati art (6th - 11th centuries AD)

Dvaravati art is based on the culture of the United Kingdom of Dvaravati in Nakhon Phahom, Central Thailand established by the Mon from Burma. The Buddhist art work of this period is based on the Southern India and Sri Lanka models.

Srivijaya art (7th - 14th centuries)

The Srivijaya kingdom covered Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula and Southern Thailand, right up to Surat Thani and Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The art form from this era had a rich mix of Indian, Khmer, Sri Lanka, Java and Sumatra cultures.

Khmer art (11th - 19th centuries)

From 6th - 14th centuries, the Khmer Empire in Cambodia ruled over Laos and northeastern Thailand (Isarn). Khmer art was to have an enduring legacy on Buddhist art work for centuries to come.

Burmese art (11th - 19th centuries)

Burmese art evolved from the various ethnic groups in the ancient Burmese kingdom of Pagan. The Burmese, Mon, Arakan, Tai-yai kingdoms developed Buddhist art during their respective reigns. All these groups had an influence on Thai art.

Sukhothai art (13th - 15th centuries)

Art flourished in the Sukhothai Kingdom under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng. Classic Sukhothai art soon emerged from the Khmer influence and established its unique style.

Ayuthaya art (1350 - 1767)

The exhibits on Ayuthaya art in the Museum of Buddhist Art represents the longest period in Thai art. Pre-Ayuthaya art was a combination of Khmer art of the Bayon period (the Bayon temples in Cambodia) and Dvaravati art, a mixture which was known as U Thong Art.

The establishment of Ayuthaya produced a blend of Khmer and Sukhothai styles which gradually evolved into its own distinctive character in the 16th century.

Lanna art (13th - 20th centuries)

The Lanna kingdom (Land of a Million Fields) was established by King Mengrai in northern Thailand in 1296. Pure Lanna art developed when the kingdom was independent. Lanna came under Burmese rule and later under Thai rule. The Buddha statues during these periods had their subtle differences.

Lan Xang art (14th - 18th centuries)

The Lan Xang kingdom (Land of a Million Elephants) was founded by King Fah Ngum in the 14th century after the fall of Sukhothai. The kingdom covered present day Laos and parts of northeastern Thailand. King Fah Ngum made Buddhism the state religion and so began an art form that also left its mark on Buddhist art.

Thonburi art (1767 - 1782)

Thonburi art had a brief period as the kingdom lasted for only 15 years.

Rattanakosin art (1782 - present)

What followed was Rattanakosin art of the modern Bangkok era. The Buddha statues and sculptures during the reign of the Chakri Kings developed a distinct identity of their own.

The other eight rooms in the Museum of Buddhist Art are not directly related to the central theme but are equally interesting. These cover artifacts from the pre-historic Ban Chiang culture, Yao paintings, stone sculptures.

An unusual set of exhibits in this museum is the room displaying statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, a reflection of the religious tolerance in Buddhist society.

The Museum of Buddhist Art embodies not just the art and culture evolved for more than a millennium through the rise and fall of several kingdoms. It symbolizes the philosophy of moderation and tolerance, values that serve as a beacon of light in these troubled times.

For more Bangkok Museums.

Is Art a "Pseudo Statement?"

We all are familiar with terms like self expression, catharsis or inner exposure, art is supposed to give vent to all the feelings, emotions, sensations, thoughts, ideas or thesis, we revolve around or try to do so, either they are religious, philosophical, psychological, ethical, romantic or sensual, we always want to share these emotions with others, so, created different ways of expression that mostly come under the comprehensive meanings of art. Right from the stone age or even before it, expression on solid rocks in the form of symbols, shapes and lines could be seen and understand even today with the full zeal and zest, that was present in the ancient human being at the time of creating those early sketches, in a very true, direct and enthusiastic way, that is still the source of finding the foot steps of early human civilization to enhance the modern one.

Art goes through different passions. When Classicism determined the hard and fast rules for any literary or artwork, all art that was art, was of divine origin it was the "witness of the glory of God". As a reaction, Romanticism sprouted out as a fresh wave of pure inner and individual point of view, then Expressionism, Impressionism and Realism added or tried to add some weight in the idea of "Expression" according to the desire and demand of an individual as well as the society. This force of let others know what we feel & how other should feel in a particular subject, drove Art into the geometrical thinking of Cubism and later on by breaking its edges adopted abstraction, not only just in subjects but also in shapes and colors. Dadaism also played its role up to some extent but it was just a quick baseless rejection of everything, without having any solid grounds for Judgment or criticism.

But if we look at art as a serious tool or way of real expression of soul then we will have to agree with Croc'ce, an Italian "Intellectual of Aesthetics". He said, "Art is nothing else than mere expression of perception." According to him a piece of art, even before created on canvass, is actually got shape in the artist's mind.
Knowledge is either imparted through intellect or images, and images do influence intellect or intellect has to carry itself through images. A complete expression is a blend of soul and perception through images.
Art conveys aesthetic perception of an artist to others, it can carry and convey sound, moments, contours, colors and words and make an artist's expression, a complete impression.

This is 21st century, the age of IT, where, not only colors, contours and shapes are enough, but also something more has made the viewer to chose and select by choice. The term "Multimedia" has broaden the vast of art to sounds, movements, changing colors and shades, and so the ideas, views and modes. No one has got ample time to ponder over, either it's the artist or the viewer, even the art itself running short of time to penetrate. Artist wants to produce masterpieces overnight, viewer is keen to have countless unique interests under his belt, so the art itself has lost its shelf life, paintings are hanged, sculptures are exhibited and then after few days everything is packed for good.

We, then refer to the photographs, journals, catalogues and websites, as there is no time to wander around in the galleries and try to absorb art from its own original flare or freshness. Now the most popular idea behind any art is "the artist's job is only to show". But even modern attitude will find it difficult to show creativity without imagination, so, without imagination, the best of art, might get the status of just a shadow or imitation. The quantitative aspect is over whelming the qualitative aspect.

New age is fast, and furious too. Now specific fields are not just bound to certain people, it's not the time when art is just confined to elites only. Today the idea of "everything for everyone" has brought about the change in art lover lobbies. Now there is another bunch of art lovers or if I could say them art critics who have nothing to do with the philosophies of subjects or the subtleties of technique, but they have every interest with the so called criticism on art as they have the opportunity to look at the art pieces by virtue of their contacts or habit of having a look at everything. That's why globally, very few real and true art critics are seen, while in our country, we have to be satisfied whatever is available in this regard as there is not much published and discussed on regular basis.

Once some body said, "the test of utmost fine-ness in execution in these arts is that they make themselves be forgotten in what they represent". This is the most ideal form for an artist and the viewer to be drowned in the magic of an art piece, but we all know, no body has got so much time in this crazy world now a day for such a practice. That's why we always take and give a bird's eye view; even the artist himself wants the economy of thoughts and ideas along with paints and strokes in his masterpiece.

No time for realism or super realism to present objects as the are in real life, camera is a better option for such practice, but the thing is, it does matter a lot that how much artist's interest and soul is reflected even in those simple and few strokes and straight forward ideas. The main feature of art is to convey the original message of artist's mind to the viewer. I.A. Richards, a European critic has the belief that any art or literature is created due to an active chain of interests in the creator's mind, and these very interests got activated in the mind of reader or viewer, when conveyed to him. So, art is always to carry something to others from its creator, and if it lacks in it, the art is not of great par.

There has always been a disbelief in ordinary minds that why we need such an intricate source to express even simple thoughts or emotions? Thoughts and emotions are never simple enough to be expressed through language only, actually our emotions are symbolic representation of our nature and attitude, and these very things are not as simple as one can guess, it is a chain of continuously changing phenomenon that affects our personality so much that we need to take something out of us. So the art, being the way of expression, is not simple to understand at all. One needs to take it at two different levels of understanding, one is emotional or imaginative and the other is intellectual level, but both are interlinked in comprehending an art piece as the skill and talent are, in the case of creating one. And this is not a "pseudo statement" at all.

So the imagination on which the art is based is the soil where it got its roots, therefore all the "Isms" were and are action or reaction of changing human mind collectively, which, afterwards change the society as well in a positive manner with reference of subjective atmosphere.

I conclude with a line of Shelley, he said, "Imagination is the organ of moral nature of man." So we can say that the art, as being based upon that very Imagination can and do determine the moral values in human minds and society as well.

How to Select Art for Your Home

Selecting art for your home can be an exciting adventure and a source of enjoyment for years to come. Keys to success are figuring out what kind of art you like, how it will fit in with the rest of your interior design plans, and how to exhibit the art to the best effect in your home.

What kind of art do you like?

There are many opportunities to browse art within your community at local exhibitions, art fairs and galleries. Even small towns usually have a not-for-profit gallery space, or cafés and restaurant that exhibit local artists. In larger cities, galleries often get together for monthly or periodic "gallery nights" where all the galleries hold open house receptions on the same evening. It's a great way to see a lot of art in a short time.

Today the internet provides the largest variety and depth of fine art available worldwide. You can visit museum websites and see master works from ages past, check out online galleries for group shows, and visit hundreds of individual artists' websites. One advantage of using the internet is that you can search for the specific kind of art you are interested in, whether it's photography, impressionism, bronze sculpture, or abstract painting. And when you find one art site, you'll usually find links to many, many more.

Should the art fit the room or the room fit the art?

If you feel strongly about a particular work of art, you should buy the art you love and then find a place to put it. But you may find that when you get the art home and place it on a wall or pedestal, it doesn't work with its surroundings. By not "working," I mean the art looks out of place in the room. Placing art in the wrong surroundings takes away from its beauty and impact.

What should you do if you bring a painting home and it clashes with its environment? First, hang the painting in various places in your home, trying it out on different walls. It may look great in a place you hadn't planned on hanging it. If you can't find a place where the art looks its best, you may need to make some changes in the room, such as moving furniture or taking down patterned wallpaper and repainting in a neutral color. The changes will be worth making in order to enjoy the art you love.

Sometimes the right lighting is the key to showing art at its best. You may find that placing a picture light above a painting or directing track lighting on it is all the art needs to exhibit its brilliance. If you place a work of art in direct sunlight, however, be sure it won't be affected by the ultraviolet light. Pigments such as watercolor, pencil and pastel are especially prone to fading. Be sure to frame delicate art under UV protected glass or acrylic.

How to pick art to fit the room.

Size and color are the two major criteria for selecting art to fit its surroundings. For any particular space, art that is too large will overwhelm, and art that is too small will be lost and look out of proportion. The bolder the art, the more room it needs to breathe.

As a rule, paintings should be hung so that the center of the painting is at eye level. Sculpture may sit on the floor, a table, or pedestal, depending on the design. Rules should be considered guidelines only, however, so feel free to experiment.

When selecting a painting to match color, select one or two of the boldest colors in your room and look for art that has those colors in it. You're not looking for an exact match here. Picking up one or two of the same colors will send a message that the painting belongs in this environment.

Another possibility for dealing with color is to choose art with muted colors, black-and-white art, or art that is framed in a way that mutes its color impact in the room. A wide light-colored mat and neutral frame create a protected environment for the art within.

Style is another consideration when selecting art to fit a room. If your house is filled with antiques, for example, you'll want to use antique-style frames on the paintings you hang there. If you have contemporary furniture in large rooms with high ceilings, you'll want to hang large contemporary paintings.

How to create an art-friendly room.

Think about it. When you walk into a gallery or museum, what do they all have in common? White walls and lots of light. If a wall is wall-papered or painted a color other than white, it limits the choices for hanging art that will look good on it. If a room is dark, the art will not show to its best advantage.

If you want to make art the center of attraction, play down the other elements of the room like window coverings, carpeting, wall coverings, and even furniture. A room crowded with other colors, textures and objects will take the spotlight away from the art. Follow the principle that less is more. Keep it spare and let the art star. Then relax and enjoy it.

Selecting and displaying art is an art in itself. Experiment to learn what pleases you and what doesn't. You'll be well-rewarded for the time you invest by finding more satisfaction both in the art and in your home.

Copyright 2006 Lynne Taetzsch

Art Collecting Tips for Profit and Pleasure (A Six-Part Series): Part 1-Why Buy Art?

A SIX-PART SERIES ON SUCCESSFUL ART COLLECTING

PART 1: WHY BUY ART?

WHY BUY ART? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for
thinking of acquiring a piece of art. An artwork can cost a considerable sum, but if it
meets your needs, it’s worth every penny. Anyone can buy art, and for almost any
reason. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it, even if the artwork
may be by an unknown artist. Art, as long as you enjoy it, is never a waste of
money. As John Keats puts it in Book 1 of Endymion:

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases”

Art Is For Enjoyment

Art is meant to be displayed, unlike shares or bonds. Don’t ever feel pressured to
buy something you won’t appreciate looking at day after day, no matter what other
people may say. Don’t buy something that doesn’t appeal to you just because it is
trendy, because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the
artwork will make a good investment. If you don’t like the artwork at all, don’t buy
it!An artwork should touch your soul, stimulate your thoughts and bring a smile to
your lips. It should bring you pleasure, and even joy.There are only 365 days to a
year (366 on leap years). Be selective about how you live those days. Avoid wasting
them on something you dislike.

Art Enhances Your Environment

Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral part of the
decor? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls, nooks and
crannies, and mantelpieces. A well thought-out art collection will help create a
unique ambience in your home and make it more attractive. For similar reasons, art
often graces commercial premises, such as office lobbies and the offices of top
executives.

Art Makes a Statement

The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality, tastes
and values. Edna Hibel art, for instance, is associated with strong family values and
humanitarianism. See why at: [http://www.cherishcollectibles.com/site/
1256072/page/459196][http://www.cherishcollectibles.com/site/]
1256072/page/459196

Art truly is a mirror of the soul. It’s an expression of who you are. Be true to
yourself, and choose art which is meaningful to you.

Art Can Be An Investment

Art can pay handsome returns, but this very rarely happens overnight. If you’re
hoping to make a fast buck, art may not be the right avenue for you. There are
investors, of course, who like to put their money in art. They do this for two main
reasons: emotional as well as financial benefits.

Art is one of those peculiar investments which you can actually admire and enjoy.
And researching and hunting down a desired piece of art can be as much fun as
owning it! Many art collectors enjoy combing galleries, websites, auctions and even
flea markets in pursuit of their passion. Profiting eventually from the sale of a find
becomes a bonus.The promise of both pleasure and profit from art certainly adds to
the appeal of art collecting.

Art Enriches Your Life

At a conference on health and ageing, held in Brisbane, Australia, the founding
professor of complementary medicine at Melbourne’s RMIT University shared his
findings that love – even the love of an activity or an inanimate object, such as a
work of art – contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan. Art should enrich
your life. Otherwise, why spend precious time and resources on it?

Art Makes An Impression

When you need to give a gift which will make a lasting impression, a delectable
piece of artwork is hard to beat. Any beneficiary will appreciate receiving such an
exclusive gift, and be honored that you valued her enough to give her something so
unique and precious.Just remember to select something which will appeal to your
recipient’s tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn’t cost an arm and
a leg.Before you part with your money, there are several golden rules of art
collecting to consider. Look out for them in Part 2 of this series, titled
“SIX GOLDEN RULES OF ART COLLECTING”.

Happy art collecting!