Blooming in the Dark

Description

Folk art’s history is as deep as the deepest river. Thinking about folk arts, what first pops up on our mind is that it is something functional or utilitarian. Moreover, it is something created manually or with limited mechanical help. Generally speaking, folk art is the art of people. Sometimes they even call it primitive art or tribal art.

Untrained and self-taught people gave birth to folk arts long time ago. Mostly, they came from rural areas and were poor. For the most part, the only way to get skills for them was to get apprenticeships from local masters. This knowledge was highly valued and often was passed down through generations. That time artisans mostly used natural materials that they could easily find around such as wood, metal, clay.

Folk art or fine art

Additionally, what differs folk from fine art is the fact that masters created utilitarian objects with some visual appeal. They simply added to everyday objects small details. Usually they reflected family, work, religions, culture, and traditions. Some of folk artists were even able to make a living selling their works in the local community or trading with their neighbours.

Through years, the opinion about folk artists changed dramatically. In contrast, society doesn’t consider them untrained or unprofessional masters any more. Moreover, nowadays, crafters get professional training and create works using a wide range of materials. It is paper, wood, metal, clay, glass, textile etc. The works they produce reflect the culture of the country they come from. Moreover, they help to preserve its traditions and customs for future generations.