What is decorative art?

Man has always tried to embellish his life, introducing elements of aesthetics and creativity into it. Artisans, creating objects of everyday life - dishes, clothes, furniture, decorated them with ornaments, patterns, carvings, encrusted with precious stones, turning them into real works of art.

Decorative art, in fact, existed in prehistoric times, when a caveman decorated his home with rock paintings, but in the academic literature it was allocated only in the 50s of the 19th century.

Term meaning

The Latin word "decorare" is translated as "decorating". It is the root of the concept of "decorative", that is, "decorated". Consequently, the term "decorative art" literally means "the ability to decorate."

It is subdivided into such component arts :

• Monumental - decoration with decor, painting, mosaic, stained-glass windows, carving of buildings and structures;
• Applied - concerns all household items, including dishes, furniture, clothes, textiles;
• Design - creative approach to the design of holidays, exhibitions and showcases.

The main feature, according to which decorative fine art is distinguished from the elegant, is its practicality, the possibility of using in everyday life, and not just aesthetic filling.

For example, a picture is an object of fine art, and a carved candlestick or painted ceramic plate is applied.

Classification

Industries of this art are classified by:

• Materials used in the process of work. It can be metal, stone, wood, glass, ceramics, textiles.
• The execution technique. Various methods are used: carving, incrustation, casting, heel, embossing, embroidery, batik, painting, weaving, macrame and others.
• Functions - the item could be used in different ways, for example, as furniture, utensils or a toy.

As can be seen from the classification, this concept has a very wide coverage. Closely related to artistry, architecture, design. Objects of arts and crafts form the material world surrounding man, making him more beautiful and richer in aesthetic and imaginative plan.

Occurrence

Throughout the centuries, artisans have tried to decorate the fruits of their labor. They were skilled craftsmen, they had a fine taste, from generation to generation they improved their skills, carefully guarding the secrets inside the family. Their cups, banners, tapestries, clothes, cutlery and other household items, as well as stained-glass windows, frescoes were highly artistic.

Why did the definition of "decorative art" appeared exactly in the middle of the 19th century? This is due to the industrial revolution, when in the course of the rapid growth of machine production, the manufacture of goods from the hands of artisans moved to factories and factories. The products became unified, non-unique and often unattractive. Its main task was only rough functionality. In such conditions, applied fishing literally meant the production of a single good with high artistic value. Masters applied their art, creating exclusive decorated objects of everyday life, which in the conditions of the industrial boom began to be in great demand in the rich strata of society. So the term "arts and crafts" was born.

History of development

The age of decorative art is equal to the age of mankind. The first found objects of creativity belong to the Paleolithic age and represent rock paintings, ornaments, ritual figurines, bone or stone objects of everyday life. Given the primitiveness of the tools, decorative art in ancient society was very simple and rude.

Further improvement of the means of labor leads to the fact that objects serving practical purposes and at the same time decorating life become more and more elegant and refined. Masters invest in their everyday life their talent and taste, emotional mood.

Folk decorative art is permeated with elements of spiritual culture, traditions and views of the nation, the character of the era. It covers huge time and space layers in its development, the material of many generations is truly immense, therefore it is impossible to build all genres and types of it into one historical line. The stages of development are conditionally divided into the most significant periods, within which the most vivid masterpieces of decorative and applied art are singled out.

Ancient world

The decorative art of Egypt is one of the most significant pages in the history of applied art. Egyptian masters perfected such artistic crafts as carving on bone and wood, metalworking, jewelry, making colored glass and faience, the finest diy fabrics. At the height was tanneries, weaving, pottery. The artists of Egypt created wonderful art monuments, which the whole world admires today.

No less significant in the history of applied art were the achievements of the ancient Eastern masters of the Near East (Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, Syria, Phenicia, Palestine, Urartu). Decorative art of these states is particularly pronounced in such crafts as carving on ivory, chasing on gold and silver, inlaid with precious and semiprecious stones, art forging. The distinctive feature of the products of these peoples was the simplicity of forms, love in decoration to small and detailed details and an abundance of bright colors. A very high level reached the production of carpets.

Products of artisans of antiquity are decorated with images of plants and animals, mythical creatures and heroes of legends. The work used metal, including noble, faience, ivory, glass, stone, wood. The highest skill was achieved by the Cretan jewelers.

Decorative art of the countries of the East - Iran, India - is permeated with deep lyricism, refinement of images in combination with classical clarity and cleanliness of style. Centuries later, admiration for fabrics - muslin, brocade and silk, carpets, gold and silverware, chasing and engravings, painted glazed pottery. Impressive imagery luster and curb tiles, which adorned secular and religious buildings. A unique technique was artistic calligraphy.

Unique in its originality and exclusive methods is the decorative art of China, which had a serious impact on the work of masters of Japan, Korea and Mongolia.

The art of Europe was formed under the influence of the decorative and applied skill of Byzantium, which absorbed the spirit of the ancient world.

Originality of Russia

The folk decorative art of Ancient Rus was influenced by the Scythian culture. Art forms have achieved great visual power and expressiveness. Slavs used glass, rock crystal, carnelian, amber. The development of jewelry and metalworking, bone carving, ceramics, decorative painting of temples.

Pisankarstvo, wood carving, embroidery and weaving occupy a special place. In these forms of art, the Slavs reached great heights, creating refined fine products.

The basis of decorative art was the national ornament and patterns.