Stuart Woods Books

There is no foolproof method that will be able to tell you how to understand contemporary art. One of the best ways to understand this type of artwork is to understand those characteristics of contemporary art that separate and distinguish it from other types and genres of art. To make it easy for you to appreciate contemporary art, we list out those characteristics of contemporary art that make it slightly more easy to understand.
•One key characteristic of contemporary art is that it focuses on originality. Artists question artistic notions that are held traditionally, and try and push boundaries in every sphere.
•The meaning of a piece of contemporary art to a very wide extent depends on how a viewer perceives the artwork. It is the concept that led to the piece of art that is more important than the actual tangible art.
•Contemporary art has become more and more having to do with the workings of our mind and the intellectual inside us, and this is defined in most examples of contemporary art.
•More often than not, contemporary artwork very successfully manages to raise questions about what is considered socially acceptable by society. Many contemporary artists aim to shake the foundations of particular social institutions. This is the reason why many experts believe that rejection of art by society is a legitimate response to most contemporary artwork.
•A viewer is forced to think while viewing contemporary art. In a day and age where cameras can capture, in the minutest details, any image that you want, a painting needs to give you more to see and appreciate. Artists like to define this as the soul of the painting. With contemporary art, the inspiration is almost always conceptual.
•When you are trying to understand contemporary art, do not be swayed by what other people have to say about the piece of work. The best thing about contemporary art is that it allows every person to reach their own conclusion about the artistic work. Differing interpretations is important to contemporary art, as it pushes the thinking of the public as well.
•In order to understand it better, you need to start reading about the art movement that has helped lead it to this stage in the artistic world. You also need to give your senses time to get accustomed to the shock value that contemporary art is famous for. Some of the artwork may definitely not appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities, but in order to understand contemporary art, you need to study it thoroughly. Read the rest of this entry »

We experience the world through our five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Expressing these sensory experiences through words is using imagery as a literary tool. Though the word imagery itself might hint that imagery is confined to description of images in the mind’s eye, it is not restrictive. Imagery is used by writers and poets to invoke these sensory impressions in the mind of the reader. It is a very effective style of writing which reaches out to the reader more easily.

Examples of Imagery
Examples of imagery in literature abound in every language. It gets the point across through an effective analogy, that conveys the gist of what a writer wants to say or feels. Imagery examples for kids can be found in most nursery rhymes. If you start looking for imagery examples in literature, you will find many. Read the nature poets like William Wordsworth or the philosophical yet rousing poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson. You will find imagery in almost every poem. Here are some imagery examples in poetry and prose.

Imagery Examples In Prose
Let us have a look at some of the imagery examples in prose. Here are some.
•He fumed and charged like an angry bull.
•He fell down like an old tree falling down in a storm.
•The taste of that first defeat was bitter indeed.
•He felt like the flowers were waving him a hello.
•The eery silence was shattered by her scream.
•After that first sale, his cash register never stopped ringing.
•The sky looked like the untouched canvas of an artist.
•He could hear his world crashing down when he heard the news about her.
•She was like a melody in flesh and blood.
•The F-16 swooped down like an eagle after its prey.
•The word spread like leaves in a storm.
•The lake was left shivering by the touch of morning wind.
•He lost his voice in the cacophony of conformity.
•Her face blossomed when she caught a glance of him.
•He could never escape from the iron grip of desire.
•He could hear the footsteps of doom nearing.
•The ants began their daily marching drill.
•She was like a breath of fresh air infusing life back into him.
•They fought like cats and dogs.
Imagery Examples In Poetry
Let us have a look at imagery examples in poetry. I quote some poems rich with imagery. Here are a few of my favorites.

DAFFODILS

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

- William Wordsworth Read the rest of this entry »