Introduction
Art is a creative activity that involves reimagining the human experience. Thus, different types of art can be closely connected with important elements of human experience, such as history and culture. In a way, art reflects society, and society can influence art by introducing new and unique ways or creative expressions of human experience.
Some people actively try to create an image of art as a complex subject accessible only to the elites. However, art is widely present in everyday life, and its influence can even be traced to the comfort level in the design of everyday items. Comparing how individuals perceive different visual art pieces can identify how artists use creative choices to create an image of the human experience.
Maple Leaves at Mama by Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige
The first art piece featured in the chapter materials that captured my attention with its unique form and execution is Ando Hiroshige’s print. The art piece, Maple Leaves at Mama, features an image of a sunset landscape in the background with two maple trees in the foreground (Hiroshige, 1857). Maple leaves hanging from the trees’ branches occupy the central part of the composition, emphasizing their beauty and distinct color. The element that attracted me the most in the composition was the contrast between the bright gradient sky and the dark and detailed maple leaves, which separated them from the background. From studying the art piece, I concluded that such composition allowed the artist to create a most accurate representation of the local nature scene.
Furthermore, after acquiring more information about prints and their accessibility, I understood that the format responded to the growing demand for art, and local nature scenes presented a popular theme (Sporre, 2014). Thus, studying the art piece allowed me to understand the artist’s intentions and creative choices.
Capture of New Orleans by Julian Oliver Davidson
Furthermore, the second art piece that captured my attention was a lithography of a Civil War battle by Louis Prang. The complexity of the composition in a recreation of real-life events is what initially engaged me in the art piece. Furthermore, after studying the art piece closer, I was impressed by how the combination of blue and purple color hues was used in the art piece to recreate smoke, water, sky, and fire (Prang & Co, 1886).
Thus, even though the image captures the sight of a tragic event, the art piece still looks impressive and grand, thanks to the choice of colors. Prang’s collection of Civil War paintings engages people in history by creating magnificent artworks of important battles using lithography technology. Therefore, in this case, defining the motives for the art piece’s creation also helps explain the artist’ creative choices.
Reflection and Conclusion
Therefore, after analyzing my perception of two art pieces, I learned that art can be more complex when taken in the context of the environment in which the artwork was created. Before starting the course, I did not know that acquiring the context can alter or change the perception of art, eliminating the complexity of the art’s form. The preconception I brought into class was that visual art is limited in its content and, therefore, can be easier to understand.
However, acquiring a deeper understanding of the connection between art and humanities allowed me to acknowledge that the only difference is that art is more focused on the creative interpretation of human experience. Thus, learning the information significantly influenced my perception of art, its purpose, and the complexity behind the creative process. Moreover, what I have learned from the course inspired me to change my approach to studying and understanding visual art in the future to more careful and informed analysis.
References
Hiroshige, A. (1857). Maple Trees at Mama, Tekona Shrine and Linked Bridge [Woodblock print]. Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY, United States. Web.
Prang, L., & Co. (1886). The Capture of New Orleans during the Civil War [Litograph]. Huntington Digital Library. Web.
Sporre, D. J. (2014). Perceiving the arts: An Introduction to the humanities. Pearson.