THE 3 TYPES OF VISUAL ART

There are countless forms of art. When it comes to visual arts, there are generally 3 types:
decorative, commercial, and fine art.

The broader definition of “the arts” covers everything from painting through theatre,
music, architecture, and more. However, the visual arts are those artistic creations that we
can see, like sculptures or paintings

The three types of visual arts are:

1. Decorative
2. Commercial
3. Fine art

Subcategories exist in each of these art types, and these art forms can be representational,
abstract, or non-objective. Broader visual art forms include art forms such
as painting, sculpture, costume or fashion design, drawing, printmaking, ceramics,
photography, video, filmmaking, graphic or commercial design, crafts, and architecture

REPRESENTATIONAL ART
Representational art can describe any artwork which depicts easily identifiable or
recognizable subjects. Representational or figurative art is the most widely accepted art,
recognized by the masses. This group also has the largest body of art available because the
other two types, abstract and non-objective, are relatively newer styles.

Most older and classical art falls into the category of representational art. Despite depicting
real objects, figurative art is not always hyper-realistic; it does not have to show the subject
accurately like a photograph. Examples of representative artists include Leonardo da Vinci,
Vincent Van Goh, Michelangelo, Edward Hopper, and Frida Kahlo.

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ABSTRACT ART
Abstract art takes subjects or inspiration from reality but presents them in ways that are
different from how we view the same subjects in our everyday reality. Abstraction is only
around 200 years old and still a misunderstood art style, despite growing rapidly in
popularity. Examples of abstract artists include Georges Braque, Mark Rothko, Henri
Mattise, and Jasper Johns.

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NON-OBJECTIVE ART
Non-objective art takes nothing from reality. It may be mistaken for abstraction but differs
because there is no basis in reality. Instead, non-objective art uses the elements, materials,
and principles of art in a way that creates visually stimulating work. Examples of non-
objective artists include Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Sonia
Delaunay.

THE 3 TYPES OF VISUAL ART

DECORATIVE
Decorative arts are often overlooked as art forms because they are both functional and
beautiful to look at. Decorative arts may be used interchangeably with “crafts”; the design
and manufacture are both beautiful and functional.

The decorative arts include objects made for the interiors of buildings and interior design
but do not usually include architecture.

The decorative arts can include everyday items but are distinct from mass-produced
versions of these items. To be considered a decorative art, an object should usually be
hand-made by a specialized craftsman or craftswoman.

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Common mediums of decorative art include ceramics, glassware, woodwork, textiles,
enamelwork, and metalwork. Each of these mediums can consist of multiple
subcategories; for example, the textile medium includes everything from fashion design to
wall tapestry, basketry, embroidery, and interior fabrics.

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The decorative arts can be found in cultures all around the world. Some of the most
renowned decorative artists include textile designer William Morris, jewelry, and ceramic
maker Peter Carl Fabergé (creator of the infamous Fabergé eggs). Decorative artists are
often unknown compared to their counterparts in painting or sculpture. Still, their work is
just as important in telling the history and stories of cultures past and present.

COMMERCIAL
Commercial art, like decorative arts, can be both functional and beautiful. Commercial art is a
creative service, which is created for commercial purposes, such as advertising. Commercial art is
used to promote the sale and interest of services, products, and ideas. Brands and businesses will
commission commercial art to communicate something specific to an audience.

The commercial arts can include graphic design, photography, illustration, animation,
printmaking, television, fashion design, visual effects, industrial design, and motion
graphics. Commercial art is commonly seen in mediums such as magazines, websites, apps,
television, store displays, and product packaging.

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This form of art is all around us. Commercial artists are often responsible for the visuals we
see every day, from logos to billboards, TV adverts, and more. It’s an art that’s mass-
produced and designed to appeal to broad audiences.

Commercial art is often seen in new forms of media, but it has, in fact, been around for
centuries to promote products. This art form is employed not just by brands and businesses
but as a form of communication for governments and the military. Famous war
recruitment posters, government propaganda, and even public works projects were all
designed by commercial artists. London’s iconic Tube logo, Coca-Cola’s early posters, and
Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup posters are all fantastic examples of commercial art.

Commercial artists are either hired or commissioned to create art for paying clients. Unlike
fine artists, commercial artists usually follow a brief but can still have enough creative
freedom or flair to create commercial art that is experimental or groundbreaking.

Many innovative artists who became popular during the Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Pop
Art movements were commercial artists. Famous commercial artists include Andy Warhol,
Norman Rockwell, Alphonse Mucha, Takashi Murakami, and Salvador Dali.

Some artists have begun their careers in commercial art then crossed over to fine art, or
vice versa. These artists are often responsible for blurring the line between high and low
arts and challenging exclusivity notions that often come with the fine arts. Andy Warhol
created art for brands like Campbell’s Soup and Brillo before becoming the renowned artist
he is remembered as today.

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Contemporary artists like Takashi Murakami blur the lines further by producing fine art
that uses the styles and motifs of “low” commercial arts like anime. Murakami exhibits and
creates both fine art and mass-produced commercial art, often in collaboration with
brands like Louis Vuitton and performers such as Kanye West and Billie Eilish.

FINE ART
Fine art is a style of art that is developed primarily to be aesthetically beautiful. This
definition distinguishes and elevates fine art above those decorative and commercial arts,
which also serve some practical function. High art allows for the full expression and display
of an artist’s imagination, unrestricted by any commercial or practical considerations such
as functionality.

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While the fine arts as a collective can include seven forms of art, the fine visual arts are
traditionally limited to three visual arts: painting, sculpture, and architecture. However,
broader interpretations of the fine visual arts would expand to include drawing. The
drawings of the masters are considered fine art on their own merits, even if they were
precursory to paintings or three-dimensional art forms.

The term “fine arts” was used for Western art from the Renaissance periods onwards to
distinguish certain art forms from the emerging forms of commercial design or the work
of craftspeople.

What distinguishes this art as “fine” is not a comment on the artwork’s quality in question.
Instead, the definition relates to the method and the purity of the discipline. Other visual
forms of art can be of high quality without being classified as “fine art.”

“Fine art” is predominantly a western term, but other cultures have observed similar
distinctions between the “high” and “low” arts. The three fine arts of painting, sculpture,
and architecture are sometimes also called the “major arts”, with “minor arts” referring to
commercial or decorative art styles.

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Architecture is the only form of fine visual art with a sense of utility or elements of
practicality. However, not all everyday buildings will fall into the classification of fine
architecture. A sense of beauty and creativity must still be at the forefront of the architect’s
design.

Renowned fine artists usually enjoy a higher status and notoriety, either during their lives
or posthumously, than their commercial and decorative counterparts. Older art, such as
classical art from antiquities, will usually be considered fine art. Notable fine artists include
the “Old Masters” working between the Renaissance and the 1800s, such as Leonardo da
Vinci and Michelangelo.

While many older or classical art pieces will be considered fine art, modern
and contemporary art can also fall into this category. From the 1800s, a new class of fine
artists emerged within impressionism, expressionism, and other modern art genres. These
genres include well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson
Pollock, Claude Monet, and Umberto Boccioni.

Many contemporary fine artists have expanded the fine art definition by taking inspiration
or elements from other visual arts. However, the one-of-a-kind, limited nature of their art
and unrestrained creative license maintain the elite status of contemporary fine
artists. Famous contemporary fine visual artists of the present day include David Kracov,
Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kasuma, Barbara Kruger, Damien Hirst, and Ai Wei Wei.

Source: https://www.eden-gallery.com/news/3-types-of-visual-art/

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