Examining Art Terms Flashcards
Art
a form of human communication
Aesthetics
a branch of philosophy that studies the nature and forms of beauty
Beautiful
is pleasant and attractive
Sublime
moves us with its magnificence, nobility, or horror
Step One
a description of the artwork is established
Step Two
formalism is used to analyze the artwork
Step Three
the artwork is interpreted
Step Four
the artwork is criticized
Traditional Art
executed in a realistic style and includes portraits, still-lifes, landscapes, sunrises, sunsets, seascapes, historical events, animals, human figures, religious or mythological topics, scenes from everyday life, and the erotic
Modern Art
refers to a succession of aesthetic styles created in the twentieth century
Postmodern Art
has no rules and no leader
Figurative & Representational Art
visually defines or suggests objects from nature or the creation of human beings
Abstract Art
allows one or more visual properties of an object from nature, or the creation of human beings, to stand-in for that object
Non-Objective Art
does not visually define or suggest an object from nature, or the creations of human beings, other than itself
Arrangement
the conscious positioning of visual components in a work of art
Eye Movement
the journey a viewer’s eye takes around a picture plane
Formalism
an assessment of basic design choices made by the artist regarding the use of the elements of art and principles of composition to command viewer attention, guide it around the art, and communicate a message
Period/Style
visual characteristics that subject artwork shares with a body of works
Unity
a kind of artistic perfection where one stroke more would be too many, and one stroke less, too few
Elements of Art
describe what we see (line, shape, value, texture, & color)
Line
- Physical Appearance
- Character
an edge, direction, series of points, the path of a moving point
- dotted, faint, jagged, straight
- weak, strong, nervous, bold
Shape
- Geometric
- Biomorphic
anything that exists in two or more dimensions
- basic on mathematical formulae
- changing, living forms
Value
the lightness or darkness of an area
Texture
the way something appears to feel
Color
reflected, refracted light
Primary Colors
red, yellow, and blue
Secondary Colors
(orange, green, and violet) are made by mixing two primaries
Tertiary Colors
fill the spaces between primary and secondary colors
Warm Colors
yellows and reds
Cool Colors
greens and blues
Tint
refers to any color mixed with white
Shade
any color mixed with black
Tone
any color mixed with gray
Color Schemes
groups of colors commonly chosen by artists
Monochromatic Color Scheme
consists of one color plus its tints and shades
Analogous Color Scheme
consists of three colors next to each other on the color wheel
Complementary Color Scheme
uses two colors directly across from each other on the color wheel
Split Complementary Colors
use one color plus the two that are on either side of its complement on the color wheel
Principles of Composition
rules used to assemble the elements in such a way that artwork commands viewer attention, guides it, and communicates a message (variety, contrast, harmony, economy, elaboration, repetition)
Variety
using an element in a few different ways
Contrast
using an element in opposite ways
Harmony
using an element in similar ways
Economy
using an element in its simplest form, or removing it
Elaboration
using an element in its most complex way, or adding it
Repetition
using an element in the same way more than once
Other Tools from Formalism
arrangement of dominant and subordinate images, balance, eye movement, depth, patterns (value), proportions
Style/Period
examines the relationship between one work of art and the distinctive visual traits of a group of works from a recognized style or period
Interpretation
a search for meaning (autobiography, biography, psychoanalysis, contextualism, feminism, marxism, voix naissant, iconography, semiotics, existentialism)
Biography & Autobiography
interpret art in relation to an artist’s life and personality
Psychoanalysis
interprets artwork by focusing on the “inner struggle” as well as outer, and the unconscious significance of images to the artist or the viewer
Contextualism
interprets artwork through events that take place in the artist’s culture
Feminism
interpretations of art look for subject matter from four waves of gender awareness
Marxist
interpretations of art that look for alienation and conflict in economics, society, and political power
Voix Naissant
interprets artwork in light of the journey to acceptance faced by an emerging voice
Semiotics
interprets art through the mind, eyes, and voice of the viewer, not the artist
Icons
resemble referents (ex. image on a road sign for falling rock)
Indices
indicate referents (ex. like smoke suggests fire)
Symbols
point to referents by convention (ex. like the word “chair” has an agreed-to meaning, but it not a chair)
Iconography
sees the artist’s meaning beyond form, that images point to subjects of greater significance than themselves
Existentialism
has no fixed meaning – who we are (essence) is the product of free, authentic, and conscious choices that we make in life
