Art is everywhere. It’s in our water, nature, cities, even our homes. It’s important to recognise the different types of art all around us. To see the world through an artistic lens.
Here I want to talk about various types of art, that aren’t typically considered art. The first is interior design.
There’s something magical about putting potted plants and lamps in just the right configuration to create the ambience of home.
There are so many types of interior design, from extremes like minimalism and maximalism. All the way to thematic types like bohemian and industrial. They all spawn from different points, and it’s impossible to cover them all, but the sheer tapestry of expression and history that is the minutiae of interior design is amazing.
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Despite this, most people wouldn’t see a well-decorated home and consider it an art piece. Maybe it’s called an art piece as a colloquialism, but it’s never appreciated or admired like a painting.
I would even consider a well decorated room a gallery itself. Being in a space like that akin to stepping into a painting. It’s a type of malleable sculpture that we often live in day-to-day.
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Interior design is a purely personal pursuit. No two people will play an instrument the same, just like no two people will decorate a bedroom the same. This leads to a full expression of style and personality, conveyed through the space and its decor.
Just like good paintings, literature, photographs, or music, good interior design doesn’t get in the way, instead it helps you. Whether it’s an empty room, or a gallery wall with dozens of potted plants, it’s there for you. Some people love bright colours and patterns to help them create, others want a simple space designed to help them focus.
There are even courses in various learning institutes for it. Just like artistic composition or music theory, there are guidelines and ‘rules’ for interior design. These little things guide each art form into its own world. Interior design can be similar to creating a world, even if it’s just in your apartment.
In some ways, interior design can be considered a more physical art form. There’s a physicality and tangibility to pieces like sculptures or a vignette on a dresser. It’s almost like a collage of sculptures, much like how musicians take samples and shift them into something wholly personal and unique.
Additionally, like some sculptors, or more out-of-the-box artists like Carl Andre or Joseph Beuys, interior designers each have their own voice and personal flair. This opens up into its own world, with the subtlety of each artist or designer ringing out through everything they do.
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If you’re interested in looking into interior design as an art form, check out Steffi over at Moda Misfit. here’s the video that inspired this piece.
It’s difficult to define art. It’s something that’s very open a vague, but that’s the best part. Being able to see something as art even if it doesn’t fit the traditional form of paint on canvas. So keep art undefined, and keep it free.