Art Appreciation Exam #1
Animism
a belief in the existence of souls and conviction that nonhuman things can also be endowed with a soul ex: Kongo artist, Nkisi nkonde (Power figure), Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Late 19th century. Wood, iron nails, glass, resin, 20-1/4 × 11 × 8".
mass
a form with dimensions of height, width, depth that occupies volume in space ex: martin puryear, self, 1978 polychromed red cedar and mahogany
implied line
a line created by movement or direction, such as the line established by a pointing finger, the direction of a glance or a body moving through space ex: Titan assumption and consecration of the virgin 1516-18 ex: Fransisco Goya, the third of may 1808-1814 oil on canvas
representational
a style of artwork that portrays natural objects in recognizable form ex: Albert Bierstadt, Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast. 1870. Oil on canvas, 4' 4-1/2" × 6' 10".
atmospheric perspective
a technique where objects distant from the viewer become less distinct, often bluer and cooler in color and contrast among the various distant elements are reduced blue mountains in a cave?
passive seeing
subject matter & medium
mudra (religious iconography)
symbolic hand gestures used in Buddhist ceremonies and imagery ex: Buddha (Amida), Japan. ca. 1130. Wood with gold lacquer
context
the circumstances surrounding the creation and/or reception of an artwork
outline
the edge of a shape or figure depicted by an actual line drawn or painted on the surface ex: Yoshitomo Nara, dead flower 1994 Acrylic on cotton
afterimage effect
the eye sees the complimentary color of something that the viewer has spent an extended time viewing ex: the american flag with inverted colors and white dot in the center
medium
the material used by an artist to create a work of art
contour line
the percieved lines that mark the border of an object in space, create the illusion of a 3D form ex: Ellsworth Kelly Briar 1961 black in on paper ex: alexander calder, portrait of Mr. Uhlan 1938.
subject matter
the person, object, or event that an artwork portrays
figure- ground relation
the relationship between a work of art (the figure) and surface on which the work was made ex: Ellsworth kelly 3 panels
figure ground reversal
the relationship between the art and its back round is interchangable ex: M.C. Escher, Sky and water I 1938 ex: Shepard Fairey, OBEY Giant, 1996
abstract
the rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplified way; though they remain recognizable, their formal or expressive aspects are emphasized ex: Louise Nevelson, White Vertical Water. 1972. Painted wood, 18' x 9'
iconography
the study or description of images and symbols ex: Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife Giovanna Cenami. ca. 1434. Oil on oak panel (cultural) ex: Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (detail). ca. 1434. Bridgeman Images. (cultural)
Graphic Design
the use of images, typography and technology to communicate ideas for a client or particular audience ex Fedex logo
Site specific
the work's meaning is informed, in part, from its location (site) ex: Po Shu Wang, Comma. 2005-6. Stainless steel, Texas Tech University Public Art Collection.
Artist roles #1 (learning objective)
to create a visual record of place, time, or event Ex: Margaret Bourke-White, Flood Victims, Louisville, Kentucky. 1937. Photograph, first printed as part of LIFE magazine feature Feb 15, 1937.
crosshatching
two or more sets of roughly parallel and overlapping lines set at an angle to one another to imply a 3D surface ex: Michelangelo, head of satyr 1520-30
Silk Road (Route)
an ancient network of economic and cultural trade routes that traversed Asia and Europe Ex: Caravaneer on a camel, China. Tang dynasty, (618-907). Polychrome terra-cotta figure
hatching
an area of closely spaced parallel lines to create a shadowing effect ex: Michelangelo, head of satyr 1520-30
tenebrism
an especially great chiaroscuro; dramatic affect; tenebroso = murky in italian? ex: Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and madiservant with the head of Holofernes 1625
nonobjective
art that makes no reference to the natural world and that explores the inherent expressive or aesthetic potential of the formal (line, shape, color, etc) elements. Also known as nonrepresentational art. ex: Kazimir Malevich, Black Square. ca. 1923-30. Oil on plaster ex: René Magritte, The Treason of Images, Ceci n'est pas une pipe. 1929. Oil on canvas,
active seeing
context
shape
dimensional area, the boundaries of which are measured in terms of height and width ex: Ellsworth kelly 3 panels
negative space
empty space surrounded and shaped so that it acquires a sense of form or volume ex: Barbra hepworth, two figures 1947-48 elmwood and white paint ex: olafur eliasson, suney 1995 installation view
personal iconography (ex only)
ex: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Charles the First. 1982. Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas, three panels
Artist roles #4 (learning objective)
giving form to the immaterial; hidden or universal truths, spiritual forces or personal meaning ex: Jan van Eyck, The Ghent Altarpiece. ca. 1432. Oil on panel, 11' 5" × 15' 1".
Artist roles #2 (learning objective)
helping us see the world in new or innovative ways. ex: Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate. 2004. Stainless steel, 33 × 66 × 42' Millennium Park, Chicago.
orthogonals
implied line showing important structures lining up with the vanishing point ex: leonardo divinci, the last supper ex: gustave calliebotte, place d'i europe on a rainy day
space
in 3D art, actual area within the forms exist; in 2D art the area of flat surface and the illusion on that flat surface of an actual, 3D object ex: Hokusai, the great wave off kanagawa from 36 views of mt. fuji 1823-29 color woodcut
Chiaroscuro
in drawing and painting to use light and dark to create 3D effect ex: paul collins, figure of a woman
Geoglyph
large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by rocks or durable elements "land drawing" ex: spider 500 BCE - 150' long Nazca, Peru
Artist roles #3 (learning objective)
making functional objects and buildings more pleasurable and elevate them or imbue then with meaning ex: Kane Kwei, Coffin in the Shape of a Cocoa Pod (Coffin Orange). ca. 1970. Polychrome wood, 2'10" × 8'6" × 2'5".
analogous color
pairs of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel ex:
reception
passive v active seeing a reaction or response towards an artwork creating emphasis
extraction
passive v active seeing extracting information out of an artwork through active and passive seeing
inference
passive v active seeing inferring what an artwork means by using passive and active seeing
passive v active seeing Cai Guo-Qiang, Transient Rainbow, 2002
passive: - one-time fireworks display as art - spans the E River in NY - from June 29, 2002 - best seen at night active: -marks temporary move of MOMA from one part of the city to another -less than one year after 9/11 -Nu Wa, creation goddess from Chinese mythology -----history of fireworks in China
passive v active seeing Faith Ringgold, God Bless America, No. 13 from the series American People. 1964. Oil on canvas, 31 × 19".
passive: - head and hand of white woman - black and red used to call attn to details in the face - -- vertical bars - wrinkled, tired expression active: - red in context with blue and white to reference the US flag - Civil Rights Act of 1964 - one of a series depicting racism towards African Americans in the US
complementary colors
primary colors, red, blue, yellow ex: cara grande mask, tapirape, rio tapirape, brazil ex: fredric edwin church, twilight in the wilderness 1860