Art Appreciation Ch. 1-3

Prometheus Bound Pieter Paul Rubens 1611-1612

1. Relative size: two main features (man and eagle) are two biggest parts of the canvas 2. Lines of force: directional inclines of the 2 main features emphasizes their importance 3. Focal point: where the lines of force intersect where the man's body and the eagle's body meet each other 4. Contrast: man's body is the lightest part of the painting which emphasises his importance

Non-representational

shapes that are not meant to refer to anything we can see in the real world

Three dimensional

space contains objects that can be viewed from all sides; objects have height, width, and space

Two dimensional

space that is flat and can only be viewed from one side; it has height and width only

What are the three types of balance?

symmetrical, radial, and asymmetrical

Secondary colors

when two primary colors are mixed together; purple, green, and orange

Oath-Taking Figure 1890-1920

(statue with needle like projections coming out of it)

List the 3 components we use to define art

1. Art is a human activity 2. Art has some form of significant expression 3. Art comes from creativity

Representational

works of great naturalism and realism, as if looking out of a window at the world

Girl Before a Mirror Pablo Picasso 1932

Classifications of shapes in this painting: -Geometric: formed using straight lines or curves (circles, triangles, squares); ex: her face -Organic: formed using uneven curves; ex: each half of her face & abdomen area -Abstract: formed from nature or reality but distorted; ex: her face (color change) -Nonrepresentational: no connection to natural world; ex: the background

Modjesko, Soprano Singer Kees van Dongen 1908

Effect of warm and cool colors: warm colors in chest and face come out at the viewer. Cool colours of dress and band seem to recede in space and this amplifies the warm colors and gives off the illusion of her singing with all her might. The colors are arbitrary (colors not used realistically).

Maple Leaves at the Tekona Shrine Utagawa Hiroshige 1857

Innovative technique: cut objects off at side borders Other techniques: 1. Overlapping objects: maple leaves over lap everything behind them 2. Change in relative size: things that are larger are seen a being closer than what is farther back (like the mountains compared to the leaves)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Maya Ying Lin 1981-1983

Names of over 58,000 people are on the wall, those killed or missing. Makes not political statement for or against war. Intention: Artist intended to touch the emotions of all those who visited the monument. Placement is very important: cut into the ground (part of environment) One wing points toward Lincoln Memorial and other to Washington Monument.

Venus of Willendorf 30,000-25,000 BC

Probably one of the earliest example of prehistoric are. It is a function of the culture, documentation of the past. Figures like this were perhaps a sort of charm. This figure represents the female and fertility. Childbearing was important (exaggerated body parts). Not used for decorative purposes because decoration wasn't a function of the nomadic people culture.

Shamsa (Sunburst) 1640

Radial balance- the design radiates from the centre and every part of the design is the same as the part before and after. Gives a senses of order and calm. If used too often it becomes boring. Other two forms of balance are symmetrical and asymmetrical.

L.H.O.O.Q (Mona Lisa) Marcel Duchamp 1919

Reasoning: Thought as if he was rejecting centuries of painting tradition. Reaction: Art world was horrified. Were questioning whether it really was a work of art if he took an actual piece of art and made it his own.

Cycladic Idol 2500-2000 BC

Symmetrical balance- everything on each side of the centre line is the same. Gives a sense of order and calm. Immovable, static, and fixed. If used too often it becomes boring. Other two types of balance are radial and asymmetrical.

Guernica Pablo Picasso 1937

Tells us a story of a tragic event (baby food factory blown up b/c it was thought to be producing weapons; everyone in the town is killed). This is the artists representation of this awful event. This art work is abstract b/c it takes things from nature and reality and distorts them. The artist wants us to understand the tragedy of this event. Chose not to use color b/c he wants us to experience negative and confusing emotions---> makes us feel the sadness of the event.

Neutral colors

White, gray, and black

Picture plane

a flat 2D surface within which art elements are organized

Atmospheric perspective

a method creating a sense of deep space in 2D art based on the effect our atmosphere has on things seen at a distance

Chiaroscuro

a technique in drawing and painting where a dramatic contrast between light and dark areas creates a convincing illusion of 3D forms

Asymmetrical balance

an intuitive balance of visual weights that result in a more dynamic composition; the parts do not radiate out from the center or form a mirror image on either side of a central axis

Non-representational art

art that shows no reference to the outside world

Abstract

art that still has a source in nature, but elements have been distorted or changed for artistic purposes

Complementary colors

colors that are across from each other on the color wheel; the combinations are: blue and orange, red and green, yellow and purple

Analogous colors

colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel

Cool colors

colors that are based on blue, green, and purple and are associated with calm and order

Warm colors

colors that are based on red, yellow, and orange, which suggest extreme emotion, excitement, and chaos

Arbitrary colors

colors that are not used realistically

Primary colors

colors that cannot be made from mixing other colors; red, blue, and yellow

Shades

colors that have been darkened by the neutral color black

Tints

colors that have been lightened by the neutral color white

Naturalistic colors

colors that imitate colors in the real world

Visual reality

has to do with representing what we see with our eyes; it is based on how things look

Organic shapes

shape that are formed by uneven curves and are sometimes called naturalistic or biomorphic

Geometric shapes

shapes formed by straight lines or curves that progress evenly

Vanishing point

in this technique, all parallel lines appear to converge at a point in the distance

Gestural lines

lines that show the action and movement of an artist's hand

Expressive reality

not about representing the way thing look, but more about representing feelings

Abstract shapes

organic or geometric shapes that have been simplified, distorted, or exaggerated

Hue

refers to the name of each color on the color wheel

Radial balance

the design radiates out from the center

Figure

the positive form or the shape of an art element

Linear perspective

the principal means of creating the illusion of 3D space in Western 2D art since the Renaissance

Value

the relative lightness and darkness of a color

Scale

the relative size between an object and a constant, usually the size of an average person

Proportion

the relative sizes of the parts of an object to each other

Negative form

the shape of the space or ground around art elements

Sfumato lighting

the soft lighting used by da Vinci in which edges and details seem unclear

Symmetrical balance

there is a general equivalence of shape and position on each side of a central axis; if folded in half, both sides would be identical