Performing and Visual Arts Essay

Visual and performing arts enhance our lives in a variety of ways. When spanning from things inherent in nature such as the instance of a sunset, sunrise, or perhaps a full moon, to the most mundane and seemingly inane instance of body piercings or an arm tattoo. Art constitutes myriad meanings, translating differently from one individual to the next. Among its broadest categories however, aside from visual arts such as painting – music, theater and dance relates to a significant aspect of performance art. Painting, of course, is a form of visual art which has long taken a prominent place in the art world. Artists express their sentiments and ideologies through brushes and paint indulging in these said worldviews and inspiration by way of paper or canvass. But more than creativity, the discipline requires an amount of coherence and structure on the artist’s part . The use of watercolors for instance, is perhaps the trickiest and difficult medium to master or ‘dabble in ‘ where painting is concerned. Watercolor Painting commands the artist’s ability with the brush, and the delicate balance of mixing the colors with the aforementioned liquid. Oil paintings on the other hand, appear to have the greatest depth visually than any other painting medium, and the concept of oil on canvass always rings a prominent tune where the subject of art is concerned. But artists who paint by the said medium deals with the instance of its messy process , of the relatively unpleasant smells it yields, and the stretching period of time by which it dries . The opposite of which, is perhaps that of acrylic, which takes a faster time to dry, thereby dictating the time by which the artist is to finish the painting in question. The use of acrylics is also the most versatile of medium, its end result approximating, or appearing to emulate a painting done by watercolor, gouache, oil, and so on. Gouache is a medium in painting which can be synonymous with watercolor, because of the similar element existing in both medium that is water. But gouache colors appear heavier than watercolors, and dry to a rich opaque color. Because it is thinned down by water, and doesn’t rely heavily on it as watercolors do, it is as less difficult to work with. At most, visual art, or painting in particular, is a two dimensional take and representation of reality and humanity. Most art movements took root and relate to aspects of painting such as Surrealism, Action Painting, Expressionism, and Cubism, among various others. They represent styles, techniques, concepts, sensibilities and philosophies which contribute to varying end results in painting. According to the textbook â€Å"Perceiving the Arts†, opera is defined as the â€Å"combination of drama and music into a single artistic form† (Sporre, 2009). Opera is made up of primarily music along with other elements similar to a play such as costumes, scenery, lights, and a plot. Unlike a play, the plot of an opera unfolds through a combination of acting and singing. The follow provides an historical development and evolution of opera and the characteristics of the opera genre. In addition, the following provides information on famous composers associated with opera and concludes with the influence opera has made on society and culture. Historical Development and Evolution The art of opera began during the Renaissance era in the late 16th century in Florence, Italy. Opera started as Greek plays recreated by adding music. According to the Music Lessons Online web site (2010), the first recorded opera was called Dafne and it was created in the late 1500’s. Opera style spread quickly across Europe and soon the first opera house was built in Venice, Italy in 1637. At this time, opera became available to the public, not just aristocracy entertainment. By 1700, 16 public opera houses opened (Columbian Encyclopedia, 2008). At that time, opera was considered an Italian music form. Lyrics were written in Italian only. Christoph Gluck is a German composer credited with changing the face of opera with Orfeo et Eurydice in 1762, staged in Vienna. Orfeo et Eurydice is said to have changed opera because of its emphasis on drama (Asiado, 2007). The opera was the first of many â€Å"reformed operas† composed by Gluck, and influenced composers like Mozart. Orfeo et Eurydice set the standard for the modern opera style we see today. Opera finally emerged in German, French, Spanish, and Russian in the 19th century. France produced the Grand Opera that would last four to five hours and include ballet dancers. Why or Why not? People usually create or perform in arts because some of us just can not be satisfied with an ordinary life style. We prefer to ask why not, instead of why? We like to experiment, imagine and the set it as a portray, the improbable, the unlikely, and impossible just to make sure that all the things we think are out there and aren’t any closer than any imaginations. The act of creativity becomes progress to humans. I do it for the feeling of accomplishing something worthwhile (like Rocky said; â€Å"I coulda been a contender!! † In addition to this it is a â€Å"gift. † Arts in Society The arts play a valued role in creating cultures and developing and documenting civilizations. Students of the arts gain powerful tools for: communicating through creative expression; understanding human experiences, past and present; adapting to and respecting the ways others think, work, and express themselves; using artistic modes of problem solving, which, in turn, bring an array of expressive, analytical, and development tools to every human situation; understanding the power of the arts to create and reflect cultures; understanding the impact of design on virtually all we use in daily life; understanding the interdependence of work in the arts and the worlds of ideas and events; making decisions in situations where there are no standard answers; analyzing nonverbal communication and making informed judgments about cultural products and issues; and for communicating thoughts and feelings in a variety of modes, thereby providing a more powerful repertoire of self-expression. Because each arts discipline appeals to different senses and expresses itself through different media, each adds a special richness to the learning environment. Arts education helps students learn to identify, appreciate, and participate in the traditional and non-traditional art forms of their own communities and the communities of others. As students imagine, create, and reflect, they are developing the verbal and non-verbal abilities necessary for life-long learning. The intellectual demands of the arts help students develop problem-solving abilities and such powerful thinking skills as analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. Numerous studies point toward a consistent and positive correlation between substantive education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects. A comprehensive, well-designed arts education program also engages students in a process that helps them develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation necessary for success in life. Most importantly, the arts should be experienced and studied for their own intrinsic value.