Thursday, March 20, 2014

History of Abstract Art

Abstract art is a form of art in which an object or a form is developed in either a simplified way or an exaggerated manner. Abstract art is one of the major forms of art design which attracts a wide variety of people and art lovers. This form of art developed long back with a significant history comprising of various popular artists. Abstract landscape art, 3D abstract art, and fantasy abstract art are the most popular varieties of abstract art.
The three major forms of abstract art are cubism, neoplasticism, and abstract expressionism. Several artists are credited with the foundations of abstract art. Among those artists, the most famous cubists were Pablo Picasso and Georges. Piet Mondrian's works are one of the best examples of neoplasticism. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock are excellent examples of abstract expressionism.
The history of abstract art involves more than 20,000 artists along with their interesting art backgrounds. Images and in-depth information of these artists are available in their biographies. History states that the abstract form of art design developed in the early 1900s. Neo-plasticism (1920-1940), abstract expressionism (1940-1955), conceptual art, contemporary realism, photorealism, and hyper realism (1960-1975), and neo-expressionism (1970-1990) are some of the major developmental stages in the history of abstract art.
Post-Modernism is a stage which began around 1975, and still considered very famous in abstract art form. Ancient history reveals the truth that abstract art had been used in decorations for textiles and pottery, even in the early twentieth century abstract patterns. In the twentieth century, abstract art type was widely accepted. The first original abstract art form was developed by Wassily Kandinsky in 1910. In 1912, he wrote a theory based on abstract art called On the Spiritual in Art. This theory stated that portrayed art should be based on spiritual realm, and not just the things we see ordinarily as the visual world.

Art Collecting Tips

Just because you have money doesn't mean you have to spend it. In art collecting it can actually be a disadvantage to be flush with cash, at least when you're a beginner. I say this because it's harder to resist the temptation to purchase art when you have money. Even if you're a financially disciplined person, art can play on your emotions and you can find yourself spending more freely than you ever have before. Take the time to learn about the kind of art you want to collect. Unbelievable deals don't come around often, and they rarely come to beginning collectors. There will always be quality art to purchase. The best thing for you to do is take your time and learn, learn, learn about the artists or category of art you want to buy. When you feel that you're ready to take the plunge and buy a piece of art, be sure to learn as much about the artist as you can. Especially examine the artist's auction records if there are any. Auction records are not definitive, but they are very helpful.
Narrow down your collecting interest as much as you possibly can. You can like all kinds of art, but it will serve your best interests to narrow down the scope of your art collecting interests as much as possible. The more you narrow down your collecting interest, the more of an expert you're likely to become in that particular area. One of the greatest joys of collecting art is learning so much about an artist that you feel almost like you know him, or studying the period of history in which the art was developed. The more this is done, the greater your appreciation of your collection will be, and your enthusiasm and knowledge will be evident when you show off your collection.
Yes, you should buy a piece of art because you love it, BUT take the financial aspect into consideration too. It has become a cliché in the art advice business to tell people that the best thing for them to do is buy the art that they love. This is good advice, but somehow hidden in that statement seems to be a subtle message to not take the financial aspect of the piece into consideration. I say buy the art that you love, but also make sure you're not paying too much for it and consider your end game. I wouldn't advise asking, "How much money can I make on this painting? Or How much will it appreciate?" Rather, just be sure that you can recoup your investment. Tragedies can happen, and sadly what people first consider selling to raise money is their art collection.
Buying work by a deceased artist is generally less financially risky than buying art by a contemporary artist. This is because the art market for a contemporary artist has not really been tested. Most deceased artists have some kind of record of sale on the secondary market, whether it be at an auction or a gallery. This record gives you an idea of what is an appropriate price to pay for a work by a certain artist.
Just because a painting is signed "T.C. Steele" doesn't mean T.C. Steele actually signed it or even did the painting. What often happens is that a family member, often a wife or son or sister, signs an artist's paintings after he dies. If this is the case, it decreases the value of the painting. Of course, an "artist signed" painting could also be a forgery. I've seen plenty of paintings that bear the signature of an artist who clearly didn't do the painting. An art appraiser can assist you in determining the authenticity of a signature or painting.
Just because a desirable artist did a painting doesn't mean that the painting is desirable. Every artist had his good days and bad days. Some had more bad than good. Certain periods of an artist's work are also more desirable than other periods. Also, if an artist is known for painting landscapes, a painting that he did of a cat is probably going to be much less desirable. The medium is also important in determining desirability. Overall, oil paintings tend to rank as most desirable; however, there are artists who work in all mediums but whose watercolors or prints are more in demand than their oil paintings.
There are a lot of great deals on eBay. There are also a lot of fakes, junk, inexperienced sellers and shippers, and hucksters. eBay can be a great place to learn about art, but it's not usually where the best pieces by an artist appear. This is because the best pieces are usually brokered between dealers and their clients. Occasionally, such pieces make it onto eBay, but usually through live auctions. eBay can also be a financially risky place to buy art. The number of fakes, questionable works, and bad paintings on eBay is quite high. Unless you are an expert in a particular category of art or on a particular artist, I'd avoid buying on eBay until you're sure you know what you're doing. Even then you can still make mistakes. (e.g. buying a print that was described by the seller as a painting, getting an excellent buy only to receive the item damaged because it was improperly packaged for shipping)
Most art dealers aren't dishonest, but the dishonest ones have a radar for those who want to be quickly parted from their money. When buying a painting from a gallery or dealer, try to find out as much as possible about where the painting came from. Provenance enhances the value of a painting. Also, if the price seems to be out of line with similar pieces you've seen by the artist, ask the dealer how he came up with the price. He may have very sound reasons for the price difference (or you may not be familiar enough with the artist), but if he becomes defensive or combative, be suspicious.
Pricing art is an art. It's also part science and speculation. Art is not a commodity. Therefore, there are significant variations in price, even among the works of one artist. It's not unusual for an artist to have a high auction sale price of over a million dollars and a low one in the hundreds or low thousands. This happens for various reasons, usually related to size, medium, and period created. Always remember, any price can be put on a work of art, but there's no saying it's worth the tag price until it sells. Also keep in mind that pricing art is not formulaic. There are dealers out there who are intentionally trying to rip people off by making them overpay for art. But most dealers use all the knowledge they've spent considerable time acquiring; they research, they talk to other dealers, and then they come up with what they consider to be a fair market price for a piece.
Don't be an art day trader. Unless you are an art dealer, I don't advise buying paintings and quickly trading or selling them for something else. I have not met a collector yet who has not lost money doing this. And the collector usually ends up frustrating the art dealer he's dealing with in the process.

Martial Arts and The Bible

As a Christian and a martial arts student, I have often wrestled with the idea of self-defense. Does God expect me to defend my family and myself when physically attacked or am I to "turn the other cheek" and endure it in the name of Jesus? As I considered the many comments I encountered on this topic, I became even more confused. Some advocates for "religion" have gone as far as to say that anyone who practices any form of martial arts is without a doubt bound for hell. It wasn't until I committed myself to a more thorough study of the scriptures that I discovered the truth for myself. The Bible gives more than a few examples of the practice of self-defense and the idea of martial arts. I would like to share some of what I have learned in this study of the Bible - Old Testament and New. The Bible is, in fact, the very word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17).
God and Warfare
The first example of a physical struggle in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 4. It is here that Cain kills his brother Abel. This is an act of violence condemned by God for two reasons. First, the violence was out of anger and jealousy because his brother's actions were better than his own (Genesis 4:4-7). Secondly, the violence was pre-meditated. God confronted Cain before this violence occurred. He told Cain that he would need to figure out how to master the sin of anger and jealousy that was trying to overtake him. What this scripture teaches is that God does not want us to initiate violence but he wants us to train ourselves to master our emotions when tempted with feelings of anger, jealousy and rage. He wants us to prepare our hearts to respond humbly. I believe the study of martial arts can provide this kind of training. I have seen it in my son's martial arts class. His sensei (teacher) may spend up to half of the one-hour class teaching the children humility, manners, concern for others and peace-making. They are taught to avoid violence and stay calm in situations of conflict. This kind of character training is right in line with the example of God's training of Cain.
The next biblical example of a conflict involving a physical struggle is found in Genesis chapter 14. In this chapter, kings are at war and Abram's nephew, Lot, and Lot's family are taken captive. In response to hearing the news about his relatives, Abram sends men to rescue them. In Genesis 14:14-16, Abram sent out "the 318 trained men born in his household". It seems that even though Abram was not at war, he had a training program for his family and household. It was obviously a training program for warfare of some kind - and a good one, at that, since they were victorious in returning Lot, his family and all of their possessions from the hands of warring kings. After Abram's successful rescue, he is honored by God and reminded that God had made him successful against his adversary. God later renames Abram, "Abraham" and he becomes the founding father of faith for the Jewish people (and later Christians as well).
To clarify the meaning of the term "martial arts", Webster's defines the word martial as "warfare" or "warrior", and arts as "a skill acquired by study". In the story of Abram rescuing Lot, the Bible gives us an example of warrior training. Not everyone in Abram's household was a part of the 318 trained men, but the ones that were had excellent martial arts training. And God helped them to be victorious as they executed their warfare skills.
Here are a few other brief examples of warfare, from the Old Testament, that could be studied further:
  • Genesis 32 - Jacob avoids war with his brother, Esau. He prepares for battle but orchestrates a peaceful resolution.
  • Deuteronomy 20 - God goes with the warriors to fight against their enemies.
  • II Samuel 23:8-39 - the Bible describes David and his mighty men of battle.
  • Nehemiah 4 - the builders of Jerusalem's city wall carry weapons to defend themselves during the rebuilding.
There are many more examples in the Old Testament, with a wide variety of scenarios and many unique resolutions. The subject of warfare is very complex and each situation needs to be considered carefully. Therefore, when faced with adversity, wisdom needs to be applied.
An Eye For An Eye
Even with the Old Testament of the Bible showing support for martial arts training, some might argue that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament - that God's position on warfare changed when Jesus came on the scene. It might be said that the God of the Old Testament was about war and the God of the New Testament is about peace.
The Bible, however, does not support this. James 1:17 says that God does not change, and Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ [God] is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. As we continue to study this topic, we will see that the New Testament also discusses self-defense and the idea of martial arts.
Matthew 5:38-42, in which Jesus talks about "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", has been used to condemn martial arts. It reads, "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." At first glance this passage seems to be advocating a reversal of the Old Testament laws. I was swayed by this argument myself, and was torn in my own convictions for some time. But when I finally decided to dig deeper into the Bible, I was amazed and encouraged to find some answers.
Many people who want to obey the Bible simply gloss over this scripture, like I did, because they are torn between what they think the Bible says and their consciences telling them to prepare for warfare and to protect.
The truth is that Jesus never intended to abolish the Old Testament laws. He only intended to clarify them, to reinforce them, fulfill them, and reveal God's heart behind them. This is what Jesus says just moments earlier in Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the [Old Testament] Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." When Jesus speaks about "turning the other cheek", in Matthew 5, he is referring to the Old Testament Mosaic laws found in Exodus 21, 22 and 23. These chapters in Exodus contain the laws God gave to his people, which reinforce and further detail the famous "ten commandments". Jesus is specifically referring to Exodus 21:22 where God explains what punishment should be given if men are fighting and an innocent by-stander is harmed (in this instance, a pregnant woman). This is not a scripture about self-defense but about restitution and punishment for a crime. Jesus referred to this scripture because the people, in religious self-righteousness, were using this particular scripture to justify retaliation and vengeance.
"An eye for an eye" had become an excuse to be intolerant and merciless toward one another. A closer look at the "act of aggression" that Jesus refers to as a strike on the cheek, will reveal that he is talking about an insult rather than a fighting fist. The word "strike" is translated from the Greek word "rhapizo" which is used interchangeably with the word "slap". In the Jewish culture (as in many other cultures), a slap in the face was a form of humiliation or rebuke. It was not necessarily a physical attack and was not meant to result in physical harm. Even Exodus 21:21 (regarding "an eye for an eye") says that if, as a result of a conflict, a pregnant by-stander is forced to give birth pre-maturely but there is no serious injury to the woman or the baby, "an eye for an eye" should not be applied as a punishment. Jesus is confirming that this Old Testament law regarding punishment is not to be used as an excuse for retaliation when inconvenienced or insulted. Jesus is exposing the heart of man and is further clarifying the Old Testament Law. God's desire is that we don't retaliate but rather that we restrain our emotions in the heat of conflict and maintain righteousness and mercifulness. We are not to pounce on our adversary at the first sign that we have been offended. The ultimate goal of God is to win over the offender, help him to see God's mercy and institute a change of heart in the offender (see 2 Peter 3:9-15 and Luke 9:51-56 for further study).
Guidelines For Martial Arts
The Bible provides some guidelines for practicing self-defense and martial arts as it aims to clarify what is and is not acceptable in the face of conflict. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture [the Bible] is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." I Corinthians 13:7 says, "[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres". Using the Bible as a guide, a person can become thoroughly equipped to be a protector.
Permanent injury or death can occur as a result of practicing martial arts. This does not make martial arts unacceptable to God but God clarifies what is and is not acceptable in regard to deadly force in various situations. For example, Exodus 21:12-14 says that if a person is killed unintentionally, the killer is not guilty of murder. If it is intentional, the killer is to be sentenced to death. Exodus 21:18-19 says that if men are quarreling and one strikes the other and injures him seriously but not permanently (even with a weapon), he is responsible only to compensate the injured man for loss of time and medical expenses. I point out these scriptures to show that God is concerned with the attacker's and the defender's intentions as well as the outcome of the conflict. We cannot simply say that anyone who harms or kills another man is guilty and has committed a sin. It depends on his intentions. Also, we see that using extreme force, or even a weapon may be acceptable if it is used in a way as to not intentionally inflict permanent damage.
The Bible refers to another situation in which self-defense may be used during a robbery, in Exodus 22:2-3. If a man is being robbed, he is entitled to protect his property, his family and himself. If the attempted robbery takes place at night and the actions of self-defense result in the death of the robber, the defender is not guilty. If the attempted robbery takes place in the daytime and the robber is killed, the defender is guilty of sin. The difference may be that in the daytime, the defender should have more control of his actions and should be able to subdue the robber without killing him. Self-defense is warranted but control must be applied. At night, in the dark, maximum force would be acceptable since it is more difficult to assess the threat that the robber poses. It would be more difficult to tell if the attacker had a weapon, or to assess his physical strength.
God expects us to constantly make decisions about the situations we are in. In regard to martial arts and self-defense, it seems that God is concerned with our intentions. Guilt and innocence, to him, are a matter of the heart. God expects us to be directed by the heart of the scriptures in the Bible. We must be directed in our actions by scriptures such as Deuteronomy 5:17, which says, "You shall not murder" as well as I Corinthians 13:7 which says, "[Love] always protects". As the Bible states in II Timothy 3:16-17, all Bible scripture is relevant and useful. During one of my martial arts classes, one of my fellow students asked our sensei, "What attack should I make now?" He had just finished practicing a series of intense self-defense tactics on his partner, rendering him harmless. Sensei replied, "Run". No final "kill-move"? No, it is time to make another decision about the threat the attacker poses. If the attacker has been successfully rendered harmless then you shouldn't stick around to inflict more damage or further risk your own safety. The Bible gives us specific guidelines for martial arts but God also communicates his heart about how he wants us to treat one another. He wants us to treat one another with love - even in conflict.
Weapons
I have also wrestled with the question of whether or not it was right for weapons to be used as a means of defense. Should I own a fighting knife, a sword or a gun? Isaiah 2:4 says, "...They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." If this scripture were taken out of context with the rest of the Bible, to use a weapon would be a sin. But this scripture has to be balanced with others. In the context, this scripture is describing the contrast between the nations of that time and the type of nation Jesus would establish in the future. The nation that Jesus would establish would have no military and there would be no physical walls to defend. It would be a spiritual nation, not a physical one.
The New Testament clearly confirms the right to bear arms. Romans 13:4 says, "For [the governing authority] is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." Even Jesus directs his disciples to acquire weapons as the time of his crucifixion approached. Luke 22:36 says, "He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'" And in Luke 22:38, "The disciples said, 'See Lord, here are two swords.' 'That is enough,' he replied." Peter soon after uses the sword to protect Jesus and Jesus rebukes him for it. This was not to say that it is wrong to use a weapon to protect someone. Peter had earlier been rebuked by Jesus for trying to keep him from fulfilling his mission of dying for the sins of the world (see Matthew 16:21-28). Jesus was re-stating that Peter was not to protect Jesus from going to his death. This was not the correct time to use the sword. Jesus had his disciples arm themselves because Jesus was not going to be with them, physically, any longer. They would need to protect themselves and each other and Jesus gave them the right to bear arms in order to do so.
Martial Arts Is Not Religion
It is important to note that martial arts is not religion in that it is not an institute of service and worship of God. It is only a tool to accomplish a necessary training. There will be flaws in all martial arts training and even things taught that are contradictory to the Bible. This will happen even when the martial arts style or system is advocating biblical-based training. Romans 3:4 says, "...Let God be true and every man a liar." My son was recently taught by an instructor during class to avoid talking about politics and religion in order to avoid conflict. Though I appreciate the effort made to train the kids to keep the peace, the concept is biblically flawed. I spent the next week teaching Bible scriptures to my son such as Acts 4, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey [man] rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." It is each person's responsibility as a Christian to know what the Bible teaches. Even in Acts 17:10-11, when the apostle Paul taught the people of Berea, the Bereans were honored by God for having a noble character because, "they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Each of us has the same responsibility to examine the scriptures to see if what we are being taught is true, whether it be a teaching from our martial arts instructor, school teacher, neighbor, or religious leader.
Conclusion
Martial arts training has its place. It can help people learn to deal with the inevitable conflicts in life. There is no escaping battle in life. God wants people to be prepared to handle these battles, whether it is to turn the other cheek to an insult, find a peaceful resolution, or physically defend themselves or others. Martial arts and self-defense are not sinful or inherently wrong, but without the guidance of God and the Bible, martial arts could be misapplied. Without proper biblical training we are left to our own sinful nature, which tends toward retaliation, haste, fear, hatred, pacifism, and intolerance. Martial arts is a biblical concept, but even more attention should be given to biblical training. The Bible should be used in conjunction with martial arts training. In conclusion, I Timothy 4:7-8, which says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."