subject: Arabic Art as One of the Oldest World Heritage [print this page] The Islamic Art origins lay in its rich and artistic Arabian heritage as different kinds of art were utilized to express the uniqueness of Islam without any form of pictorial depictions. Islamic art was developed over time by a unique blend of various arts from the Byzantines, the Copts, the Romans, and the Persians. Therein lays the greatest asset of this art, its skill to fuse the native designs with imported ones to achieve a completely distinct end result. The one common factor in all kinds of Islamic art is the abstract embellishments and designs. Most utilized the curved and interlacing lines in bright and vibrant colors to enhance the various styles. The finest pieces of this art and architecture throughout the world are clearly distinguishable by the vivacious colors in floral designs.
In Islamic art, you may notice, there is no emphasis on human form, which is ever-present in art of the western civilizations. This is because many Muslims fear that gazing and appreciating the human figure as beautiful could be seen as idolatry, which is a direct violation of Qur'an teachings, as it is disrespectful to Allah. However, seeing as how the language is said to be of transcendence from Allah, Arabic art becomes doubly significant when seen on other forms of art, since things like furniture and tapestries also have a useful function in your daily life.
One of the most interesting aspects of Arabic art and its inclusivity of calligraphy is that the written Arabic word is believed to represent the connection of beauty and power through its relationship between Allah and the mortal world. After all, the Arabic language was his gift to his people. Therefore, the common nature of the written language becomes not just an aesthetic addition to livelihood and possessions, but a deep reminder of faith and of Allah's promise to his people.
The current form of such art is believed to have emerged during the rule of the Umayyad caliphate (661-750). Thereafter, many divergent periods of Islamic art and architecture transpired. Therefore, this art is most commonly classified according to the reigning empire when the art work was created. Most museums and art galleries have categorized their collections by the different Muslim dynasties including the Umayyad, Abbasid, Safavid, Ottoman and Mughal.
A large collection of Islamic contemporary Artwork is on display at the British Museum in London. It represents over 80 Islamic artists from all over the world. These artists come from countries ranging from Iraq to Algeria and Turkey to Malaysia. The British Museum is primarily centered towards fascinating pieces based on different variations of the Arabic script. They have been collecting pieces since the early 1980's and today have a huge collection available for their patrons.
Contemporary Islamic Art can be divided into sub categories based on their area of origin. The main sub divisions are: Arab, Orient, Egypt, Iraqi and Lebanese. All these different types vary from each other in terms of having a unique blend of Islamic art mixed with the cultural differences thus creating an exclusive new form. Many artists approach the traditional geometric designs and Arabic scripts intermingling with the various Middle Eastern cultures to convey the message of the artist to the admirers.
Over time contemporary Islamic art has evolved and encompasses the richness of the traditional style as well as the intricacies of modern day art. The Islamic artists have reached an epitome of creativity on paper, canvas and sculpture. This mlange of religion, culture and art are a pleasure to look at and exudes vibrancy for the onlookers.
