GLOSSARY OF ART TERMS ABSTRACT - Art that looks like it contains little or no recognisable or realistic forms. Look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_ art
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BLEND - When you mix colour or different media together
Piet Mondrian Trees circa 1912
ACHROMATIC COLOUR - White, black, and all the greys in-between.
BALANCE - A feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various elements within a composition as a means of accomplishing unity.
CHROMATIC COLOUR - Colours that have hue CHRONOLOGICAL - Arranging events in the time order in which they took place.
Sir Terry Frost http://www.rwa.org.uk/dec/frost.htm
An image can be described as balanced. It can also be used to talk about 3D forms 1
COLLABORATE - When two or more people work together they collaborate. What they produce can be called a collaboration.
COLOUR - Visual response to the wavelengths of light
COLLAGE - Collage is from the French verb 'coller' which means 'to glue'. A collage is when you put different forms together (images,materials,objects) to make a new work of art. Collage was particularly popular with the Surrealists and Dadaists Henri Matisse Green Stripe (Madame Matisse) 1905
Kurt Schwitters Das Undbild 1919
Mark Rothko Mural for End Wall (untitled) 1959
COLOUR WHEEL
Hannah Hoch Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany 1919
COMPOSITION - Plan, placement or arrangement of the elements in a work of art. CONCEPT - An idea
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CONTEMPORARY - The present time, now. Artists and Designers, who are working now, would be described as contemporary. CONTEXT - The set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event or situation. You can view something in context, or put it into context. Context is important when analysing art and design as it can help you to understand more about the work. By looking at who the artist was, the title of the work and the time it was made can help you to understand what the artist was trying to achieve.
Barbara Hepworth Sphere with Colour (Grey and White) 1965
There is also a contrast between the traditional look of this work and the modern imagery used in the pattern.
Pablo Picasso Guernica 1937
CONTOUR - The outline of a figure or body; the edge or line that defines or bounds a shape or object. CONTRAST - The difference between things e.g. small against large, light against dark (chiaroscuro), soft against hard. This sculpture shows the contrast between the surface (rough) and the interior (smooth)
Timorous Beasties Glasgow Toile 2004
CONVEY - To show, to make known. CRITICAL - Viewing in an analytical way.
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CURVILINEAR - Formed or characterized by curved lines.
DISCIPLINE - A discipline is an area that someone has chosen to specialise in. For example, Design would be considered a discipline. DISCORD - A lack of harmony Have a look at http://www.tate.org.uk/youngtate/exam help/themes/discord.shtm It can be used to talk about subject matter or to describe how something looks.
Richard Long Spiral Jetty
DECADE - A period of ten years e.g. The Nineties (1990's), The Sixties (1960's) Bridget Riley Cataract 3 1967
DEPTH - Artists can create the illusion of depth in a painting. The wall behind the skull has been made to look like it is far away, even though it is a flat painting.
Gerhard Richter Skull 1983
This Bridget Riley painting can create discord by confusing the viewer's eye. ETCH - When you etch into a surface, you scratch into it.
The pattern has been etched into the surface of this pot.
You can also use depth to talk about the subject matter of a work.
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EXPRESSIVE - Showing thoughts and emotions. If something is described as 'expressive' it is vividly representing the thoughts and emotions of artist or designer.
FORM - The shape of something.
Vivienne Foley Double Balance http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?entryI d=108
FORMAL ELEMENTS - The formal elements of Art and Design are line, light, space, form, colour, and texture. Edvard Munch The Scream 1893
LINE
Edvard Munch used expressive paint strokes. FORESHORTENING - Foreshortening is when an object or figure appears shorter in an image to give the illusion that you are viewing it from the bottom.
Gary Hume Water Painting 1999
LIGHT
Jenny Saville Plan 1993
Christian Boltanski Reliquaire 1990
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SPACE
GEOMETRIC - Shapes : circles,squares,triangles etc
Antony Gormley Bed 1980 - 81
FORM
Michael Craig Martin 4 Identical Boxes with Lids Reversed 1969
COLOUR
Halima Cassell
GLOSS - A finish that shines.
Barnett Newman Who's Afraid of Red,Yellow and Blue 1966
TEXTURE
Lucy Rie 1967
Gary Hume Cerith 1997 Gloss paint on aluminium panel
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HARMONY - consistent, orderly, pleasing Some artists and designers have used the 'Golden Section' as a way to achieve harmony in their work.
LINE - One of the formal elements http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/tatepapers/07aut umn/godfreymccall.htm
Claire Heathcote Textile Artist
Leonardo da Vinci Vitruvian Man circa 1485
LINEAR - Linear is used to describe works of Art and Design that use lines, especially straight lines. Curvilinear is used to talk about curved lines.
HUE - a shade or a tint of colour INSTALLATION ART - Art that is created for a specific site. LIGHT - One of the formal elements.
Naum Gabo Linear Construction No 2 1971 - 71
MAQUETTE - A maquette is a small model which helps you to work out how to make something.
Michael Bosanko
Keiko Mukaide Light of the North 2006
Henry Moore Maquette for Fallen Warrior 1956
Joseph Wright of Derby A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on The Orrery 1766
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MEDIA - Plural of medium. E.g. If you used paint and charcoal, the media you used would be paint and charcoal. If you had just used paint, the medium you used would be paint.
MODERN - This term is used to talk about Art and Design from the late 19th century and 20th century, which is known as Modernism. Art and Design from the present should be referred to as contemporary, not modern. For example Jasper Johns' work could be described as modern.
MEDIUM - The material you use to make something e.g. clay, wood, paper, pencil, cloth etc. So a Ceramicist's medium would be clay.
Jasper Johns Flag 1954 - 55
MONOCHROME - Black and White
MIXED MEDIA - Mixed media is a term used to describe works of Art and Design that use more than one media.
NEGATIVE SPACE - Empty space, or the space around an object or form. Rachel Whiteread casts the negative space of rooms.
Niki de Saint Phalle Shooting Picture 1961
Rachel Whiteread Ghost 1990
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The negative space in between the woman's torso, leg and arm is the focus of this painting.
PATTERN - A decorative design, which can also be called surface pattern.
Lucienne Day Herb Antony Fabric 1956
Tom Wesselman Seascape Dropout 1982
OBSERVATIONAL - Observational drawing is when you concentrate on accurately representing the subject that you are drawing. Leonardo da Vinci used this to try to understand how the body worked.
Leonardo da Vinci
OPAQUE - If something is opaque you cannot see through it. It is the opposite of transparent. ORGANIC - An organic shape or form is one that is found in nature. Gaudi used organic forms as inspiration for his buildings.
It can also be used when talking about a paper pattern which is a template used to make something, usually clothing.
PERSPECTIVE - A way of representing 3D in a 2D image. This helps to create depth in a flat image. There are different types of perspective. Aerial perspective is when the image 'fades' away towards the distance. The details become less clear the further away the object is.
The trees at the front have more detail, but the mountain at the furthest point has very little detail. Antoni Gaudi Casa Milia 1905 -07
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One point perspective is when one vanishing point is used in the image. All the lines in the image will meet at one point. The vanishing point on this image is where the path seems to disappear. If the lines of the roofs were continued they would meet at the same vanishing point.
PROPORTION - A relationship between objects can be described as in proportion or out of proportion. If something is in proportion it is balanced and harmonious and fits in with its surroundings.
Two point perspective will have two vanishing points.
Leonardo da Vinci Vitruvian Man circa 1485
If something is out of proportion it will not look balanced within its surroundings POSITIVE SPACE - The opposite of negative space and refers to where an area is filled. The leaves are the positive space on this image.
Jeff Koons Puppy 1992
PRIMARY COLOURS - The primary colours are red, blue, and yellow. All other colours, except black and white, can be made from these.
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PROTOTYPE - A prototype is the first model or design made.
REPEAT - A duplicate or reproduction of something. When something is repeated the same image or pattern is duplicated many times to make one large pattern. Repeat pattern is often used in textiles design.
SHADE - Shade is a shadow.
Daim
Clever use of shade can make a 2D image look 3D. SPACE - One of the formal elements. There are different kinds of space, positive and negative etc. TEXTURE - Rough, smooth
Wallpaper and furnishings designed by Celia Birtwell
SECONDARY COLOURS - A secondary colour is made by mixing two primary colours. red and yellow = orange blue and yellow = green
Look at this : http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/ptm/ default.htm
blue and red = purple
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TINT - A colour that has had white added to it to lessen its intensity.
VALUE - The measurement of light and darkness in a work of art. You can describe something as having a high tonal value or low tonal value.
TONE - Tone is a quality of colour. For example you can tone a colour up, making it brighter and more intense. You can tone a colour down making it less vibrant. Other colours can affect the tone of a colour. The lighter vertical line looks more vivid at the bottom because of the dark tone behind it. The darker line looks more vivid at the top because of the lighter tones behind it.
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