Prevailing Issues Depicted by Art Across Time PDF

**Prevailing Issues Depicted by Art Across Time** **A. The Prehistoric Period** The issues of security and survival are depicted in the art of the pre- historic men and women. They engaged in the art of hunting wild animals through the use of crude implements ranging from stone flakes, bones of an...

**Prevailing Issues Depicted by Art Across Time** **A. The Prehistoric Period** The issues of security and survival are depicted in the art of the pre- historic men and women. They engaged in the art of hunting wild animals through the use of crude implements ranging from stone flakes, bones of animals to bow and arrow. They used animal skins and fur as primary fabric to protect their bodies from harsh weather conditions. Cave paintings were used to scare the wild beast in their cave dwellings to ensure security of their families. They used polished stones in horticulture during the Mesolithic Age. They learned the art of animal domestication to respond their families increasing demands of food. Their animistic beliefs led them to pay homage to nature for protection against the forces of natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms and other natural calamities. **B. The Ancient Period** While human population grew in number, the struggle for space was one issue that led to furious attacks of city states and kingdoms they fought for territories for the control of natural resources. The art of iron-smelting was essential in the production of wheels, chariots and swords during war for supremacy. The art of writing cuneiform in Mesopotamia, hieroglyphics in Egypt and calligraphies in Asian countries proved the essentiality of communication and education in those times. Construction of temples that are made of stones and bricks like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the pyramids of Egypt and Meso-America and the indu Buddhist temples in Asian countries and mosques among the Muslims proved the prowess of ancient architecture, reflecting religious beliefs and traditions. Kingdous and empires in the ancient periods constructed dikes and drainage system to prevent floods and protect their crops. The art of political administration was also evident in the establishment of political administration called satrapy, in order to unite the different provinces with respective satraps or governors. This art of political administration remains visible at present in managing the different provinces in the Philippines, with the governor as head of the province. **C. Medieval Period** The issue of power and authority reflects society\'s social stratification during the medieval period. Royal families who controlled kingdoms and empires constructed palaces with massive and elaborate architectural designs, which flaunted their authority; while the poor lived in peasant houses. Likewise, while the Catholic church remained the most stable institution, artists during this period used Gothic, Doric, Ionian and Romanesque architectural design in its construction typical to western civilization. The clergy commissioned them to embellish church ceilings with beautiful paintings, depicting images of saints. One of these works is Michelangelo\'s \"The Creation\" of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. The clout of Christianity greatly influenced architectural art during this time to the Byzantine period. Cultural differences between the West (Roman Catholics) and the East (Greek Christian Orthodox) predisposed different cultural orientations. The influence of the Islamic culture was very elemental in the Byzantine art with the use of domes, minarets and arabesques. There was a restriction of art solely to Christianity, following the essentialist conventions that deprived artists to explore other themes in art that jeopardized their art selection and freedom. The attack of the barbaric tribes during the Dark Ages desolated everything into rubbles, except the castles, palaces and churches that stood because of its massive architectural designs with wide arches, vaults and domes. The entry of the Renaissance ushered the shift of art perspective. As a period of reawakening, the use of secularism emphasized the greater degree of freedom in art from the clout of church influence. This rebirth disclosed issues that affected ethical and moral principles like the projection of nudity in painting and in sculpture. **D. The Modern Period (1500-1850)** This liberal consciousness of the artists ushered more prominence during the Baroque period. Coinciding with the Period of Absolutism, monarchs commissioned artists to embellish palaces with gorgeous art masterpieces, using illusory and vivid colors. Art in Baroque period paved its way to the Tudor and Rococo styles in the modern era, where monarchs commissioned artists to embellish their palaces with beautiful, vibrant and elaborate paintings and wall plasters. Intellectual, industrial and scientific revolutions steered new developments in the art sector. Structuralism in the Classical period was replaced slowly with minimalism- - an art movement that eliminates the non-essential forms and features in art. As human population increased, space became one of the issues. Therefore, Minimalist designs became more popular and typically answered the people\'s satisfaction. **E. Post-modern Period (1851 to the Present)** Minimalism allows the artists to have wider degrees of freedom in terms of their imagination. However, there is defiance of structuralism in terms of art conventions. They use maximum control of their space to manipulate wider art planes in their respective genres. There is so much experimentation that resulted in some issues of art bastardization: the defiance on the law of gravity in architectural designs and structures that created the famous Dancing House of Frank Gehry in Prague, Czechoslovakia and Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Post modern art characterizes Jacques Derrida\'s deconstructionism with higher degree of manipulation and fragmentation that focuses on the artists\' experience.