may be and however limited by their circumstances, everyone manages to form some sort of artistic expression. Some people lack the resources to produce anything more permanent than an image scratched in the dirt beneath their feet, and such poor souls probably have very limited experience of artistic expression and therefore arguably less appreciation of it. But nevertheless they feel that innate human desire to express themselves in some way other than verbally.On the other hand, some people with ridiculous amounts of money sometimes decide that the best way to invest a few million dollars of it is by buying an image painted on a piece of canvas a couple of centuries ago by a man who had nothing else to do. Artistic expression can take very many and very diverse forms, and can be very variously valued, both emotionally and financially. It can be abstract or objective, two or three dimensional, conceptual or practical.
- Portraits, landscapes, photographs, and abstract paintings
- Impressionism
- Installations and statues
- Architecture
- Interior and exterior designs
- Vehicle designs
Everyday Art
Of those listed above, the art form probably most frequently seen by most people is vehicle design. A huge number of people, especially boys and men, have a great appreciation of car designs. Clever advertising makes them believe, if only subconsciously, that a fast and sexy car makes its driver more attractive to the opposite sex. A good engine, suspension and comfortable interior are good selling points for an automobile, but nothing improves car sales as much as a sexy exterior. The most significant way that we can express our own artistic tastes is surely through the interior design of our own homes. This can include many different forms of both two and three dimensional art, from pictures on walls, carpets and curtains to vases, ornaments, furniture, and their arrangement. You can have impressionism in one room, photography in another, Oriental vases here and blown glass there. Your garden also can be a great place to express yourself artistically, for the enjoyment of all who pass by.
Every day we pass many buildings, private and commercial, big and small, and those of us who are lucky enough to live in a town with architectural diversity should take a little time to enjoy it. If you go around looking at your feet and where you are putting them, you may miss some very interesting angles, arches, balconies, gables, roofs and other aspects of architectural designs. The diversity in some towns is interesting in itself.
International Art
If you live within easy travelling distance from a major gallery, you may be lucky enough to be able to visit and view occasional exhibitions from other countries and, more significantly, other artistic cultures. However, it is amazing how many people travel abroad each year and take almost no interest in the artistic cultures of the places they visit. How many people take holidays to Tenerife, for example, and spend a couple of weeks there without making any attempt to see, look at or appreciate the local art scene? It’s not as if the average holiday makers are so busy that they can’t find the time for such cultural activities, since many of them spend hours working on their tan and skin cancer. If you go skiing in a small resort or snorkeling off a small island then you have a pretty good excuse for not taking time to absorb the local art.
But if you visit any medium or large town or city during your holiday, or during your travels in a foreign country, you really would expand your artistic horizons and appreciation by seeking out a gallery or two, a museum or even better some local art shops. Investing in some of the local or indigenous art will not set you back millions of dollars, and possibly only peanuts, relatively speaking. If you decorate your own home or immediate surroundings with some foreign art, something not generally seen in your neighborhood or town, you will be making the place a little more interesting, a little more diverse, and a little bit less the same as everywhere else. You will also arouse the interest of your friends and neighbors, albeit not quite as much as a new Ferrari would do so.
