Visual Arts General - Year 12 Syllabus - SCSA + Essential terminology

Abstraction

Art style that selects/emphasises one or more elements and principles of art to depict a concept without depicting it in a realistic manner.

Aesthetic

Relating/characterised by beauty/taste. The approach to the visuals of an object.

Analysis

Judgement/commentary on an artwork.

Appropriation

Borrowing/modifying existing images/objects to create new meanings or contexts in art.

Art terminology

Words/phrases with specific meanings in the context of art.

Censorship

The control of art and expression by authorities, limiting access to certain works.

Composition

The arrangement of visual elements within an artwork to create structure and guide viewer interpretation.

Strong composition directs attention and enhances meaning.

Conceptual

Emphasis of ideas over visual representation in art.

Context (historical, social and cultural)

Historical, social and/or cultural context refers to the time and place in which an artwork was created and the influence on artwork of those contexts.

Events, beliefs, and values influencing the production or interpretation of an artwork.

Conventions

Accepted practices or techniques in art that guide the creation and interpretation of artworks.

Copyright

A right that allows authorised control of works and prevent unauthorised use/reproduction.

Critical analysis frameworks

The four frames: subjective, post-modern, cultural, and structural.

Used to interpret and analyse artworks.

Elements of art

The basic visual building blocks of art: line, colour, shape, texture, space, value (tone) and form.

Influences

Contextual effects on a work's production and interpretation.

Innovation

New invention or idea.

Practice

Refers to the process of artistic creation and concept development.

Principles of art

Guidelines that artists use to arrange and organise components.

Are the foundations of artistic composition.

Includes: unity, balance, emphasis, similarity, repetition, contrast, scale, hierarchy.

Resolved artwork

Artworks that are fully developed.

Style

Distinct characteristics in terms of expression that influences the context and interpretation of an artwork.

Visual devices

Elements, principles and conventions are visual devices.

Visual devices aid in the communication of artistic ideas and concepts.

Visual language

Refers to the use of elements, principles and conventions to communicate ideas.

Visual literacy

The ability to interpret and evaluate visual information.

Visual symbol systems

Communication without the use of words.

Allegory

An extended metaphor in art that uses visual symbols to convey a broader message (e.g. political, moral, spiritual).

Art forms

Categories of artwork such as 2D (e.g. painting), 3D (e.g. sculpture), and 4D (e.g. installation or video).

Inquiry

Exploration through observation, drawing, and research to investigate and develop ideas for artworks.

Inspiration

A personal or external stimulus (e.g. belief, experience, emotion) that sparks an idea for an artwork.

Meaning and purpose

The core message, emotion, or commentary that the artist commicates through the artwork, along with how it’s achieved through visual strategies.

Media

Materials used in art making, such as graphite pencil, charcoal, paint, fabric, clay, etc.

Personal response

An individual’s own interpretation of an artwork, supported with reasoning and references to visual evidence.

Purpose

The artist’s intended message or function of the artwork, such as to inform, protest, beautify, or provoke.

Reflection

The process of thinking critically about your artwork, ideas, progress, and outcomes. Often summurised in an artist statement.

Subject matter

The literal objects, figures, or scenes depicted in an artwork (e.g. a person, landscape, or symbolic object).

Symbolism

Use of specifc symbols to suggest deeper meanings (e.g. a skull to represent mortality).

Techniques

Specifc skills or processes used with media to create desired visual effects (e.g. shading, layering, stitching).

Visual influence

The impact of other artists, cultures, or techniques on one’s work.