Art History Lives in the Present Definition:
Art and artists of the past influence and enrich current knowledge and creation in the arts. Influence of history lives in the present ideas are shaped and reshaped and art itself is reaffirmed and redefined. What art is seen, how it is valued and whose history is shared, shapes public awareness and appreciation.
Related Concepts:
Themes Across Time: Themes studied in art history can be studied across time as well as across cultures. Interesting recurring threads weave history such as stories of creation, explorations of nature, the power of art to urge social change, and celebrations of birth, adulthood and marriage. Thematic cycles reveal timelessness.(Visual tracking may evidence recurrence of visual imagery as well).
Trends and Styles: Trends and styles in art are related to processes, content and preferences. Style is a distinctive manner of expression contained in cultural aesthetic traditions, art movements and individual artists' mode of working. Trends are general movements in art or popular styles.
Artist and Audience: The urge to create is universal. The lives of artists--whether known by name or by their cultural contributions-- are sources of rich study and valuable influence. Audiences provide another important dimension of the art experience. Definitions and roles of artists and audiences can change in differing places and times.
Intentions and Interpretations: There is not one way of interpreting art. Artists' intentions may be communicated through a variety of symbols, visual configurations, metaphors. Interpretations vary and should be discussed in relation to meanings for current classroom audiences as well as within original cultural context for the initially intended meanings.
Interdisciplinary Connections: There are many ways of understanding the world reflected in many disciplines of study. Visual art's relationship with other disciplines has changed throughout time. Art is not separate from life, psychology, culture, society, ecology. Wonderful harmonies of knowledge through thoughtfully balanced interdisciplinary connections can expand the yield of art rather than diminish it.
Art History Lives in the Present
Global/Multicultural Perspectives