Art Final

Content

- What a work of art is about; its subject matter.

Module

A basic unit of which the dimensions of the major parts of a work are multiples. The principle is used in sculpture and other art forms, but it is often most employed in architecture, where the module may be the dimensions of an important part of a building, such as a column, or simply some commonly accepted unit of measurement (the meter or the foot, or, as with Le Corbusier, the average dimensions of the human figure).

Gestural Form

A movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or attitude. Gesture is a form of non-verbal communication made with a part of the body, and used instead of verbal communication, or in combination with it. The act of making a sketch with relatively loose arm movements (gestures) — with the large muscles of the arm, rather than with the small muscles of the hand and wrist of the artist.

Gestalt

A physical, psychological, or symbolic arrangement or pattern of parts so unified as a whole that its properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts. May also refer to a school or theory in psychology known as Gestalt psychology.

Design

A plan, or to plan. The organization or composition of a work; the skilled arrangement of its parts. An effective design is one in which the elements of art and principles of design have been combined to achieve an overall sense of unity.

Proportion

A principle of design, proportion refers to the comparative, proper, or harmonious relationship of one part to another or to the whole with respect to size, quantity, or degree; a ratio.

Monolith

A stone, either decorated or not decorated, erected as a single slab or shaft.

Cantilever

A structural member which projects beyond a line of support.

Minimalism

A twentieth century art movement and style stressing the idea of reducing a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures. No attempt is made to represent or symbolize any other object or experience. It is sometimes called ABC art, minimal art, reductivism, and rejective art.

Rhythm

A visual tempo or beat. The principle of design that refers to a regular repetition of elements of art to produce the look and feel of movement. It is often achieved through the careful placement of repeated components which invite the viewer's eye to jump rapidly or glide smoothly from one to the next.

Texture

An element of art, texture is the surface quality or "feel" of an object, its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Textures may be actual or simulated. Actual textures can be felt with the fingers, while simulated textures are suggested by an artist in the painting of different areas of a picture — often in representing drapery, metals, rocks, hair, etc. Words describing textures include: flat, smooth (third row, right), shiny, glossy, glittery, velvety, feathery, soft, wet, gooey, furry, sandy, leathery (second row, right), crackled (upper left), prickly, abrasive, rough (first row, right), furry, bumpy, corrugated (second row, left), puffy (second row, third), rusty (third row, second), and slimey (third row, third).

Archetype

An original model like which others are formed; an avatar. Can also be an example that is an ideal form of its type; the perfect or typical specimen. Archetypes are recurring motifs in mythology and the arts.

Site Specific

Art that is or has been installed — arranged in a place — either by the artist or as specified by the artist. It might be either site-specific or not, and either indoors or out.

Asymmetrical

Asymmetry is when one side of a composition does not reflect the design of the other. Asymmetrical balance is the kind of balance (one of the principles of art) in which the parts of a design are organized so that one side differs from the other without destroying that composition's overall harmony. Consequently, when an asymmetrical design is disturbingly off balance, the result is disharmony. Also known as informal balance, asymmetry is the opposite of symmetry. Asymmetry is the type of balance most characteristically found in Japanese art. In Japanese, this intentional unevenness is called "hacho."

Negative Space

Empty space in an artwork, a void.

Kinetic

Expressing movement. In art, kinetic refers to sculpture that moves, such as a mobile.

Curvilinear

Formed or characterized by curving lines. Elements of late Gothic and Art Nouveau ornament are examples of curvilinear treatment of form. Also curvilineal.

Abstraction

Imagery which departs from representational accuracy, to a variable range of possible degrees, for some reason other than verisimilitude. Abstract artists select and then exaggerate or simplify the forms suggested by the world around them.

Conceptual

In general, referring to concept or conception. In reference to art, imagery which departs from perceptual accuracy to present a mental formulation of the object, rather than its appearance alone.

Rectilinear

Moving in or forming a straight line. Also, characterized by straight lines. "Rectilinear" comes from the late Latin "rectilineus," which itself comes from the Latin words "rectus" ("straight") and "linea" ("line"). "Rectilineal" is a synonymous form of this word. Because "rectilineal" remains far less popular than its relative, writers might as well avoid it unless there's a need to rhyme with anneal.

Recontextualized

Recontextualisation is a process that extracts text, signs or meaning from its original context (decontextualisation) in order to introduce it into another context. Since the meaning of texts and signs depend on their context, recontextualisation implies a change of meaning, and often of the communicative purpose too.

Formal

Relating to the outward form or structure of a work; not to be confused with "ceremonial" or "stately," since formal elements can be quite informal in character.

Symmetrical

The parts of an image or object organized so that one side duplicates, or mirrors, the other. Also known as formal balance, its opposite is asymmetry — asymmetrical balance. Symmetry is among the ten classes of patterns.

Unity

The quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of design. A totality that combines all of its parts into one complete, cohesive whole. Often it is realized through a deliberate or intuitive balancing of harmony and variety.

Pattern

The repetition of any thing — shapes, lines, or colors — also called a motif, in a design; as such it is one of the principles of design.A pattern can also be a model or mold intended to be copied.

Anthropomorphic Form

The representation of inanimate objects, animals, deities, or other phenomena, whether real or fictitious, in human form, with human characteristics and behaviors.

Zeitgeist

The spirit of the times. A German word (especially when capitalized) for the taste, outlook, or general trend of thought which is characteristic of the cultural productions of a period or generation. For example, the zeitgeist of the Neoclassical period is considered to be rationalism, whereas that of the Romantic period is sentiment. The zeitgeist of the early modern period may have been faith in salvation through technological advancement, whereas that of the postmodern period would be disdain for such expressions of certainty. Because the identification of a zeitgeist tends to obliterate differences and imply a degree of essentialism, it is safe to say that postmodern thought in general distrusts it. The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage calls use of the word zeitgeist "pretentious."

Reductive Form

is a minimalist design created by Michigan-based designer Nina Cho. Pursues the aesthetics of abstraction and creates ambiguity in the form of the object.

Biomimicry

the study of systems and substances used in nature in order to find solutions to other human and technical problems