Introduction

In this blog you will find information on the different kinds of Art within society. You will be guided through by musical talents, theater productions, and actual painted art itself. This will show you how effective Art can be within society, and how it influences out lives.

The Arts In Our Lives

The Arts plays a variety of roles on our society. It gives society true meaning, and is the centre of what keeps our society essentially together. I will firstly discuss the impact of music on our society. Music can take place in many forms. It is through music that many people can relate to greater aspects of there lives. In a recent tutorial, through the interaction with my peers, I found that music can influence the mood that you may find yourself in, and can help you to deal with certain situations. Music is everywhere, so it will most definitely influence your lives in one way or another. I was not aware that music can really help people to relax I though it was just a saying, but I can now understand why people use it for this reason. Following on from this I will talk about theatre. In this form of art we are able to convey our expressions and emotions through acting and movement. People can easily relate to performances that they have seen, and they can help them to get through difficult ordeals, by showing that they are not they only ones going through these things. I was not aware before that art could come in the form of something as simple as a movie at the cinema. The director must covey they exact points through the camera shots, lighting, and the actors that are used. Art takes many forms and it was interesting to find out that it is not just the obvious kind. However Art in the simplest form, for example a painting can convey more than what you are seeing at first. If you look at a painting for the first time, you will see only that - a painting. It is not until you look further into the painting that you realise that it is actually telling you a story. The colours used, the shading, the setting, all convey what is happening. Paintings make you think about what the author motives may have been for painting this particular object/person. It makes you think about what type of period it may have came from. It makes you question the theories behind the art, and look beyond what you initially first thought. I did not realise that painted art could be so interesting and provided more information than some books may have. Art within society is extremely important. Society could not simply go on without it. We need art in order to survive the dreary days of our lives, and living without it is unimaginable no matter what form it is in.

The Glasgow Boys

On a recent trip to the Kelvingrove Art museum and gallery, I visited an expedition featuring the paintings of ‘The Glasgow Boys’. This display is about a group of Scottish artists who revolutionised Scottish painting from 1880 until about 1895. They rebelled against traditional Victorian sentimentality and painted everyday subjects in a fresh new way, often capturing their subject by painting out of doors.Most of them studied abroad, were influenced by what they saw and became internationally acclaimed. Their young rebellious phase only lasted 15 years, and many of them went on to become traditional society painters. Paintings by all the key figures in the group are in the display including Old Willie by James Guthrie. As the name suggests, paintings by the Scottish Colourists with their free and vigorous style and bright colours have the power to brighten even the darkest day. Among these important paintings are ‘The 1888 Glasgow International Exhibition’ by John Lavery and ‘The Druids – bringing in the mistletoe’ by Henry and Hornel. The Druids was inspired by the interest at that time in the archaelogical discoveries about Kirkcudbright. This particular painting interested me the most as the expression conveyed in each person differs from each other. One looking slightly dazed and confused, another looking stern and angry, with others simply having a look of softness and content. The shading used in this painting is exquisite as it shows were the light may have been shining that day, and were the shade from the trees have came in. The bright colours used demonstrates the painters persistence to use the traditional methods. Also there seems to be a form of cattle at the edge of the picture but it is hazy compared to the figures of the humans which suggest that animals may be deemed less important. The size of the display was reasonable big, however it seemed empty but this may have been because of the time of day. The few people that were there, seemed to be intrigued by the expedition, especially in relation to the ’Druids’ painting. The expedition was placed on the Lower Ground Floor so was easily accessible to everyone, which shocked me the most to the lack of people that were there. In conclusion ‘The Glasgow Boys’ really have proved that by not following what was expected of them, they made outstanding art which has made great historical significance.

Cirque du Soleil

I have always dreamed at going to see this show, and when I finally got the chance to I was thrilled. Cirque du Soleil is said to be a modern circus as it has no rings or animals as part of it's performance. Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world and has its own central theme and storyline which brings the audience into the performance by having no curtains, continuous live music and performers changing the props. This year I was lucky enough to watch the performance in the SECC in which the act had the audience in awe throughout. What was really impressive was the use of movement and the music that I found most interesting, and the audience really interacted well from it. It has definitely lived up to the great reviews it had been given. Cirque du Soleil is an incredible show, and would recommend it for all kinds of people at all ages.

Jimmy Carr

I went to see Jimmy Carr's latest show 'The Repeat Offender' at the Clyde Auditorium on the 23rd of March 2008. He is a stand-up comedian and has also featured in his own show '8 out of 10 cats'. I have never seen a comedian perform before, and was extremely impressed with his engagement with the audience. I couldn't stop laughing to the extent my face actually started to hurt. Jimmy uses the audience as a target to set up his jokes, and constantly refers to their culture and tradition. This is not a show for the easily offended, as you cannot hide from his sarcastic comments and witty charm . The audience is placed right in front of the stage, and Jimmy walks on, a curtain is not needed. This shows that the whole act takes the form of Jimmy telling what could be a story to the audience, in which they are forever being included. Props are used to illustrate the story being told, but only at certain points in which a couch, table and chairs are used to lead on to a line up of a joke. Through his great acting and comic efforts, he presented a great show, and exceeded the expectations of the earlier reviews.

Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud are a band who I have admired since the very first time I saw them perform on T.V. They were formed on a show called 'Popstars the Rivals', and no-one expected them to do as well as they have done, especially after having beaten the rival boy group (One True Voice) to the number one Christmas spot. The group is made up of 5 girls - Kimberly, Sarah, Nadine, Nicola, and Cheryl. They have become one of the most successful British Pop groups, with 18 consecutive Top 10 singles the most recent being "Can't Speak French" which reached #9 in March 2008 and five platinum albums. The musical genre the girls act upon is contemporary pop, which has been a great hit with older and younger audiences. I had been to see Girls Aloud when they first started out and wanted to see how much they had changed over the last decade. On the 7th of May 2008 they performed their 'Tangled Up' tour at the SECC in Glasgow. The tickets were nor costly compared to the likes of the Spice Girls and other artists who are not as talented as they are. The tickets were a mere twenty five pounds, but the performance was worth more value. To start the show they girls were mid are, with long dark cloaks on, as the a windy atmosphere was set to introduce their first song of the night 'Sexy no no no'. The audience were taken aback,and showed great enthusiasm towards the girls. The concert exceed my expectations, as well as the audiences who ranged from all ages. The girls music is definitely influenced by great power bands such as the Spice Girls, and music like power pop and dance. I would recommend their music to people who like to sing along to lyrics, and just have a dance as all there music is easy to move to.

Westlife

Westlife are a home-grown Irish band that formed on the 3rd of July 1998. They were signed by Simon Cowell but are now being managed by Louis Walsh. . Over the years, Westlife's music has evolved from pop to an adult contempory sound, with an emphasis on ballads and sweet harmonious love songs. There musical influences are based mainly around boy bands such as Boyzone, and the Backstreet Boys, however they are also influenced by outstanding artists such as Frank Sinatra, and have produced an album dedicated to his songs. Originally the band consisted of 5 members, Shane, Mark, Brian, Kian, and Nicky, however Brian departed from the band a number of years ago to work on his solo career. All of the current band members are songwriters, however most of their hits have been based on covers of another writer. Westlife have had made many achievements through their music including 14 number singles on the UK alone. Also they have awards such as ‘Best Irish Pop Act’, and ‘Record of the Year’, as well as breaking the record for ‘Music Artist with most consecutive number 1’s in the UK’. I have been a loyal fan to Westlife over the years, and have seen them numerous times. The most recent show that I went to was there 2008 tour on the 22nd of March. The venue was at the SECC in which they usually perform when they come to Glasgow. Considering the band is so well known the cost of the tickets were at a reasonable price, coming in at 32 pounds and 50 pence. The audience consisted of old loyal fans as well as new editions. The performance brought both tears and laughter to the audience, and touched the hearts of many. Considering I had seen them many times before it has to be said that they outdone themselves this time. They gave an outstanding performance, singing songs from there new album well as old classics. I would recommend this band to others, as it proves to be definite mood music. People who like to listen to love songs and cheesy pop with a twist would enjoy this easy listening band.