Glossary of Terms Flashcards
a style of art that emerged during the Contemporary period of art history, composed of the art elements themselves - shapes, colors, and forms - and used to convey emotions, sensations, and ideas. Emphasis is on the artist’s creativity, imagination and personal vision and encourages the viewer to explore and engage with the artwork on a deeper level, as the meaning and interpretation can vary from person to person.
Abstract
a style of art that became popular in the mid-20th century using color, shapes, and lines to express feelings and emotions and uses bold brushstrokes, splatters and drips of paint. Paintings are often very large, allowing for an immersive viewing experience
Abstract Expressionism
a type of paint known for its quick-drying time and vibrant colors. once dry, the paint becomes waterproof and durable, making paintings last for a long time. popular during the Contemporary period.
Acrylic
the artistic ingredients a painter uses to create a painting
Art Elements
the part of a painting that seems farthest away from the viewer, usually appears behind the main subject or focal point
Background
a period of art history occurring in the 17th and 18th century with important historical events such as English colonization, the Seven Years War, scientific discoveries. Paintings are usually formal, showcase tiny details of scenery and costume, have a great sense of energy and movement, and often include sharp contrasts between light and dark areas of the paintings.
Baroque
the way an artist uses their paintbrush to apply paint onto a canvas or surface in order to create different textures, strokes, and patterns. Can be loose and free or precise and detailed.
Brushwork
(1) a painting; (2) treated fabric, stretched over a frame, to which paint is applied
Canvas
a painting technique that uses strong contrasts between light and shadow to create a dramatic effect. Popular in the Renaissance period and also used in the Baroque period. Technique evokes intense emotions in their viewers and add a sense of drama to their work.
Chiaroscuro
a technique that involves combining various materials, such as paper, photographs, fabric, and found objects, onto a flat surface to create a new composition. Materials can be cut, torn, layered and overlapped, allowing artists to play with texture, color and shape to create expressive artworks
Collage
pairs of colors that are located at opposite ends of the color wheel, making them the most different from each other. Red and green, orange and blue, yellow and purple
Complementary colors
the way individual art elements work with each other to form a complete painting, adding dimension, setting the mood, organizing space, creating structure. The choice made by the artist when deciding how to position, arrange or design the different parts of painting in relation to each other.
Composition
a period of art history from the 1950s to the present day with important historical events such as the invention of the TV, the advent of the internet, the landing on the moon, the Civil Rights Movements and the wars in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East. Movement of artists from Europe to the US (particularly NYC). Abstract art began during this period as artists tried to understand and express the strange new world they were living in.
Contemporary
a comparison that draws attention to the differences between things. Warm colors vs. Cool colors, bright color vs dull color, light areas vs dark areas, straight and curved lines, vertical and diagonal lines, hard and soft textures, rough and smooth textures.
Contrast
Colors such as blue, green, lavender, purple and others that we associate with cool or cold temperatures like the cool green of a shaded forest or the icy blue of a mountain lake.
Cool Colors
a style of painting developed in France in the early Modern period of art history. Artists took familiar objects, broke them up into geometric figures like cubes, spheres and cones, then put them back together. This process of fragmenting and reassembling allowed the artists to include multiple points of view in a single composition by showing different sides or angles of the subject, forcing viewers to see familiar objects in unfamiliar ways.
Cubism
the segment of the Baroque period of art history during which the Netherlands, a country in northern Europe, experienced a period of economic prosperity and artistic achievement. Portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre paintings were common. The artists paid close attention to light, color and textures, making paintings look very lifelike. Art was more accessible to people other than the rich and powerful. Middle-class citizens purchased artwork for their homes, leading to a flourishing art market.
Dutch Golden Age
the specific area or element within an artwork that commands the viewer’s attention and become the primary point of interest. It is the part of the composition that stands out the most.
Focal Point
the part of a painting that seems closest to the viewer, similar to the front of the stage. It tends to be the area that you first notice and that captures your attention.
Foreground
the three-dimensional aspect of an object or artwork. describes objects that have volume, depth, and a sense of solidity. Examples include spheres, cubes, cones, prisms, and other more complex shapes that might curve or bend in unusual ways. Helps artists bring their artwork to life and make it more realistic.
Form
a painting of ordinary people engaged in common, everyday activities, especially popular during the Dutch Golden Age
Genre Painting
an artistic and intellectual movement that began after World War I and lasted until the 1930s, celebrating African American culture, art, sculpture, literature, music, dance, theatre, fashion and social and political activism. It took place in the North and Midwest US, but concentrated in Harlem, NY.
Harlem Renaissance
a style of painting developed in France late in the Modern period of art history, by artists who wanted to create impressions of light and color that, when seen as a whole, would form pictures in viewers’ minds. Artists often placed different colors side-by-side very close together on the canvas, letting viewers’ eyes blend the colors together. Short, broad brushstrokes creating a rough texture on the surface, with very few draw lines, shadows or dark colors.
Impressionism
(1) a painting of an outdoor view that features large areas of natural scenery; (2) the outdoor view itself.
Landscape
