We love, admire, and appreciate those artworks that are life-like. Works those looks like life-like are known to be a masterpiece. They are worked by the artists who are having some powerful hand in their fields. These works are completely fine. There is nothing wrong with representing a scene from our daily life. It seems to be a resemblance of photography but we think about it then we can find that even in photography there is some difference between reality and photographs. There could be slight changes in the color of the clothes wherein photograph they can be a little darker or even lighter. It all depends upon the angle used by the photographers. The same thing applied to the artists who work on the representational form of art.
We expect something different from artists. There is always some expectation, there is always some curiosity, and there is always some kind of search for amazement in any artwork. When we look at all these factors in any representational painting, we often feel disappointed but is there any mistake from the artist that is not helping us to get our expectations fulfilled? It is mostly a common man thinking who does not know what to search or look for in any artworks. There is something always to get your attention and there will be always something important.
There were many outstanding renaissance artworks with representational style. If anyone thinks that this representational artistic style was a failure then it is a mistake in assuming so.
Interpretational form of art
Interpretation is some imagination over some subjects or reality. It is not the same as representation but the opposite. It is a form of art in visual art where an artist interprets the real scene into something more imaginative. Our contemporary art is the best example of an interpretational form of visual art. This art is more imaginative and less real. They indeed influence the audience in their own ways but they do not need a reality for the connections.
If you look closely over interpretational art then you will understand that it is just an evolved form of representational form of art. These kinds of visual arts are gaining more and more popularity. It is more like an idiom or sarcasm. This art rules out all the connections between the visual realities with the brain. It is so much artistic than the representational form of art. For instance, in representational art, we paint a sunset or sunrise while in interpretational art it can be shown by just saffron and blue horizon. Color theory plays a more important role in interpretational art than a representational form of visual art.
The point of intersection
Would it be right to classify all kinds of visual art in basically two forms? The clear answer is no. there is always something out of the mind of an artist that does not qualify in both forms of art. It will be purely hypothetical and mentally pressuring to put every art in either representational or interpretational form. There are millions and billions of art that are both representational and interpretation forms of painting. It doesn’t even stop there. If we take a closer look at the art of millions of artists, we get into the new horizon of artistic expression where both forms of visual art get diminish. This is should be known as the point of intersection where both representational and interpretational art get diminish in the artist process or both forms coexist.
The main motivation behind the art is to offer emotional freedom for the artist and convey some real meaning of life to the audience. If both motivations are getting fulfilled then there is no way to regret any form of art. It is completely beneficial for the artists to get the higher form of artistic expressions without causing any pressure of characterizations.
Vikash Kalra is a self-taught artist and writer based in New Delhi whose work has been exhibited across India and is held in several private and corporate collections.