Would you like to know the different forms of art?
There are various artistic achievements that can be classified in 7 main groups. Each form appeals to different senses to which you are more or less sensitive.
But don't panic, we are passionate about this subject and know exactly how to help you have a clearer vision of art.
Let's discover now the 7 different forms of art.
What is art?
Art is an activity, the product of it or the idea of it, which deliberately addresses the senses, the emotions, the intuitions and the intellect.
If art, in its most general sense, designates the mastery of a skill (the word "art" comes from the Latin ars, translated into the Greek term tekhnè), it is not limited to this definition. Since the seventeenth century, the term has moved away from its technical meaning to an aesthetic one: it refers to the field of fine arts or "disinterested art" and to the search for beauty.
Most works of art can be classified into the seven different art forms that we will examine in this article. Recognizing and understanding each of the art categories allows for a greater appreciation of the works.
What are the different art forms?
The forms of artistic expression have changed over the course of human history, but they can be broadly classified into 7 art forms. Each art form affects our emotions, our senses and our feelings differently. The art forms are the following:
- Graphic arts (painting or drawing)
- Sculpture
- Literature
- Architecture
- Cinema
- Music
- Theater
We will discover the different art forms in more detail.
1. Graphic arts (painting and drawing)
The graphic arts are mainly painting and drawing. These two methods of artistic expression are relatively close although they are different.
Graphic art is an art form whose various techniques consist in applying manually or mechanically, on a surface, colors or forms of pigments mixed with a binder or a diluent. The artists express themselves on supports such as the canvas, the paper, the wood, etc.
Whether a representation of reality or an invention, painting can be naturalistic and figurative or abstract. It can have a narrative, descriptive, symbolic, spiritual or philosophical content.
Paintings are usually in oil, acrylic or watercolor, but you can also paint with other materials (ink, pigments, dyes, etc).
There are several methods of applying paint. Indeed, it can be brushed, coated, dabbed or splashed.
Of course, there are different currents and styles in this art such as modernist, expressionist, classical, surrealist, etc.
2. The sculpture
Sculpture is another visual art form. It is an artistic activity that consists of conceiving and realizing forms in volume, in relief, either in the round (statuary), in high relief, etc. The term sculpture usually refers to the object resulting from this activity.
This art form is very old and goes back to prehistoric times. Indeed, the first sculptures were made of stone or bone.
Sculptors most often use materials such as clay, stone, metals, or wood. However, contemporary sculptors use materials such as plastic, glass or found objects.
In many cultures/civilizations, sculptures were one of the earliest art forms. Often large or imposing, sculptures were an ostentatious sign of power. They were commissioned by kings, religious and political leaders to show the public their stature and wealth.
3. Literature
Literature is a set of written or oral works that have an aesthetic value, it is an art that expresses an ideal of beauty. Through literary productions, it allows to express emotions and to reveal to readers or listeners what a person has in his heart. Literature aims to educate, to communicate thoughts, to influence and even to seduce.
Literature is a true heritage and can contribute to the preservation of a country's heritage, when it highlights its values, culture and civilization.
Literature spans the ages and all written languages and encompasses a wide range of written works, including poetry, essays, plays, biographies, fiction, non-fiction, satire, etc.
Although literature is an art form in its own right and is one of seven different art forms, it is also closely related to theater, poetry, film, music and speech. Indeed, in order to perform a play, for example, it is necessary to write a script.
4. Architecture
Architecture is an art form that you see on a daily basis without realizing it or fully appreciating it as an art form.
Architecture is the major art of designing spaces and constructing buildings, following empirical or scientific rules of construction, as well as aesthetic concepts, classical or new, of form or arrangement of space, etc.
Architecture has a functional purpose, but it is an early and coherent representation of man's desire to build meaningful structures throughout history. Architecture has the distinction of being both a necessity and an art form, as a sculpture, it is visible to all.
5. Cinema
Cinema is an art of spectacle. It is characterized by the show proposed in public in the form of film, that is to say a story (fictional or documentary), conveyed by a support (flexible film, magnetic tape, digital container) which is recorded and then read by a continuous or intermittent mechanism that creates the illusion of moving image, or by a recording and a continuous reading of computer data.
Cinema is the most recent of the seven art forms. Created just under a century ago, it has quickly become one of the most popular forms.
Film has quickly evolved into the large industry we know today. It involves many trades such as special effects, animation, make-up, costumes, directing, music, etc. It should be noted that many of these art professionals fall under the other art categories listed in this article.
There are films produced for every taste. These range from romantic films to comedies to science fiction.
With the rise of technology, it is increasingly easy and accessible to practice this art even with limited means.
6. Music
Music is an art and a cultural activity that consists in combining gifts and silences over time. The main elements are rhythm (the way sounds are combined in time), pitch (combination in frequencies), nuances and timbre. Today it is considered a form of modern poetry.
Music is one of the commonalities of all human societies, since prehistoric times. It is at the same time a form of individual expression (notably the expression of feelings), a source of collective gathering and pleasure (party for example) and a symbol of a cultural, national or spiritual community (national anthem, traditional music, religious music, military music, etc).
Nowadays, modern musicians have a wide variety of musical instruments to create their work. There are many genres of music such as classical, rock, gospel, rap, reggae, metal, funk and many others.
7. Theater
Theater is both the art of performing a drama or comedy, a particular literary genre and the building in which theater performances take place.
Theater is an art form where the artist combines both visual art and dramatic performance. It has been a part of culture since the ancient Greeks. Theater is one of the most popular sources of entertainment. Performing arts in the broadest sense include theater, dance, music, opera, circus arts, musicals, magic, etc.
Like film, theater incorporates other different art forms such as music, set design and literature into its work. However, it also involves other forms of decorative art such as costume making, set design, etc.
Which art form do you prefer?
As you can see, there are different forms of art, each with their own specificities. There are some that are omnipresent in our daily life while others are more rare.
With all this information, you are now an expert in identifying and classifying the different artworks you will encounter.
It's up to you to choose which art form you like the most.
We put at your disposal paint by numbers allowing you to initiate yourself to painting which one of the art forms.
Discover a wide selection of paintings now by clicking on the image below.
