The Enduring Value of History - Assignment Example

Introduction Arts play a very important role in the society both socially and economically. It is evident that the social impact of arts is unique and each person may have a different interpretation of the same piece of art work. Yet, this parody of interpretation defines the most interesting aspect of art1. The message that art work deliver is different depending on the person viewing it and the occasion. However, exemplary artwork helps to inspire and spur the imagination of the target audience. In the process of interpreting the artwork, a person essentially undergoes a self discovery process that calls for their inner creativity to unravel the mystery in the art (Stevenson, 2007). Art has been part of mankind from ancient times through to the present society. The scope of a piece of art may not be necessary be restricted to any specific category. Rather, real art work seeks to present the different aspects of the society in a visually captivating manner. The use of artwork varies depending on different factors. It is evident from history that pieces of art were used as decorations in palaces and churches. In some instances, the artwork was used to deliver important messages in a visual manner and capture historical events for the sake of posterity for future generations. A novel use of artwork has been its use in the workplaces. It should be noted that in the present society, pieces of art work in the workplace play a much more significant role on top of serving as decorations. Carefully assembled pieces of art can be used to emphasis on the values of a company and its driving ethos. Such art helps to align the employees of the company with the overall vision and values of their company. In a general sense, art work may be divided into the categories of modern art and contemporary art. Modern art refers to the dated art work of previous eras while contemporary art refers to the art works of the present time. There is debate on the appropriateness of either of the two types of art in the workplace and their contribution to the performance of employees in the company. This paper seeks to evaluate the strong points for both the types of art and how their fusion can help in meeting the requirements of Apperception in the design of their new offices2. Modern Art The history of modern art dates back to 1880. Modern art broke from the restrictions of realism in art that was the norm in those days. Modern art embraced a subjective representation of real life objects. Modern artwork is more inclined to looking inwards and artists seek to portray the evolution of their subject over a period of time. According to Gregory, this form of art was targeted at showcasing the evolution of ideas over time and the impact of the society3. Modern art evolved over time to present the changes in the society. Impressionism was the first form of modern art that deviated from the traditional aspects of art. The modern artists who practiced this style focused majorly on recreating the scene of the art and appealing to the emotional aspect of the painting. Cubism was more inclined towards finding strong forms for art work instead of just squares. The composition of the artwork was given prominence and primitive geometric shapes were not prioritized. The most vital aspect of modern art that is relevant to the requirements of Apperception is the use abstraction. Abstract art focuses on a feeling of thought that cannot be quantified and not necessarily a recognizable object. The paintings that applied this style showcased several layers of abstraction. The importance of this abstraction is that it spurs the mind to generate interpretations of the painting in several unique ways4. It’s a possibility to have a unique interpretation of the painting each time that he sees it. This is important in the operations of Apperception since it is driven by creative ideas. The modern paintings of abstract nature spur the imagination and creative side due to their varied interpretation. It should be noted that modern art gave birth to the graphics and modern day photography that redefined the field of visual arts. Several artist stood out in conceptualizing modern art chief among is Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. The paintings of Picasso have become infamous especially for their captivating nature. One of the most recognized paintings by Picasso is the Guernica shown below Originally, the painting was intended to illustrate the sad events in the Spanish war. The use of black and imagery was to show the suffering of the people at that time. Yet the abstract nature of the drawing may be subject to various interpretations and therefore impact on stimulating mind activity. This kind of artistic abstraction in modern art is important to showcase the values of Apperception which is inclined towards creative ideas. In an advertising agency, it is important to have a steady stream of creative ideas. The abstract paintings show the way in which ideas flow and grow with time. The continuity and organic growth of ideas cannot be restricted to the minute detail since the marketing environment is very dynamic. Therefore, the artwork in the design of the new offices should showcase the flow of ideas and the varied ways of interpreting the representation of advertising. The freedom of abstraction in modern art enables an individual to think differently and transform ideas in flexible ways without any restrictions to pe defined conditions. Such freedom is essential in the design and implementation of advertising ideas in a purely unique manner. As abstract art shows, generation of ideas should not be static but rather a dynamic and continuous process that goes on throughout Contemporary Art A conservative definition of contemporary art would significantly emphasize the fact that it is the art work of the present. Contemporary art is not defined according to the type of art work but rather according to the time it was made. Pieces of contemporary art are a creation of “now”, depicting the present day society. It seeks to represent present day issues such as wars, religion other social factors instead of emphasizing on aesthetics like modern art. Mark notes that contemporary art carries a functional message to the society concerning pertinent issues5. For instance, an artist may create a piece of work that depicts the impact of poverty in the third world countries. The artwork may illustrate the deplorable hygienic conditions in the slums, the poor building structures and the unfriendly environment. Creative contemporary art seeks to empathize or celebrate the issue that is depicted in the artwork. The artist may create images that inspire hope by drawing art work that show cases victory in order to encourage the people that the future is bright. On the other hand, a depiction of miserable conditions of suffering may serve to highlight the immense problems facing the world and perhaps spur them into action. There is an enormous appreciation of contemporary art due to its understandability. The message of a piece of contemporary art is usually clear and it is easy to comprehend the intention of the artist. Modern art relied heavily on creating a mystery that had to be unraveled by the admirer of the work of art. In fact, modern art relied on the ambiguity of its message to captivate the imaginations of its audience. Contrary to this, contemporary art is straight forward and the audience is not subjected to ambiguity of the message. The wide appreciation of contemporary art may also be attributed to its ease of accessibility. Contemporary art may be available in several forms including digital copies. This has made it easy for most people to access these pieces of art and keep them at their homes or offices. In the era of modern art, it was difficult to access the original paintings since they were hand painted and circulation was restricted. The only people who would access such pieces of art were the elite and art enthusiasts. Contemporary art seeks to showcase to the public by making pieces of art easily accessible. In this way, the admirers of art have increased from the previously reserved few. The beauty of contemporary art lies in its ability to depict present day issues that are concern to the society. Contemporary art has a wide scope and can be applied to depict ideas from a wide scope. The depiction of present issues helps to remind the audience about the pertinent issues of the day and hence spur them to act o the issue. A company like Apperception deals with the dynamic field of advertising and marketing which calls for a concerted effort to generate ideas that are relevant to the present day issues and also futuristic. The works on contemporary art show the appreciation of present day issues and an understanding of present helps to anticipate the future. A vivid impression of the competitive business environment that portrays the market for products can serve to illustrate to the staff the importance of differentiation in order to succeed in the present day environment. Pieces of contemporary art may also show case the beauty of designing aesthetically appealing products that are objects of desire. The trend of consumerism has created a society that desires to own things on a purely non functional basis. The advertising industry needs creative minds that can sustain the culture of consumerism to ensure that companies maintain high sales volumes. Contemporary art will serve as a reminder of the present day issues that are relevant to the business environment and hence inspire solutions to these issues. The use of contemporary art is also a pointer to the fact that the company is cognizant of the present day trends. The straight forward nature of contemporary art helps to be put everybody at ease concerning the comprehension of the art work since it does not need too much analyzing. Therefore, even the people who are not necessarily art enthusiasts will not be sidelined. Fusion of Modern and Contemporary Art Art is a means of self expression and a mirror of the society. Modern art and contemporary art differ in fundamental ways but basically they are both forms of art. One of the issues of great debate in the realm of art is whether these forms of art can coexist and complement each other. Suffice to say, I consider them to be like different sides of the coin which are interdependent. Modern art has its strength in abstraction. This makes it possible to portray ideas that are otherwise non conventional and mostly from the perspective of the artists. As such, modern art has a tendency of being unique and sometimes giving a point of view that is novel. It seeks to portray the world in a different light and usually the drawing is presented from the artists’ point of view. The uniqueness of modern art and its abstraction help to create a free flow of fresh ideas from the observer. This kind of uniqueness espouses hitherto unheard of lines of thought that help to generate new ideas to tackle the present and future challenges. In the case of Apperception, their industry needs creativity in terms of ideas. The abstraction in modern art can help to show case the company as a creative agency that appreciates original ideas. This is important since it resonates well with the ethos and vision of the company which says that “Ideas Drive”. On the other hand, contemporary art strives to stay in touch with the present issues and ideals. The contemporary pieces of art capture the issues that are relevant and realistic in the society. In making of contemporary pieces of art, modern technology is put in use and the artists show case their works using many mediums. Thus, contemporary art handles is meant for consumption by the public. The pertinent feature of contemporary art is that it engages the audiences with real issues. This helps to show case reality from another perspective to the audience. Imperatively, this presents a different way of looking at a problem and thus new solutions may be found. As discussed above, both forms of art have inherent strengths that make them indispensable. The question that comes into mind is whether these two forms of art can be used together to complement each other. As noted by Kuspit (2003), all forms of art essentially borrow from each other. This means that a diligent use of both modern and contemporary art can produce sterling results. In the scenario of Apperception, the combination of modern and contemporary art will augur well with the values of the company. It is an up-and-coming advertising and marketing company that is renowned for its futuristic and well designed work for technology companies. The company thrives in generation of forward thinking ideas that enable it to satisfy the needs of its clients. In order to meet create an environment that fosters new directions of thinking, modern art can play a great role. The various interpretations of abstract paintings can spur the mind to think in creative ways which can be harnessed to generate relevant business ideas. The ambiguity and diverse themes presented by modern art avail a boundless opportunity for a person to pursue many lines of thought. This helps to generate new ways of thinking about a given problem and thus effectively generate new solutions. It should also be noted that Apperception has to stay in touch with the present trends and occurrences in the industries that it operates. Contemporary pieces of art are a reflection of the present issues and hence they can be very relevant in for the company. By having contemporary pieces of art in the new office, the company will project of understanding present issues pertaining to their industry. The staff will have a visual representation of the major issues in the industry and hence try to come up with practical solutions to those issues6. Also, contemporary pieces of art are easy to comprehend hence even the visitors to the offices who might not necessarily be art oriented will not feel overwhelmed. In fact, they might be as well be presented with a unique way of viewing the present issues in a visual form and obtain a new perspective concerning the issues. The fusion of modern art and contemporary art will show that Apperception is not only in touch with the present issues but also values the background and past issues. The generation of ideas is a process that entails a proper understanding of both the past and present circumstances concerning an issue. By embracing both modern and contemporary art, the company will project an image of being wholesome in handling challenges. As outlined in its requirements, the company aims at setting up a collection of contemporary art to show there, one that will both provide intellectual inspiration for the companys employees and encapsulate its ethos, “Ideas Drive.” Modern art will help to provide the intellectual stimulation that is required to generate cutting edge ideas for advertising ideas in the media and technology industries7. On the other hand, contemporary art will help to provide an environment that presents a real overview of the present issues in the industry hence help to generate ideas that are relevant to tackle the challenges of the present time. Conclusion Modern art and contemporary art have evolved over time in different ways. Modern art is characterized by abstract concepts that portray an artist’s view of an issue. Contemporary art is more inclined towards the present issues in the society and tends to be easy to comprehend. However, both forms of art serve the same function of self expression of different issues. The strengths of both forms of art can be harnessed to provide an environment that stimulates generation of ideas. The contemporary aspect of art can help to ground the in view of having solutions relevant to the problems at hand. Apperception prides itself in providing futuristic and well designed work in the technology and media fields. Therefore, the collection should be something which shows the enduring value of ideas, and the way that ideas, at least as they are made manifest in works of art, get built upon, modified, critiqued, and renewed by consecutive generations of artist. The use of both modern and contemporary collections will sufficiently meet the needs of the company and spur creative generation of ideas. . Bibliography Adams, Sylivester & Hughes, John. Modern Art Evolution. New York: Pearson Publishers, 2008. David, Craig & Kimberly, Edith. The Line Between Modern Art And Contemporary Art. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004. Donald, Kuspit. The History and Origins of Contemporary Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Gregory, Mathews. The Fusion Of Modern and Contemporary Art. London: Mac Millan Publications, 2006. Larry, Spencer. The Impact of Art in The Society. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers, 2002. Mark, Geitten. Living With Art. London: SAGE Publications, 2008. Stevenson, Buchannan. Redefining Art In The Modern Society. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers, 2007. Read More