Art Appreciation Lecture Vocabulary

A set of 53 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the art appreciation lecture.

Attention

Intentional and exclusive focus of awareness toward a person, object, or experience.

Distraction

Redirection of attention from one thing to another; not the absence of focus.

Imaginative Experience

A personal, internal reaction to art shaped by your memories, feelings, and cultural background. It’s how an artwork reminds you of something familiar — even if it’s abstract. It’s where your mind fills in the gaps and creates symbolic or emotional meaning.

Visual Experience

The sensory and perceptual response you have to what you see in an artwork. It is shaped by your everyday visual habits (e.g., from school, religion, media), and determines what stands out to you. It helps categorize what you see — whether as traditional, commercial, or contemporary.

Traditional Art

Refers to classic or realist painting styles, often learned through formal training. These works aim for accurate representation of the subject, and follow conventions in form, proportion, and technique. Not to be confused with folk or indigenous art.

Print Media

Everyday visual materials like ads, posters, and magazines that shape how we process images.

Contemporary Art

Art created in the present time, often experimental, conceptual, and socially engaged.

Material

The physical substance or tool—paint, canvas, clay, etc.—used to create an artwork.

Figure

The visible forms, lines, or objects depicted within an artwork.

Emotion

The feelings or moods an artwork expresses or evokes in the viewer.

Camera

A device that captures images and transformed how people experience and access art.

Aura

The unique presence or authenticity an original artwork possesses when seen in person.

Mechanical Reproduction

Copying artworks through photography or printing, often diminishing the original's aura.

Visual Arts

Art forms that create images intended to be seen, such as painting, sculpture, and film.

Non-Visual Arts

Art forms not primarily visual, including music, dance, and spoken poetry.

Content

A way of looking at or explaining art by focusing on its visible elements only — what is literally there. This includes figures, colors, composition, and spatial arrangement. This is descriptive, not interpretive; it tells us what we see, not what it means.

Context

A way of looking at or explaining art that situates it within its social, cultural, and historical background. Here, we considers the artist’s life, the time period, the location, and the artwork’s function or message. It helps us understand why the artwork was made and what it reflects.

Title

The name of an artwork that offers viewers an initial reference to its content.

Artist

The creator of an artwork, whose identity and background inform interpretation.

Medium

The materials or techniques—watercolor, charcoal, video—used to make an artwork.

Dimensions

The measurements of an artwork, affecting its visual impact and market value.

Date

The year or period when an artwork was created, situating it historically.

Provenance

The documented ownership history of an artwork, used to establish authenticity and value.

Horizon of Meaning

The range of valid interpretations based on an artwork’s content, context, and facts.

Reproduction

The act of copying or capturing reality in art, often using tools like cameras.

Manipulation

Altering or stylizing reality in art to influence perception or emotion.

Eye Level

A camera angle at the subject’s eye line, creating a neutral and relatable view.

High Angle

A camera angle looking down on the subject, making them appear smaller or vulnerable.

Low Angle

A camera angle looking up at the subject, making them seem dominant or powerful.

Overhead Angle

A view from directly above a subject, often suggesting detachment or vulnerability.

Dutch Angle

A tilted camera shot that creates unease, tension, or confusion.

Shoulder Level

A camera position near shoulder height, frequently used to convey intimacy or romance.

Ground Level

A low camera angle from the floor that emphasizes movement or environment.

Film Set

The constructed or chosen location where a film is shot.

Visual Effects

Digital or practical post-production techniques used to enhance or alter a film.

Actor

A performer who portrays a character distinct from their real identity.

Artworld

The network of institutions, people, and rules that define and value what is considered art.

Social Construct

An idea developed and accepted by society rather than fixed by nature, like beauty or art.

Monetary Value

The market price of an artwork, influenced by size, fame, and demand.

Cultural Value

The significance of an artwork to a community’s heritage, beliefs, and traditions.

Historical Value

The importance of an artwork as a record or reflection of a specific time or event.

National Artist

An honorary Filipino title awarded for outstanding contributions to art and culture.

Auction

A public sale event where artworks are bid on, often setting their market price.

Identity

One’s sense of self shaped by factors such as race, gender, culture, and social experience.

Hybrid Identity

A blended cultural identity formed from multiple influences, such as colonial and indigenous.

GAMABA

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan; a national award honoring Filipino traditional artists preserving indigenous art.

Male Gaze

A representational viewpoint that frames women primarily through a sexualized, male perspective.

Nude

A deliberate, posed depiction of the unclothed body intended for viewing.

Naked

An unintentional or natural state of undress not meant for display.

Drag

Performance art featuring exaggerated gender expression to explore or challenge norms.

Fliptop

A Filipino rap-battle format blending poetry, performance, and local identity.

Avant-garde Art

Art that challenges tradition and pushes boundaries in both form and concept. Itreject aesthetic norms and often shock or provoke, aiming to break away from the mainstream to introduce radical experimentation.

Conceptual Art

Art in which the idea or concept takes precedence over the physical object.

Conceptual Art

Art where the idea or concept behind the work is more important than its physical form. The value lies in the thought process, not the visual appeal.

Knee-Level Angle

A camera shot taken from around the knees, often used to highlight dominance, physical stance, or readiness for movement. Common in action scenes or fight sequences where body positioning is key.

Hip-Level Angle

A camera angle positioned at hip height, often used in action scenes (e.g., Westerns or confrontational standoffs). It gives a grounded but assertive view, showing characters from a distance that emphasizes readiness, tension, or equality

Social Value

The significance of an artwork based on how it reflects, questions, or influences society. It includes how art expresses social issues like class, gender, injustice, or culture, and how it is received by the public or used in collective life

Demonstration Space

A space where art is displayed for audiences — such as museums, galleries, festivals, or the street. It allows for public interaction, performance, or viewing, making art accessible or visible

Evaluation Space

A space where art is critiqued, interpreted, or assigned value — including auction houses, classrooms, publications, reviews, and government institutions like the NCCA. This is where art is judged, categorized, or priced.

Production Space

A space where art is created or developed — like studios, workshops, dance rooms, and even community spaces. This is where the artist works, experiments, or collaborates to make the artwork.