written by art historian & curator Mihaela Manolache
Art was created by people to serve people. Spanning through millennia, art under its different shapes is the oldest manifestation of human creativity, spirituality, and culture. Through these testimonials of our ancestral past, we try today to find out more about who we are, where we come from and what is our purpose on Earth. Universal ideas about truth, life, and death have always haunted people and art was one important tool to express feelings such as fear, love, adoration, or piety.
Although art is considered an intrinsic part of our existence, people have a different understanding of it. Some have a deep level of perceiving and reading through the messages conveyed in the canvas, while others stick to formal visual elements such as line and colour. Thus, is art for everybody? Can we all appreciate art? What was the importance of art in the past and how is contemporary art different from this matter?
Values of Art
Defined as a human process of deliberate actions in the creative and imaginative spheres, art expresses beauty, nature, emotions, and conceptual ideas. By using recognisable elements such as animals and objects, art appeals to our physical and mental understanding.
