Ontology of Photography Vocab Words

Andre Bazin essay reading and vocab to study!!

Ontology

study of being, the nature of reality. “what is real” “what exists” 

Plastic Arts

Art that’s created by molding/manipulating ingredients to make it. Includes three dimensional forms but is really all types of art including music bc harmony and paintings bc it has items being manipulated.

Labyrinthine

a complex and confusing structure, often resembling a maze. refers to physical spaces or metaphorical concepts in psychoanalysis.

Anthropocentric

belief of humans as “center of the universe” and most important rather than environment/animals

Utilitarian

Prioritizes greater good for a lot of people by emphasizing happiness and minimizing pain

Baroque (in the visual arts)

a highly decorative and dramatic visual art style, known for its drama, emotional intensity, and a sense of movement as well as dramatic use of light and shadow and rich bold colors. 

Aesthetic

Qualities of beauty, how color, value, appeals to the viewer demonstrates artistic beauty (ig when it flows together) 

Camera Obscura

ancestor of photographic camera, dark box with convex (bends light to diverging point) lens/aperture (opening, hole) to project an image of a diff object onto a screen inside.

Scientific Perspective (in the visual arts)

Use of science (math and optics) to make realistic representations of 3 dimensional figures onto a 2 dimensional surface

Pseudo (prefix)

greek origin meaning false/not genuine/pretended

Joseph Nicéphore Niepce

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a French inventor best known for producing the world's first permanent photograph. developed the heliography process — used light sensitive asphalt called bitumen of Judea to capture images

Lumiere

French word meaning light. from latin word Lumen - light. connection to art - use of light/shadow, brighter colors, etc

Subjectivity *specific to art

how art is based on, influenced and interpreted by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.

Objective “specific to art

not influenced by opinion — represents fact. specific to art: representational art that shows recognizable subjects from the real world

Ersatz

(of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.
*specific to art: an artificial substitute or an inferior imitation of a genuine object, work, or style

Sepia

reddish-brown color. use in photography to create a warm, vintage, and nostalgic effect

catalepsy

specific to art - rigid postures/positions, (og meaning is medical condition where you cant move) used for dramatic effect.

Surrealism

early 20th-century art and literary movement led by André Breton that aimed to unlock the power of the unconscious mind by combining irrational and dreamlike imagery

Impressionism

a 19th-century art movement that originated in Paris. emphasized on capturing the fleeting effects of light and color through visible brushstrokes, open composition, and ordinary subject matter.