Art Appreciation : Chapter 2 - What is Art?
disinterested contemplation
Refers to looking beyond the actual, practical, and personal in search of beauty and pleasure.
representational
art resembles forms found in the natural world. The result is a recognizable likeness of objects and forms. -trompe l'oeil -naturalistic
stylized
artwork that conforms to a preset style or set of conventions for depicting the world
naturalistic
artwork that is very faithful to visual experience
installation
a work of art meant to be entered, explored, experienced and reflected upon
nonrepresentational/nonobjective art
art contains no reference to the natural world as we see it - style
abstract
art distorts, exaggerates, or simplifies the natural world to provide essence or universality - stylized
embodied meaning
art is always about something
trompe l'oeil
french for "fool the eye"
subject matter
general idea
media
materials used
message
more specific meaning
iconography
the story of a work of art (including symbols or references, people, events, etc.) requires knowledge of a specific time, beliefs, or culture
form
the way a work looks - media - style - composition
context
to understand a work of art as created by an artist, at a specific time, and in a particular culture
art and meaning
understanding art is a cultural skill and must be learned - embodied meaning - form - content
content
what a work of art is about or its subject matter - subject matter - message - iconography
art and beauty
- aesthetics - disinterested contemplation
artist and audience
- modern world includes schools, galleries, critics, collectors, and museums - features individual artists working independently expressing their own ideas - in the past, typically worked for client, patron, or collaboratively in a workshops - individual artists rarely known
art and appearances
- represented in a variety of ways in the west - representational - abstract - nonrepresentational
aesthetics
A philosophy of the nature and meaning of beauty, as it pertains to art.
art and objects
During the 20th century, artists began to question the purpose and role of art in contemporary society. A greater emphasis was placed on the meaningfulness of the art making process
composition
organization of design elements & principles
outsider/folk art
refers to artwork that is created by the nonprofessional artist
style
refers to characteristics recognized as constant, recurring, or coherent