Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Mesopotamia, the historical name given to a geographical region between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in modern-day southern Iraq, was the cradle of ancient civilization. Sumer, also known as Sumeria, was one of the first cultures to emerge in that part of the world. Dating from the fourth to third millennia B.C., it has produced many artifacts that are among the oldest forms of visual art in human history. The purpose of that art is a source of great interest for many.
Public water works are one of the oldest forms of public art. Through the directed use of water through plumbing, they create a visual and aural experience for all to enjoy. Today, fountains have become elaborate center pieces for many public spaces. Fountains are sometimes at the center of corporate business parks. Other times they are the focal points of museums. Wherever they are, finding a fountain takes only a moment and can be great way to spend the day.
Chicago art exists, not in one particular "trendy" section of the city, but in the various boroughs and neighborhoods where people reside and congregate based on their lifestyle, politics, race, ethnicity, education and other demographic traits. Author Diane Grams, in her book "Producing Local Color: Art Networks in Ethnic Chicago," states that "Chicago's island neighborhoods benefit from autonomous art production and consumption." Murals have always been a part of Chicago's diverse artistic landscape.
The history of murals in Chicago dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression when he commissioned the Federal Art Project to start the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and murals have remained a staple of Chicago culture ever since. Mural resurgence was strong once again in the late 1960's with the creation of the Chicago Mural Group, a group of African Americans who wished to depict the African-American struggle and liberation through murals for the community, and was soon followed by the Public Art Workshop, the Puerto Rican Art Association and MARCH (Movimiento Artistico Chicano). Throughout…
Baroque is the term given to the art movement of the Counter-Reformation that began in the late sixteenth century and ended in the mid-eighteenth century. While the style makes an appearance in some Dutch art, it emerged mainly in predominantly Catholic countries. Painters, sculptors and architects located in these areas strove to evoke movement, emotion and variety in their artwork. Read on to learn how to identify Baroque art.
