Throughout history, man has been developing art as a part of individual cultures. Modern modes of travel and technology are bringing the world into a global society. Isolation is no longer necessary as diverse cultures begin to interact on a global stage. The art produced by these cultures is now shared with artists all over the world. This is creating a fusion of artistic expression in many centers of learning and the works of individual artists. There is now an opportunity for artists separated by thousands of miles to work together on creating new art forms.
Artists are often inspired by the shapes of the natural environment where they live. An artist who has lived their entire life in an equatorial rain forest of Africa has an environment very different from an artist native to the Scandinavian countries. Trees in the rain forest are tall and spread widely at the top. Their shapes are formed because there is a great deal of competition for sunlight above the darkened jungle floor. A triangle shape represents many northern trees. They have broad bases and taper to a point. There is less competition for sunlight and warmth is a more important issue.
The colors that populate natural environments are different in various locations. The Scandinavian will be used to darker blue of both sky and water than the African in the rain forest. Water in equatorial Africa tends to be scarce in large quantities. If the sky is seen through the dense canopy of trees, it is dotted with rain clouds and appears a lighter blue color. This is just one of the many color differences. Foliage and ground cover are equally diverse in these two locations. Animals are also very different in both shape and coloration.
Each of these locations offers a natural environment for local artists. Their art, in both form and appearance, will not be the same. By learning the methods of creation and decoration, each artist will see the world and their art in a different light if the two are allowed to share their art. This is how a fusion of cultural art occurs.
