Graphic Design and Fine Art

Both Graphic Design and Fine Art have been a large part of our lives for centuries. Graphic Design was introduced through the alphabet. Graphic Design not only lye’s within our Latin alphabet that we use today but, also through several early versions as well. Such as cuneiform, hieroglyphs, and written Chinese. Early alphabets consisted of various symbols. Through the years the alphabets have changed from symbols to actual letter characters. To this day the Chinese Alphabet is still made entirely of symbols. It also has evolved as well from what it once was.

Some of the earliest pieces of Fine Art were found in the cave paintings of long ago. Such as the Lascaux cave paintings. This painting is Fine Art to due to the amount of detail in the animals and the use of perspective. Whomever painted this piece seemed to be conveying the love of the animals and the way that thee animals lived. The amount of detail used in this particular piece sets it apart from its predecessors. The perspective on the Bull's horns and the way that the animals are looking head on to one another is like no other of its time. The usage of color and also there is implied texture by the placement of the mural on the rock. It's one of the best art pieces of its time.

As far as differences between Graphic Design and Fine art I found several. To me Graphic Design has mostly a commercial cause. Graphic Design is generally evoked through marketing. Whether the marketing is fully for a product, organization or business based. As far as Fine Art it is generally unconventional. Although both deal with being creative there are ups and downs to every career. As in Fine artist doesn ’t have anyone to “call the shots” they are their own boss. With Graphic Design you always have a boss or a client to answer to. When comparing and contrasting Graphic Design and Art History I am reminded of a quote from street artist Banksy. It is as follows:

“The thing I hate most about advertising s that it attracts
all the bright, creative and ambitious young people, leaving
us mainly with the slow and self-obsessed to become our artists.
Modern art is a disaster area. Never in the field of human history
has so much been used by so many to say so little.”
Banksy

My Fav Banksy piece

As far as similarities both Graphic Design and fine art both evoke emotion. Graphic design focuses on awakening emotion to products/organizations. Graphic Design is everywhere. From your breakfast cereal to the billboards you pass on the freeway. Graphic design is created with a marketing purpose in mind. We as a society are so used to it a lot of people don’t realize it is even there because we have grown accustom to it’s presence. While Fine art focuses more on a statement of a more personal nature. Fine Art doesn’t need to have to serve a purpose other than what the creator intended.