“Art is long; life is short, experience difficult” Confucius
It is no secret that some of the greatest works of art have been created to celebrate faith and paid for by the religious institutions of the time. These religious institutions were the sponsors of great artists like Michelangelo and Davinci; without the support of the Church these artists would have been reduced to nothing more than starving paupers like so many who came before and after them. Some celebrated artists acquired fame long after they were dead and had rotted but some did achieve a certain amount of fame and fortune in their lifetimes like Jean Claude Monet.
For the most part, architecture, sculpture and painting were just a tool to impress the parishioners of the institutions they frequented. In view of the lack of literacy, the stories of the Scriptures had to be depicted in some way or another for the laymen to understand and remember. Then the works of art became an integral part of the decorations of those monuments to ignorance and superstition we know as churches or cathedrals.
Music was also a tool the religious institutions used as a mean to convey their message. Some of the greatest musical geniuses worked for the Church and their legacy is still appreciated today in sacred music. It wasn’t until later that the more secular musical contributions came when rulers, enamored by the need for power and validation became sponsors of musicians and composers.
With the appearance of the press and the increase in the numbers of people who could read and write the Church lost its relevance because the general population could now have access to the Scriptures without an intermediary. It was then that Western society experienced the Reformation.
For far too long human beings were kept ignorant and dominated by a very cruel and omnipotent Church. The Vatican was the boss and they wanted to keep the masses obedient. The Pope was the ultimate figurehead reigning over a vast empire and was even above all feudal lords and kings. He was infallible. The Church is responsible for maintaining humanity in a state of ignorance and misery. The dark ages attest to this and the Inquisition was a cruel exponent of the efforts of the Church to maintain its stronghold on the masses.
http://www.vaticanbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/vatican-bank.jpg
For those of you who have not studied Art History, here is the Rape of Prosperina by Bernini. Bernini completed it in 1622, when he was only 23 years old. It is currently in the Galleria Borghese in Rome; followed by a more contemporary variation from our gay community.
http://www.telemachus12.com/guestgals.html
Architecture became an exact science with the Greeks. They established a very viable formula for linear and symmetrical spacing and the placement of the elements was then subjected to strict rules that resulted in the most elegant and symmetrical structures.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/parthenon-and-the-acropolis-landmark-1.jpg
The Romans were perhaps the most prolific contributors to architecture and most of their theories, methods, materials and ideas remain popular and in use to this day. The Romans invented some very important elements that were incorporated into architecture. The arch is perhaps the most important of them all followed by the dome and by the use of cement. It was this material that made it possible for Romans to build some incredible structures that are still standing today 2,000 years later.
http://www.tomisimo.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/segovia-roman-aqueduct.jpg
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/22/c9/be/cupola-of-the-pantheon.jpg
In 15th-century Florence, Brunelleschi's buildings and Alberti's treatise first established the principles of Italian Renaissance architecture in practice and theory. This survey ranges from Brunelleschi's dome for the Florence Cathedral to the works of Bramante and Leonardo in the Quattro cento.
The contributions of these architects can’t be ignored because they provided the basis for what we know today as planned architecture with the establishment of the one point perspective and then facilitating the whole process of planning a building by writing it down or drawing it if you will in the form of floor plans or what we know today as blueprints.
In our contemporary times we see cities being built from scratch, within a few years, a dessert, or a prairie makes room for a very modern, sophisticated and prosperous new city. Brasilia in the 50’s and Dubai today. Tomorrow? Well nobody knows...
Through all of history we have seen man build walls. Some walls are built to keep out the enemies; sometimes man builds walls to keep people in. Whatever the reason, some have taken on a life of its own in history and in folklore to represent a particular period of history or even the depiction of a particular culture. Here are some good examples of famous and infamous walls:
http://thecurvature.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/border-fence.jpg
http://www.fortunewatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dubai-city2.jpg
http://www.sunandskihomes.co.uk/country_images/dubai%20tower.jpg
http://www.fortunewatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dubai-city2.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2170/2079042842_538d90ebcf_b.jpg
We see today the erections of skyscrapers that would astound the builders of yesterday with structures that surpass any imaginable height of even a century ago. The advent of steel as a building material has made this possible. Before, structures could only be built with what free standing stone or concrete could support, thus the lower level walls needed to be of immense thickness to hold the upper floors.
What is in store for the future? Nobody knows. The imagination can run away with some of the most outlandish concepts and there are some already in the works.
Mankind has been forever preoccupied with depicting his environment and putting down some observations with the purpose of preserving it for posterity or to convey some message. This endeavor has been one of man’s activities since he first made his home in the ancient caves he used as dwellings. He left his mark there in the form of monochromatic images of the world around him.
http://coquinadaily.com/daily/imagesdaily/080305/cave%20paintings/a172lascaux1.jpg
http://www.kenrickparish.com/catholicdistance/summer07/sistine%20chapel.jpg
http://safetravel.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/monalisa1.jpg
http://rlv.zcache.com/monet_the_water_lily_pond_poster-p228271988133862710yx2r_400.jpg
The Sainte-Victoire Mountain near Cézanne's home in Aix-en-Provence was one of his favorite subjects and he is known to have painted it over 60 times. Cézanne was fascinated by the rugged architectural forms in the mountains of Provence and painted the same scene from many different angles. He would use bold blocks of color to achieve a new spatial effect known as ``flat-depth'' to accommodate the unusual geological forms of the mountains. Cézanne travelled widely in the Provence region and also enjoyed painting the coast at L'Estaque.
http://www.dl.ket.org/webmuseum/wm/paint/auth/cezanne/st-victoire/cezanne.1897.jpg
http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/afp/par1750980.hmedium.jpg
The camera and photography contributed greatly to the transformation of the plastic arts. Since it was no longer necessary to employ the services of a painter to depict a true to life, realistic image because the camera was able to do a better job, the whole notion of art took a 180 degree turn. Impressionism, cubism, abstract and others followed. It was now the artist’s own terms, the artist saw what he thought he saw and conveyed it in a much different way. Distortions, simplifications, stylization and exaggerations were becoming the norm rather than the exception.
What is in store for the future of art with the new developments in technologies? The sky is the limit…digital images of the most unlikely scenarios and possibilities are now being created and promise to only be limited to what is the limit in the confines of the imagination…
http://www.humorearth.com/galleries/1254331663/14.jpg
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