Art Appreciation – Week Six Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Week Six lecture notes on three-dimensional art, perspective, sculpture processes, materials, community art, scale, and texture.

Form

An object defined in three dimensions—height, width, and depth

Axis

An imaginary line indicating the center of a shape, volume, or composition

Geometric Form

Three-dimensional form composed of predictable, mathematically derived planes or curves

Organic Form

Three-dimensional form made of irregular, unpredictable planes that suggest nature

Biomorphic Form

Organic form that resembles a living organism

Relief

Raised form on a largely flat background

High Relief

Carved panel whose figures project with great depth from the background

Bas Relief / Low Relief

Sculpture carved with very little depth; subjects rise only slightly above the surface

In-The-Round

Freestanding sculpture that can be viewed from all sides

Freestanding

Sculpture that stands on its own without external supports

Volume

Space filled or enclosed by a three-dimensional object

Closed Volume

Self-contained, explicitly limited volume

Open Volume

Form not completely closed off from surrounding space

Implied Volume

Illusion of volume in a two-dimensional work

Mass

Volume that has or appears to have weight, density, and bulk

Space

Limited extent in one, two, or three dimensions

Picture Plane

Surface of a painting or drawing

Foreground

Part of an artwork depicted as nearest to the viewer

Middle-Ground

Area between foreground and background in a work

Background

Part of an artwork depicted as farthest from the viewer

Depth Cues

Visual information telling us the spatial arrangement of objects

Overlap

Assumption that an opaque object covers objects behind it

Transparency

Appearance that a shape is fully see-through

Translucency

Appearance that a shape is partially see-through; contours of intersecting shapes remain visible

Diminution of Size

Perception that objects appear smaller as they recede

Vertical Placement

Objects above eye level rise toward the top of the picture plane; below eye level drop toward the bottom

Forced Perspective

Manipulation of overlap and placement to fool perception of size

Atmospheric Perspective

Use of color and clarity shifts—warm/clear when close, cool/hazy when distant—to suggest depth

Linear Perspective

System of imaginary converging sight lines that create depth illusion

Vanishing Point

Point where imaginary sight lines converge in perspective drawing

Orthogonal

Imaginary sight lines in perspective extending from forms to the vanishing point

One-Point Perspective

Perspective system with a single vanishing point on the horizon

Two-Point Perspective

Perspective system with two vanishing points on the horizon

Three-Point Perspective

Perspective with two vanishing points on horizon and one above or below

Isometric Perspective

Depth system using diagonal parallel lines, not converging

Foreshortening

Perspective technique that distorts a form at an angle to convey depth

Three-Dimensional Art

Artwork possessing height, width, and depth

Additive Sculpture

Process of building a form by adding material

Modeling

Working pliable material (clay, wax) into three-dimensional forms

Armature

Framework or skeleton supporting a sculpture

Plastic / Plasticity

Quality of materials being soft and easily manipulated

Ceramic

Fire-hardened clay, often glazed for protection and decoration

Ceramist

Person who makes ceramics

Greenware

Dried but unfired clay form

Earthenware

Porous ceramic clay firing at 1100–1150 °C

Porcelain

White or grayish clay firing at 1350–1500 °C; translucent and rings when struck

Throwing

Forming clay objects on a potter’s wheel

Firing

Baking clay in a kiln to solidify it

Kiln

High-temperature oven for firing ceramics

Glaze (Ceramics)

Vitreous coating applied to seal and decorate ceramic surfaces

Cast

Sculpture created by pouring liquid material into a mold

Patina

Surface color or texture on metal caused by aging or chemical treatment

Bust

Sculptural depiction limited to head and shoulders

Glass

Material produced by melting silica with fluxes under intense heat

Blown Glass

Craft of shaping glass by blowing air into semi-molten glass via a tube

Gloryhole

Furnace used to keep glass malleable during blowing

Stained Glass

Colored glass for windows or decoration

Gothic

12th–16th-century Western European architectural style featuring pointed arches and ornate details

Chasing

Hammering front of metal to create surface detail

Repoussé

Hammering metal from the back to raise forms or details

Subtractive Sculpture

Methodical removal of material to create form

Carving

Scraping away material to shape a solid form

Intarsia

Art of setting pieces of wood into a surface to form patterns or images

Assemblage

Artwork made from three-dimensional materials, often including found objects

Found Object

Everyday object presented with little or no alteration as art

Readymade

Everyday object designated by an artist as a work of art

Artifact

Object made by a person, often of cultural or historical interest

Appropriation

Deliberate use of existing material created by others in a new artwork

Constructivism

1920s Soviet movement making utilitarian art with standardized industrial materials

Mixed-Media

Use of varied materials in a single artwork

Kinetic Sculpture

Three-dimensional art that moves via air, motors, or human interaction

Installation

Intentional environment created as a complete artwork

Site-Specific

Artwork intended for one particular location only

Earthworks

Outdoor artworks made with natural earth elements

Performance Art

Artwork involving the human body, often the artist, performed for an audience

Wearables

Individually designed clothing or jewelry created as fine art

Fiber

Threads from animal or vegetable materials

Loom

Device for weaving fibers at right angles

Weft

Threads running lengthwise in fabric (NOTE: actually lengthwise=warp; but notes given say weft threads run lengthwise? Wait; notes says Weft-the threads that run lengthwise; warp-horizontal. We'll keep per notes)

Warp

Horizontal threads interlaced through the weft (per lecture notes)

Textile

Cloth or woven fabric

Embroidery

Decorative stitching with colored thread on fabric

Tapestry

Thick textile with woven or embroidered images, used as wall hanging or cover

Knitting

Creating fabric using interlocking loops of yarn

Mural

Large painting applied directly to a wall, usually public

History Painting

Painting whose subject comes from classical history, mythology, or the Bible

Monument

Structure created to commemorate a person or event

Stonehenge

Prehistoric stone monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England

Memorial

Object or structure that preserves the memory of someone or something

Vanitas

Art genre using symbols to comment on life’s transience and futility

Memento Mori

Symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death

Garbhagriha

“Womb chamber”; innermost sanctuary of Hindu or Jain temples

Shrine

Sacred space dedicated to veneration of a deity, ancestor, or revered figure

Icon

Religious image or representation of a sacred figure or event

Mandala

Geometric configuration used for spiritual focus and meditation

Altar

Raised structure on which offerings or incense are made in worship

Altarpiece

Artwork, typically a painted panel, placed above and behind an altar

Triptych

Artwork of three hinged panels, often an altarpiece

Scale

Size of an object relative to a measurement system

Natural Scale

Object depicted at its normal, real-world size