Revel Questions Flashcards
How does your textbook define a work of art?
a) the visual expression of an idea or experience
b) an image that evokes an emotional response
c) an aesthetically pleasing object with no obvious function
d) anything that demonstrates human creativity
the visual expression of an idea or experience
A visual work of art is executed through the use of a medium and
a) skill.
b) passion.
c) innovation.
d) preliminary drawings.
skill
Which of the following terms best describes the ability to bring forth something new that has value?
a) creativity
b) talent
c) representation
d) experimentation
creativity
Which of the following traits is associated with creative people today?
a) questioning
b) talent
c) stubbornness
d) intuition
questioning
Which artists create work based primarily on cultural traditions and practices?
a) folk artists
b) outsider artists
c) untrained artists
d) child artists
folk artists
What is one consequence of professional training today in art schools, colleges, and university art departments?
a) Artists have more knowledge of historical and contemporary art history and alternate points of view.
b) Artists have to learn to work in all media.
c) Artists have to have a college degree.
d) Artists have to postpone exhibiting work until they graduate.
Artists have more knowledge of historical and contemporary art history and alternative points of view
What is one factor that experts determined is universally common to children’s drawings when they are six or younger?
a) depicting the world in symbolic rather than realistic ways
b) using crayons
role creativity plays in the work of trained and untrained artists.
c) making stick figures
d) drawing animals
depicting the world in symbolic rather than realistic ways
Which of the following factors is common to all trompe l’oeil paintings?
a) They are highly illusionist.
b) They represent objects as life size.
c) They include figurative elements.
d) They include text.
They are highly illusionist.
Nonrepresentational works focus the viewer’s attention on
a) pure visual forms.
b) symbolic messages.
c) historical references.
d) unusual media.
pure visual forms
Which of the following activities would best be described as “seeing”?
a) finding recognizable images in clouds
b) window shopping while walking down the street
c) flipping through pages of magazine ads
d) viewing shared photographs of friends online
finding recognizable images in clouds
What is one reason that people see art differently?
a) Looking at art is always an individual, subjective experience.
b) Not everyone has 20/20 eyesight.
c) People do not always look closely.
d) People are easily confused about complex works.
Looking at art is always an individual, subjective experience.
What distinguishes the practice of seeing from that of looking?
a) Seeing involves our memories, emotions, and imagination.
b) Seeing involves comparing different works.
c) People need more education to be able to correctly see.
d) Seeing has to be done in front of the actual object.
Seeing involves our memories, emotions, and imagination.
Iconography is most helpful to interpret
a) how subjects, symbols, and motifs convey meaning.
b) line, shape, and color.
c) the kind of media used.
d) the authenticity of the work.
how subjects, symbols, and motifs convey
What is one practical way to focus on a painting’s form rather than its subject?
a) Turn the painting upside down.
b) Read about the work in art history texts.
c) Ask the artist about the work.
d) Try to make a drawing of the painting.
Turn the painting upside down.
What distinguishes visual creativity from other creative practices?
a) the use of images
b) the originality of the artist
c) the demonstration of artistic skills
d) the role of looking and close observation
the use of images
Which of the following is a trait of creative artists?
a) They make connections across seemingly unrelated fields.
b) They are educated in art schools, colleges, or university art departments.
c) They demonstrate talent as little children.
d) They have no training but are remarkably insightful.
They make connections across seemingly unrelated fields.
Why have most trained artists historically been male?
a) Women were denied apprenticeships.
b) Women were thought to lack talent.
c) Women held too many domestic responsibilities.
d) Women were thought to lack creativity
Women were denied apprenticeships.
Why do children often become less creative as they get older?
a) They come to doubt their creativity.
b) They come to rely on symbolic imagery to communicate ideas.
c) They come to interpret things more personally.
d) They come to use intuitive skills in drawing and composition.
They come to doubt their creativity.
Which of the following first inspired Georgia O’Keeffe’s series of paintings based on flowers?
a) an interest in the shapes and colors of nature
b) the Southwestern desert landscape
c) her study of botany in college
d) the symbolic meanings of different flowers
an interest in the shapes and colors of nature
What is one advantage of a well-designed object?
a) It can enrich our daily lives.
b) It will be less expensive.
c) It will be mass-produced.
d) It will be handmade.
It can enrich our daily lives.
Beauty is defined according to
a) different ideals that vary across cultures.
b) classical forms from ancient Rome and Greece.
c) a canon of art established by art historians and museums.
d) the use of harmonious colors and skilled drawing.
different ideals that vary across cultures.
What is one reason that much Greek sculpture is idealized?
a) Idealization communicated dignity, simplicity, and calm grandeur.
b) Idealization commemorated historical events.
c) Idealization emphasized the acclaim given to individuals in a democracy.
d) Idealization identified well-known individuals.
Idealization communicated dignity, simplicity, and calm grandeur.
One characteristic of beauty in many seventeenth-century landscape paintings is
a) harmonious balanced proportions.
b) accurate representation of real places.
c) strong, bright colors.
d) contemporary architecture and identifiable figures.
harmonious balanced proportions.
Even if we do not understand the text, what element of visual delight can ancient Chinese calligraphy demonstrate?
a) graceful arrangements of harmonious forms
b) a wide range of colors
c) illustrations
d) emphasis on asymmetricality
graceful arrangements of harmonious forms
How did many people in the Middle Ages learn about bible stories?
a) from stained-glass windows in churches
b) from grammar schools
c) from books
d) from plays
from stained-glass windows in churches
What media has largely replaced paintings for storytelling for today’s mass audiences?
a) television and film
b) illustrated books
c) graphic novels
d) photographs
television and film
Why was the Taj Mahal built?
a) to commemorate the death of a royal wife
b) to be a new royal palace
c) to commemorate the death of a king
d) to be a mosque
to commemorate the death of a royal wife
When does art fulfill an expressive function?
a) when it conveys information about an artist’s personality
b) when it conveys ideas in the realms of science or technology
c) when it serves political goals
d) when it is used for persuasion
when it conveys information about an artist’s personality
What is one reason that Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits are considered so expressive?
a) She shared the lifelong pain and emotional distress that she suffered.
b) She painted in strong, clear colors.
c) She idealized her representation.
d) She painted in a very realistic style.
She shared the lifelong pain and emotional distress that she suffered.
Why was Maya Lin’s Vietnam War Memorial initially controversial?
a) People felt it was too different from traditional war monuments.
b) People felt that it should have been more self-expressive on Lin’s part.
c) People felt the site should host a monument to the Revolutionary War instead.
d) People did not like that it attracted such large crowds.
People felt it was too different from traditional war monuments.
In traditional Eskimo societies of Southwest Alaska, masks are often associated with
a) ritual and spiritual transformation.
b) disguise and deception.
c) dance and theatrical performance.
d) personal expression and entertainment.
ritual and spiritual transformation
In Benin, the use of brass casting is reserved for
a) the royal family.
b) state buildings.
c) cattle harnesses.
d) jewelry sold to tourists.
the royal family.
The style of the U.S. Supreme Court building is based on architecture from what period?
a) Roman Republican
b) baroque
c) modern
d) medieval
Roman Republican
What is one element that reinforces the power and grandeur of the Supreme Court?
a) its massive size
b) its color
c) its stairs
d) its proximity to the street
its massive size
What tends to distinguishes art in our society today?
a) emphasis on individual achievement and self-expression
b) emphasis on religious art
c) emphasis on aesthetics
d) emphasis on commissioned art
emphasis on individual achievement and self-expression
What embellishment factor appears in both Hollyhock House and Yoruba resist-dyed cloth?
a) They both have a central motif.
b) They are both highly patterned.
c) They both use multiple colors.
d) They both use natural dyes.
They both have a central motif.
Why did Frank Lloyd Wright use the hollyhock flower to embellish Alice Barnsdall’s house?
a) It was the owner’s favorite flower. b) It was the architect’s favorite flower. c) There were hollyhocks growing in the area. d) It was an easy form to stylize.
It was the owner’s favorite flower.
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that studies
a) how and why artworks are beautiful. b) how artworks communicate political ideas. c) how artworks communicate ethical ideas. d) how artworks communicate social ideas.
how and why artworks are beautiful.
In the contemporary world, where are we most accustomed to find idealized standards for beauty?
a) magazine ads b) television commercials c) video games d) contemporary art
magazine ads
Why were carved totem poles in the Pacific Northwest commissioned?
a) to illustrate crests or legends associated with a specific family’s history b) to illustrate mythological beasts c) to illustrate rituals d) to illustrate communal tribal history
to illustrate crests or legends associated with a specific family’s history
Why is line a primary means of visual communication?
a) It is a basic means of recording and documenting ideas. b) Everyone can make a line. c) Lines are inherently symbolic. d) Lines do not have to be explained with text.
It is a basic means of recording and documenting ideas.
Which of the following is always a characteristic of line?
a) length always predominates over height or depth b) made by liquid media c) handmade d) black
length always predominates over height or depth
Which of the following best expresses slow, rhythmic movement?
a) a gently curving line b) a diagonal line c) a sharp, jagged line d) a hard line
a gently curving line
The most common man-made shapes are
a) geometric. b) organic. c) biomorphic. d) irregular.
geometric
Most people are conditioned to see objects and figures as
a) positive space. b) negative space. c) neutral space. d) geometric shapes.
positive space
What is a two-dimensional or implied two-dimensional area defined by line or changes in color called?
a) shape b) mass c) form d) volume
shape
What distinguishes a form from a shape?
a) A form appears to be three-dimensional. b) A form refers to sculpture. c) A form is usually more organic. d) A form lacks mass.
A form appears to be three-dimensional.
In art terms, volume refers to
a) form enclosing space. b) liquid measures. c) weight. d) line quality.
form enclosing space
What is one way that an artist can imply mass in a two-dimensional figure?
a) make it large enough to occupy most of the picture plane b) make it a contrasting color from the background c) use hatching d) increase its height
make it large
One way that architects can increase the perception of space in a structure is by
a) raising the ceiling height. b) adding more doors. c) painting the walls a dark color. d) adding furnishings in monochromatic colors.
raising the ceiling height
Overlapping objects on a two-dimensional plane is one way to
a) achieve depth on a flat surface. b) fit in more objects. c) confuse the viewer about spatial placement. d) create a sense of open form.
achieve depth on a flat surface
When is a vanishing point necessary in a painting?
a) when using linear perspective b) when using atmospheric perspective c) when using a horizon line d) when using overlapping shapes
when using linear perspective
What is one way that traditional Chinese painters created atmospheric perspective?
a) They used light washes of ink and color on paper to suggest distant mountains. b) They drew overlapping mountains. c) They used one-point perspective. d) They used two-point perspective.
They used light washes of ink and color on paper to suggest distant mountains.
Which of the following is a visual media where the impression of time can be compressed, expanded, run backward, and rewound?
a) film b) drawing c) print d) oil painting
film
What concept of time did Italian fifteenth-century narrative paintings demonstrate?
a) linear b) cyclical c) eternal d) future
linear
What is kinetic art?
a) art that moves b) film c) digital projections d) animation
art that moves
Chiaroscuro is a technique used to create
a) the illusion of rounded forms. b) an expressive mood by using different values of the same hue. c) a sense of three-dimensional space in a painting. d) a thickly built-up surface of paint on the canvas.
the illusion of rounded forms
What is one reason that contemporary artists use artificial light as a medium?
a) Light can radiate into the viewer’s space. b) They can see the work. c) Light is an inexpensive medium. d) They have abandoned traditional media.
Light can radiate into the viewer’s space.
Daniel Chester French wanted spotlights installed above his sculpture of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in order to
a) change the sculpture’s expressive impact. b) improve visitors’ ability to see facial details. d) protect the sculpture from possible vandals.
change the sculpture’s expressive impact.
Which creators rely most on light primary colors in their work?
a) digital b) oil c) sculptors d) kinetic
digital
What color grouping produces the strongest contrasts when used side by side?
a) complementary b) secondary c) intermediate d) analogous
complementary
The most vibrant color sensations in modern four-color printing come from
a) placing tiny drops of pure hues next to each other. b) highly saturated colors. c) monochromatic colors. d) using primary colors.
placing tiny drops of pure hues next to each other.
Which of the following is characteristic of a highly saturated painting?
a) intense use of color b) monochromatic use of color c) use of primary colors d) use of thickly applied paint
intense use of color
How did van Gogh create texture in his paintings?
a) He used thick paint to show obvious brushstrokes. b) He used highly saturated colors. c) He used highly contrasting colors. d) He used a variety of different lines.
He used thick paint to show obvious brushstrokes.
In a painting, a simulated texture
a) looks like the real thing being represented. b) looks and feels like the real thing being represented. c) is always the actual size of what is being represented. d) is only possible with thinly painted surfaces.
looks like the real thing being represented.
What effect might best be achieved by a sculpture with closed form?
a) a sense of overwhelming power b) a sense of fragile delicacy c) a sense of dynamic movement d) a sense of joyful emotion
a sense of overwhelming power
What is one way that ancient Egyptian artists clarified visual space in their paintings?
a) They portrayed objects from easily identifiable angles. b) They only used two colors. c) They stylized objects and figures. d) They painted in one-point perspective.
They portrayed objects from easily identifiable angles.
When mixing pigments, white is added to produce a
a) tint. b) shade. c) complementary color. d) saturated hue.
tint
The more variety in a work of art, the more the artist
a) has to introduce orderly elements. b) can charge for the work. c) has to make preliminary drawings. d) scale the work up to make it bigger.
has to introduce orderly elements
Most artists want a balance of unity and variety because
a) that combination usually yields the most interesting compositions. b) it makes it easier for the viewer to understand. c) every work has to include both elements. d) both are required for a work to have diversity.
that combination usually yields the most interesting compositions.
Why do many public buildings employ symmetrical balance in their designs?
a) Symmetrical balance suggests stability and permanence. b) Symmetrical balance promotes quick and economical construction. c) Symmetrical balance is associated with divine power. d) Symmetrical balance allows for the most efficient use of space.
Symmetrical balance suggests stability and permanence.
Why is it possible for a small yellow form to balance a large blue form?
a) Warm colors appear heavier than cool colors. b) Cool colors appear heavier than warm colors. c) Small forms appear heavier than large forms. d) Large forms appear heavier than small forms.
Warm colors appear heavier than cool colors.
Artists use contrast, color intensity, position, and size to create
a) emphasis on a specific area of the work. b) symmetry in the work. c) unity and variety in the work. d) a diagonal force in the work.
emphasis on a specific area of the work.
What is the design principle for creating a neutral area that does not distract from the area of emphasis?
a) subordination b) contrast c) unity and variety d) directional forces
subordination
How does an artist’s use of directional forces differ from the use of emphasis and subordination in a work of art?
a) Directional forces create a path around the work of art. b) Directional forces draw the viewer’s eye to neutral areas of lesser importance. c) Directional forces rely on contrast and position to highlight the focal point. d) Directional forces are used in dynamic and expressive works of art.
Directional forces create a path around the work of art.
What combination of lines provides stability in a composition?
a) vertical and horizontal lines b) vertical and diagonal lines c) horizontal and diagonal lines d) intersecting diagonal lines
vertical and horizontal lines
Which element is necessary to create an all-over pattern in an artwork?
a) the repetition of a set of ordered elements b) the use of complementary groups of colors c) the use of geometric shapes and forms d) the use of organic shapes and forms
the repetition of a set of ordered elements
A person typically experiences scale in relation to
a) the size of his or her body. b) smaller details within a work of art. c) the size of the room. d) other artworks surrounding an object.
the size of his or her body.
Why did Matisse believe that design was as important to a composition as facial expressions and gestures?
a) He believed that the arrangement of visual elements was necessary to create an expressive composition. b) He was trying to draw attention to scale and proportion. c) He was trying to explain his works to viewers. d) He was trying to draw attention to his use of color.
He believed that the arrangement of visual elements was necessary to create an expressive composition.
Which term refers to the organization of visual elements in a painting or a photograph?
a) composition b) balance c) format d) unity
composition
Why do many public buildings employ symmetrical balance in their designs?
a) Symmetrical balance suggests stability and permanence. b) Symmetrical balance promotes quick and economical construction. c) Symmetrical balance is associated with divine power. d) Symmetrical balance allows for the most efficient use of space.
Symmetrical balance suggests stability and permanence.
