Arts and Artistry of the Modern Age

ARTS AND ARTISTRY OF THE MODERN AGE
Runa Lirrian, Vice President of The Imperial University of the Arts
4E 225

As Tamriel enters a new age, it is important to examine who we are and what our future holds and there is no better way to do so than through the lens of the creative arts.

I have painstakingly spent the last five years researching, collecting, interviewing, and accumulation to bring you this, the basic index of the state of the arts of Tamriel.

Please note that this is a mere simple overview and is no way exhaustive. Many clans, families, schools, and tribes carry their own traditions and their own artistry as a part of that individual culture and to list each and every variety and variance would require more paper than Mora has in Apocrypha.

The Nords of Skyrim:

While one would imagine the Nords would be none too interested in any artistic endeavor, they simply must realize they have been looking in the wrong places.    

Nords place high value on practical arts and find little use in paintings that do nothing more than look pretty but their craftsmanship is legendary. Beautiful architecture decorated with all manner of intricate and spectacular carvings, astounding advances in metalworking, and intriguing - if a bit rustic - furniture creations are the hallmark of the snowy north.   

What few paintings that come from Skyrim are often realistic and non-superfluous in nature, detailed but not interpretive. A vast majority of this art takes the form of breathtaking landscapes that show off the amazing vistas and plains of the province and are often seen as an artist’s devotion to Kyne, their interpretation of our Kynareth.

The High Elves of Summerset:

Much like the Nords, the High Elves have no interest in interpretation or reimagining, their art is stark, hard-hitting, and refuse to mask the truth.    

Sharp light and depthy shadows define meaty muscle and sinew, anatomy being a major part in an artist's course of study in Summerset. Most - if not all - paintings are historical in nature but they don't lack for detail or allegory. Symbolism and iconography refer to centuries in the past and the understanding of such is vital to reading the true meaning behind each piece.

The Bretons of High Rock:

Bretons have never shied away from painting as a medium, but it is often not the primary or chosen form their art seems to take.     

Instead, Bretons seem to delight more in sculpture, installation, and performance art, especially of the kinetic or interactive variety. They would rather invite their audience to be a part of their piece than have them stand apart to 'oooh’ and ‘ahhh’. While a few artists have incorporated magic and spells into their works, techniques or even the reasonings behind using such things have yet to be defined and perfected, to say nothing of the lack of magicians powerful enough to maintain these spells indefinitely.

The Redguards of Hammerfell:

Art of Hammerfell is prized in the collecting community as being some of the most colorful, bright, and awe-inspiring of the entire continent.   

Geometry and tessellations dominate their architecture, crafts, clothing, and even paintings with some of the brightest hues known in all of recorded time. In fact, many of these dyes and colors are kept in the strictest secrecy, the techniques and ingredients likely passed down through generations in families and not shared with outsiders. Among their most stunning creations is their mosaic designs, massive and miniscule alike. They have truly perfected the form, but unfortunately, are not keen to share with the rest of the world.

The Dark Elves of Morrowind:

In such an unfortunate and tragic state of affairs still gripping the ash-laden landscape, it is no small surprise that many have turned to art as a form of catharsis or expression of despair and bitterness.   

Much like the country itself torn asunder, the modern art of Morrowind is divided into two distinct categories: the Traditional and the Modern. The Traditional is- as the name would imply - a much older style employed by the aging generations and is often composed of pen and ink on paper, terrible explosions and flames outlined in dark borders.    

The Interpretative is much more based in younger arists who seem lost and without a future to look forward to, often simple designs with lots of room for speculation. One famous piece in this rising style is “The Anger” by Telayn Dalailo, the entire field painted in bold, streaky red, a single smudge of grayish black in the center of its bottom third, no larger than one's thumb.

The Imperials of Cyrodiil:

While we Imperials often consider ourselves “jacks of all trades” or studiers of many different techniques and styles in our great culmination of cultures, many trends have seen their rise and fall here in the Imperial Province.     

Highly interpretative painting of landscapes and natural wonders in looser, more swimming colors is still a popular style in Colovia and the west as it has been for decades past, those closer to the zeitgeist in spirit and the city physically have taken on a much wilder, more transformative style. Vivid colors, experimental styles such as paint dabbing or layered pigment to create almost three-dimensional contours on the canvas, and nonsensical imaginings are on the rise here in the City and are likely to take the continent by storm.     

Further south, watercolor has seen a great increase in popularity, although many are finding pigmentation a major challenge in the medium. One wonders if this stems from the oft-muddied waters of the Niben muting the paints’ colors.

If one is interested in joining the Imperial University of the Arts, they may feel free to send away for an application to our main offices in the Elven Gardens District of the Imperial City along with a 50G request fee. We welcome aspiring artists of all races, classes, genders, and beliefs and have trained some of the most prominent and up-and-coming creators in Tamriel.

[OOC: This is a sequel of sorts to an earlier post of mine about Theatre of Tamriel. Seems Runa is moving on up in the world and only likes to hear herself talk even more. Hopefully you get the idea of what I'm describing here well enough, although I'm happy to provide some real-world examples in the comments.]