Art is the way to communicate and aesthetically represent the vision, feeling or opinion of an artist. This communication is accomplished through a language, such as dance, photography, among others.
The forms of artistic expression are very varied, some of them still appeared in Prehistory, passing through ancient and medieval art.
Types of Arts
1. Music
Music is the art that is connected to sounds, like instruments, and voices. It is a very ancient art expression, dated from Prehistory, which has records similar to what we consider music.
It’s an art spread all over the world, and even used to present and reproduce aspects of a culture.
A song is formed by a combination of:
- harmony: the mixture of sounds and chords;
- rhythm: it determines the song’s speed;
- melody: which is formed by a set of sounds or voices (a song can be accompanied or not by lyrics).
Music is known for being an art that evokes emotions, such as nostalgia, joy, euphoria, melancholy, among others. It also promotes dance, accompanies stories and is present in other types of art, such as cinema and theater.
Music can be popular, classical, instrumental or folkloric. The musical styles are diverse: samba, rock, jazz, bossa nova, reggae, heavy metal, bolero, blues, electronic, sertanejo and forró are some examples.
2. Dance
Dance is an artistic manifestation that is performed through body movements, within a rhythm.
Just like music, dance has existed since antiquity and can be done in solos, doubles or groups and is almost always accompanied by music. Besides being a kind of artistic expression, dance is also a form of fun.
The different types of dance can represent the culture and identity of a society, such as folk or regional dances. There are also celebration and religious dances.
There are some types of dance: ballet, jazz, ballroom dance, tap dance, belly dance, bolero, frevo, maracatu, hip hop, twist, lambada and contemporary dance.
3. Painting
Painting is another type of art that takes us back to many ancient times, and there are signs of this form of expression since the beginning of civilizations.
Painting is a very rich form of manifestation and the techniques and styles can be very representative of a historical period, an artistic movement or of a region.
4. Sculpture
The sculptures are built from the manipulation of different materials, such as marble, granite, bronze and wood. They are known since prehistory and appreciated since very ancient times.
The sculptures from Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, for example, have relevant historical importance and can still be seen in many museums around the world.
5. Theater
Theater is the artistic representation made by actors, who give life to characters to tell stories that can be fictional or real.
The dramaturgic representation can be accompanied by scenery, sound, music and even interaction with the audience.
A theatrical play can be of several genres: drama, comedy, tragedy, historical or musical. It can also be performed in a group or by a single actor (monologue).
The theatrical performances were born in Ancient Greece, where the performances took place in squares and in the famous Greek theaters. Some well-known plays of that time – called Greek tragedies – are Medea (Euripides), Oedipus King (Sophocles), Prometheus Chained (Aeschylus) and Electra (Sophocles).
6. Literature
Literature is a type of art that expresses itself through written words. This writing can be done in prose (colloquial language) or in verses (writing formed by metrics).
It covers several styles such as drama, fiction, chronicle, novel, poetry, history, among others. These styles can belong to three different genres: narrative, dramatic and lyrical.
Throughout history there have been many literary movements, each one marked by its own characteristics. These are examples: Baroque, Romanticism, Realism, Parnasianism, Symbolism and Modernism.
7. Cinema
Cinema is the artistic expression that reproduces the recording of moving images, called film.
This kind of art is constantly influenced by the creation of new technologies and can represent different eras, from silent movies in black and white to modern animations and science fiction screenings.
Like other types of art, cinema is an important means of entertainment, reflection and information. Films can promote reflections on important events, tell stories (real or fictional) and allow the experience of other realities.
There are many genres of cinema, such as: drama, comedy, documentary, musical, animation, terror, suspense, action, romance and police.
8. Photography
Photography is the register of images that are revealed and printed. A photograph can be analog (film development) or digital.
It appeared in the first half of the 19th century, although the processes that gave rise to it appeared about 300 years earlier.
Two inventions were very important for the photography to be created: the darkroom and the daguerreotype.
9. Comics
The comic (HQ) is a story told through sequential drawings of events, thoughts and dialogues of the characters.
The comics can be published in their own versions or as supplements in editions, mainly in newspapers. Several successful comics were turned into films, giving more life to the stories of the characters.
10. Electronic Games
Electronic games are virtual platform games used in televisions, computers or portable devices.
There are numerous types of games and they are usually based on disputes that can be played individually, in pairs or groups. Video games can be structured in phases and to advance you must go through challenges.
Today, electronic games are also available on cell phones and the latest technology brings constant innovation to this form of entertainment.
11. Digital Art
Digital art is the modern artistic expression and one of those that most benefits from technological innovations, founded on the interaction between artistic expressions and technology. Its emergence happened in the mid-1980s, together with the beginning of the popularization of computers.
This type of art encompasses various forms of digital expression that can include videos, animations, photographs and graphic editions. Illustrations, 3D projections, vector drawings and pixel images are also examples of digital art.
Another classification of the types of art
The arts can also be classified in another, broader way, which groups the forms of artistic expression into three major groups.
- Visual arts: painting, engraving, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, architecture, photography and cinema.
- Performing arts: music, theater and dance.
- Literary arts: production of diverse literary genres, such as prose and poetry.