organic art | Outside The Lines

When most people think of art, the first thing that might come to their mind is an easel, oil paints, brushes, and watercolors. Or perhaps an individual’s thoughts might immediately conjure images of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, or Degas’ ethereal paintings of ballerinas. These works are certainly exquisite examples of fine art. But art is inclusive of these “traditional” works and so much more. Organic art is part of that “more.”

Organic art is somewhat of a movement that is beginning to make waves in the art world. Organic (or as one particular artist puts it, “eco-friendly”) art is inclusive of art pieces that have been created with organic materials, such as dried leaves and flowers, twigs, plants, tree bark, and other natural elements. Organic artists often use a canvas made out of processed tree bark and will glue elements to the canvas using organic glue. Some artists do not use paint, even if it is naturally derived, to color their creations. Rather, they use dried flowers and leaves to create the effects they desire.

Artists are choosing to embrace organic art for reasons that are both moral and preferential. Some are truly against any type of waste, and therefore reject traditional art supplies. Such artists wish to use only materials that are readily available from the earth and would have gone to waste had they not been used for artistic purposes. Other artists simply love nature and find it a privilege to use its offerings to compose their pieces with.

In your opinion, what is art? Is it only paintings and drawings that have a certain amount of prestige, or can it be creations crafted with totally natural elements? Many people seem to believe that art can be highly refined as well as rugged and earthy. This principle bleeds over into other art forms, such as music, dance, writing, and the like. Organic art is convincing people that the term “art” is more expansive and inclusive that they ever thought possible.

http://www.redbubble.com/groups/uncommon-supports-to-paint-on/forums/14208/topics/287961-the-uspo-july-how-to-basant-soni-art-on-natural-bark-of-palm-tree

Note: Images represented in this post do not belong to Segmation; they were found at http://www.redbubble.com/groups/uncommon-supports-to-paint-on/forums/14208/topics/287961-the-uspo-july-how-to-basant-soni-art-on-natural-bark-of-palm-tree and http://www.etsy.com/listing/95693579/fine-art-giclee-print-on-canvas-image-03

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When you thumb through your favorite magazine, how many images do you see that you assume have not been highly processed through technology? More than likely your answer is none. The truth is that retouching images using digital tools has been the name of the photography game for the past several years. In many cases, photos all over the media do not reflect anything that is real or “organic,” but rather what is fanciful and ideal. These qualities are not necessarily bad, but in some ways have lessened the value of raw, genuine photography. But all this is changing.

Photographers who have leaned heavily upon digital tools for the past few years are beginning to gravitate back toward totally or partially un-retouched images. Post-processing techniques that have been majorly employed by photographers are now becoming more and more shunned as artists seek to bring photography back to its roots. But among all of these changes, there is something to remember: there is nothing intrinsically wrong with utilizing technology in photography.

The problem was never in the technology (the post-processing techniques, digitalization, etc.) used to enhance images. David Allen Brandt, commercial photographer, commented, “The problem was that the images themselves, the backbone of the art presented, weren’t great to begin with.” So the issue is not that the technology used to transform images is “un-artistic” or negative. Rather, the core of a piece of photographic art (the photograph itself) needs to be high quality before post-processing techniques are used. Technology shouldn’t be the means a photographer uses to ensure an image is artful; it is more appropriate for it to be used to enhance an already-excellent photo.

As mentioned, photography is returning to its origins. It is mainly making this journey via photographers/artists who are choosing to allow “raw” images to be a primary source of art. These artists view image processing tools as just that: tools. Rather than counting on those tools to make an image into a quality piece of art, these photographers are taking artful images and making them better by using post-processing techniques and other technological helps. Amazing teachers are also shaping this next generation of artists by teaching photography techniques that do not emphasize digital manipulation.

Note: The image represented in this post does not belong to Segmation; it was found at http://www.photography.ca/blog/tag/lens/.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/living/fine-art-photography-manipulation/index.html?iphoneemail