Art Terminology

Art

the visual expression of an idea of experience formed with skill through the use of a medium.

Medium

is a material used in visual arts, ie: clay, fiber, stone, wood, paint, video, computers, photography.

Representational Art

An artwork that depicts things from the natural world which we can identify.

Nonrepresentational Art

Non-objective; an artwork that does not represent or de- pict a being, place or thing in the natural world.

Abstract Art

Art that does not depict recognizable scenes or objects, but instead is made up of forms and colors that exist for their own expressive sake; extracts the essence of an object or idea.

Iconography

The symbolic meaning of signs, subjects, and images within a work of art.

Shape

The expanse within the outline of a two-dim area or within the boundaries of a three-dim object.

Linear Perspective

a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional ob- jects and space on a two-dimensional surface by means of intersecting lines that are drawn vertically and horizontally and that radiate from one point on a horizon line.

Atmospheric Perspective

The perception of depth in nature as enhanced by haze in the atmosphere.

Color Spectrum

The distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism.

Optical Color Mixture

The tendency of the eyes to blend patches of individual colors placed near one another so as to perceive a different, combined color.

Symmetrical Balance

Near or exact matching of left and right sides of a composi- tion.

Asymmetrical Balance

Left and right sides differ, however, other elements provide balance.

Directional Force

Line or implied line that provide paths for our eye to follow around a composition.

Formal Analysis

a discussion of the way visual elements and design principles af- fect viewers’ thoughts and feelings