For all those moments when you wondered why it helps to go into the history of things, there are ample reasons how one benefits from studying the past.
Of the 4 years I spent in art school, my batch studied art history for an unusual 3 years. Art history was supposed to last no more than a year but due to some alteration in our course design, we ended up watching slides of paintings of a bygone era for 3 exasperating years. Though it was an ordeal back then, in hindsight it was a blessing to have studied the works of the great masters. The basics got drilled, nailed and cemented in our fuzzed-out juvenile minds.
How does that help?
Last weekend I was in a discussion with a friend and potential client who may in time comission me as a consultant for a product targeted at European buyers. We started talking about certain types and styles of graphics. As we spoke more I was able to better articulate and classify the styles as Renaissance, Baroque,art Nouveaux, art Deco and Bauhaus. This led to a detailed understanding of tastes, preferences and a way ahead for the project.
Of the 4 years I spent in art school, my batch studied art history for an unusual 3 years. Art history was supposed to last no more than a year but due to some alteration in our course design, we ended up watching slides of paintings of a bygone era for 3 exasperating years. Though it was an ordeal back then, in hindsight it was a blessing to have studied the works of the great masters. The basics got drilled, nailed and cemented in our fuzzed-out juvenile minds.
How does that help?
Last weekend I was in a discussion with a friend and potential client who may in time comission me as a consultant for a product targeted at European buyers. We started talking about certain types and styles of graphics. As we spoke more I was able to better articulate and classify the styles as Renaissance, Baroque,art Nouveaux, art Deco and Bauhaus. This led to a detailed understanding of tastes, preferences and a way ahead for the project.
When you know the history well, you are able to process the current information in context of time. There you go- I couldn't have articulated it better than that. When you are aware of where the material originated from, you are a few steps ahead of others because you would or could be the only person to take forward the matter or project from there on. 'To see the future, we must look into our past', goes the adage.
So dwell into the past once in a while, purely from a futuristic point of view. The neighborly historian or librarian could well be the next soothsayers if they apply resources to study trends over time.
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