Plastic art—with all its doctrines, directions, and branches—offers a unique flavor in life
In an age dominated by technology and automation, plastic art retains its power to touch the deepest strings of the human soul, reminding us that creativity is not merely an act of making, but a declaration of our deepest essence.
Souad Khalil | Libya
“The arts and literature are the moral emanation of civilization; they are the spiritual radiance of peoples.”— Josie Kerdouchi
Plastic art has managed to affirm its importance and its connection to history and ancient human heritage, through the imagination of the painter who created and presented artworks that narrated different eras and times through plastic paintings. By delving into these works, we can read them through an astonishing visualization based on the distribution and carving of the painting in an aesthetic craftsmanship.
Plastic art—with all its doctrines, directions, and branches—offers a unique flavor in life, as it provides a distinctive vision of problems and how to approach them. It appeals to the conscience through the sense of sight, influencing and capturing the essence of souls, inviting them to sympathize or diverge through characters drawn with lines and colors. The image plays a significant role in a person’s life, both psychologically and emotionally, as it is a language equal in value to music and other forms of art.
As we know, since the end of World War II, interest in visual arts has flourished, revealing the importance of art as a subject worthy of in-depth study. People began visiting museums and appreciating paintings and sculptures, as well as focusing on books discussing art. This marked a significant shift from ancient times, when art was seen as a form of magic or a tool to summon invisible spirits, or as something offered by priests or charlatans.
There are many types of drawing from various scientific perspectives: plastic painting, abstract drawing, sketching, pointillism, decorative painting, and cubist drawing. On walls we find watercolor, engraving, mural paintings, oil paintings, and optical color works. On paper, there are watercolor drawings, and on fabric, oil painting on ceramics, decorated ceramics with oxides, fusion, and more. The meticulous art of drawing on metal or ivory, silver-based printing techniques, and in general, all engraving and painting methods, contribute to the creation of unique artworks. As William Blake said:
“A person who does not imagine with stronger and better features than what their mortal eye sees is absolutely unimaginable.”
In his book Art and Creative Feeling, Graham Collier states that there are good books that present visual arts by telling the story of mankind’s artistic achievements, addressing architecture, sculpture, and painting, and including discussions on sociology, art, and the aesthetics of objects within their shifting historical contexts. Typically, this stream of images is viewed through the lens of a researcher or historian. While we acknowledge the value of art history as a field, it does not always effectively reveal the sensual and psychological taste found in art forms. To do so, one must be free and open enough to have a personal response—to listen to the sounds of the “inner radar siren,” guiding us through mental and emotional vectors.
By doing this, we find ourselves in front of an image that evokes a deeply personal reaction—an instinctive action that uncovers the sensitive points of our emotional being.
Collier adds that the creative image is a statement that embodies the artist’s understanding of reality as they experience world events. It represents a formula for perceiving life and the world, akin to a linguistic formula (words) or a mathematical one (for measurement and numbers). Visual arts embrace the full imaginative life of a human being and encounter the external realities of the world itself. If the resulting image is powerful, it serves as a bridge between the heart and mind of the artist and those of the viewer, offering new insights into the nature of things.
Relearning the language of plastic expression enables us to understand how paintings have acquired their ancient authenticity and their ability to move us. A sculptor can convey experience through carved stone, a painter through the interplay of colors, and an architect through spatial design. These three examples represent the most significant forms of image creation. In Art and Creative Feeling, the author emphasizes that the image, as form, always possesses a degree of formal eloquence, but it is impossible to separate the formal or plastic eloquence of a work from the nature of its imaginative content.
An artwork reflects not only form but also temperament, prophetic visions, insights, hopes, anxieties, and joys of the artist. In every image, the artist is present, revealing their view of the world. Art transmits two simultaneous waves: one sensual and one psychological. We can explore one, but it’s hard to do so without the other. The author cites examples like Picasso, whose canvases reveal rhythms that reflect essential elements of nature itself.
As painter and sculptor Naum Gabo stated, the artist’s mind is a sea in flames—full of impressions, responses, experiences, emotions, and feelings. Some art critics believe that artists do not experience more intense emotions than ordinary people, but what distinguishes them is their sensitivity and the strong impulse to express these emotions. It is this emotional response that sets their work apart from that of non-artists.
Collier also explores various aspects of color, emphasizing that light is a form of electromagnetic energy at the core of our perception of color. Visible light is only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and differences in wavelength explain many energetic phenomena. Kandinsky observes that every painting contains a complete life—full of torment, doubt, enthusiasm, and inspiration. In this context, color plays an essential role in expressing the human condition.
There are differences between expressive and symbolic color. Expressive color is easily recognizable, evoking emotions like joy, sadness, or anxiety. Symbolic color, on the other hand, provokes more complex and intangible responses, recalling memories or dreams without a clear emotional identity.
The author also describes the structural role of color, comparing its use to architectural construction. Every brushstroke contributes to forming a visual building, creating a composite structure. As Cézanne emphasized, color and drawing are inseparable structurally. Color harmony gives structure to the painting, creating a visual unity. Cézanne often used the term modulation to describe his goal in drawing: adapting one color area to neighboring ones—a continuous process of reconciling multiplicity with a universal unity.
This is only a brief summary of Art and Creative Feeling by Graham Collier, but it offers many useful insights into understanding the creative feeling in plastic art. The book deeply explores the relationship between art and emotion, and how artworks communicate with the viewer.
Plastic art is not merely a technique or a form of aesthetic expression; it is a universal language that speaks directly to the heart and mind. Every artwork is a journey through the artist’s emotions and experiences, but also a bridge connecting the observer to the inner world of the creator. Through this exchange of sensations and meanings, art continues to evolve, constantly revealing new layers of beauty and understanding.
In an age dominated by technology and automation, plastic art retains its power to touch the deepest strings of the human soul, reminding us that creativity is not merely an act of making, but a declaration of our deepest essence.
Sources:
The Art and Creative Feeling – Graham Collier
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Souad Khalil is a Libyan writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.
