High & Low Art
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Art can be put into two categories: high and low. Civilization is most proud of its high art. It’s a product of genius. It’s so great that it’s iconic––countries use it as a way to promote themselves. Italy Austria England America
Low art can be beautiful, charming, skillfully made, and intelligent. But it’s still not so impressive (pôsobivý) as high art. High art is more profound (hlbšie). It’s more complex, and philosophical. It requires more concentration and sensitivity to make and to appreciate (ceniť). Higher art is harder to understand. Lower art is easier––like art for children. People who make low art can be popular and loved, like J.K. Rowling, but they’re not as highly respected as people who make high art, like Shakespeare.
It’s good to know what these words mean, but it’s not very important in judging art. It doesn’t refer to the quality of the art so much as the quality of the ideas behind them. Some people don’t like to distinguish (rozoznávať) between high and low art. They think it’s snobbish and insulting (urážlivý). Many people prefer “low” art, and they don’t like to feel embarrassed about it.
Sometimes it’s hard to say if an art form is high or low. It’s in-between. Some jazz music is very complex, having more to do with classical music theory than with pop. But, then some jazz music is very simple, like pop. Some films combine elements of high and low art, like Being John Malkovich, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And, some artists devote their lives to making one-of-a-kind toys, selling them at high prices. So the line between high and low art is blurry (rozdiel je nejasný).
High & Low Art Examples: High Art Low Art
Painting: Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso Book Illustration, Comics, Cartoons,Advertisements
Sculpture: Ancient Greek & Roman Sculpture, Children’s Toys, Furniture & Electronics Design
Michelangelo, Rodin Crafts like Ceramics, Weaving, Fashion Design,
Jewellery Design
Architecture: Cathedrals, Palaces, Parks Typical Family Homes, Apartments, & Shops
Music: Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, - Jazz - Pop Music, The Blues, The Beatles, Britney Spears,
Debussy, Chopin R&B, Hip Hop
Theatre: Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Children’s Theatre, Sketch Comedy, Improv,
George Bernard Shaw Ventriloquists (bruchomvravce), Puppet Shows
Opera: Mozart, Verdi, Puccini Light Opera (Gilbert & Sullivan),
Broadway Musicals
Film: Avante Garde Film: Hollywood Blockbusters, Action Films, Children’s
Film: Avante Garde Film: Hollywood Blockbusters, Action Films, Children’s
Ballet Mécanique, Un chien andalou Films, Comedies, Hangover
Dance: Ballet,
Literature: Shakespeare, William Faulkner, Pop Fiction, Pulp Fiction – J.K. Rowling, Collins
Hemingway, Fitzgerald (Hunger Games), Mayer (Twilight), Stephen King
Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park