World Art Day: Famous forms of art used across centuries

Art has always been one of the most effective methods for people to express themselves. From paintings that show the joys of childhood to those that popularised the keen, straight and fierce feminine gaze.

Different artists have taken certain styles and made them their hallmark. Be it the abstract painters expressing their feelings indirectly, to the modern artists who depict the horrors of the world, art styles have always complimented people's opinions.

So today, on World Art Day, here we list some of the most famous art forms one must know about.

The form of Abstract art came up in the early 20th century and it is focused on conveying emotions and ideas through sleek shapes, colours and forms. Abstract art does not focus on painting the exact picture but rather one that is similar and yet not so similar to the real one. It is kind of like a realistic depiction but in a different form.

It is said that the first one to use abstract art was Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. He used this style of sleek lines, colourful tones, and geometric shapes to express inner realities.

Abstract art focuses on telling a story through imagination rather than exact words and figures.

Modern art is classified as the period from the 1860s to the 1970s and is said to be considerably different from other traditions and styles.

Modern artists have always experimented and tried new perspectives, styles, techniques, brushwork and the like. Kind of similar to Abstract style, modern art too parted away from storytelling and believed in ‘less is more’.

Painters like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cszanne, Paul Gauguin etc were the first ones to paint in this style.

Impressionism was and is still called one of the most beautiful forms of art to emerge in the world. It took form in the 19th century and went against many conventional art rules.

The Pop Art movement came in during the 1950s and was a celebration of popular culture through the use of bright, distinct colours and everyday objects. Andy Warhol, an iconic figure in Pop Art, created famous pieces such as ‘Campbell's Soup Cans’ and ‘Marilyn Diptych’ using mass-produced imagery to challenge conventional and traditional art notions.

Surrealism as an art form emerged post-World War I, painting scenes that were illogical to the common eye but used to express something to the unconscious mind.

Contemporary art is a blend and mix of many different styles that came up through time. It is filled with experiments, pop, real-life objects, deep concepts and much more. Today, it is said that contemporary art was made to push artistic boundaries and depict the realities, both good and bad, of modern living. Many artists challenged societal norms and political concepts through thought-provoking graffiti art, which is a contemporary art form.