Art

What is artistic expression

People have needed to communicate ever since we recognized ourselves as humanity, and since then, forms of expression have spread and multiplied. Being able to reproduce reality and emotions through unique and original creations is what distinguished us from other living beings and gave us the ability to improve our lives and leave a legacy.

Today there are various disciplines and definitions of what artistic expression is. If you are interested in knowing a little more about these, in this new oneCOMO article we will stop to get to know them in depth and give them the importance they have in society.

What is artistic expression

Artistic expression is understood as all kinds of creative exploration and seeking of emotions and reactions through art and the tools that are provided. The artist person intends, through the tools that art gives them, to express a part of themselves that is internal and psychological.

It is not always necessary to try to tell pure emotions, such as love or sadness. An artistic expression can also be an exact recreation of the truth, as in the case of a book of manners or a portrait. However, what makes them artistic expressions is the personal interpretation and use of technique that the artist has specifically made.

The artists’ craft is to express, each from his or her own discipline. Although anyone who sets out can develop an artistic expression, the truth is that over the centuries a number of niches and areas have been legitimized upon which art and all its presentations are generated. Below we will review the main types of art or artistic expression.

Painting

One of the oldest types of artistic expression, existing since prehistoric times. It is the use of pigments and dyes on any type of surface in order to recreate a scene or reality. This need not always be realistic, as in the case of the great works of Velázquez or Goya, but can be abstract, such as those by Picasso or Kandinsky, and represent an emotion or feeling.

Sculpture

In this case, the artist’s hands do not use brush techniques on the surface, but rather, through clay, plaster, marble or limestone begin to mold and outline silhouettes that, as in the previous case, can represent a scene of perfect bodies, like Michelangelo’s David, or can represent surrealistic forms.

Music

Music is another of the oldest forms of artistic expression and, today, one of the most present in society. To develop a musical expression, different musical instruments must be used, made of wood, metals, and woodwinds, which generate certain sounds through musical notes. Musicians must draw a score and interpret it with the help of the instruments until they create a melody that evokes a sensation or feeling.

Literature

The need to express ourselves has led us for centuries to use our words as one of the most powerful tools to do so. The use of the written word has been used since the Middle Ages to express emotions and recreate scenes and teachings. Over time, reading became more and more accessible and today literature is one of the most consumed artistic expressions along with music.

Literature tells stories, whether personal or historical, but despite trying to be objective, it always carries with it an intention and an artistic tone that makes it one of the most versatile artistic expressions.

Dance

Finally, although many artistic expressions require external materials and instruments, there is one in which only our body is necessary to express ourselves: dance. In corporal expressions, the body is the instrument that interprets the rhythm of the music, the silences, and the emotions of each moment.

Modern Artistic Expressions

Painting, sculpture, literature, dance, and music are the oldest and most renowned artistic niches. However, over the centuries and advances, other types of art have been created that have gained enormous weight in society:

  • Photography: since the arrival of the first photographic camera, the artistic community understood that realistic painting would take a back seat because, from that moment on, all it took was one click to capture a specific moment of reality. Since then, the techniques and its technology have evolved by leaps and bounds, and now, photography is an artistic expression that goes beyond taking a portrait-type picture. If you are interested in this expression of art, here you can read about How to take professional photos on the beach.
  • Cinema: the audiovisual and cinematic world is one by which a reality or situation is recreated in an integral way. It was a revolution, as it meant being able to bring into the visual field the stories that had been recorded on paper for centuries. Without a doubt, a step forward for the theater and the world of dramaturgy, derived from literature.
  • Collage: Many new artistic expressions have emerged from the mixture of older ones. This is the case with collage; the fusion between painting and photography by means of which images and scenes are created through cut-outs of drawings or photographs.