Art Mediums You Probably Haven’t Thought About

When you think of fine art, do you immediately think of paintings and possibly a few famous statues? It’s a common misconception that fine art only means paintings in museums. Truthfully, the term ‘fine art’ covers an enormous range of media, including but not limited to sculpture, pottery, furniture, metalworking, textiles and even architecture. Here is a brief overview of some of those mediums for your consideration.

Art as Architecture

Have you ever seen a building or house that you thought looked really amazing, enough to make you smile or even give you a sense of awe? Both commercial buildings and homes can be designed with enough artistic flair that they become art themselves. This holds true not just for the major elements of architecture, but for the details that make up the whole as well. This type of art is sometimes referred to as functional fine art. Some good examples include wrought iron gates, light fixtures and carved or sculpted doors.

Art as Sculpture

Some of the world’s most famous artworks are sculptures, such as Rodin’s “The Thinker” and Michelangelo’s “David.” But sculpture encompasses a much wider variety of styles and materials than those two examples. Most sculptors prefer to work in wood, stone, bronze and clay, but some of the largest sculptures actually become architectural installations, like “The Kelpies” in the United Kingdom, the Spring Temple Buddha in China and the Statue of Liberty in the United States.

Art as Furniture

If you have gone antique hunting or visited a fine arts gallery, you know that some of the art you’ll find there is furniture—and it’s stunningly beautiful. The pieces could be chairs, sideboards or even tables, all exquisitely crafted in hundreds of possible styles. Some types of furniture styles come from different countries and different periods of history, such as Chippendale from America, Qing Dynasty from China or Rococo from France. In fact, it’s possible to link history in many ways with the furniture that was used at the time. Just think, you might be sitting on a history lesson!

Art is so much more than stuffy museums and old paintings of subjects you don’t find particularly interesting. There is art everywhere around you in dozens of mediums, much of which you probably never thought about. Next time you’re out somewhere, keep your eyes open and enjoy finding a piece of art you did not expect.