In making a real assessment of any national art, we should consider not what the art has borrowed but what it has given. Seen in this light, Indian art should rank among the greatest even among the great schools in Europe or Asia. - E. B. Havel.
The word Kala has been used in the Rigveda (4000 BC to 1000 BC), the oldest text of the Aryans - 'Yath Kala, viz. Shaf, Madh, Srn sa niyamati.' Bharatmuni (sometime between 400 BC to 100 AD) has also used the word art in his treatise Natyashastra - 'Na tajjanam na tachhilpam na vadhi na sa kala.' That is, there is no knowledge in which there is no craft, no discipline or which is not art.
'art' used by Bharatmuni Meaning of 'Fine Arts' and 'craft' Means possibly some useful art. Generally arts are those activities which require some cleverness or skill to perform. Emphasis has been laid on highlighting the sattvik tendencies of the mind in Indian art-contemplation.
Objectives of Art
'Art' There are many purposes of creation. Self-consciousness predominates in art. The idea of art appears in the physical form, but its purpose is not only to show the physical form of the object, but also to show its internal features in which the reflection of the artist's inner being can be seen. 'Art' Takes man from the gross to the subtle.
The main aim of Indian artists has been to awaken the consciousness of the subtle in the gross. Through art-creation, the mind and soul are met with beauty and the soul experiences peace. Form and beauty are created through art. Art 'Avyakt' to 'express' and 'abstract' Gives shape to it.
Art from Indian point of view 'Rasanubhuti' Done for 'Creation' Is. Art is an important part of human life. According to philosophers 'Art is life' In fact, art is a way of life. Human life is attained through art. Art touches the consciousness of man.
Definitions of Art
'Art' It is a human action, in which the nature, form and feeling of human beings are included. 'art' in western thought The word is used for physical or mental skill. Work done without skill or clumsiness is not considered art. 'art' in the modern period Many definitions have been given, some of which say 'art' There is an innate expression of human emotions.
'Art' She is the mother of welfare. 'art' is the name of an aesthetic expression of imagination Is. Imagination can be expressed in different ways and through different mediums. Art originated from the inspiration of beauty. Therefore the assessment of Lalit is the art itself. The goal of every type of artistic process is the expression of beauty.
Mahakavi Kalidas (Gupta period) 'Raghuvansh' In 'Lalite Kala Vidho' It is mentioned in this context. According to Bhagwatsharan Upadhyay, 'Abhuram marking, whether it is in the field of vagulas, whether it is in raga-rekhas, whether it is in Vastu-craft, it is art itself. According to Jaishankar Prasad- 'The physical and mental skillful creation of God's duty-power is the art of man.
Difference between art and science
There is a vast difference between art and science. Knowledge predominates in science, skill and imagination in art. Authenticity in science is judged by smelling, tasting, seeing, measuring, weighing and testing in the laboratory, whereas art does not require authenticity, it is judged by human taste. The work of science produces the same result and effect in every time, country and situation whereas 'art' The feeling of love may vary according to the country, time and character.
Difference between art and nature
'Art' The Work of 'Nature' different from the work. The meaning of art is to create, that is, there is artificiality in it, whereas there is no artificiality in nature. Art is in everything that man does whereas nature is a spontaneous creation. Art gets its inspiration from nature. Art requires skill whereas nature does not require any skill. There is imagination in art, while nature is stranger than imagination.
Types of Art
Art and its types have been discussed in the texts of Vatsyayana's Kamasutra, Ushanas's book Shukraniti, Jain texts Prabandhakosh, Kalavilas and Lalitavistar etc. In most texts the number of arts is given as 64. A list of 72 arts is found in some texts like Prabandhakosh etc. The names of 86 arts have been counted in Lalitvistar.
The famous Kashmiri Pandit Kshemendra has described the maximum number of arts in his treatise Kalavilas. In it, 64 are related to public utility, 32 related to Dharma-Arth-Kama and Moksha, 32 related to Matsarya-Shil-Effective, 64 related to cleanliness, 64 related to prostitutes, 10 related to medicine, 16 related to Kayastha and 100 related arts have been discussed. The most authentic list is of Kamasutra.
Classification of Arts
Bharatmuni's 'Natyashastra' Classification of Arts in 'Accessory' and 'main' done as an art. These arts will go on to become 'Karu' and 'Charu' The arts are called 'dependent' and 'Independent' It can also be called arts. Scholars have included them in art, establishing identity in poetry, music, painting, dance-theatrical and Vastu etc.
All these fine arts are recognized as independent. In the modern period, art is kept under the subject of humanities, which also includes history, literature, philosophy and linguistics etc. Two distinctions of art have been made in western culture-
(1.) Useful Arts Practice Arts½ and
(2.) Fine Arts Fine Arts½.
The main types of traditionally popular arts are as follows-
(1.) Architecture,
(2.) Sculpture,
(3.) Painting,
(4.) Music,
(5.) Poetry,
(6.) Dance,
(7.) Theater and Cinema
In the modern period photography, cinematography, advertising and comics as well as other subjects have been added to the types of art. The arts of the modern period can be classified as follows-
(1.) Literature - Poetry, novel, short story, epic etc.;
(2.) Performing arts- music, dance, theatre;
(3.) Culinary arts- Baking, Chocolatering, Brewing;
(4.) Media Arts- Photography, Cinematography, Advertising;
(5.) Visual Arts- Drawing, Painting, Sculpture etc.
Some arts mix elements of both visual and performance, such as film.
Earliest Evidence of Indian Art
The earliest evidence of Indian art has been obtained from the material available in the excavations of the Indus civilization (between 3500 BC to 1500 BC). Evidence of various arts has been found in the Indus civilization, city-building art, building art, well-making art, sculpture, dance art, musical art, metallurgy, textile art, pottery making art, currency making art etc. P>
Evidence of temple building art has not been received from this civilization. After the Indus civilization, the evidence of various arts is found in the Maurya period (BC322 to BC184) and after that the evidence of Indian arts is found continuously.