We often think about art as something limited and predefined, but there actually are lots of art forms. Art is everywhere and it depends on your perception of the world around you. These are some examples:
PHOTOGRAPHY
We are all able to capture pictures of real life and transport them into sheets of paper, but how? Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. The first photographic process was in 1839, in France and by then the art of photography started to expand and became always more accurate.
Why is this technique so important? Nowadays we all take pictures of the places we visit, the food we enjoy, the time we spend with the people we love, it’s something we are all used to. We have the possibility to stop time and remember that moment forever by looking at the photographs we took. With the improvement of technology 5.9 billion people have access to a smartphone, as reported by the Ericsson Mobility report, and therefore this art is becoming more and more approachable by everyone.
These days the art of photography is relevant, because we have the opportunity to express our feelings and emotions by taking images of what is significant for us. Lots of artists try to fight their struggles with their passions and one of these could be photography. As Robert Frank said “ When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.”
FASHION
Nowadays fashion plays an important role in our society, the young generation sees it as a method for expressing itself. But has it always been like this?
For a very large amount of time, people have been forced to wear clothes they often did not feel comfortable in, just because canons wanted it. Due to this, lots of individuals have struggled for freedom of expression through fashion and, we remember one among many: Coco Chanel, a well-known stylist who revolutionized the concept of femininity. In the present, there are lots of influences coming mainly from social media, which show us a distortion of reality. It’s essential to find what represents us, regardless of everything else. Luckily with the time more and more young people are exposing themselves trying to inspire others to do the same. Public figures are often extravagant and they often destroy the canons according to which certain clothes can be worn only by a gender, a striking example is Harry Styles, a much criticized artist who is on the other hand considered as an huge example to follow for his ability to show himself as he is, without fear of the judgements of others. The fear of being against the current can make us forget how important not hiding ourselves is; in this we are also obviously influenced by the contest we live in (created by the society more in general and by people who are actively part of our lives). Society is slowly changing, but there are still countless steps to take to gain a lawful freedom. In conclusion it is essential not to repress what we feel because otherwise we would live a constant fiction that would make us suffer.
RAP MUSIC
The word ‘rap’ is actually very old and initially it meant to strike or to hit, then appeared a variation of this definition which meant to speak or talk. In America around the 1960’s it began to turn up in the black community and was used as a slang word to mean that someone was talking or having a conversation. Over time he was given the meaning of ‘rhythm and poetry’. At the beginning of rap this type of music was considered breakup music and it wasn’t appreciated. The first people who took up this lifestyle were young and from difficult situations and places to grow up in. Rap is music of denunciation, it is music made to give voice to the oppressed and to overthrow the oppressors. It is a kind of music that allows you to report your condition without mincing words and make your voice heard.
Year after year, rap became more and more mainstream, but the first to bring it to people had to get busy. Rap artists mainly use raw language and express themselves
through autobiographical texts, also give their opinion on social, political, religious issues and in general everything that concerns the place and the community in which they live.
Old school rap is the style of the very first rap artists who emerged from New York city in the late ‘70 and early ‘80: they mainly were African Americans. In America, where everything started, the most known rappers are:Jay-z,Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill, Nicky Minaj, Cardi B, Snoop Dog and many others.
The American scene is much more active than the Italian one but also in our country there were some significant exponents like: a rap group called Sangue Misto, Fabri Fibra, Marracash, another group called Club Dogo and others. These songs always question you and your certainties, it is important to understand how to interpret it because, as Fabri Fibra said once: it’s just a game but only few people can understand.
Alice Corvi, Chiara Delle Pulle ed Elisa Azzalini 3AL
