Art in East Zabrial, as everywhere, cannot be separated from its broader cultural and political context. The separatist movement, particularly the dramatic widening of its appeal over the past twenty years, has brought considerable changes. Though a few works from each medium carry direct political messages (and are usually censored accordingly) the greatest change has been a return to what are judged 'traditional' themes and styles. This has meant a renaissance of almost-forgotten old classics. Even new works are dominated by Narlat legend and choice episodes – the founding of the city, the Triumvirate, the Twin Strike etc. – from history. It has also meant that art forms deemed to be 'foreign', like novels and drama, suffering at the expense of 'indigenous' forms like dance and performance poetry.
However, the trend is far from all-consuming as yet. Also reflecting wider society is the fantastic mix of influences on Zabric art; Dorlafan, Nisslan, Kakranfan, Erish and many others. It has undergone considerable change in the past few centuries alone, and elements from each period have survived into the 1330's. In the broadest of terms there have been five key stages in its recent development:
1. The traditional. Which also incorporates many different phases, but today they are generally lumped together. Visual, oral and musical forms dominate, though anything recognisable as theatre is oddly absent. Almost all stories are taken from the numerous Narlat legends, or refer to periods far in the distant past (generally before Teraf was colonised) or, most frequently, incorporate both. A strong moral message is usually carried, though it can sometimes be expressed quite subtly. Demons, monsters and magic usually star even in the stories where Narlan or his sub-deities are absent. Two typical pieces are The Sea Petals, a long, complex dance symbolising the passing of the seasons; and Narlan's Wedding which tells how the god took a human bride and first became interested in the affairs of man, supposedly a play but really just a long piece of pageantry. They are still regularly performed today, the first by trained dancers at festivals and the latter most often by school children. Most surviving pieces are by artists unknown. Ironically the one pre-955 name which has lingered, the poet Kempan Delti, isn't associated with any work especially famous.
2. The eclectic. First flourished in the brief burst of optimism straight after Christoté was formed. It embraced East Zabrial's new role as a modern trading port and self-consciously opened itself up to outside influences. It supposedly shaped the new forms into a uniquely Zabric style but often it just pilfered them outright. Influences theoretically came from everywhere but they chiefly flowed from Dorlaf. Dorlafan novels and murals became very popular and its drama, when that took off in the 1070's, also gained a foothold. Many of the major names were, appropriately, foreign settlers in the city. Tedren Wolleim was a Nisslan who wrote the very popular Man Alone series of books, Nem L'Ral a Kakranfan epic poet and Lemmet Fletson either a Gesander or an Erishman (he tended to change his story) who produced the famously impenetrable novel Sheet of Light. Even the local artists tended to read like foreigners, like Asman Lucci who basically wrote Stayson Cooper plays set in East Zabrial. The eclectic movement lasted far longer than the general optimism, which was pretty decisively punctured when the federal government deserted the city.
3. The political. A short-lived but memorable phase which burst up during the Civil Wars-inspired disturbances of the 1140's. A new generation of artists, mostly performance poets, began objecting simultaneously to Huwdone House's control of Zabrial and art's separation from real life. The result was a series of shows which were part poetry, part demagogue's rallying call. The authorities clamped down fairly mercilessly, arresting and usually executing the participants. Though a second wave embraced more subtle methods, the trend had been crushed by the end of the 1160's. It is remembered not so much for its products (which were generally quite awful) but for demonstrating the uses art could be put to. It is significant that its biggest name, the poet Elzak Galladan, is far more famous for being executed after a thoroughly crooked trial than for any of his poems.
4. The impressionist. Something of a reaction against the unsubtle methods of the political artists, though it also represented a deepening of the understanding of the nature of art. Impressionism dominated Zabric art throughout the 1200's and is still prevalent. It came in a wide range of forms, but was basically a desire to paint something other than what the eye sees in visual arts and to tell something other than a straightforward morality tale in oral ones. Notable examples include Xaean Lupu's huge, blurred landscapes, Lalu Nikato's paintings which show diners as streaks of colours to denote their feelings, Ceain Dessi's dense, enigmatic parables and Colbrith Cacci's meandering accounts of everyday life. Inspiration came from a wide range of sources, especially the Esrill Mark style of painting and the Kakranfan open-ended fables. In turn, Zabric impressionism has spread across Teraf and influenced many artists. However, it has always been a rather rarefied style. Each new movement comes with its own theory attached, without which it can barely be understood. It has become the preserve of the rich and well-educated and incomprehensible to the rest.
5. The revivalist. As mentioned, the restoration of pre-Christotan styles and themes. It was born both from the political situation and the desire to break through the sealed world of the impressionists. Poetry has led the way, performance poetry in particular; men shouting out some old Narlan verses is now a common sight of any market place. The poorer artists simply retouch ancient legends while the better ones reinvent them to make them immediately relevant. The poet Gultu Cisslat, in particular, has a genius for reworking Narlan tales so they become specific criticisms of the government and are still immune from censorship on religious grounds.