Have you ever wondered what the different types of art are called? Most people are familiar with visual arts like painting and sculpture, but there are actually many branches of art beyond the ones we see in museums and galleries.
In this article, we’ll break down the major branches of art so you can expand your knowledge. We’ll cover performing arts like music, theater, and dance. We’ll also get into literary arts like poetry and prose. And we’ll touch on visual arts too, looking at painting, drawing, photography, film, and more. With this guide, you’ll learn the umbrella categories that different art forms fall under. Understanding the branches of art can help you better appreciate all the creativity in the world! Now let’s dive in and explore the wide world of art together.
Definition of Art
Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Art can be interpreted in many ways including the following:
Visual arts
include paintings, sculptures, and photography. Visual arts showcase an artist’s creativity through a visual medium.
Performing arts
include dance, music, and theater. Performing arts are meant to be performed in front of an audience.
Literary arts
focus on creative writing like poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Literary arts use words and language to express meaning and evoke emotion.
Art gives us a glimpse into the artist’s imagination and allows us to interpret it in our own way. Art inspires, moves us, and brings beauty into our lives.
What are the 5 Main Components Of Art?
These are the five main components of Art:
- Color – The visual perception of hue, brightness, and saturation. Colors are used to create a mood or emotion.
- Texture – The surface quality of a work of art. Textures can be rough or smooth, soft or hard. You can see and feel textures.
- Line – Lines are marks that span a distance between two points. Lines are used to create shapes, contours, and outlines. They can be curved, straight, thick, or thin.
- Shape – A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. Shapes are flat and enclose space. Shapes can be geometric, like squares and circles, or organic, like free-form shapes.
- Space – The area between and around objects. Space can also refer to the feeling of depth. Space is shaped by the placement of forms and shapes.
History and Origin of Art
Art originates in prehistoric times, dating back to cave paintings and carvings. As civilization progressed, different forms of art developed and spread globally.
The Renaissance era
From the 14th to 16th centuries, the Renaissance era led to advancements in art, science, and philosophy in Europe. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo emerged, focusing on realism and perspective. This era produced renowned works like the Mona Lisa and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The history of art is long and complex, developing independently in cultures around the world. Although varied in form and subject matter, all art serves to enrich human existence. Understanding art’s origins and progression helps us to better appreciate the masterpieces of today.
Major Branches of Art There are many branches of art, including visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography), performing arts (dance, music, theater), decorative arts (crafts, textiles), literal art (poetry, novels),
What is Virtual Art?
Virtual art refers to artworks created using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. Artists utilize 3D modeling software and virtual environments to create immersive art experiences. Unlike traditional art forms, virtual art allows viewers to interact with the art. You can explore virtual artworks from different angles and manipulate objects within the virtual space.
Some examples of virtual art include:
- Virtual sculptures and environments
- Interactive animations and visual effects
- Imaginative landscapes and fantasy worlds
- Abstract shapes and forms
- Photographs
Virtual art is an exciting new frontier for artists to push the boundaries of creativity. Experience virtual art through VR headsets for a fully immersive experience. New technologies have unlocked tremendous potential for artistic expression in virtual spaces.
Types of Virtual Art
- Digital Painting: Using digital tools like stylus and tablets to create artwork. Digitally replicating traditional painting techniques.
- 3D modeling: Sculpting and rendering objects in a virtual 3D space. Used for animation, gaming, product design, and more.
- Animation: Creating moving images and short films using 2D or 3D computer animation techniques.
- Interactive Art: Art that incorporates interactivity, allowing the viewer to participate in the experience. Uses gaming engines, sensors, and virtual reality.
- Generative Art: Art created using algorithms, code, and computing to generate images and forms autonomously. The artist sets parameters but the outcomes can be surprising and diverse.
- Virtual Reality: Using VR headsets to create immersive environments, spaces and experiences. Transporting the viewer into a simulated reality.
- Augmented Reality: Overlaying digital content and information onto the real world using smartphones, tablets or AR glasses. Enhancing our physical reality with virtual elements.
- Video Art: Exploring video as an artistic medium. Manipulating and experimenting with film and digital video to create artworks. Challenging traditional forms of filmmaking and moving images.
What is Performing Art?
Performing arts are forms of creative activity that are performed in front of an audience, such as theater, music, and dance. As an audience member, you are able to experience the creativity and emotion of the performance.
Live performances have an impact that recorded versions can never quite capture. There is an energy exchange between the performers and the spectators. You can feel the excitement and emotions of the actors or musicians. The spontaneity and imperfection of live performance gives it an authentic human element.
In summary, performing arts offer a vibrant, shared experience between artist and audience that stimulates the senses and stirs the emotions.
Forms of Performing Arts
The performing arts encompass creative forms of artistic expression. Some of the major branches are:
- Theater: Plays, musicals, improv, where actors perform a story or act in front of a live audience.
- Dance: Ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, where dancers use movement to express ideas or tell a story.
- Music: Vocal or instrumental performances in genres like classical, pop, rock, jazz.
- Circus: Acrobatics, juggling, magic, and daredevil stunts meant to excite and entertain.
- Puppetry: Puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets manipulated to bring stories to life.
- Mime: Using gestures and facial expressions without speech to create imaginary objects and scenarios.
- Spoken word: Poetry, storytelling, comedy routines using the spoken word to connect with audiences.
The performing arts allow creative talents to thrive, fostering vibrant cultures and bringing communities together through shared experiences. Supporting local theaters, music venues, and other creative spaces in your area helps keep these vital art forms alive.
What is Applied Art?
The term “applied arts” refers to all of the arts that use design and adornment to make common and primarily functional goods more appealing. The phrase is used to distinguish it from the fine arts, which generate products that have no practical utility and exist solely to be beautiful or to excite the mind in some way. In practice, the two frequently overlap. Applied arts and fine arts are closely related, and the modern process of creating applied art is sometimes referred to as design.
The key thing that distinguishes applied art from fine art is that applied art is meant to solve problems and meet practical needs. While still creative, the end goal is not purely artistic expression. Applied art incorporates design thinking and requires consideration of the end user.
This branch of art is extremely broad and interdisciplinary. If you have an interest in art but also want your work to have real-world applications, a career in applied art could be very rewarding. The fields within applied art are also quite diverse so there are many paths to explore.
Types of Applied Arts
Painting: Painting is the practice of applying pigment, color or other medium onto a solid surface (support base) such as canvas, paper, wall, wood panel or concrete. The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and airbrushes, can be used.
Sculpture: Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sculptural processes originally used carving (the removal of material) and modeling (the addition of material, such as clay), in stone, metal, ceramics, wood and other materials.
Architecture: Architecture is both the process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or any other structures. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art.
Crafts: A craft is a pastime or a profession that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. The traditional terms craftsman or craftswoman are applied to individuals who practice a craft. Applied crafts are focused on the creation of practical objects, such as textiles, basketry, pottery, metalwork, and woodwork. The maker of applied crafts is referred to as an artisan.
Fashion: Fashion is a popular aesthetic expression at a particular time, place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The prevailing styles in behavior and the newest creations of textile designers become the fashion.
What is Literary Art?
Literary art refers to creative works of fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction. Literary artists use the written word to craft stories, poems, plays and essays that inspire imagination. Think of renowned authors like Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, and Harper Lee.
Their famous works explore human experiences and emotions through creative writing and tap into themes that transcend time. While visual art relies on images and performances on live action, literary art relies solely on language to convey meaning. The choices of words, writing style, form, and poetic devices all contribute to evoking emotion and bringing the creative work to life in the reader’s mind.
Forms of Literary Arts
The branches of art include visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts. The literary arts encompass creative writing in various forms.
- Poetry: Poems typically have a rhythmic quality with creative use of language to evoke emotions. Poets follow certain rules of rhyme, rhythm, meter, and structure.
- Fiction: Includes short stories and novels. Fiction writers create imaginary tales, characters, and plots. They use descriptive language to transport readers.
- Creative Nonfiction: Uses literary techniques to craft factual stories. Writers find meaning in real events and experiences. Examples include memoirs, essays, and travel writing.
- Playwriting: Playwrights compose scripts for live performance in front of an audience. They develop complex characters and dramatic plots optimized for the stage.
- Screenwriting: Similar to playwriting but geared toward film and television. Screenwriters create concise descriptions and dialogue tailored for the screen.
- Journalism: Journalists research and report news and current events. They gather facts, conduct interviews, and explain issues in an engaging, unbiased style.
- Blogging: Bloggers share knowledge and opinions on various topics. They build an ongoing connection with readers through regular posts in an informal writing style.
- Letter Writing: Though less common today, letter writing was once an important literary form. Letter writers crafted personal messages in a heartfelt, eloquent style.
The literary arts offer a creative outlet and a way to share knowledge, capture stories, spread ideas, and touch lives. Writers follow certain conventions for each form but also infuse their unique voice and passion into the work.
What is Fine Art?
Fine art refers to visual art forms practiced primarily for aesthetic reasons and purposes. Fine art includes mediums like painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture.
Some of the major forms of fine art are:
- Painting: The application of pigments to a two-dimensional surface. Includes watercolors, oils, acrylics.
- Sculpture: Three-dimensional artworks created by shaping materials like stone, metal, wood or clay.
- Drawing: The visual representation of shapes and forms on a two-dimensional surface using mediums such as pencil, charcoal, ink or pastels.
- Printmaking: Creating multiple copies of an artwork using woodblocks, lithography, etching, etc.
- Photography: The art of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation.
Fine art is meant to be appreciated primarily for its aesthetic value and the skill of the artist. It aims to evoke an emotional response in the viewer. In contrast, commercial art or applied art is meant to serve a practical function, like graphic design or illustration.
Conclusion
So there you have it, visual art, performing art, applied, and literary art are some of the main branches of art. Each branch has its own unique qualities that speak to people in different ways. Whether you prefer gazing at a painting, watching a dance performance, or reading a poem, art has something for everyone. The next time you experience a work of art, think about which branch it falls into. Understanding the differences can help you better appreciate the diverse world of art. And who knows, maybe learning about the branches will even inspire you to start creating some art of your own! Expressing yourself through visual, performing, or literary art can be an incredibly rewarding way to tap into your creative side.