Basic Art Terms

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The passage discusses different categories and terms related to art including basic art terms, elements of visual arts, and different types of art.

Some basic art terms discussed include medium, technique, subject matter, visual form, and expressive content.

The elements of visual arts discussed include color, value, texture, line, shape, composition, volume, mass, and perspective.

BASIC ART TERMS one or two dimensional mark which indicates direction,

orientation, movement or energy. The most basic visual


Medium element.
the physical means or stuff through which we come in contact
with the work of art; the material out of which the artist creates Shape (or Form)
his work. The artist’s choice of medium affects expressive outward form; configuration; contour. The shape and structure
content. (In general, medium for the visual arts is color, tone of an object.
for music, words for Literature, and action and voice for the Composition
combined arts like theater and dance.) the arrangement or organization of the visual elements;
compositions can be symmetrical, pyramidal, heraldic, etc..
Technique
the way the artist uses his materials and medium in Volume
expressing an idea, feeling or sensation the amount of space a body occupies; that quality of an object
which enables us to know that it has length, breadth and
Elements thickness; solidity as a quality opposed to relative flatness;
properties or qualities of the medium: line, color, shape, bulk or roundness
texture, volume, etc.
Mass (or FORM)
Subject Matter the amount of matter a body contains; in painting refers not to
the recognizable objects, persons or incidents represented in bulk but to the principal areas in which form is distributed and
a work of art. A work of art having no subject is also called realized as distinct from detail
Non-Objective or Non-Representation Art.
Perspective
Visual Form (Aural Form in Music) a. the art or theory of representing on a flat or curved surface
the particular manner in which the elements exist or appear; solid objects, figures, architecture, other surfaces conceived
the specific manner in which they were used by the artist in of as not lying in that surface.
terms of arts and the whole, whether or not in interaction, b. the art of conveying the impression of depth or distance
relationship, or fusion with subject matter in order to express c. delineation of objects as they appear to the eye
an idea, feeling, or sensation
Movement
Expressive Content (or expressive significance) illusion of or actual movement
the ideas, feelings, sensations (theme, message, meaning)
presented in a work of art. Expressive content arises from the Size
effect of visual or aural form or, if there is subject matter, from relative magnitude of an object
the combined effect or unique fusion of subject matter and
particular visual form. In trying to determine the expressive Number
content of a work of art with subject matter, we may ask amount, quantity
ourselves: What attitude, feeling, idea or statement about the
subject matter is the artist trying to convey through the COLOR
specific form that he used? The three dimensions or attribute of color are:
Hue the name of the color, such as red, green or blue; that
THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISUAL ARTS quality that enables us to distinguish one color from another.
(Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture) Hue indicates the color’s position on the color wheel
Value lightness and darkness of a color
Color Saturation (or INTENSITY) any color’s degree of purity or
a visual attribute of bodies or substances distinct from their strength. This is determined by the quantity of the dominant
spatial characteristics and depending upon the spectral hue. Scarlet, a vivid red, is almost pure red. Rose beige is red
composition of the wavelengths of radiant energy (Funk and neutralized with gray.
Wagnalls, 1966) It has three dimensions: hue, value, and Achromatic colors include black and white and the entire
saturation/intensity series of intermediate grays, varying only in value.
Chromatic colors contain hue, value and saturation
Value
degree of lightness or darkness (related terms: tone, tonal
value)

Light
(illusion or actual use of) luminosity. Used literally by
sculptors, photographers and architects; sometimes used for
dramatic effect with dark shadows.

Texture
the surface quality of an object, either real or made to appear
real, which appeals to the tactile imagination or feeling Hand-Out Prepared by: Ms. Joanna Parungao
(related term: tactile value)
Art: Multiplicity of Forms, Types and Genres
Line
Before trying to define art, the first thing to be aware of, is its Conclusion
huge scope.
The world of art is a highly complex entity, not only in terms of
Art is a global activity which encompasses a host of its multiplicity of forms and types, but also in terms of its
disciplines, as evidenced by the range of words and phrases historical and cultural roots. Therefore a simple definition, or
which have been invented to describe its various forms. even a broad consensus as to what can be labelled art, is
Examples of such phraseology include: "Fine Arts", "Liberal likely to prove highly elusive.
Arts", "Visual Arts", "Decorative Arts", "Applied Arts",
"Design", "Crafts", "Performing Arts", and so on.

Drilling down, many specific categories are classified


according to the materials used, such as: drawing, painting, History of the Definition of Art
sculpture (inc. ceramic sculpture), "glass art", "metal art",
"illuminated gospel manuscripts", "aerosol art", "fine art Classical Meaning of Art
photography", "animation", and so on.
The original classical definition - derived from the Latin word
Sub-categories include: painting in oils, watercolours, acrylics; "ars" (meaning "skill" or "craft") - is a useful starting point.
sculpture in bronze, stone, wood, porcelain; to name but a This broad approach leads to art being defined as: "the
tiny few. product of a body of knowledge, most often using a set of
skills." Thus Renaissance painters and sculptors were viewed
Other sub-branches include different genre categories, like: merely as highly skilled artisans (interior-decorators?). No
narrative, portrait, genre-works, landscape, still life. wonder Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo went to such
efforts to elevate the status of artists (and by implication art
itself) onto a more intellectual plane.
In addition, entirely new forms of art have emerged during
the 20th century, such as: assemblage, collage, earthworks,
installation, graffiti, and video, as well as the broad Post-Renaissance Meaning of Art
conceptualist movement which challenges the essential value
of an objective "work of art". The emergence of the great European academies of art
reflected the gradual upgrading of the subject. New and
enlightened branches of philosophy also contributed to this
change of image. By the mid-18th century, the mere
demonstration of technical skills was insufficient to qualify as
Definition of Art is Limited by Era and Culture art - it now needed an "aesthetic" component - it had to be
seen as something "beautiful."
Another thing to be aware of, is the fact that art reflects and
belongs to the period and culture from which it is spawned. At the same time, the concept of "utilitarianism" (functionality
or usefulness) was used to distinguish the more noble "fine
After all, how can we compare prehistoric murals (eg. stone arts" (art for art's sake), like painting and sculpture, from the
age cave painting) or tribal art, or native Oceanic art, or lesser forms of "applied art", such as crafts and commercial
primitive African art, with Michelangelo's 16th century Old design work, and the ornamental "decorative arts", like textile
Testament frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine design and interior design.
Chapel? Political events are the most obvious era-factors that
influence art: for example, art styles like Expressionism, Thus, by the end of the 19th century, art was separated into
Dada, and Surrealism were products of political uncertainty at least two broad categories: namely, fine art and the rest - a
and upheavals. situation that reflected the cultural snobbery and moral
standards of the European establishment. Furthermore,
Cultural differences also act as natural borders. After all, despite some erosion of faith in the aesthetic standards of
Western draughtsmanship is light years away from Chinese Renaissance ideology - which remained a powerful influence
calligraphy; and what Western artform compares with throughout the world of fine art - even painting and sculpture
Japanese origami paper art? had to conform to certain aesthetic rules in order to be
considered "true art".
Religion is a major cultural variable that alters the shape of
the artistic envelope. The Baroque style was strongly Meaning of Art During the Early 20th Century
influenced by the Catholic Counter-Reformation, while Islamic
art (like Orthodox Christianity), forbids certain types of artistic Then came Cubism (1907-14), which rocked the fine arts
iconography. establishment to its foundations. Not simply because Picasso
introduced a non-naturalistic branch of painting and sculpture,
In other words, whatever definition of art we arrive at, it is but because it shattered the monotheistic Renaissance
bound to be limited to our era and culture. Even then, approach to how art related to the world around it. Thus,
categories like Outsider art have to be taken into Cubism's main contribution was to act as a sort of catalyst for
consideration. a host of new movements which greatly expanded the theory
and practice of art, such as: Suprematism, Constructivism,
Dada, Neo-Plasticism, Surrealism and Conceptualism, as well
as various realist styles, such as Social and Socialist Realism. This is simply a "working" definition: broad enough to
In practice, this proliferation of new styles and artistic encompass most forms of contemporary art, but narrow
techniques led to a new broadening of the meaning and enough to exclude "events" whose "artistic" content falls
definition of art. In its escape from its "Renaissance below accepted levels. In addition, please note that the word
straitjacket", and all the associated rules concerning "artist" is included to allow for the context of the work; the
"objectivity" (eg. on perspective, useable materials, content, word "beautiful" is included to reflect the need for some
composition, and so on), fine art now boasted a significant "aesthetic" value; while the phrase "that is considered by his
element of "subjectivity". Artists suddenly found themselves audience to have artistic merit" is included to reflect the need
with far greater freedom to create paintings and sculpture for some basic acceptance of the artist's efforts.
according to their own subjective values. In fact, one might
say that from this point "art" started to become "indefinable".

The decorative and applied arts underwent a similar How is Art Classified?
transformation due to the availability of a vastly increased
range of commercial products. However, the resultant Traditional and contemporary art encompasses activities as
increase in the number of associated design and crafts diverse as:
disciplines did not have any significant impact on the
definition and meaning of art as a whole. Architecture, music, opera, theatre, dance, painting,
sculpture, illustration, drawing, cartoons, printmaking,
Meaning of Art Post-World War II ceramics, stained glass, photography, installation, video, film
and cinematography, to name but a few.
The cataclysm of WWII led to the demise of Paris as the
capital of world art, and its replacement by New York. This All these activities are commonly referred to as "the Arts" and
new American orientation encouraged art to become more of are commonly. classified into several overlapping categories,
a commercial product, and loosen its connection with existing such as: fine, visual, plastic, decorative, applied, and
traditions of aestheticism - a trend furthered by the performing.
emergence of Abstract Expressionism, Pop-Art, and the
activities of the new breed of celebrity artists like Andy Disagreement persists as to the precise composition of these
Warhol. All of a sudden, even the most mundane items and categories, but here is a generally accepted classification.
concepts became elevated to the status of "art". Under the
influence of this populist approach, conceptualists introduced 1. Fine Arts
new artforms, like assemblage, installation, video and
performance. In due course, graffiti added its own mark, as This category includes those artworks that are created
did numerous styles of reinterpretation, like Neo-Dada, Neo- primarily for aesthetic reasons ('art for art's sake') rather than
Expressionism, and Neo-Pop, to name but three. Schools and for commercial or functional use. Designed for its uplifting,
colleges of art throughout the world dutifully preached the life-enhancing qualities, fine art typically denotes the
new polytheism, adding further fuel to the bonfire of traditional, Western European 'high arts', such as:
Renaissance art traditions.
• Drawing
Using charcoal, chalk, crayon, pastel or with pencil or pen and
Postmodernism and the Meaning of Art ink.

The redefinition of art during the last three decades of the • Painting
20th century has been lent added intellectual weight by Using oils, watercolour, gouache, acrylics, ink and wash, or
theorists of the postmodernist movement. According to the the more old-fashioned tempera or encaustic paints. For an
postmoderns, the focus has shifted from artistic skill to the explanation of colourants, see: Colour in Painting and Colour
"meaning" of the work produced. In addition, "how" a work is Pigments, Types, History.
"experienced" by spectators has become a critical component
in its aesthetic value. The phenomenal success of • Printmaking
contemporary artists like Damien Hirst, as well as Gilbert and Using simple methods like woodcuts or stencils, the more
George, is clear evidence in support of this view. demanding techniques of engraving, etching and lithography,
or the more modern forms like screen-printing, foil imaging or
giclee prints.

• Sculpture
In bronze, stone, marble, wood, or clay.
A Working Definition of Art
Another type of Western fine art, which originated in China, is
In light of this historical development in the meaning of "art", calligraphy: the highly complex form of stylized writing.
one can perhaps make a crude attempt at a "working"
definition of the subject, along the following lines: The Evolution of Fine Arts

Art is created when an artist creates a beautiful object, or After primitive forms of cave painting, figurine sculptures and
produces a stimulating experience that is considered by his other types of ancient art, there occured the golden era of
audience to have artistic merit. Greek art and other schools of Classical Antiquity. The
sacking of Rome (c.400-450) introduced the dead period of
the Dark Ages (c.450-1000), brightened only by Celtic art and 6. Applied Arts
Ultimate La Tene Celtic designs, after which the history of art
in the West is studded with a wide variety of artistic 'styles' or This category encompasses all activities involving the
'movements' - such as: Gothic (c.1100-1300), Renaissance application of aesthetic designs to everyday functional
(c.1300-1600), Baroque (17th century), Neo-Classicism (18th objects. While fine art provides intellectual stimulation to the
century), Romanticism (18th-19th century), Realism and viewer, applied art creates utilitarian items (a cup, a couch or
Impressionism (19th century), Cubism, Expressionism, sofa, a clock, a chair or table) using aesthetic principles in
Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and Pop-Art (20th their design. This wide area includes architecture,
century). photography, industrial design, graphic design, fashion
design, interior design, as well as all decorative arts. Noted
For a brief review of modernism (c.1860-1965), see Modern styles include, Bauhaus Design School, as well as Art
art movements; for a guide to postmodernism, (c.1965- Nouveau, and Art Deco.
present) see our list of the main Contemporary art
movements.

The Tradition

Fine art was the traditional type of Academic art taught at the
great schools, such as the the Accademia dell'Arte del
Disegno in Florence, the Accademia di San Luca in Rome,
the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the Royal
Academy in London. One of the key legacies of the
academies was their theory of linear perspective and their
ranking of the painting genres, which classified all works into
5 types: history, portrait, genre-scenes, landscape or still life.

2. Visual Arts

This category includes all the fine arts as well as new media
and contemporary forms of expression such as Assemblage,
Collage, Conceptual, Installation and Performance art, as well
as Photography, and film-based forms like Video Art and
Animation, or any combination thereof. Another type of visual
art, sometimes created on a monumental scale is the new
environmental land art.

3. Plastic Arts

The term plastic art typically denotes three-dimensional works


employing materials that can be moulded, shaped or
manipulated (plasticized) in some way: such as, clay, plaster,
stone, metals, wood (sculpture), paper (origami) and so on.
For three-dimensional artworks made from everyday
materials and "found objects", see: Junk art.

4. Decorative Arts

This category traditionally denotes functional but ornamental


art forms, such as works in glass, clay, wood, metal, or textile
fabric. This includes all forms of mosaic art, as well as
ceramics, (exemplified by Chinese Pottery and Greek Pottery)
furniture, furnishings, stained glass and tapestry art. Noted
styles of decorative art include: Rococo, Pre-Raphaelite,
Second Empire, Japonism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco,
Edwardian, and Retro.

5. Performance Arts

This type refers to public performance events. Traditional


varieties include, theatre, opera, music, and ballet.
Contemporary performance art also includes any activity in
which the artist's physical presence acts as the medium. Thus
it encompasses, mime, face or body painting, and the like. A
hyper-modern type of performance art is known as
Happenings.

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