Saturday, January 7, 2012

MK Fine Arts Assures Original Art Masterpieces

Art is another name of expression through the mindset of the artist. Well, every other artist tries to present some kind of idea with his or her paint brush. Colors in those paintings signify the mood of the artist and what he tries to tell others through that. This platform has found a firm base with MK fine arts. MK fine arts is an art gallery owned by Mirek and Maryann Klabal, who belong to Greenwich Connecticut. In this art gallery, you will surely find your way to exquisite pieces of real art. It is the real art that is found at MK fine arts because Mirek Klabal is quite selective in picking the art masterpieces and knows what is to be catered to the senses of art lovers.

Buying authentic masterpiece of art becomes a really tough task, when there are a whole lot of fraud art dealers who claim to be genuine. But with Mirek Klabal of MK fine arts, you can be rest assured of getting the genuine and authentic art masterpieces. The reason is that he has given more than 25 years of his life in disseminating the real meaning of art to many parts of world and has quite a good experience in understanding the creativity behind an art piece. You can also view a set of creative and awesome art pieces that are being displayed at MK fine arts. So, you can select from a variety of paintings.

MK fine arts is quite famous for giving a pathway to various artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Chagall, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and many others. The art lovers find it one of the most happening places because it gives them everything they want and would like to visit it again, if they get to see what they wish to. Mk fine arts are surely one of the best art galleries that have a good and genuine collection of art pieces. What would happen if you go to buy an art piece of your favorite artist from and art dealer and are handed with fake one? It's for sure that you will feel bad and think that you wasted your money and got nothing in return.

Every piece of art reflects different moods and aspects of life. Some like joyful mood of art, while others like sad aspect of life. Every other art lover has a different choice. At MK fine arts, you will get to see painting on a variety of moods and aspects of life. The art is meant to infuse a sense of feel in the life of art lovers and if they are really good, then the experience of understanding the true nature of art doubles. Besides having a variety of art pieces, MK fine arts also guarantee the originality of art masterpieces. The reason is Mirek Klabal who takes extra bit of care ion the case of choosing art pieces.

Just selecting art pieces to be displayed at MK fine arts is not just the task of Mirek Klabal. He also takes extra care in meeting those art buyers personally, who buys genuine masterpieces from MK fine arts. In this way, he takes a note of the thing that art piece is going in the right hands and it will be taken care of. If you are at all planning to buy paintings from MK fine arts, you can be assured that proper assistance in selecting and originality of art is guaranteed here.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Deep in the ART of Texas: Economic Impact Study Shows Significant Impact of the Arts in Texas

The results of a 2003 economic impact study out of Austin confirms the suspicions of many Texas cultural art lovers, demonstrating that the cultural arts have a Texas-sized impact on our economy. The purpose of the study, produced by leading Texas economist Dr. Ray Perryman, was to comprehensively examine the economic impact of the arts on Texas. The study concludes that the arts have an extraordinary impact on the Texas economy ranging from billions of dollars in total expenditures, gross product and personal income, to almost two million permanent jobs.

The study raised awareness of the total contributions of cultural activities within the state and offers a perspective on future patterns and prospects. The report focuses on the full integration of the arts into the entire spectrum of production in the state.

Key findings of the study include:

1. The Arts as a Component of the Entire Economic System

When viewed in terms of their contributions to all sectors of the economy, the cultural arts account for $190.2 billion in total expenditures (12.3% of the state total). The cultural arts also result in $98.4 billion in Gross Product, $61.7 billion in Personal Income and 1.918 million Permanent Jobs (15.7%).

2. THE ARTS AS TRADITIONALLY MEASURED (Visual, Literary, Media and Performing)

The overall effects of the contribution of the arts as traditionally measured (visual, literary, media, and performing) include $63.7 billion in Total Expenditures, $31.5 billion in Gross Product, $18.7 billion in Personal Income, and over 600,000 Permanent Jobs.

As traditionally measured, the cultural arts are responsible for about 19.8% of the total tourism in the state.

3. THE NONPROFIT SEGMENT OF THE ARTS

The nonprofit segment of the arts brings a net benefit to Texas of $19.0 Billion in Total Expenditures, $9.5 billion in Gross Product, $5.9 billion in Personal Income, and over 200,000 Permanent Jobs.

The nonprofit arts sector is the incubator for the vast role of cultural activity in the economy. For every $1 spent on those activities, more than $298 of long-term cultural impact on the economy occurs, as well as $9.20 in State revenues.

4. RURAL IMPACT

Approximately 5.5% of the economic impact of traditional cultural arts occurs in rural segments of the state.

Rural regions of Texas enjoy 6.6% of all nonprofit arts activity.

STAND UP AND TAKE NOTICE, Y'ALL!

Governmental investments in arts and cultural organizations are no longer about intangibles. Arts and cultural organizations in Texas make very real and significant contributions to the local economy and are worthy of community support and advertising dollars. These contributions are significant and sustained. Even in the face of economic slowdown, arts and cultural organizations continue to impact the Texas economy substantially, in addition to the enjoyment and fulfillment they provide to our citizens and visitors each year.

One look at the numbers will surely cause any Texas advertiser to stand up and take notice of the potential when linking up with artistic and cultural endeavors as part of this year's promotional campaign. They need your support and you need their audiences.

In 2003, arts and cultural organizations in Texas generated over $55 million in economic activity and impact from construction and capital expenditure activity to new and existing facilities. These same organizations generated about $320 million in economic activity from indirect audience spending associated with attendance at arts events during that same year. Nearby, the total economic impact of the arts in Fort Worth in 2003 was about $250 million; in Dallas, over $500 million. Other metroplex communities generated about $23 million.

Do the math: that's nearly $800 million! The Governor's office has noticed. Have you?

ARTSY COMMUNITIES MEAN BUSINESS

Bear in mind, when we talk about "the cultural arts," we're including everything from Art Museums to Texas Music and Dance. We're talking about the ethnic culture here from Polish to German, Mexican to Italian. From Texas Indians to the history of our great educational institutions, people want to know so they can go! They want to visit and they want to learn. It's ALL of interest to SOMEBODY and people are spending good money in Texas to be part of what the Lone Star State has to offer.

The legacy of every civilization is, in large part, found in the art they leave behind. No wonder that, when the one hundred most influential people of the past were named, over one quarter of those named represented the cultural arts. In addition to the arts being so important to our social structure, they are, as shown, an important part of our economy and are worthy of our attention. They are, in fact, completely, immovably, forever engrained into our economic system.

Blu Dornan, a local artist from Stephenville, said, "I have been received very well since I started promoting my art [in Stephenville] a year ago... Art within the community reflects the local environment. It gives us pride as a society and lets visitors know who we are as a community and what we are about. Remember, an artist's greatest fear is that his or her work will never be seen and the vision never realized."

SPEAKING OF STEPHENVILLE...

As a Civil War and Alamo buff who has done his share of painting, writing, sketching and illustrating on a professional level, this writer would love nothing more than to see my home town of Stephenville, Texas - the Cowboy Capital of the World - become the State's next hotbed of artistic and cultural activity as well. We have so much to offer and so many people would benefit by visiting here. Fact is, folks are coming here in droves and tourism numbers are way up for each of the past three years. Among other things, they're visiting our local museums and historic points of interest including the Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame, Heritage Square, the Dublin Dr Pepper Museum, and the Stephenville Historical House Museum. Tarleton University has much to offer including their Planetarium, the Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center in Granbury, and the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas.

Currently, thanks to the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council (CTFAC), there's a surprising amount of cultural arts activity in our community. Last August, we thrilled to the Glenn Miller Band outdoors and the Fort Worth Symphony makes a stop in town every other year. We are always looking forward to more of the same. The Stephenville Chamber's Hispanic Business Council, entering its second year, has already taken steps toward tapping into the talents and cultural expertise associated with the area's Hispanic population. And we'll be seeing more from them as well.

Where fine arts are concerned, we have art galleries the likes of Brian Drake Studios, the Thompson Fine Arts Gallery, Brooks Art Gallery, Tarleton's Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center and Gallery and, of course, the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Center's River North Gallery.

Debbie Reynolds, Director of the CTFAC, says, "The gallery provides a place for artists to exhibit their work without a fee, where they can offer their art for sale and is open free to the public..." Mrs. Reynolds reminds us, "Not only do the arts have an economic impact, but they also improve the quality of life. Not just through entertainment, but education as well. Statistics show that students who participate in any form of the arts: band, theater, visual art, choir, dance, etc. are higher academic achievers. They score higher on tests, develop leadership and cognitive thinking skills, time management, self discipline, creativity and problem solving skills." She added, "In September 2004 the State Board of Education adopted new curriculum requirements for grades K-5 regarding increased arts education in Texas schools. These new initiatives will start with the 2005-06 school year....we are exposed to art forms every day all day long, whether it is through the music we listen to, through magazines, movies, TV, billboards, architecture, auto design, textiles, clothing design, home decorating, floral design and the like."

Dan Delgado, President of the Stephenville Visual Arts Booster club says, "...the Arts are a basic component of a healthy, well-rounded person...The Arts cause us to stop, remember life and relive....they capture the wonder of life and pass it on in a manner that allows others to enjoy it, even if it's through a vivid imagination, or a dream. The mind is a wonderful tool and enjoying the Fine Arts is the perfect way to put it to use...there is no right or wrong way to appreciate the Arts. There's only your way!"

To the local business person, looking for the right place to spend your ad dollar, in this writer's professional marketing opinion, we need to sponsor all cultural arts events and activities as if there were no tomorrow.

So, put your money where your ART is. You'll be glad you did.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Importance of Fine Arts in the Classroom

Fine Arts is defined in the Encarta Dictionary as being, “any art form, for example, painting, sculpture, architecture, drawing, or engraving, that is considered to have purely aesthetic value” (Encarta, 2004). Though this definition is used in relationship with the arts in the regular world, in regards to teaching, fine arts is defined as a subject beneficial, not essential, to the learning process and is often phased out because of lack of time, little learning potential, and no money. Fine arts is simply seen as painting and drawing, not a subject studied by an academic scholar. Writer Victoria Jacobs explains, “Arts in elementary schools have often been separated from the core curriculum and instead, offered as enrichment activities that are considered beneficial but not essential” (Jacobs, 1999, p. 2).

What is missing in classrooms is the lack of teacher knowledge of the benefits of maintaining an art- based curriculum. Teachers “have very little understanding of the arts as disciplines of study. They think of the arts instruction as teacher-oriented projects used to entertain or teach other disciplines” (Berghoff, 2003, p. 12). Fine arts expand the boundaries of learning for the students and encourage creative thinking and a deeper understanding of the core subjects, which are language arts, math, science, and social studies. Teachers need to incorporate all genres of fine arts, which include, theater, visual art, dance, and music, into their lesson plans because the arts gives the students motivational tools to unlock a deeper understanding of their education. Teaching the arts is the most powerful tool that teachers can present in their classrooms because this enables the students to achieve their highest level of learning.

From 1977 to 1988 there were only three notable reports demonstrating the benefits of art education. These three reports are Coming to Our Senses, by the Arts, Education and Americans Panal (1977), Can we Rescue the Arts for American Children, sponsored by the American Council for the Arts (1988), and the most respected study, Toward Civilization, by the National Endowment for the Arts (1988). These three studies conjured that art education was very important in achieving a higher education for our students. While these studies proved the arts to be beneficial to the learning process, it was not until 2002 when the research analysis of Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development “provided evidence for enhancing learning and achievement as well as positive social outcomes when the arts were integral to students’ learning experiences” was taken seriously by lawmakers (Burns, 2003, p. 5). One study, in this analysis, was focused on the teaching of keyboard training to a classroom in order to see if student’s scores on spatial reasoning could be improved. It was then compared to those students who received computer training which involved no fine art components. This concluded that learning through the arts did improve the scores on other core curriculum subjects such as math and science where spatial reasoning is most used (Swan-Hudkins, 2003).

This study shows how one little change in the way students are taught through the arts can have a powerful impact on their learning achievements and understandings. Another study showed at-risk students who, for one year, participated in an art- based curriculum raised their standardized language arts test by an average of eight percentile points, 16 percentile points if enrolled for two years. Students not engaging in this form of activity did not show a change of percentile (Swan-Hudkins, 2003). Though this may not seem like a big increase, at- risk students were able to use this style of learning to better understand their learning style thus bettering their learning patterns. The most interesting case study in this analysis involved the schools of Sampson, North Carolina, where for two years in a row their standardized test scores rose only in the schools that implemented the arts education in their school district (Swan-Hudkins, 2003). Teaching the arts needs to be incorporated in every teachers daily lesson plans because, based on these studies, students who are taught through the arts raise their test and learning levels.

Due to the high volume of attention President Bush’s, No Child Left Behind Act, has required in schools, teaching the arts is left behind. Another reason for the lack of arts in the classroom author Victoria Jacobs explains, “Given the shrinking budgets of school districts around the country, art specialists and art programs have disappeared from many elementary schools” (Jacobs, 1999, p. 4). Fine arts are being seen as non-educational or an extra-curricular activity. Therefore, when there is a lack of money in school districts, this subject is easily being cut. Teachers need to find a way to incorporate the arts into the classroom rather than rely on outside activities and Jacobs suggests teaching “through the arts… with a means of using the arts successfully and in a way that it is not just “one more thing” they must include in the curriculum” (Jacobs, 1999, p. 4).

The arts can open the minds of students in ways mere reading and writing will never be able to accomplish. Yet, the point of teaching this subject is not to teach about the arts, but to teach through the arts. Jacobs explains,
Teaching though the arts requires students to engage in the act of creative art. For example they might draw a picture, write a poem, act in a drama, or compose music to further their understanding of concepts in content areas other than the arts. Teaching through the arts helps students experience concepts rather than simply discussing or reading them. This approach is consistent with educational theories that highlight the importance of reaching multiple learning styles or intelligences. (Jacobs, 1999, p. 2)

Teaching through the arts can be done in many different ways depending on the teacher’s interests, but truly is the only way to reinforce the students learning experience. In a time where budget cuts and new learning laws are being established, teachers need to be more informed and educated on the negative impacts of the loss of the fine arts programs.
Three, veteran teachers at a public elementary school did a case study which involved teaching through the arts. They believed “our students had to experience cycles of inquiry wherein they learned about the arts and through the arts, and that they needed to see teachers of different disciplines collaborate” (Berghoff, 2003, p. 2).

The study was based on teaching a history lesson unit on Freedom and Slavery through the arts. Ms. Bixler-Borgmann had her students listen to the song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” in many different styles of music, such as an African-American Quartet, Reggae, and Show Tunes. She then incorporated this lesson into the importance singing played to the slaves at that time. Ms. Berghoff had her students read samples of African-American folk literature and write down sentences that made an impact on them while they were reading. She then incorporated those sentences into group poems. Ms. Parr explored two art pieces entitled, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and had the students talk about artwork by asking three questions: "What is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What else can you find?” (Berghoff, 2003). She also had the students focus on the images, concepts, and meanings which the artists wanted to depict. Ms. Parr felt this would teach the students how to uncover the hidden meanings in other core curriculum subjects (Berghoff, 2003). After the study, the students were asked what and how they had learned from this style of teaching.

Many students wrote in their journals that working in multiple sign systems in parallel ways heightened their emotional involvement. They found themselves thinking about what they were learning in class when they were at home or at work. They noted that even though they had studied slavery at other times, they had never really imagined how it felt to be a slave or thought about the slaves' perspectives and struggles. (Berghoff, 2003)

The students had learned more from this lesson because they were able to use all styles of learning and were taught from an angle which is rarely used, through the arts. “Studies indicate that a successful arts integrated program will use these components to guide student learning and assess growth and development (Swan-Hudkins, 2003). The students were able to learn based on abstract thinking and find the deeper meaning of the lessons prepared by the teachers.

“The study of the arts has the potential for providing other benefits traditionally associated with arts….arts has been linked to students’ increased critical and creative thinking skills, self-esteem, willingness to take risks, and ability to work with others” (Jacobs, 1999, p. 4). With these benefits, teachers can not afford to limit their teaching of the arts in the classroom. Teaching through the arts are the key elements of learning and the traits teachers strive to establish and reinforce in their students. By working through the arts, instead of about the arts, the students’ educational experience will be achieved in a different way than just teaching the standard style of learning. Former Governor of California, Gray Davis, noted, “Art education helps students develop creativity, self-expression, analytical skills, discipline, cross-cultural understandings, and a heightened appreciation for the arts” and that “students who develop artistic expression and creative problem solving skills are more like to succeed in school and will be better prepared for the jobs and careers of the future” (California Art Study, 2003, p. 1).

Exposing students to abstract learning will teach the students about logic and reasoning and help them grasp what might not be represented on the surface. Recent Reports from the National Art Education Association (NAEA) confirmed with Governor Davis when they reported “Students in art study score higher on both their Verbal and Math SAT tests than those who are not enrolled in arts courses (California Art Study, 2003, p. 5). Attached is a copy of the test scores of students in the arts and students with no arts coursework.

What is a better way to enhance a lesson plan than to add another dimension of learning than by incorporating different levels of teaching? A company that has the basis of focusing on different learning styles is Links for Learning, [http://www.links-for-learning.com]. This company understands the importance of incorporating arts into the classroom. Former Secretary of Education, William Bennet wrote, “The arts are essential elements of education just like reading, writing, and arithmetic…Music, dance, painting, and theater are keys to unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment” (Swann-Hudkins, 2002).

An example of the benefits of teaching the arts would be the study of a teacher who taught the water cycle lesson through movement and music. The students were introduced to the water cycle in the traditional style of teaching, reading and lecturing. Yet, in order for the students to fully understand the “experience” of being a snowflake, the students listened to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite (The Waltz of the Snowflakes) and closed their eyes visualizing the adventure snowflakes encounter on there way to the ground. A great side effect of dance is that “exposure to dances foreign to them (the students) helps them to understand and appreciate differences in societies. Their minds become open to new ideas and a different perspective. This understanding helps to eliminate possible prejudice, enriching the student and our society” (Swan-Hudkins, 2003, p.17). While the music was playing the teacher asked them questions, such as, “How are they going to land” and “What do you see as you are falling”. The second time listening to the music the students were asked to act out the water cycle through movement and dance. Teachers should know “a class that includes dance can make students feel empowered and actively involved in their education. In creating their own dance, students develop conceptional thinking, which is not always expressed verbally” (Swan-Hudkins, 2003, p. 17).

With these activities, the students were able to become part of the water cycle instead of just using their listening skills and trying to mentally figure out this lesson. The teacher also had the students write a poem using words they felt while they, the snowflakes, were falling to the ground (Jacobs, 1999, p.2). “The motivational powers of the arts are significant as this teacher explained, “Hooking a kid is half, if not more than half, the battle of learning. If you can hook them, then you can get them to learn” (Jacobs, 1999, p. 6). Teachers need to gain access to all styles of learning which can only spark their motivational powers.
Harvard Project Researchers Winner and Hetland remarks, “The best hope for the arts in our school is to justify them by what they can do that other subjects can’t do as well” (Swan-Hudkins, 2003, p. 18). Teachers need to gain a better education of teaching their students through the arts. Without the arts, teachers are limiting their students’ ability to use their entire thinking process, providing less opportunity for complete comprehension. Teaching through the arts is the most powerful tool that teachers can give in their classrooms because it enables the students to achieve their highest level of learning.

With the lack of attention art is getting outside of the classroom, teachers cannot afford not to incorporate dance, theater, visual arts, or music in their lesson plans. Fine arts is the core curriculums constant and most important companion. No child should be left behind, and teaching through the arts will reinforce this idea.

Resources

Berghoff, B., Bixler-Borgmann, C., and Parr, C. (2003). Cycles of Inquiry with the Arts. Urbana, 17, 1-17.

Burns, M. (2003). Connecting Arts Education Policy and Research to Classroom Teaching. Presented at The Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.

California Art Study. (2003). Retrieved on April 18 from [http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:IM_j8A3_whsJ:www.smc.edu/madison/about/draft_eir/appendix_f_purpose.pdf+benefits+California+art+study&hl=en&ie=UTF-8]

Encarta Online Dictionary. (2004). Retrieved on April 17 from http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/fine%20arts.html

Jacobs, V. and Goldberg, M. (1999). Teaching Core Curriculum Content through the Arts. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Ontario, Canada.

Swan-Hudkins, B. (2002). The Effect of an Elementary Fine Arts Program on Students’. M.A.Thesis. Salem International University. Salem, West Virginia.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Understanding Art

Art is anything that people add to their 'output' which is
not functionally necessary and is other than the default
properties of that output. The word "art" has been derived
from the Latin word 'ars', which, loosely translated,
means "arrangement" or "to arrange". This is the only
universal definition of art, that whatever it is was at some
point arranged in some way. There are many other
colloquial uses of the word, all with some relation to its
etymological roots. This word comes from the Greek
technic meaning art.

Art and science are usually treated diagonally opposite to
each other. While science means some phenomenon
resulting in truth, which is universal and objective in
nature. In other words, science findings can be repeated
under the same set of circumstances anywhere in the
world at any given point of time. Same cannot be said of
art. Art, on the other hand is purely subjective in nature.
Take for example, a painting - while one calls it a
masterpiece, same feelings cannot be expected from
other individual.

Art can roughly be divided into two, namely philosophical
art and aesthetic art. The philosophical type of art
involves human figures for some purposive actions. In
other words, philosophical art depicts human condition or
it is the conceptual frame of mind of the artist.

Aesthetic art, on the other hand, shows the perceived
frame of mind. Two examples will help illustrate these
two points of view - a Mona Lisa painting is philosophical
art, while a demon being killed by a super human is
aesthetic. These two categories are also called classical
and modern art respectively.

There are other ways of classifying art - major among
them being architecture, design, painting, music,
drawing, literature, performing art, etc. While these have
been (and still are) traditional forms of art performed by
human kind, newer forms of art have emerged with the
advent of technology. Some of the later era art forms are
games, animation, movie, computer art, shooting, etc.

Two of the most researched areas of interest to artists,
critiques and archeologists has been the art movement
(or art history) and art school.

An art movement is a typical style or tendency in art with
a specific common philosophy, followed by a group of
artists during a restricted period of time (ranging from a
few months to years or decades). Art school is any
educational institute offering education to its students on
various forms of art.

Birth of art gave rise to another group of individuals - art
critics. Art critics study and evaluate a piece of art. Its
main purpose is to rationalize the evaluation of art, and
ridding of any personal opinion affecting the work of art.
Art criticism today deploys systematic and formal
methods to evaluate the piece of art.

Museums are known to nurture and store work of arts
across the world. Early era museums were patronized by
the then kings and emperors. Today these are
maintained by governments or private trusts with or
without public money. Three major museum institutes are
British Museum, Museum of Modern Art, New York and
Galerie des Offices in France.

Understanding art in its totality is almost an impossible
task for a human being. There are over 3,600 terms in art
to be understood. And these are not definitive in nature.
Art is when you are free to redefine these.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Wildlife Art - Its History and Development

Summary

Some of the earliest of all known art (pre-historic cave and rock art) features wildlife. However, it might be more properly regarded as art about food, rather than art about wildlife as such.

Then for a lot of the rest of the history of art in the western world, art depicting wildlife was mostly absent, due to the fact that art during this period was mostly dominated by narrow perspectives on reality, such as religions. It is only more recently, as society, and the art it produces, frees itself from such narrow world-views, that wildlife art flourishes.

Wildlife is also a difficult subject for the artist, as it is difficult to find and even more difficult to find keeping still in a pose, long enough to even sketch, let alone paint. Recent advances such as photography have made this far easier, as well as being artforms in their own right. Wildlife art is thus now far easier to accomplish both accurately and aesthetically.

In art from outside the western world, wild animals and birds have been portrayed much more frequently throughout history.

Art about wild animals began as a depiction of vital food-sources, in pre-history. At the beginnings of history the western world seems to have shut itself off from the natural world for long periods, and this is reflected in the lack of wildlife art throughout most of art history. More recently, societies, and the art it produces, have become much more broad-minded. Wildlife has become something to marvel at as new areas of the world were explored for the first time, something to hunt for pleasure, to admire aesthetically, and to conserve. These interests are reflected in the wildlife art produced.

The History and development of Wildlife Art...

Wildlife art in Pre-history.

Animal and bird art appears in some of the earliest known examples of artistic creation, such as cave paintings and rock art

The earliest known cave paintings were made around 40,000 years ago, the Upper Paleolithic period. These art works might be more than decoration of living areas as they are often in caves which are difficult to access and don't show any signs of human habitation. Wildlife was a significant part of the daily life of humans at this time, particularly in terms of hunting for food, and this is reflected in their art. Religious interpretation of the natural world is also assumed to be a significant factor in the depiction of animals and birds at this time.

Probably the most famous of all cave painting, in Lascaux (France), includes the image of a wild horse, which is one of the earliest known examples of wildlife art. Another example of wildlife cave painting is that of reindeer in the Spanish cave of Cueva de las Monedas, probably painted at around the time of the last ice-age. The oldest known cave paintings (maybe around 32,000 years old) are also found in France, at the Grotte Chauvet, and depict horses, rhinoceros, lions, buffalo, mammoth and humans, often hunting.

Wildlife painting is one of the commonest forms of cave art. Subjects are often of large wild animals, including bison, horses, aurochs, lions, bears and deer. The people of this time were probably relating to the natural world mostly in terms of their own survival, rather than separating themselves from it.

Cave paintings found in Africa often include animals. Cave paintings from America include animal species such as rabbit, puma, lynx, deer, wild goat and sheep, whale, turtle, tuna, sardine, octopus, eagle, and pelican, and is noted for its high quality and remarkable color. Rock paintings made by Australian Aborigines include so-called "X-ray" paintings which show the bones and organs of the animals they depict. Paintings on caves/rocks in Australia include local species of animals, fish and turtles.

Animal carvings were also made during the Upper Paleolithic period... which constitute the earliest examples of wildlife sculpture.

In Africa, bushman rock paintings, at around 8000 BC, clearly depict antelope and other animals.

The advent of the Bronze age in Europe, from the 3rd Millennium BC, led to a dedicated artisan class, due to the beginnings of specialization resulting from the surpluses available in these advancing societies. During the Iron age, mythical and natural animals were a common subject of artworks, often involving decoration of objects such as plates, knives and cups. Celtic influences affected the art and architecture of local Roman colonies, and outlasted them, surviving into the historic period.

Wildlife Art in the Ancient world (Classical art).

History is considered to begin at the time writing is invented. The earliest examples of ancient art originate from Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The great art traditions have their origins in the art of one of the six great ancient "classical" civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, India, or China. Each of these great civilizations developed their own unique style of art.

Animals were commonly depicted in Chinese art, including some examples from the 4th Century which depict stylized mythological creatures and thus are rather a departure from pure wildlife art. Ming dynasty Chinese art features pure wildlife art, including ducks, swans, sparrows, tigers, and other animals and birds, with increasing realism and detail.

In the 7th Century, Elephants, monkeys and other animals were depicted in stone carvings in Ellora, India. These carvings were religious in nature, yet depicted real animals rather than more mythological creatures.

Ancient Egyptian art includes many animals, used within the symbolic and highly religious nature of Egyptian art at the time, yet showing considerable anatomical knowledge and attention to detail. Animal symbols are used within the famous Egyptian hieroglyphic symbolic language.

Early South American art often depicts representations of a divine jaguar.

The Minoans, the greatest civilization of the Bronze Age, created naturalistic designs including fish, squid and birds in their middle period. By the late Minoan period, wildlife was still the most characteristic subject of their art, with increasing variety of species.

The art of the nomadic people of the Mongolian steppes is primarily animal art, such as gold stags, and is typically small in size as befits their traveling lifestyle.

Aristotle (384-322 BC) suggested the concept of photography, but this wasn't put into practice until 1826.

The Medieval period, AD 200 to 1430

This period includes early Christian and Byzantine art, as well as Romanesque and Gothic art (1200 to 1430). Most of the art which survives from this period is religious, rather than realistic, in nature. Animals in art at this time were used as symbols rather than representations of anything in the real world. So very little wildlife art as such could be said to exist at all during this period.

Renaissance wildlife art, 1300 to 1602.

This arts movement began from ideas which initially emerged in Florence. After centuries of religious domination of the arts, Renaissance artists began to move more towards ancient mystical themes and depicting the world around them, away from purely Christian subject matter. New techniques, such as oil painting and portable paintings, as well as new ways of looking such as use of perspective and realistic depiction of textures and lighting, led to great changes in artistic expression.

The two major schools of Renaissance art were the Italian school who were heavily influenced by the art of ancient Greece and Rome, and the northern Europeans... Flemish, Dutch and Germans, who were generally more realistic and less idealized in their work. The art of the Renaissance reflects the revolutions in ideas and science which occurred in this Reformation period.

The early Renaissance features artists such as Botticelli, and Donatello. Animals are still being used symbolically and in mythological context at this time, for example "Pegasus" by Jacopo de'Barbari.

The best-known artist of the high Renaissance is Leonardo-Da-Vinci. Although most of his artworks depict people and technology, he occasionally incorporates wildlife into his images, such as the swan in "Leda and the swan", and the animals portrayed in his "lady with an ermine", and "studies of cat movements and positions".

Durer is regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern European Renaissance. Albrecht Durer was particularly well-known for his wildlife art, including pictures of hare, rhinoceros, bullfinch, little owl, squirrels, the wing of a blue roller, monkey, and blue crow.

Baroque wildlife art, 1600 to 1730.

This important artistic age, encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church and the aristocracy of the time, features such well-known great artists as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez, Poussin, and Vermeer. Paintings of this period often use lighting effects to increase the dramatic effect.

Wildlife art of this period includes a lion, and "goldfinch" by Carel Fabrituis.

Melchior de Hondecoeter was a specialist animal and bird artist in the baroque period with paintings including "revolt in the poultry coup", "cocks fighting" and "palace of Amsterdam with exotic birds".

The Rococo art period was a later (1720 to 1780) decadent sub-genre of the Baroque period, and includes such famous painters as Canaletto, Gainsborough and Goya. Wildlife art of the time includes "Dromedary study" by Jean Antoine Watteau, and "folly of beasts" by Goya.

Jean-Baptiste Oudry was a Rococo wildlife specialist, who often painted commissions for royalty.

Some of the earliest scientific wildlife illustration was also created at around this time, for example from artist William Lewin who published a book illustrating British birds, painted entirely by hand.

Wildlife art in the 18th to 19th C.

In 1743, Mark Catesby published his documentation of the flora and fauna of the explored areas of the New World, which helped encourage both business investment and interest in the natural history of the continent.

In response to the decadence of the Rococo period, neo-classicism arose in the late 18th Century (1750-1830 ). This genre is more ascetic, and contains much sensuality, but none of the spontaneity which characterizes the later Romantic period. This movement focused on the supremacy of natural order over man's will, a concept which culminated in the romantic art depiction of disasters and madness.

Francois Le Vaillant (1769-1832) was a bird illustrator (and ornithologist) around this time.

Georges Cuvier, (1769-1832), painted accurate images of more than 5000 fish, relating to his studies of comparative organismal biology.

Edward Hicks is an example of an American wildlife painter of this period, who's art was dominated by his religious context.

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer was also painting wildlife at this time, in a style strongly influenced by dramatic emotional judgments of the animals involved.

This focus towards nature led the painters of the Romantic era (1790 - 1880) to transform landscape painting, which had previously been a minor art form, into an art-form of major importance. The romantics rejected the ascetic ideals of Neo-Classicalism.

The practical use of photography began in around 1826, although it was a while before wildlife became a common subject for its use. The first color photograph was taken in 1861, but easy-to-use color plates only became available in 1907.

In 1853 Bisson and Mante created some of the first known wildlife photography.

In France, Gaspar-Felix Tournacho, "Nadar" (1820-1910) applied the same aesthetic principles used in painting, to photography, thus beginning the artistic discipline of fine art photography. Fine Art photography Prints were also reproduced in Limited Editions, making them more valuable.

Jaques-Laurent Agasse was one of the foremost painters of animals in Europe around the end of the 18th C and the beginning of the 19th. His animal art was unusually realistic for the time, and he painted some wild animals including giraffe and leopards.

Romantic wildlife art includes "zebra", "cheetah, stag and two Indians", at least two monkey paintings, a leopard and "portrait of a royal tiger" by George Stubbs who also did many paintings of horses.

One of the great wildlife sculptors of the Romantic period was Antoine-Louis Barye. Barye was also a wildlife painter, who demonstrated the typical dramatic concepts and lighting of the romantic movement.

Delacroix painted a tiger attacking a horse, which as is common with Romantic paintings, paints subject matter on the border between human (a domesticated horse) and the natural world (a wild tiger).

In America, the landscape painting movement of the Romantic era was known as the Hudson River School (1850s - c. 1880). These landscapes occasionally include wildlife, such as the deer in "Dogwood" and "valley of the Yosemite" by Albert Bierstadt, and more obviously in his "buffalo trail", but the focus is on the landscape rather than the wildlife in it.

Wildlife artist Ivan Ivanovitch Shishkin demonstrates beautiful use of light in his landscape-oriented wildlife art.

Although Romantic painting focused on nature, it rarely portrayed wild animals, tending much more towards the borders between man and nature, such as domesticated animals and people in landscapes rather than the landscapes themselves. Romantic art seems in a way to be about nature, but usually only shows nature from a human perspective.

Audubon was perhaps the most famous painter of wild birds at around this time, with a distinctive American style, yet painting the birds realistically and in context, although in somewhat over-dramatic poses. As well as birds, he also painted the mammals of America, although these works of his are somewhat less well known. At around the same time In Europe, Rosa Bonheur was finding fame as a wildlife artist.

Amongst Realist art, "the raven" by Manet and "stags at rest" by Rosa Bonheur are genuine wildlife art. However in this artistic movement animals are much more usually depicted obviously as part of a human context.

The wildlife art of the impressionist movement includes "angler's prize" by Theodore Clement Steele, and the artist Joseph Crawhall was a specialist wildlife artist strongly influenced by impressionism.

At this time, accurate scientific wildlife illustration was also being created. One name known for this kind of work in Europe is John Gould although his wife Elizabeth was the one who actually did most of the illustrations for his books on birds.

Post-impressionism (1886 - 1905, France) includes a water-bird in Rousseau's "snake charmer", and Rousseau's paintings, which include wildlife, are sometimes considered Post-impressionist (as well as Fauvist, see below).

Fauvism (1904 - 1909, France) often considered the first "modern" art movement, re-thought use of color in art. The most famous fauvist is Matisse, who depicts birds and fish in is "polynesie la Mer" and birds in his "Renaissance". Other wildlife art in this movement includes a tiger in "Surprised! Storm in the Forest" by Rousseau, a lion in his "sleeping Gypsy" and a jungle animal in his "exotic landscape". Georges Braque depicts a bird in many of his artworks, including "L'Oiseaux Bleu et Gris", and his "Astre et l'Oiseau".

Ukiyo-e-printmaking (Japanese wood-block prints, originating from 17th C) was becoming known in the West, during the 19th C, and had a great influence on Western painters, particularly in France.

Wildlife art in this genre includes several untitled prints (owl, bird, eagle) by Ando Hiroshige, and "crane", "cat and butterfly", "wagtail and wisteria" by Hokusai Katsushika.

Wildlife art in the 20th Century, Contemporary art, postmodern art, etc.

Changing from the relatively stable views of a mechanical universe held in the 19th-century, the 20th-century shatters these views with such advances as Einstein's Relativity and Freuds sub-conscious psychological influence.

The greater degree of contact with the rest of the world had a significant influence on Western arts, such as the influence of African and Japanese art on Pablo Picasso, for example.

American Wildlife artist Carl Runguis spans the end of the 19th and the beginnings of the 20th Century. His style evolved from tightly rendered scientific-influenced style, through impressionist influence, to a more painterly approach.

The golden age of illustration includes mythical wildlife "The firebird" by Edmund Dulac, and "tile design of Heron and Fish" by Walter Crane.

George Braque's birds can be defined as Analytical Cubist (this genre was jointly developed by Braque and Picasso from 1908 to 1912), (as well as Fauvist). Fernand Leger also depicts birds in his "Les Oiseaux".

There was also accurate scientific wildlife illustration being done at around this time, such as those done by America illustrator Louis Agassiz Fuertes who painted birds in America as well as other countries.

Expressionism (1905 - 1930, Germany). "Fox", "monkey Frieze, "red deer", and "tiger", etc by Franz Marc qualify as wildlife art, although to contemporary viewers seem more about the style than the wildlife.

Postmodernism as an art genre, which has developed since the 1960's, looks to the whole range of art history for its inspiration, as contrasted with Modernism which focuses on its own limited context. A different yet related view of these genres is that Modernism attempts to search for an idealized truth, where as post-modernism accepts the impossibility of such an ideal. This is reflected, for example, in the rise of abstract art, which is an art of the indefinable, after about a thousand years of art mostly depicting definable objects.

Magic realism (1960's Germany) often included animals and birds, but usually as a minor feature among human elements, for example, swans and occasionally other animals in many paintings by Michael Parkes.

In 1963, Ray Harm is a significant bird artist.

Robert Rauschenberg's "American eagle", a Pop Art (mid 1950's onwards) piece, uses the image of an eagle as a symbol rather than as something in its own right, and thus is not really wildlife art. The same applies to Any Warhol's "Butterflys".

Salvador Dali, the best known of Surrealist (1920's France, onwards) artists, uses wild animals in some of his paintings, for example "Landscape with Butterflys", but within the context of surrealism, depictions of wildlife become conceptually something other than what they might appear to be visually, so they might not really be wildlife at all. Other examples of wildlife in Surrealist art are Rene Magritte's "La Promesse" and "L'entre ed Scene".

Op art (1964 onwards) such as M. C. Escher's "Sky and Water" shows ducks and fish, and "mosaic II" shows many animals and birds, but they are used as image design elements rather than the art being about the animals.

Roger Tory Peterson created fine wildlife art, which although being clear illustrations for use in his book which was the first real field guide to birds, are also aesthetically worthy bird paintings.

Young British Artists (1988 onwards). Damien Hirst uses a shark in a tank as one of his artworks. It is debatable whether this piece could be considered as wildlife art, because even though the shark is the focus of the piece, the piece is not really about the shark itself, but probably more about the shark's effect on the people viewing it. It could be said to be more a use of wildlife in/as art, than a work of wildlife art.

Wildlife art continues to be popular today, with such artists as Robert Bateman being very highly regarded, although in his case somewhat controversial for his release of Limited-Edition prints which certain fine-art critics deplore.