One of the wonderful things about art is that anyone can do it. People often say things like "I'm not artistic" or "I can't draw." The truth is art means so much more than just painting, drawing, and sculpting. Truly anyone can be an artist - it's all about finding the right outlet for your creativity! We live in a multimedia world and there are so many forms of expression and communication available to us all. Architects, website designers, film prop creators, city planners - aren't they all artists?
Yi Hong is known commonly by her moniker, Red. Red painted a portrait of the famous Chinese basketball player Yao Ming. The interesting part is that she painted it using a basketball! Red's apt choice of tool and her impressive skills have earned her almost a million views on YouTube. Fans from around the world watch as Red dribbles, bounces, rolls, and smudges to create a perfect likeness.
Can a four-year-old be an artist? Most parents seem to think so, and display art done by their children all around their homes and offices. Many children like to play with art and create new pieces as they discover more about colour and shapes. One four-year-old, however, took it to a whole new level. Aelita Andre has been called the youngest ever professional artist.
Born in 2007, the young prodigy had only just turned two when she had her artwork displayed publicly for the first time. Andre is an Australian abstract artist who started painting when she was less than a year old, before she could even walk! Her parents are both professional artists who helped and inspired their daughter to do her art. Andre uses a Surrealist painting style and her work has been compared to that of Jackson Pollock, who is famous for his abstract-expressionist art.
There aren't rules to creating art and to Fernando Botero proportions are just another way for him to express his creativity. Botero is famous for his works with exaggerated proportions, often with amplified volume. In fact, he is so well known for this style that it's named after him.
Before there was YouTube, children and excited adults tuned in to watch Neil Buchanan's television show, Art Attack. One of the most exciting parts of the show was the Big Art Attack. In this segment of each episode, Neil used everyday things in very creative ways to make large-scale images. It's hard enough making art out of old clothes, but try making it so sizeable that it is visible from a helicopter!
As the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Many people usually remove lint from the dryer and throw it away without a second thought. However, Heidi Cooper and other lint artists have a much better use for lint. These artists use lint that varies in colours to produce their art. Since lint cannot be dyed, the colours have to come from the clothes themselves. These artists are able to use lint to create colourful and unique pieces of art.
Anastassia Elias is another artist that uses a throwaway item to make art. Using empty toilet paper rolls, she creates diminutive scenes inside the rolls. The scenes depicting everyday life are made with paper, creating a silhouette when the ideal lighting conditions are met. These scenes include a family visiting a zoo, a man fishing, a child on a swing, and many more everyday activities.
These different kinds of artwork can be extremely valuable. On November 2, 2006, Pollock's painting Number 5 (1948) was sold to an undisclosed buyer for an eye-popping $140 million.
Art is perceived differently by different people. Some people think certain artists are merely hype . Others will spend a fortune to purchase the artwork from the same artist, perhaps causing bewilderment to onlookers.
Even though these artists are well known now, it was not always easy to create such different art. Their works are also not always well-received. Sometimes the artists' styles and works are taunted by others. However, these artists persevered and their art style became their signature. Some of their pieces have become paramount to art collectors.