Art Appreciation Exam Reviewer Flashcards

A comprehensive 150-card vocabulary study guide derived directly from the Art Appreciation Exam Reviewer lecture transcript.

ars

An ancient Latin root meaning a craft or specialized form of skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery.

Collingwood (1938)

The citation associated with defining art from its Latin root 'ars' as a craft or specialized form of skill.

Historical Definition of Art

Referred historically not just to drawing or painting, but to any refined human skill or technical mastery.

Visual Arts

Art forms that create works primarily perceived by sight, such as painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and crafts.

2D Art

Art created on a flat plane with height and width, but no significant depth.

3D Art / Objects

Art possessing height, width, and physical depth in real space, or using optical illusion to simulate 3D on a 2D surface.

Performance Arts

Forms of art where artists use their voices, bodies, or inanimate objects to convey artistic expression.

Three Main Types of Performance Arts

(1) Instrumental & Vocal Music, (2) Dance & Theatre, and (3) Sung Verses & beyond.

Applied Arts

Applying design and decoration to everyday and essentially practical objects to make them aesthetically pleasing.

Literary Arts

Written forms relying on the creator's linguistic proficiency and the reader's imagination to convey ideas.

Conceptual Art

An art form that prioritizes the concept and intention over aesthetic composition or conventional technical skills.

Folk Art

Art grounded in a community's cultural, religious, or ethnic heritage, serving functional purposes distinct due to cultural identity.

Crafts

Production of items through specific physical techniques, viewed as both a creative hobby and an art form.

Martial Arts

Physical expressions employing the human body and combat techniques to communicate ideologies/emotions, distinct due to its combative nature.

Art and Society

Art acts as a powerful communication medium reflecting cultural values, collective memory, and societal issues.

Art is Universal

The assumption that art is not restricted to spatially intelligent or elite individuals, and every society has its own art.

Art is Timeless

The principle that art speaks across generations: 'An art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good'.

Dudley et al. (1960)

Authors who stated: 'An art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good'.

Art is Cultural

The assumption that art serves as the storehouse of a society's collective memory, portraying norms, beliefs, and history.

Art is Experience

The assumption that art requires internal engagement and emotional integration, and is not experienced passively.

Art is Expression

The assumption where the artist is an expresser translating inner life into meaning, acknowledging, revealing, transferring, and intervening.

Personal Function of Art

A highly subjective function used for self-expression, emotional catharsis, thought provocation, or aesthetic gratification.

Edvard Munch's Anxiety

An artwork example demonstrating the personal function of art through expressing personal mental states.

Social Function of Art

Function performed when art influences social behavior, displays and celebrates public events, or describes collective social existence.

Dadaism

An avant-garde 1916 Zurich movement rejecting rationality and logic in favor of chance and political anarchism/protest.

Zurich Movement (1916)

The time and place of origin for Dadaism, an avant-garde protest movement.

KKK Monument / The Katipunan

An example of art serving a social function through public display and celebration.

Physical Function of Art

The easiest function category to understand, referring to works created to perform a utilitarian service.

Containers

A physical function classification for utilitarian works designed to enclose or hold, such as buildings and boxes.

Tools

A physical function classification for utilitarian works designed as instruments, such as spoons, paintbrushes, and chairs.

Forms and Functions

The principle that object form is determined by functional requirements, such as chair design fitting human anatomy.

Architecture (Physical Function)

Building design determined primarily by operational, physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.

St. Peter's Basilica

An architectural example illustrating design determined by operational, physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.

Community Planning

The efficient organization of buildings, roads, and spaces for civic needs.

Five Areas of Community Planning

(1) Residential districts, (2) Industrial & commercial areas, (3) Civic centers, (4) Parks, plazas & malls, (5) Streets & roads.

Function and Beauty

The rule that standard functional shapes remain stable over time because their design best fulfills its purpose.

Art as Mimesis

Plato's view that art is an imitation of an imitation, making it twice removed from reality and less authentic.

Plato's Metaphysics

The philosophical view that physical items are mere copies of eternal truths in the World of Forms.

World of Forms

Plato's realm of eternal truths, of which physical objects are mere copies.

Art as Representation / Cognition

Aristotle's theory that art is imitation serving as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth by representing possible versions of reality.

Pleasure Function (Aristotle)

A function of art that makes even horrible experiences enjoyable through humor or recreation.

Instructional (Cognitive) Function

Aristotle's function of art that teaches valuable lessons about life.

Art for Art's Sake

The philosophy (L'art pour l'art) holding that art has intrinsic value independent of moral, political, or utilitarian purposes.

Victor Cousin

The French philosopher who coined the phrase 'Art for Art's Sake' (L'art pour l'art).

Aesthetic Movement

A 19th-century British movement central to which was Victor Cousin's philosophy of 'Art for Art's Sake'.

Telos

Aristotle's term for an end goal or purpose that everything possesses.

Motivated Purpose

Intentional, conscious external artistic functions such as architecture, weaving, and furniture making.

Non-Motivated Purpose

Artistic purpose integral to human nature that transcends utility, such as painting, sculpture, literature, and theater.

Artistic Integrity

A foundational skill and character trait requiring personal authenticity, courage, and commitment to vision without copying or chasing external prizes.

Proportion & Consonance

Balance between artistic elements creating harmony and visual resonance.

Radiance & Clarity

Clear objectives guiding focused creativity and persistence through self-doubt.

Aesthetics

Branch of philosophy dealing with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty, and taste, derived from Greek 'aisthetikos'.

aisthetikos

The Greek root for aesthetics, meaning 'sentient' or 'sensitive'.

Aesthetic Judgment

The sensory contemplation of an object.

Artistic Judgment

The criticism or recognition of an artwork, distinct from aesthetic judgment.

Aesthetic Value

The capacity of a work to elicit pleasure (positive) or displeasure (negative).

Topic / Subject of Art

Any person, object, scene, or event depicted or represented in a work of art.

Representational Art

Artworks clearly derived from real object sources with strong visual references to the physical world.

Non-Representational Art

Art that does not depict a real person, place, or thing, focusing purely on form, color, line, and shape.

Complete Abstraction

Another term for non-representational or non-figurative art.

Nature (Source of Subject)

Earth's natural features and products that connect human life to natural systems.

History (Source of Subject)

Source of subject recounting past events, allowing civilization to trace its evolution and identity.

Content / Meaning

The message, meaning, or story ('why') conveyed by the artist, called the theme in literature.

Factual Meaning

The most rudimentary/literal statement extracted from directly recognizable forms in art.

Conventional Meaning

Acknowledged interpretation established through cultural usage, signs, motifs, and symbols accepted by a group/society over time.

Subjective Meaning

Private symbolism or personal meaning stemming from the artist's or viewer's unique associations, past experiences, and thoughts.

Maguindanaon

A traditional Philippine weaving pattern cited as an example of folk art.

Tausug

A traditional Philippine weaving pattern representing indigenous folk art.

Meranao

A traditional Philippine weaving pattern categorized under folk art.

Yakan

A traditional Philippine folk art weaving pattern.

T'boli

A traditional Philippine weaving pattern derived from indigenous folk art heritage.

Blaan

A traditional Philippine weaving pattern representing cultural folk art heritage.

Glassblowing

An example of crafts involving item production through specific physical techniques.

Woodworking

A specific physical technique listed under the category of crafts.

Knitting

An item production craft technique viewed as both a creative hobby and an art form.

Embroidery

An example of a physical craft technique producing decorative items.

Drawing

A 2D visual art form created on a flat plane.

Painting

A visual 2D art form created on a flat plane with height and width.

Printmaking

A 2D visual art form produced on a flat plane without significant physical depth.

Photography

A visual 2D art form perceived primarily by sight.

Sculpture

A 3D visual art object possessing height, width, and physical depth in real space.

Carvings

3D objects possessing physical depth in real space.

Architectural Structures

3D visual art objects with physical depth created in real space.

Miniatures

3D objects possessing real spatial height, width, and depth.

Instrumental Music

A main type of performance art using musical instruments to convey expression.

Vocal Music

A type of performance art using the human voice as an artistic medium.

Dance & Theatre

Performance arts where artists use their bodies and actions to convey artistic expression.

Sung Verses

A specialized performance art form combining vocal expression and lyric poetry.

Industrial Design

An applied art applying design to mass-produced practical objects.

Fashion Design

An applied art form adding aesthetic design to practical wearable items.

Interior Design

An applied art form applying aesthetic principles to functional living and working spaces.

Novels

A literary art form relying on linguistic proficiency to tell long written stories.

Poetry

A written literary art form conveying ideas through structured language.

Essays

Literary written compositions relying on linguistic skill and reader imagination.

Letters

A written literary art form utilizing linguistic proficiency for written communication.

Spatially Intelligent Individuals

Group to which art is not restricted, highlighting that art is universal.

Storehouse of Collective Memory

The role art plays in society under the assumption that Art is Cultural.

Internal Engagement

A prerequisite for experiencing art under the assumption 'Art is Experience'.

Empty Box Metaphor

Describes art lacking heart and thought under the assumption 'Art is Experience'.

Translating Inner Life

The primary role of the artist under the assumption 'Art is Expression'.