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Architecture

Art and architecture share many similarities. They've influenced one another throughout history. However, trying to liken these two disciplines will inevitably lead to certain contractions.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that Art, in its broadest sense, is defined as a creation meant to trigger an emotional response which is generally related to aesthetic pleasure. It doesn't satisfy any of life's basic needs, but it leads to thoughts, reflections, and often taps into our subconscious and our memory. On the other hand, architecture's primary purpose is to shelter individuals and ensure their safety. Architecture is meant to serve a utilitarian purpose.

Today, architecture has gone far beyond this initial function. Architects have strived to combine engineering and aesthetic research to create buildings that are so out of the ordinary we wonder how they were designed. They want their creations to stand out and favour originality and creativity. Just like in arts, architecture is influenced by the historical, social, and political context of the time and each movement has its own characteristics, from baroque to futurism to Bauhaus. Modern architecture marked a turn in the history of architecture. Architects revolutionised the social scope of their discipline and took an industrialist approach to society and nature — avant-garde architects rubbed shoulders with artists such as Georges Braque, Piet Mondrian, and members of the De Stijl group. Le Corbusier is a pioneer in collective housing, and also took part in ambitious projects which aimed to rebuild entire cities, such as Chandigarh in India. Decorative arts also developed by taking inspiration from the conventions that governed modernist architecture.

Contemporary architecture might not be a specific movement per se, but buildings that fall into this category share certain attributes. Contemporary architecture is characterised by curvy lines and various volumes in a single structure, as seen with the Sydney Opera House. The architect Jørn Utzon explained that he didn't seek to create a building for this project, but an actual sculpture. The building continually renews itself with new meanings and experiences for each passerby. Architectural works often require periods of deep reflection and a long though process in order for the architect to envisage how to give their building a sense of character and soul.

Whether architecture is an art or not is a never ending debate, but it is undeniable that there are strong links between the two disciplines. There are many examples of collaborations between contemporary artists and architects, and today the works of the greatest architects are exhibited in museums along with their fellow artists.

Discover our selections of artworks inspired by art and architecture!

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Painting, Evening walk, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,020

Painting, Santorini, Alexandra Djokic

Alexandra Djokic

Painting - 96.8 x 65 x 0.1 cm Painting - 38.1 x 25.6 x 0 inch

$1,200

Painting, Reflets lyonnais, Pappay

Pappay

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$2,326

Painting, Sans nom 858, Olivier Ebel

Olivier Ebel

Painting - 223 x 330 x 0.2 cm Painting - 87.8 x 129.9 x 0.1 inch

$22,033

Photography, Torsion, Mario Tarantino

Mario Tarantino

Photography - 70 x 70 x 0.3 cm Photography - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch

$1,665

Painting, Layers, Stanislav Lazarov

Stanislav Lazarov

Painting - 100 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,959 $1,763

Fine Art Drawings, Palermo_5, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0 inch

$2,203

Painting, Shadow, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting - 70 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$2,815

Painting, City B, Fred Boutet

Fred Boutet

Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$1,469

Painting, Cache, Cache 2, Robin Obitz

Robin Obitz

Painting - 120 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$7,344

Painting, Cache, cache 1, Robin Obitz

Robin Obitz

Painting - 120 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 47.2 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

$7,344

Sculpture, Pylone, Guillaume Couffignal

Guillaume Couffignal

Sculpture - 230 x 41 x 27 cm Sculpture - 90.6 x 16.1 x 10.6 inch

$4,896

Fine Art Drawings, Polpo, Pauline Di Valentin

Pauline Di Valentin

Fine Art Drawings - 150 x 80 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 59.1 x 31.5 x 0 inch

$3,672

Print, Back to the future, Aiiroh

Aiiroh

Print - 75 x 75 x 0.2 cm Print - 29.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 inch

$979

Painting, Equilibre ER1, Kardesch

Kardesch

Painting - 80 x 40 x 3.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 1.4 inch

$2,815

Painting, Orange Factory, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Painting - 80 x 188 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 74 x 0.8 inch

$1,493

Photography, Tunnel, Feng Hatat

Feng Hatat

Photography - 30 x 45 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

$734

Photography, Ciel 5, Feng Hatat

Feng Hatat

Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$734

Photography, Reflet III, Feng Hatat

Feng Hatat

Photography - 90 x 60 x 2 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,224

Painting, Architecture, Max Yaskin

Max Yaskin

Painting - 100 x 200 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 78.7 x 0.4 inch

$2,387

Fine Art Drawings, Théorèmes #1, Nagsoul

Nagsoul

Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

$979 $881

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