Effects of Industrialization on Artist Essay

The countries of the world have largely embraced the goal of industrialization which explains the reason why there is the label of developing and developed countries. The implications of the 19TH century has put the developed western world as the model of industrialization on the planet (Masten, 2008). The face of industrialization affected a number of fields in the scientific attempt to improve the economies and subsequently, raise the overall standards of living . Art was one of the disciplines that benefited from the effects of industrialization, and it came as a hope for many artists around the world (Locker, 1999). This paper therefore attempts to compare and contrast whether the rise changed the modern world leaving the natural world as the sole object of fascination to artists. Industrialization as a process sought to promote social and economic changes with the human societies transforming from pre industrial to industrial(Davis,2000). It saw the wider apart of modernization leading to overall social changes and economic developments mostly related to technological advancement. More cities were development following the rise modernity, as a result of large scale metallurgy and energy production (Basye and Holt, 2000). Philosophical changes also marked the emergence of industrialization leaving people in the western world with a more yearning to obtain different attitudes towards nature and artistic orientation (Novello, 2000). Accordingly, there is substantial research on the prevailing effects of industrialization on modernization and enterprise development . Artists have got an opportunity of expanding their careers following the expansion of commerce and the prevalence of skills that helps them in the exploitation of the abundant natural resources (Shields, 2006). This somehow happens at a relatively low cost, adaptability of labor and continual supply of their products to a wide range of market (Plaura, 2001). The radical changes in the 19th century involve the production of the electric power: an element that is succinctly fundamental to the continuous growth of economy as well as advancing the skills required for a particular job (Basye and Holt, 2000). In a survey done in some countries in Africa, middle East and Latin America, it was found out that there is relative open trading systems that can stimulate industrial innovation and cost efficiency across the board, leading to the readily available markets and free and flexible labor (Novello, 2000). As a result, positive work ethics mixed with skills, effectively used scientific discoveries and technological in boosting the production and subsequent increase in income levels. It is true that a number of major cities in the western world were widely modernized bringing about the effects of urbanization. To serve this house working populations, urbanization facilitated the concentration of labor (Davis, 2000). Artists therefore found themselves without splendid natural resources for them to exploit because of the population upsurge in cities. Consequently, they resorted to the natural worlds which had hitherto not felt the effects of industrialization for their resources (Masten, 2008). Another impact that followed industrialization was change in family structures and effects on the environment. Environmental stressors such as noise, water pollution, impersonal lifestyles and a myriad of health problems set into play (Locker, 1999). Many artists in the present world continue to grow in terms of their careers simply because, they have been able to advance all their artistic orientations (Shields, 2006). Prior to the 19th century, many paintings in America often dealt with the serene landscapes, idealized craftspeople and a host of other people. However, after the effects of industrialization had taken place, the whole scope of photographs and painting changed. Art was basically the reaction to the social and industrial conditions that prevailed (Masten, 2008). Later on, artists was obliged to create art for two audiences. Generally, artists of this important period in the history of mankind avoided painting many scenes portraying the new outfit of modernization and as such, this did not imply that they failed to create an art about the industry. Moreover, the deep enjoyment of art became the pastime for both the upper and middle class people (Davis, 2000). These were the people who essentially, preferred not to clutch over the hard work that may have been done by the lower class, let alone hanging any artistic socials commentary on their walls. Instead there was mere need for a picturesque that portrayed a neutral political landscape (Plaura, 2001). According to (Basye and Holt, 2000), several literatures enabled artists to access a medium where many of their engravings were published but the controversy that followed saw many middle class people opposing the view of the artists and eventually disapproving their works. Irrespective of the upper and middle class reaction against the artistic package of social commentary, many artists continued experiencing the strong urge for expressing themselves through art (Locker, 2000). They then resorted to the natural world where they found a lot of fascination for their works because of two major reasons. Depending on the specific needs of a particular artist, the natural word provided an avenue for artists to explore a host of untapped resources or aptly, got a ready and uncritical audience for their art (Masten, 2008). This basically strengthened their ambitions leading to affair ground for art. For instance, majority of the artistic collections portrayed the hard work of ordinary rural folks giving hem the urge to continue doing even better in their pursuit for economic survival. With this regard, several portraits were painted. They involved persons sewing a dress or a blacksmith hammering a horseshoe. particulrtly, such portraits depicted a blacksmith as possibly the man in charge of an enterprise. It showed a young man in the back, presumably an apprentice or the blacksmith’s assistant. Both were posed with their tools, with drops of sweat other cheeks seemingly proud of their trade. A factor like this one often encourage the general population because, despite the conditions for working being harsh, the portrait depicts clean, bearable and inviting scenario that give the people enthusiasm and pride altogether (Novello, 2000). In addition, the views of American urban life as well as industrialization were manifested through the channel of photography. Using a succinct comparison of the rural life, city life was pictured using sky crappers mushrooming everywhere (Shields, 2006). In this scenario, a chaotic combination of people and carriages filled the city street eliciting a feeling that city life is eventually becoming more foreboding for life and work hence, underscoring the importance of rich environmental conditions found in the rural life. Overly, the dawn of industrialization saw a marked reduction of human working conditions to unacceptable level. Active artists and photographers aligned to politics used art to comment on the industrial progress to their audience. However, there was stiff competition that forced some artists not to make enough fortune or just find a satisfactory audience for their works. They were therefore attracted to move to the rural world, where they got audience and commercial benefits for their activities. Somehow, they used the modern mechanized age to obtain a source of creativity which is paramount to the work of art. Without a creatively compelling work, their will be audience to stand all sorts of unattractive, and redundancy even if your work has the very best of the message (Plaura, 2001). There is a general history of artist getting more fascinated to the natural world. With the advent of industrialization, many artistic movements sprang up each with a unique reaction to the feeling of the movement it took after and time (Davis, 2000). Neoclassic which had taken lead form the Greek and Roman art, paved way for a more parallel period called romanticism. At this level, many artists became more imaginative with the rise of individualism, emotional intensity, and freedom describing the underlying the perceptual shift from the modern life to getting oriented to the natural world (Masten, 2008). Realism which followed brought about the realist artists who created artistic works that captured objectives and figures as they appear in real life. Artists found the natural world more ideal in portraying truthful visions of everyday life; an idea tat was much welcome to rural folks that the modern ones (Novello, 2006). Many artists felt the need to explore their relationship with nature by traveling through a wilderness. But because urban life had less or no fascinating wilderness, artists resorted for the rural world and found it more fascinating in delivering the exploration objective through a natural world (Plaura, 2001). For example, Mark Catesby, as English artist moved to the rural Northern America and found that it was the most true immersion into the American seaboard and other areas still unexploited and unknown to many Americans. He began photographing and drawing natural and social sceneries that had not suffered any natural disintegration, and hence, his works attracted a large scale audience (Shields, 2006). Another artist and explorer, Karl Bodmer, is a testament to the reason moving to natural world. he says that the most fascinating factor in the so regarded lost world is the boundless enthusiasm that artists get when they venture into worlds unknown to many, because there seem to be abundant opportunity and astonishment in those lands (Locker, 1999). The overall benefit is the reminder these places give in acknowledging that at some point, they had stopped at the crossroad of horrible, natural and sacred phenomena. They somewhat develop a relationship with the earth, facilitated by the nature, culture and their sense of fulfillment (Davis, 2000). Furthermore, the natural world is more attracting to artists because; it provides the ground that satisfy the curiosity and creativity of many artists. At the heart of every artistic symbol lies the expression of meaning. Artists tend to search for lager meaning in small aspects of life (Basye and Holt, 2000). According to the documentations in archives, the significance of artistic history is logged in the fissure between wilderness and civilization and this point out the primary focus of artists on rural worlds. Notwithstanding, rural world represents culture and nature and how it is reconciled with the modernization. Therefore, the imaginative role of art pulls out the existing radiance in capturing double meaning encased in the metaphors. When they finally take their products to urban setups, they somehow manage to prompt the city residents into the world of imagination embedded in the images formed in their minds as a resulted art (Masten, 2008). Moreover, artists use the natural worlds to find sources that subsequently define the unique artistic identities. This is clearly captured in the sentiments of a German poet, Rainer Maria. He believes that as a primary condition for writing a captivating verse, it is imperative that they see a myriad of cities, nature, men and several other things. Accordingly it is perquisite that one should know different flights of birds, animals, not forgetting gestures that flowers make especially when they open and close. The fundamental role of all this condition is to portray the accounts as creative as possible with the unique ability to come up with the work of art that suits in the context of everyday life. The only available source of the adventure is the natural world that is least affected by industrialization (Novello, 2000). Similarly, there is more attraction to the natural world. Artists think that by going there they provide a link between city life and rural life. All the opportunities of industrialization are made open to village folks giving them a chance to keep a breast with what is happening across the world (Plaura, 2001). For example, there was a painting in rural Indiana which showed an angel looking as though he is about to walk away from something he is acutely contemplating. It depicted the angel staring with his mouth wide open and the wings flung spread. This is the way artists presents issues in varying worlds and the serenity found in natural world promotes the efficient delivery of the message (Shields, 2006). The painting reinforces the religious teaching that God watches over us and somehow, strengthens the spirituality; an aspect that is under the threat of industrialization. Conclusion From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that the dawn of industrialization in the 19th century was accompanied by the sharp shift in the economical, social and ideological differences that paved way for new lifestyles. Individualism, which became rife as a result of urbanization, left artist with a host of intellectual orientation in terms of creativity. It is evident that the market for their art products got strained obliging them to get attracted to the rural world that had hitherto not adversely suffered from the effects of industrialization. Bibliography Basye, E and Holt, G 2000. Art and Architecture: The Advent of Industrialization, Yales, Yales University Press. Davis, A. 2000. A Social History of Graphic Art and Works Industry. New York, McGill-Queens Press. Locker, N. 1999. Science and Nature: An International Journal of Science. Vol. 23 Issues 56, London, Macmillan Publishers. Masten, A. 2008. Artwork in the Nineteenth Century. Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania University Press Novello, A. 2000. The Face of Art in the Nineteenth Century. London, Prentice Plaura, N. 2001. Art and Nature: Interelationship, Oxford, Oxford University Press Shields, S. 2006. Artists at the Continents End: The Peninsula Art Colony. Michigan, Routledge