20 Jun Choosing Art For Your Home: Tips For Art Types And Styles

Wall art is often a crucial step that adds the missing puzzle piece to your home’s decor. It provides a colour palette, creates a centrepiece and always adds a sense of texture. Of course, there are a lot of different styles of art to consider and it can get very confusing if you aren’t too clued up.

We have made you a list of the popular art styles people still love to exhibit in their homes today and why. Read through the following list to know what to consider and what terms to use when looking for the perfect piece of art to put up on that empty wall.

ABSTRACT ART:

The easiest way to describe and understand Abstract Art is to think of an art piece that does not relate to any type of visual reality. Abstract art uses colours, shapes and communicative streaks to be completed.

Why is abstract art being used in decor so frequently? Abstract art varies from soft and fading colours to bold and expressive pieces. There really is a piece on the market to fit and contribute to each and everyone’s personal style. Oversized, abstract pieces work tremendously on empty walls.

IMPRESSIONISM

Impressionism is an art movement that started in France at the end of the 19th century. This style developed when talented artists decided to rebel against established art critics and the idea of fine finishes and details which most artists aspired to in that time period. The impressionists rather wanted to portray pictures in a way something would look if you caught a glimpse of a scene. The characteristics of this style were focussing on the colour and light of a scene, rather than the detailed objects within it. Impressionists moved outside instead of working in their studios and had to work fast before the lighting changed. Therefore brisk brushstrokes and unmixed colours on their canvasses were all part of their creative process.

Impressionistic works often included landscapes and everyday scenes. These scenes add texture and movement to a room and most importantly, tell a story.  

POP ART

Pop Art truly is out there for the fun and playful souls. Bright, bold and striking! With the influence of artists such as Warhol and Hockney this unique genre marked the end of modernism and paved the way for contemporary art. Pop art emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States during the mid- to late-1950s.

Pop artists engaged in mainstream objects and ordinary people of everyday life. Artists were seeking to raise popular culture to the level of fine art. With the incorporation of commercial ideas and images, Pop art has become one of the most recognizable styles of modern art.

CONTEMPORARY ART

Contemporary art can be seen as the “art of today” and should not be confused with modern art. Often people refer to works created in the second half of the 20th century and works created in the 21st century as modern art, although the correct way to refer to it will be to call it “contemporary art”.

The best way to understand the difference between these two art styles is to know where they came from.

Modern art is that which was created between the 1860s and the late 1960s. It was called “modern” because it did not build on what came before it.

There are also conceptual and aesthetic differences between modern and contemporary art. The two main characteristics of modern art are abstract art and expressionism. The modern art phase has got sub-genres such as minimal art, pop art, surrealism and cubism.

The most unique characteristic of contemporary art is that it has no specific characteristics. Artists of today have all of these art influences from the past to be inspired by, and it is their goal to create a modern masterpiece from what they have learned and what they already know.

POPULAR SUBJECTS USED IN DECOR

Note that this article is about prints and paintings since we are focussing on wall finishes and decorations this month. Although we are talking about paintings, the above-mentioned styles should not be limited to paintings only.

There are also a lot of popular subjects that people like to put up in their homes. These subjects don’t necessarily fall under a certain style but are being incorporated repeatedly into homes in different art styles. These subjects are things such as still lifes, florals, animals, traditional landscapes, scenics and people.