Wildlife art is an enduring form of human expression. There are hundreds of artists who advertise their contemporary works on the Internet. There are also ancient depictions of wild animals left by stone age artists on cave walls.
Ancient artists were seldom sentimental. Their depictions may be elongated or foreshortened and understanding seems to go beyond simple realism. Experts advance explanations of symbolic significance and suggest that the creatures that were killed held spiritual qualities for their killers.
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries politicians advanced the notions that there was no room for wild life in view of the glorious new eras of human development that was promised. The futility of this ideal is now exposed but in China much damage was done. In the new China there is a reawakening of appreciation. In public places there may be statues of deer and elephants but these seem oddly pathetic in view of the wasted wildlife heritage of the country.
In Africa wild animals do still roam but there are many people who would slaughter them indiscriminately either for blood lust or to protect crops. Ironically hunters may be the reason for some animals to survive because game ranches keep wild animals to sell to killers from abroad who pay to come and kill. These people have shown some artistic inclinations since the days of big game hunters who liked to take trophies or pictures of themselves posing before mounds of animal carcases.
On the reverse side of the human equation there are many people influenced by an aspect of English culture which emerged with the Romantic poets who revered nature and wildness. Though sometimes sentimental the love of wild things is deep and sincere in many people. Some artists have genuine appreciation of the distinction between domesticated and wild things and try to capture the essence of wildness. Others are yet more subtle and capture the essential wildness even in domesticated animals like dogs and cats.
wildlife art has existed for much of human history. Supply and demand in the twenty-first century is possibly more vibrant in the light of the growing realization that wildness is under severe threat. Yet, in the best art there may always have been deep insight into the connection between wildness and beauty.
Ancient artists were seldom sentimental. Their depictions may be elongated or foreshortened and understanding seems to go beyond simple realism. Experts advance explanations of symbolic significance and suggest that the creatures that were killed held spiritual qualities for their killers.
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries politicians advanced the notions that there was no room for wild life in view of the glorious new eras of human development that was promised. The futility of this ideal is now exposed but in China much damage was done. In the new China there is a reawakening of appreciation. In public places there may be statues of deer and elephants but these seem oddly pathetic in view of the wasted wildlife heritage of the country.
In Africa wild animals do still roam but there are many people who would slaughter them indiscriminately either for blood lust or to protect crops. Ironically hunters may be the reason for some animals to survive because game ranches keep wild animals to sell to killers from abroad who pay to come and kill. These people have shown some artistic inclinations since the days of big game hunters who liked to take trophies or pictures of themselves posing before mounds of animal carcases.
On the reverse side of the human equation there are many people influenced by an aspect of English culture which emerged with the Romantic poets who revered nature and wildness. Though sometimes sentimental the love of wild things is deep and sincere in many people. Some artists have genuine appreciation of the distinction between domesticated and wild things and try to capture the essence of wildness. Others are yet more subtle and capture the essential wildness even in domesticated animals like dogs and cats.
wildlife art has existed for much of human history. Supply and demand in the twenty-first century is possibly more vibrant in the light of the growing realization that wildness is under severe threat. Yet, in the best art there may always have been deep insight into the connection between wildness and beauty.
About the Author:
You can visit the website http://www.thejennylynn.com for more helpful information about wildlife art.
No comments:
Post a Comment