Theory of Art and Design Go Hand In Hand In Some Epochs More Than Others. Which Eras Reveal the Closest Bond Between Art and Design?
Essay Preview: Theory of Art and Design Go Hand In Hand In Some Epochs More Than Others. Which Eras Reveal the Closest Bond Between Art and Design?
Report this essay
“Art and design go hand in hand in some epochs more than others. Which period reveals the strongest bond between art and design?”
Traditionally art and design have been used by different social and cultural groups at specific times, in different forms, to construct and communicate their identities; as well as to support and demonstrate their beliefs, values and social ideals. This relationship between design and art has historically been indistinguishable; the difference is an outcome of modernism, However, it seems the strongest bonds between the two is revealed through the ways in which society and culture have used these media to express contemporary religious and political attitudes and thinking, and it seems that these respective links are most apparent within the Gothic and Roman epochs respectively. It seems that within these periods, we can observe the strongest bonds of design and art collectively constructing and communicating the respective identities of the people, and their religious and political environments. Art and design may be used individually to create an object; yet it is when these individual objects are viewed cooperatively within a specific context that the strongest bonds are revealed;
It seems that it is within the Gothic period whereby the religious idea and beliefs of the community are most evident and strongly demonstrated within the collective art and design of the epoch. Te most obvious example is the Gothic Cathedral, which seems to do no les than to “epitomize medieval civilization” (Honour and Fleming, 2002, pg 391). Yet this importance and symbolism within the reflection of the epoch is not restricted to the architectural design of the physical building, but it extends much further, into the caravig, sculptures and of course the stained glass windows.
A Cathedral is by definition a church containing a bishops throne, it is “the centre for temporal power, as well as spiritual authority” (Honour and Fleming, 2002, pg 391). During the Middle Ages, life was a spiritual quest, and cathedrals were above all significant symbols; with their sharp angular spires soaring high above their ground, leading the eye upward to the skies, and “acting as ever present emblems, and pointers to heaven” (Honour and Fleming, 2002, pg 391). Obviously, medieval designers were conscious of the conceptual effect of these buildings, and were concerned with the image they were creating with regards to these highly influential buildings. Each part was intended to not only support the physical weight of the building, but to add to the spiritual idea of the time. As designers and artists alike strived to create a “New Jerusalem” through all aspects of the aesthetics of the building, society looked increasingly towards art and design for support and conformation of their beliefs.
Cathedrals and all which was included therein, were intended as a relationship of art and design Ð- a combination of idea and image Ð- ultimately to create a mystical representation which encourages one to move away from the physical material of the everyday, and towards the divine. This was achieved through many fundamental aspects, all of which are key images associated with Gothic art and design, The Cathedral itself was designed in such a way, that enormous scale could be achieved Ð- the higher the building, the closer to heaven. This mentality of reaching to heaven, was only accentuated by the decorative spires and ornamentation on top of the buildings, these simply moved the mind further and further from the everyday, and closer to God. The use of Flying Buttresses, is a key example of the unified used of art and design to achieve the aesthetic ideal, whilst still accentuating the spiritual importance and ideal behind the building. Flying buttresses, turn the building inside out, they act as a support for great weight, which allows the building to be very tall, whilst also embellishing the cathedral this maze of hellish spider arms, which reach out from the cathedral. Yet, we can see that amongst this maze of arms and legs, each one is topped with its own little spire, which only adds to the upward thrust of the building. It is within this small, but obvious detailing, that it is evident that Flying buttresses, do in fact do more than simply hold the cathedral up, they too are used in this universal quest for spiritual resolution. It is these simple combined efforts of art and design which acted as constant and inescapable reminders of your faith; and also of your future: As a highly pious society, it was simply a matter of heaven or hell, and that is something only you can determine.
Yet as has already been mentioned, these reminders are not limited simply to architecture, and extend into the carvings, sculptures and stained glass windows. As artists and designers alike sought
to achieve a physical as well as a transcendental “City of God”, the use of coloured glass became more apparent, and increasingly more important. The visual idea and concept of the divine, was raised to and “even higher transcendental plain” (Honour and Fleming, 2002, pg 395) through the use of coloured glass to create and “unearthly light”, which was the result of being filtered through stained glass and thus “suffusing the space in immaterial colour” (Honour an Fleming, 2002, pg 395) This heavenly use of light to realize the idea of the divine through “spiritual and physical illumination” (Honour and Fleming, 2002, pg 396), is no more apparent than at Chartes Cathedral in France, where the greater part of the wall, is entirely formed by beautifully stained glass.
Stained Glass windows tell stories by visual means, and as these stories are generally direct reflections of the beliefs and values of the society, it seems obvious that within these era that these images, would be depictions of events from the Bible. Stained glass is often in this case, referred to as “the poor mans bible”, and within a society where the majority of citizens were completely illiterate, telling these stories which were the soul of their faith and therefore the backbone of their society by visual means, makes a great deal of sense. When these images and stories are combined with the conceptual, spiritual and physical importance of the design and construction of Cathedrals, we can quite simply see that, art and design have been used collectively, to greatest effect within the Gothic epoch, in demonstrating, supporting, constructing and communicating the religious and spiritual identities of a society.
The same theory applies to the Roman era, however it is within this period where we can appreciate the use of art and design within a