Exploring different art forms

Contemporary art encompasses many different art forms, from traditional media such as paintings and drawings to more recently developed approaches that use digital and timebased media to create works that incorporate both sound and image.

And it doesn't stop there - more adventurous buyers might want to consider purchasing a piece of performance art that can be 'experienced' rather than merely seen...

Paintings

The first paintings were discovered in South West France in the Lascaux caves from the Upper Paleolithic Age, around 40,000 to 10,000 years ago, which shows that painting is one of the oldest art forms that exists.

Technically, a painting is a two-dimensional art form which is made up of layers of pigments applied onto a surface. The surface on which the pigment is applied varies from stone (used in the Paleolithic Age) to paper, wood, cloth and canvas.

As the surface of paintings differ, so do the materials used to create the pigments. During the Paleolithic Age coloured earths were used, followed by plant extracts and more recently synthetic colours. There are many types of paintings, but amongst the well-known are oil, acrylic, pastel, spray paintings and watercolours.

Prints

A print is a two-dimensional art form created by an impression made by a method involving a transfer from one surface to another.

All type of prints come in multiples (except monotypes) to form an edition. Since the late 19th century, artists tend to identify each print with a number and signature. It is common practice for the maker to produce alimited edition of the image, which means there is a fixed quantity. The tools used to create the print are often destroyed once the edition has been completed.

The earliest example of a printmaking technique is 'Woodcut', which is a type of relief print developed in the Far East. Relief prints are made up of recessed areas, so that the raised parts remaining can be inked and used to create an impression. This type of print is created using wood, linocut and metalcut.

Nowadays, along with relief prints a range of techniques are used to create different type of prints.

The below techniques include the intaglio technique where areas in the plate are incised or chemically etched to hold the ink.

• Engraving: A hardened steel tool called a burin is used to cut lines into the surface of a metal plate.The appearance of the incisions depends on the angle and pressure applied when using the burin. When the ink is applied over the metal plate it is retained in the incisions and the paper picks it up in the press to create the impression.
   
• Etching: Like engraving, the indentations hold the ink, but these are created in a different manner. Lines are cut onto a waxy surface which covers the metal plate. The plate is placed in an acid bath, which 'bites' into the metal left exposed and thus traces are formed. The plate is then ready for ink to be applied and follows the subsequent steps in engraving.
   
• Mezzotint: This type of print is a form of engraving where the whole plate of metal is roughened and then scraped and polished to different degrees, so that the ink also holds in varies quantities. With this type of print a good range of tone is achieved.
   
• Aquatint: This intaglio method is similar to etching as acid is used to make marks in the plate. However, a powdered resin is applied in parts making them acid resistant. Removing a protective coat leaves textured areas and a number of acid baths are made until the darkest tones are reached.
   
• Drypoint: This print-type is a variant of engraving which employs the intaglio method. However, with drypoint a sharp metal point is used which creates ridges (known as "burr") in the lines made. This technique allows for the ink to leave a soft, sometimes blurry line.

• Craft

• 
  
  

The art of craft-making can be defined as an occupation or trade which involves manual dexterity and skilled artistry. A significant advent for the crafts was the 'Arts and Crafts Movement' which flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. The focus was on good design and craftsmanship at a time when there was increased mechanisation and mass production.

The terms 'applied arts' and 'decorative arts' are used when referring to craft. Applied arts is concerned with the application of design, aesthetics and objects of everyday use. Decorative arts have the same purpose as applied arts (but does not include design).  

A list of some of the techniques used in the production of craft are detailed in our handy guide, here.

Buy and collect contemporary craft

Contemporary craft can be a more accessible and affordable entry point to owning something unique and handmade by an artist or craftsperson.

Be amazed at the variety of methods and materials, traditional and cutting edge techniques that are used in the creation of contemporary craft.

Watch our films with contemporary craft buyers and collectors.

Group items together

With Own Art you can select several lower value items that bring the total purchase price to over £100, as the pricepoint for individual craft items can be much lower than you might expect.  You can then spread the cost of a number of gifts for christmas or if you just can't bear to leave something behind.

There are a whole host of galleries to visit and thousands of original works to choose from, so what are you waiting for?

Help and resources

Craft Finder select designer-makers so you can be sure of finding the highest quality workmanship and the most inspired pieces. The website lists over 700 stockists from the Scilly Isles to Southwold! 

The Crafts Council offer professional development information for makers, curators and anyone interested in the subject. You should also check out Craftspace, Craft Scotland and Craft Northern Ireland too.

Read More

Starting young: How a 14-year-old entrepreneur is getting a head start with Girl Up

Whether there are plans to enter the field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics when she finishes school is not really on the mind of Sascha Giles at the moment.

Instead, the 14-year-old student from St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly, Queensland, is busy organising fundraising events for Girl Up Australia, an initiative she launched two years ago with five of her friends, and attending international conferences where she's meeting other like-minded girls and women.

The idea to set up Girl Up Australia came to Giles after her philanthropic mum, Cathie Reid, co-founder of Epic Group, heard about the program at the 2013 Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

Girl Up is a United Nations Foundation program aimed to promote the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Uganda, and Malawi.

"When [she] came home and was telling me about it, I thought it was really interesting because it's a simple way to make change," Giles told TechRepublic at the 2016 DWEN Summit in Cape Town, South Africa.

Since launching the group in Australia, Giles has been attending the Girl Up Summit in Washington DC for the last two years. The Summit has previously hosted special guests including First Lady Michelle Obama, which Giles said made the experience all the more worthwhile.

As part of the three-day summit, Giles also took part in lobbying for the passing of Girls Count Act, a legislation passed in Congress last year that aims to ensure the US government prioritises girls and women in its foreign policy.

"It's exciting to know that what you do at the conference can make a difference because it's great to go and lobby, but based on some of the responses you think 'I don't think that's going to get through.' But when it does, it's pretty exciting," said Giles. She started lobbying when she was just 12 years old.

Giles has also had the chance to take part in DWEN's Girls Track that features dedicated sessions focused on teaching skills like storytelling, event planning, marketing, communication, and public speaking.

Reid believes the skills that Giles has been taught will be invaluable for her in the future.

"I suspect the girls don't realise what valuable workplace skills that they're actually getting taught, and I can see how that knowledge is already being reflected in the approach Sascha takes on planning some of fundraising," she said.

Reid attributes part of Giles' drive and initiative at such a young age to the entrepreneurial influence her and husband, Stuart Giles, have had on their daughter. However, Reid admits it's only something she realised after reflecting on her own childhood where her father was her role model and was "entrepreneurial in nature."

Read More

Android Apps Fool Hundreds of Thousands With Empty Promises

Nearly one million Android users have fallen victims to eight fake applications that falsely claimed to help them gain more followers on social networks, but instead stole their information and money.

Detected as Android/Fasurke, these applications made it to the Google Play about four months ago, which gave them enough time to gather between 250,000 and 1,000,000 downloads, researchers at ESET discovered. These pieces of software attracted users with empty promises, with interesting app names, and with bogus descriptions.

These fake applications promised to boost user’s followers on different social networks, but did nothing of the sorts, researchers warn. Instead of offering more followers, friends or views on social networks, these apps lured users into sharing their personal information, paying perpetual subscriptions, or consenting to receiving marketing messages or ads.

When running the application, users were requested to enter their mobile device model, username and the number of followers they wished to gain, promising thousands of new followers with just one click. However, after supposedly launching the “followers generating process,” users were presented with a “human verification” step.

This step was meant to trick the user into entering an endless set of offerings of gifts, coupons and free services, and into sharing their personal information (name, email, address, telephone, date of birth, and gender). Moreover, users were asked to consent to receiving telesales calls and text messages, some of which cost around $5.50 per week.

According to ESET researchers, this “verification step” is actually an endless spiral, its only purpose being that of milking as much information and money as possible from the unsuspecting user. Although many individuals who downloaded these apps decided to share their negative experience via comments and low rating on Google Play, thousands of other people still downloaded them.

Google was informed on these applications and has already removed them from the marketplace, but ESET researchers say that similar threats might still exist, including users naïve enough to install them and share their personal information.

To stay protected, users are advised to download applications only from official storefronts, as they contain the smallest number of malicious applications. Before downloading an app, however, users should also have a look at its rating, should analyze the permissions it requests, and should think twice before installing a program that promises something “too good to be true.”

A golden rule that users should always apply is to never share their personal information with a third party, unless they are sure it is trustworthy. Moreover, users should not consent to something and should not be ordering goods or services unless they are sure about what they will receive in exchange.

Read More

20 Amazing Photography Tips and Techniques

As a photographer, there are few things more satisfying than mastering a new photography technique. Learning new photography techniques can open up new possibilities, provide endless potential for inspiration, and can even help to get you out of a creative rut.

Ready to discover some new techniques that you may not have known your camera was capable of? We have compiled a list of some nifty new photography tricks, as well as some tried and true favorites that you may – or may not – have mastered yet.

Your camera has more to it than first meets the eye; get ready to impress yourself with some of these tips and techniques!

Night Photography

The fun starts when the sun goes down! There is plenty of life to capture after dark. Forhigh-quality night photography, you will need a super-slow shutter speed, and a tripod or solid surface to steady your camera for long exposures. Don’t forget to experiment with the rule of thirds as well, good old composition techniques are still valid here.

Pinhole Photography

Pinhole photography is actually the foundation of modern photography. A pinhole camera is a simple camera with no lens, and a single small aperture. Light passes in through this single point, and produces images. You can make a pinhole lens for your camera by drilling a small hole in a body cap. Have fun taking beautiful, motion blurred photos.

Read More

Pokémon Go launches in Germany as hit smartphone game reaches Europe

Developer Niantic rolls out improved version of app to first non-English language country, as rest of Europe waits with bated breath

Smash-hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go has launched in Germany, making its first move into Europe and outside of the US, Australia and New Zealand.

The app is now available to download for users in Germany via Google Play and Apple App Store, but it is still not officially available to users in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Developer Niantic released an updated version of its iPhone app to correct a permissions error, while the Android version of Pokémon Go was updated with support for smartphones with Intel x86 processors such as the Asus ZenFone line of devices and appears to support Google’s latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat, which is still in beta.

The Android app update, which is again available via third-party file hosting services such as APK Mirror, is also considerably faster and appears more stable.

The smash-hit game’s popularity has left Niantic struggling to meet the server demands of existing players, which put brakes on its plans for worldwide expansion. The limited country-by-country access has seen players across the world resorting to sideloading the app on Android or downloading it with a US iTunes account on an iPhone.

Now that Pokémon Go has officially landed in Europe and in its first non-English language, players will be hoping for a prompt rollout in the rest of the continent, but Niantic has yet to announce a timescale for such wider availability.

Read More

Pokémon Go finally launches in the UK

Location-based smartphone game available in the UK Google Play Store and Apple App Store for iPhone

The smash-hit location-based game that has led people all over the world take to the streets with smartphone in hand, Pokémon Go, has finally launched in the UK for both Android phones and iPhones.

The free app made by augmented reality (AR) app developer Niantic and the Pokémon Company, is available to download in the Google Play Store for Android and Apple’s App Store for the iPhone. It requires a mobile data connection and a smartphone with GPS, using AR to turn real-world locations into gaming elements.

The launch comes a week after the game was made available in Australia and New Zealand, and later the US. After a delay to the international rollout owing to server issues caused by the game’s popularity, Germany was the first country in Europeto see it launched on Wednesday. The regional restriction was put in place after Niantic struggled to cope with the sudden volume of players, leading to several instances of the game’s servers becoming overloaded and locking users out.

The stories you need to read, in one handy email

Read more

The geographic restrictions caused millions of players around the world to resort to circumventing the region lock by either sideloading the app on Android or downloading it on an iPhone using a US iTunes account. On Wednesday, the day before launch, there were 350,000 players on mobile network EE in the UK alone.

Matt Stagg, EE’s head of video and content strategy, said: “This is the fastest take-up of an app or game we’ve ever seen - and that’s before it’s officially launched.”

New UK players now joining the craze will find they have a lot of catching up to do, and that many of the “Gyms”, particularly in urban centres, will already be occupied by strong Pokémon from players who started a week ago.

The game puts players in the shoes of a Pokémon trainer who is tasked with collecting as many of the fictional animals as possible, training them up and entering them into battle against fellow trainers in arenas based around significant landmarks.

Players are given one Pokémon to start, but to find more players must walk streets and parks with their phone active and the app open. The game then tasks them with capturing the beasts with small Pokéballs, which are thrown with a flick of the finger and act like the Ghost traps from the iconic film Ghostbusters, trapping them and transferring them to a digital peideo

Current Time0:00

/

Duration Time1:23

Loaded: 0%

Progress: 0%

Mute

FacebookTwitterPinteresPokémon Go uses data from Google Maps and Niantic’s first augmented reality game Ingress, which was released in 2012. Real-world landmarks have been turned into virtual ones within the game, with monuments acting as battle arenas and so-called Pokéstops players can obtain virtual goods to help them in their quest.

The popularity of the game has seen South Koreans flock to a remote region where it is active, holocaust museums having to discourage players, atheists driven into churches, naïve New Zealanders led to Hells Angels clubs and police stations filled with players.

Hundreds of people flocked to New York’s Central Park, with particular spots becoming overrun with players, each staring into their phones. But it has also acted as a new way of meeting likeminded people, as players have clubbed together in person to overthrow competing teams in virtual battles. That mass participation activity is now likely to take the UK’s streets by storm.

Read More

'Snowfox' GPS Phone Helps Parents Keep 

Tabs on Young Kids

A new, screenless phone for young kids could help parents stay in touch with their children, without the adults having to worry that their kids are glued to smartphones.

The new device, called Snowfox, also comes equipped with a GPS tracker, letting parents know where their kids are, while helping children learn independence by letting them roam to places where they are allowed.

The new "trackerphone" is a waterproof, 2 x 2-inch (5 x 5 centimeters) square that comes in either pastel blue or pink. It comes with a lanyard that allows it to be connected to a key ring or carabiner hook. [Best Educational Toys & Games for Kids]

Snowfox's battery and low-power electronics let it operate for a week on a single charge, according to the company. The device can be recharged via a micro USB port.

A speaker and microphone allow two-way phone calls, and Snowfox's flexible antenna, which is hidden within a durable nylon tag, helps provide 3G and 2G service.

The phone connects to a free iPhone or Android app. The app can find a single child, displaying his or her current location and timeline of movements, as well as the battery level on the Snowfox. Up to five guardians, such as parents, grandparents and caretakers, can view a child's profile, the company said.

The app also has a map view to show the location of all trackerphones linked with the app. It can send alerts when kids have wandered where they are not permitted, and it can deliver notifications if they arrive or leave various locations.

Each Snowfox includes an embedded SIM card, which comes with a local call-in number, making it ready for use right out of the box, the company said. Unlimited voice and data are available via a pay-as-you-go plan that costs about $10 per month.

There is just one button on Snowfox. To use it to make a call, the child presses the button, which sends a notification to all the listed guardians' smartphones. Any guardian can then call the child, who can answer the incoming call by pressing the button once more. To make a call to a Snowfox phone, a parent or guardian can dial its number or simply use the app.

Less screen time means that kids will have more time for play, said Ville Ylläsjärvi, a co-founder of Haltian in Oulu, Finland, which designed and manufactures the device. Haltian's 80 or so employees are mostly former employees of one-time mobile device giant Nokia.

"I see way too many young kids with smartphones these days," Ylläsjärvi said. "Simply looking around, you can see kids playing with their devices and not doing stuff kids should be doing, like playing with friends outside, being in social situations and also interacting with the world around you. There have been multiple articles on kids suffering from delayed speech development, neck pains and posture development, which have been related to excessive smartphone usage at a very young age." [7 Ways to Short-Circuit Kids' Mobile Addiction]

Ylläsjärvi's own family members use Snowfox. "For our family, Snowfox Trackerphone has brought a lot of peace of mind," he said. "We have been able to have our 6-year-old daughter to play outside in the garden and be notified almost instantly of her going to the playground next door."

"We have now also allowed her to visit a friend living a few houses down and be able to call her to come home," Ylläsjärvi said. "Small but very meaningful things. I am really looking forward to her going to school next year and being able to be there for her and better in the know of what she does."

Devices that are similar to Snowfox include the GizmoPal from LG and the FiLIP from AT&T, but these come in the form of wristwatches, Ylläsjärvi said. "I think our form factor is more flexible for daily use, allowing multiple means for carrying," he said. "We have also found out that the wrist devices are not as comfortable to carry for the child."

An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for Snowfox began on June 28 and will last until Aug. 4. So far, the project has raised more than $21,000 of its $50,000 goal. If the campaign gets funded, Haltian aims to begin shipping Snowfox to its backers in October.

Snowfox will be available in 10 countries to start — the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Additional countries may be added during the Indiegogo campaign, the company said. The device is already on sale in stores in Finland.

Original article on Live Science.

Read More