American art has undergone significant changes over the years, which have contributed to the trends of art. Some of the trends in the performing arts include the increasing popularity of live performances in small organizations both locally and internationally. Improved productions and the increase in size of the larger organizations are also other interesting trends of art. Non-live arts have also gained popularity through media broadcasts, which have gradually replaced live performances. This is attributable to the increased cost of attending live performances and the enhanced quality of electronically recorded performances. Thus, Americans have opted for home-based entertainment in place of live performances (McCarthy, Brooks, Lowell, & Zakaras, 2001).
The critical method was coined by DuPont in the 1950s, and it is used to examine and criticize various systems including art. The method aims at avoiding process bottlenecks and time-frame setbacks. Besides art, it can be applied in research and development where the Internet can be used to verify the information provided and examine it critically. This helps in making informed decisions before accepting the claims, ideas and facts provided by the research results. Thus, the critical method is useful in validating opinions, knowledge and ideas, interpreting issues and solving problems in various systems and processes.
American art can be used to create a vivid picture of American history through various pieces of art such as paintings, decorative art, sculptures, and architecture. Through paintings and prints, American history can be brought alive in a class where students can view various historical events through artistic images. For example, genre paintings are used to narrate historical events where contemporary images of people and objects are painted to create a historical scene. These paintings are indispensable in teaching American history because they clearly elaborate America’s past. For example, The Exhumation of the Mastodon by Charles Willson Peale is a scientific painting, exhibiting Peale and his family exhuming a prehistoric mastodon (Howe, 2014). The painting elaborates the introduction of technology at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Therefore, one can understand American history through American art objects particularly paintings.
References
- Howe, D. W. (2014). Using works of art in teaching American history. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved on 27 Jan. 2014 from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/war-for-independence/resources/using-works-art-teaching-american-history
- McCarthy, K. Brooks, A. Lowell, J. & Zakaras, L. (2001). The Performing Arts: Trends and Their Implications. RAND Corporation. Retrieved on 27 Jan. 2014 from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB2504/index1.html