Category Art

What is a tapestry?

A form of textile art, tapestries have been in existence for centuries as decorative pieces depicting various themes

Tapestry is a textile art which has been in existence from the third century B.C It is an image depicting a mythological, religious or a historical scene woven into a fabric and used as a wall hanging. Aesthetic use of threads of various colours and intricate patterns make the image come alive as in a classic painting.

In the early days, tapestries not only served as decorative pieces but were also used for insulation during winter in castles. In royal courts, tapestries adorned the walls as a backdrop to the throne or the seat of authority. In the early 14th century, tapestries were The Bayeux Tapestry produced in Europe and became popular in many countries.

Tapestries also adorned cathedrals and churches. Artists were commissioned to make them for special occasions. Since they could be removed and folded, they were easy to transport and so were preferred to murals. Many famous tapestries are treasured as historical documents.

The Bayeux tapestry, the Sampul tapestry, the Quaker tapestry and The Lady and the Unicorn are some of the famous tapestries.

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What is surrealism?

Surrealism is a movement in art and literature pioneered in France in the early 1920s. Read on to know more about it.

Surrealism is a movement in art and literature that seeks to portray the workings of the unconscious mind as manifested in dreams and aims at expressing visions free from conscious rational control. It was pioneered in France around 1924 under the leadership of French poet and critic Andre Breton. Surrealists were influenced by the theories on dreams and the subconscious mind as explained by Sigmund Freud, the Austrian father of psychoanalysis.

Although surrealism was embraced by various kinds of artists like poets, writers, film-makers and photographers, it had its strongest impact in the field of painting. Surrealist artists used techniques like automatism (used by Freud for his patients) which refers to creating art without conscious thought. They believed in the spontaneity of expression, uninhibited by societal limitations. They would paint scenes that make no rational sense. For example, in one of his paintings, Belgian artist Rene Magritte showed a normal table setting that includes a plate holding a slice of ham, from the centre of which stares a human eye.

Surrealists hailed from different nations but Paris remained the centre of the movement. It petered off with the onset of World War II although many critics still consider it a relevant cultural force.

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What is Deus Ex Machina?

Deus Ex Machina is Latin for “God from the machine”. The first literary mention of the phrase can be traced back to Aristotle’s book on Poetics where the philosopher critiques this practice as a weak plot device. Originating in the Greek theatre, this phrase describes a theatrical trend of the time where the protagonist who is stuck in an unresolvable situation is saved by the intervention of a god or deity who would suddenly appear on the stage by either parting the clouds in the sky with the assistance of a crane which would lower the divine being to a platform or rise from under the stage by means of a trap door, hence the name god from the machine.

The Greek playwright Euripides was a great proponent of this practice. However, criticising this spectacle, Aristotle argued that this irrational plot device startled the audience and manipulated their response to the play, diverting their attention away from the plot and the relationships between the characters.

In modern times… Although we have come a long way in our storytelling, sometimes writers still struggle to give their stories a logical and purposeful ending. In such cases a Deus Ex Machina refers to those moments in a narrative when an otherwise unsolvable situation is resolved by the intervention of a person, power, or an (accidental) event that doesn’t have any precedent in the story. Such accidents tend to be viewed with disdain by modern audience, and are perceived as a sign of lack of initiative and creativity on the part of the author or creator.

A classic example of this in fiction is the ending of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies which shows a  naval officer who happens to be passing the island saving the children and taking them back to civilisation. In movies, this device is exemplified by endings like that of Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets where in the climax out of the blue, Faux the Phoenix flies down into the chamber and gives Harry the sorting hat with the Sword of Gryffindor allowing him to kill the monstrous Basilisk, and flies them out to safety when the chamber starts to disintegrate.

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Which are old dance in the world?

For as long as there has been a beat there has been dance. Dance is one of the oldest forms of art. People dance to express themselves, for religious reasons, to celebrate their culture, to be with other people, for exercise, or just to have fun!

Religious dances are forms of prayer. Native Americans may dance to ask for help in hunting, farming, or war. They may imitate animals by moving like them or wearing masks. Folk dance celebrates a group’s history and traditions. Folk dancers may wear colourful costumes. Many folk dances are easy to learn. People may join hands or move in a circle. Other folk dances are full of energy and passion and the dancers must be very athletic.

We may go to a theatre to see dancers who have been specially trained to perform a kind of dance. Ballet is the oldest kind of dance performed in theatres. It began in the 1400’s at the courts of princes, dukes, and other rulers in what is now Italy. For hundreds of years, ballet dancers have made beautiful movements as they leap and twirl across the stage. Female ballet dancers, called ballerinas, dance on the tips of their toes in special shoes. Ballet movements are very difficult. But when they are done well, they look graceful and easy.

In the late 1800’s, some dancers thought that the movements in ballet were too unnatural. One of these rebels was an American dancer named Isadora Duncan. Instead of ballet steps, she made natural movements that imitated the wind and the waves. Her ideas inspired a new art form – modern dance. Several American women, including Martha Graham, continued Duncan’s work. Today, even ballet dancers borrow ideas from modern dance.

Another dance developed in the U.S.A. is tap. More than 100 years ago, African Americans combined steps from African dances, the Irish jig, and a British dance called the clog. The first “theatres” for tap dancers were taverns and street corners. But by 1870, the dancers were tapping onstage.

The musical is another mostly American form of theatre dance. It tells a story through songs and dance. The dancing may have a beat, like tap, or it may move like ballet. The American film Singin’ in the Rain, for instance, features dancing that combine parts of ballet, jazz, modern dance, and tap.

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What is mime acting?

Could you put on a play without saying a word? It might seem impossible. But actors have been performing plays without words for hundreds of years. Acting without speaking is called mime.

Actors who mime a story must use their actions to make it clear who they are, how they feel, and what they are doing. Mimes have no scenery or words to help them. They show what is happening by moving their body and making faces.

Clowns also perform without speaking. But unlike mimes, clowns get help from props. For example, one clown may throw a pie at another clown to show anger. Another may pour water over his own head to make people laugh.

Clowns also use makeup to show who they are and how they feel. No two clowns paint their face in exactly the same way. Some have big smiles painted on. Others look sad and foolish – as if disaster is just around the corner.

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How does a puppet work?

What kind of performer never needs to know what he or she is going to do or say? A puppet. Although a puppet does not need a script, the puppeteer does. The puppeteer is the person who works the puppet.

Many puppets are hand puppets. One kind of hand puppet is called a glove puppet. It has a head attached to a mitten-like upper body. The puppeteer’s hand fits inside the glove. The puppeteer’s thumb and fingers move the puppet’s arms and head.

A marionette has a whole body, including legs. Most marionettes are moved by strings that run from their head, shoulders, hands, and knees up to the control – a small wooden frame. Puppeteers hide backstage and work the marionettes by moving the controls from above.

Puppeteers work rod puppets by moving rods or sticks. A rod puppet can be just a head mounted on a stick. Or it may have a complete body with movable body parts.

In Japan, rod puppets are used in a form of puppet show called bunraku, or doll theatre. A bunraku puppet has joints that move. Its eyes, mouth, and even its eyebrows move, too. In other parts of Asia, rod puppets perform shadow plays. Strong lights from above and behind cast the puppets’ shadows on a cloth screen. The puppets in these shadow plays are often made of leather. In China and Turkey, leather puppets are dyed, and they cast coloured shadows.

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