When you think about the word ‘artwork‘, it probably reminds you of an art gallery with hundreds of pictures hanging on the walls. But the artwork is not constrained to the paintings only. This article will discuss the large number of pieces that fall under the artwork and how it has changed through time.
What is artwork?
Artwork is physical objects with aesthetic, conceptual or communicative value. In some cases, it may express a certain worldview. It might be a painting, a sculpture, a photograph or a collage. It can also be performative. Artists performing in front of a live audience is also art that we sometimes forget. Ready-made art is also part of the artwork domain where artists elevate ordinary objects to pieces of art.
There is a wide range of techniques and mediums used for different types of art. A photograph can be taken by a Polaroid camera, a digital camera or a film camera. All three can be considered as pieces of art. Artwork is often affiliated with a certain art movement. They can be used as pieces with a certain style or pieces that adhere to a particular philosophy that challenges the normative. There are several magnificent pieces of art from artists in movements such as Impressionism, surrealism, abstract Expressionism etc.
There was a misconception that artwork is supposed to be uniquely created or designed by artists imitating the real world. But conceptual artwork had dismantled this theory. There was another wrong idea that artwork is supposed to be everlasting. But performance art as a form of visual art is not lasting, it ends when the performance ends.
Artwork is different pieces expressing basic human emotions such as joy, tragedy, doom, ecstasy, calmness and so on. What artwork or art is cannot be defined.
Artwork is inclusive and artwork expands its limits every day, so it cannot be restricted to a definition. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities and creations – music, literature, cinema everything. Artwork is a component of culture. It reflects the economic and social background from where it emerges. It transmits ideas and values of every culture across time and space. Through time, artwork has changed its role. Now it’s important not only for its aesthetic appeal but also serves social and educational purposes. Loosely it can be said that artwork is humans expressing their creative nature. Although there is no straight line of connection. But traditional and contemporary artwork is connected in an obvious way.
Now digital artwork is also coming to the fore. But digital artworks are in their infancy. Now they can’t compete with the pen on paper artwork. Even artwork of blotches contains a certain human touch. The artwork is full of colour, intensity, saturation and technique. Some lowbrow artwork is gaining recognition nowadays. Other Gothic mythology mixture artwork is also catching eyes on different levels.
Artwork is breaking traditions, it is rejecting classic notions of beauty. No longer bound to reflect reality but only expressing the inner world working and feelings have freed art in some way. Art for art’s sake movement has made sure of that. Art is global and fluid. Once created to imitate nature and capture beauty, artwork has surpassed its bounds by a long shot and continues to do so every day.
