Kinds Of Art Forms

There are many kinds of art forms that have been clearly classified. But art is something very abstract thus clearly defining the kinds of art forms can take away the essence of the arts. Yet there the kinds of art forms are generally classified for the benefit of all. Outside of all art institutes the kinds of art forms tend to merge into art and nothing more. There is much controversy regarding the classification of art forms since a few art forms are not recognized worldwide. Kinds of art forms are generally divided into two broad categories and under those categories there are the different arts that one can practice. The two broad categories and their sub categories are as follows-

Visual arts

As the name suggests this art form is one which engages the views sight. This art form is generally a static art form. The sub categories can help one understand the art form better. The subcategories are:

– Painting- this again is a very broad classification since there are many forms of painting that can be found. Everything from cave drawings to modern day graffiti can be categorized under this. Any subject can be chosen to be represented in image form. Any medium can be chosen to represent the figure on or with. This is a two dimensional art form which is the most primitive art form known to man.

– Sculpture- when any subject is represented needs to be represented in a three dimensional form sculpting is the art form in use. Sculptures can use any sort of material to form three dimensional images. The sculptures may not be the exact representation of the images and can be abstract. Either way this is a clearly defined visual art.

– Pottery- this is an ancient art which is disputed today since many critics tend to club this with sculpture. But the art can hold its own since it involves a lot of skill and the potters’ artistic expression.

– Photography- this is another highly disputed art form. But it is popularly accepted as a visual art form due to the artistic representations.

– Cinema- this is a visual art form although it is not static. It is a series of moving images thus it can be considered visual arts.

Performance arts

As the name suggests this is an art form where there is some sort of performance involved. Here the art and the artists are one. The subcategories are:

– Dance- the performers or dancers express their art through the motion of their bodies. Thus it is a performance art.

– Music- music can be of many kinds. The artist can play instruments or use their bodies to create music. Either way there is nothing visual in the art thus it is performance art.

– Drama- drama is much like cinema but since it is performed live it is a performance art not visual art.

These are the most well known of the kinds of art forms. Apart from these there are many categories that are not generally recognized or accepted as an art form.