Fa10 Art Text.Pdf
ART AND YOU
INSTRUCTIONS
Welcome to your Continental Academy course “Art and You”. It is made up of 7 individual lessons, as listed in the Table of Contents. Each lesson includes practice questions with answers. You will progress through this course one lesson at a time, at your own pace.
First, study the lesson thoroughly. Then, complete the lesson reviews at the end of the lesson and carefully check your answers. Sometimes, those answers will contain information that you will need on the graded lesson assignments. When you are ready, complete the 10-question, multiple choice lesson assignment. At the end of each lesson, you will find notes to help you prepare for the online assignments.
All lesson assignments are open-book. Continue working on the lessons at your own pace until you have finished all lesson assignments for this course.
When you have completed and passed all lesson assignments for this course, complete the End of Course Examination.
If you need help understanding any part of the lesson, practice questions, or this procedure:
Click on the “Send a Message” link on the left side of the home page Select “Academic Guidance” in the “To” field Type your question in the field provided Then, click on the “Send” button You will receive a response within ONE BUSINESS DAY
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About the Author…
Mrs. Alena Bowers earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Arts from Florida State University and her Masters in Education degree with a Specialization in Fine Arts from Portland State University. She graduated from both Universities with Honors and received academic scholarships for her efforts as well. For the past nine years, Mrs. Bowers has been working with a diverse group of students in a variety of educational settings. Mrs. Bowers is also a nationally exhibiting artist and has worked on public art projects, such as city murals, with inner city youth. Alena makes her home in Miami, Florida, with her husband Andrew and their dog Harvest.
Art And You FA10 Editor: Mary Liken
Copyright 2008 Home School of America, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The Continental Academy National Standard Curriculum Series
Published by:
Continental Academy 3241 Executive Way Miramar, FL, 33025
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Elements, principles, and vocabulary of art and the tools of artists are examined alongside the great themes in art history. Critical analysis of the diverse, fascinating works of art is also practiced.
Student will understand and apply media, techniques, and process Student will use knowledge of structures and functions Student will choose and evaluate a range of subject-matter, symbols, and ideas Student will understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures Student will reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others Student will make connections between visual arts and other disciplines
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LESSON 1: WHAT IS ART? …………………………………………….7
LESSON 2: LANGUAGE OF VISUAL ARTS ……………………….19
LESSON 3: THE BEGINNING OF ART ………………………………29
LESSON 4: MODERN ART ………………………………………….. 49
LESSON 5: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART …………….. 65
LESSON 6: ART CRITICISM AND AESTHETICS ……………… …. 79
LESSON 7: THE VALUE OF ART ……………………………….…… 89
END OF COURSE REVIEW…………. ………………………………. 101
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………105
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LESSON 1: WHAT IS ART?
In this lesson, you learn about some of the meanings of art. We also introduce some of the terms used to describe art using visual language and vocabulary.
The purpose of this lesson is to give you a general introduction on the topic of art that will provide you with a foundation to further understand and discuss the subject of art.
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WHAT IS ART?
Art has long been a subject of much intrigue and debate. We know that people have been making art since the primitive times, and art making is still alive and well today. Everyday art affects our daily lives. Not only from the museums or galleries that we may visit, but also by the billboards we pass while driving, or how the skyscrapers line up on the horizon. Art and design are everywhere. It is of much value for all of us to learn how to communicate our ideas about art.
So, what is art ? There have been disagreements on the exact definition of art for centuries and this debate continues today. It seems that everyone has an opinion about art- what he or she likes, or what he or she dislikes.
Often times, with modern or contemporary art, you will hear people say, “Is that supposed to be art? Even I could do that.” On the other hand, sometimes someone will remark, “I just don’t get it. What is this supposed to be about?” These questions are completely commonplace and valid. It is the goal of this course to help you gain a better understanding about what art is and why artists create it.
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MEANINGS OF ART
Art is many things to many people. However, there are three concepts about art that most people agree to be true. Those three things are: capability, process, and outcome (Fichner-Rathus, 1986).
o Capability: To create art ,one has to have the capability to do so. It is the human capacity and desire to create things.
o Process: This is the actual act and the steps that take place to make a piece of art.
o Outcome: This is the completed work of art. You can view these works at a museum or gallery.
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Below are some popular examples of the many different meanings of art. (Fichner-Rathus, 1986).
Art as Beauty
For many centuries, artists have been obsessed with portraying that which is beautiful. A popular subject of painting can be a young maiden frolicking in a field, or a sunset with colors that reflect on every window of a cityscape. Artists have long admired the beauty that they see in the everyday worlds and have had a longing to reflect it in their work.
Art as Truth H can represent “Hungry” or “Homeless”
Sometimes artists create to reveal the truth about a subject, not just a great thing of beauty. In contemporary art, there has been a trend to show life as it really is, not just are hopeful dreams. For example, a photographer may go out and take pictures of homeless people or hungry children in Third World countries. Artists, as early as Caravaggio, have also depicted the truth of the way humans
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actually look -not just stylized beauty. Therefore, art can often be an honest commentary on the truth of the world around us.
Art as Universal Feeling
Art can show us how common our human experience can be. Universal themes such as love, faith, and fear are popular subjects in many works of art. While looking at a painting of two lovers dancing, many people can relate to what it feels like to be in love.
Art as Social Commentary
Many artists of today choose to comment on our social and political society. Whether it is re-examining a story in the news or something that took place in history, artists like to express their opinions and political beliefs in their work. Further, art can comment on the values of our society in ways we may not have thought about before.
Art as the Product of the Human Spirit
Many people believe that art requires the use of hand, mind, and heart. With one’s hands, artists can physically make a work of art, with one’s mind, an artist can think up an idea of why they want to make it, and with one’s heart, an artist can pour out emotions and feelings that goes into creating an art piece. 11 ART AND YOU
Art as Harmony
Harmony is something that artists continually strive to achieve. In art, we often see artists striving to achieve the balance that we find in nature, the perfect order of things. Artists have long been inspired to recreate that harmony found in nature but in their own way.
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JOBS IN THE ARTS
This discussion is about different job descriptions in visual creativity and the arts. Art-related careers fall into a variety of industries and environments. These all can connect to the field of visual art.
There are many opportunities. Some are very competitive. It is amazing how an artist can carry knowledge and apply it to a variety of work environments. A designer or museum curator needs to know about the elements and principles and the historical context of art.
Learning the elements and principles of visual design is the same as beginning to draw. Design is everywhere. All of these things require someone to create them. An academic advisor or career journal can provide more information if you are interested in an art career.
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BUSINESS AND THE ARTS
In the business world, creative minds need to come up with the design of products. This includes the layout of advertising. Magazines, newspapers, and books all need creative and skilled people to help sell their publication. There are also many people who create or design products for profit. The business world is full of creative talent that helps make and support ideas, products, and services (Mittler, 1994).
Graphic Design
Think of major corporations or businesses that you often see in magazines, television, or on web sites. What are the most well known businesses that you can think of? What did you think of when you thought of the business? Chances are if you thought of a certain business, you thought of their logo, or symbol that represents that business (Mittler, 1994).
For example, one of the reasons that Nike has been so successful is because of their logo, the “swoosh” sewn on every shoe. Graphic designers create logos for businesses, along with laying out pages in newspapers or magazines.
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Every month a magazine comes up with their theme and articles. It is a graphic designer who works with that information and helps create the magazine look. These designers make creative choices with computer programs and images on file.
Lesson 1 Review
1. Which of the following words can you use to define art? A. Capability B. Ability C. Outcome D. None of the Above E. A, B, and C
2. True or False: There is one clear definition on what art is. A. True B. False
3. How long have people been making art? A. Since the Middle Ages B. Since the Renaissance C. Since the Primitive Times D. In the last 100 years
4. An artist travels to a poor country to photograph the issue of world hunger. What meaning do you think best fits that photograph? A. Art as Harmony B. Art as a Universal Feeling C. Art as Beauty D. Art as Social Commentary
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5. What example below shows how art (and design) affects our lives? A. Admiring the design of a tall building B. Flipping through a magazine C. Receiving a postcard in the mail from a someone who is traveling D. All of the Above
Answers 1. E 2. B 3. C 4. D 5. D
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LESSON 1 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Capability, process, and outcome are words you can use to define art There is more than one clear definition of what art is An example of Art as Social Commentary is a photograph of world hunger taken in a poor country Paintings of a field of colorful flowers, or a cityscape showing the sunset reflected on the building windows are examples of art as beauty Admiring the design of a tall building, flipping through a magazine, or receiving a postcard in the mail from someone who is traveling is an example of how art and design affect our lives Graphic designers play two roles; they design logos for businesses and the layout of a publication A museum curator must know about the elements of art, the principles of art, and the historical context of art The business world is full of creative talent that helps make and support ideas, products, and services Art related careers fall into a variety of industries and environments that can all connect to the field of visual art.
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LESSON 2: LANGUAGE OF VISUAL ARTS
The language of visual arts is a unique and special one. To understand art we must also know how to discuss our thoughts and feelings about art. For example, art can communicate to us through its subject matter, colors, and style. Often when we look at a piece of art, we project our own feelings and ideas onto it. The way we look at a particular piece may be completely different than the way someone else sees it- and what’s more; the artist may have had a different idea altogether.
STYLES OF ART
In the visual arts, style refers to the characteristic or personal ways in which artists express feelings or ideas. Throughout history, different styles of art have flourished and we have seen a gradual change of artist’s style as our culture and society change.
Art historians are also able to recognize an artist’s personal style as they continue to create a series of work.
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For example, a particular artist might use bold black lines continually in his or her paintings. They may also use thick paint, deep red and dark colors. Particular elements can define the artist’s style and historians can describe that style by using certain adjectives.
Georges Rouault was such an artist. Art historians or critics may describe Rouault’s work as bold, with a dramatic use of dark line and warm colors. Historians may also try to figure out the content of Rouault’s work, or the message the artist is trying to communicate in a work of art. Rouault’s technique is the way in which he uses his technical skills in a given medium.
Medium is the art material that an artist uses to create, such as oil paints, drawing pencils, or stone for sculpture.
Stone pencils
Oil paints Expressionistic art refers to a movement in art where the artist uses distortions in form and color to achieve an emotional impact.
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Another style of art is that of Realism. Realism or realistic art was also an art movement that was very popular at one time, as it still is sometimes today. Yet, as a style, it means portraying people and nature the way they exactly are in life, without distortion.
In Abstract art, artists take things that we know from life and significantly change or alter them. Nonobjective art refers to art that does not portray anything recognizable. It does not have subject matter.
ACTIVITY: Think about a rose growing in a garden. Imagine drawing and painting it on a piece of paper. What kind of lines would you use to draw a rose?
Now think about an aluminum door. It is grand in scale and very heavy to open. How are these two objects different from one another?
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The rose is an organic shape, or shapes that reflect things found in nature. Most organic shapes in art are soft and curvilinear.
The door, however, is a geometric shape. Geometric shapes are regular and precise, such as triangles and rectangles.
Which of those two objects (the rose or the door) has a greater mass?
In science actual mass means the object’s determined weight. However, in art we think of mass in terms of implied mass, or the apparent mass of an object.
In other words, we innately know that the rose weighs less than the door. Nevertheless, what if that rose happened to be a steel sculpture that was about 8 feet tall? In addition, the door was a tiny sculpture made of just paper. Our understanding of implied mass of these objects would then greatly change.
Now picture three images in your mind: a butterfly, a stop sign, and a human being. What do they have in common?
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Symmetry means a mirror image -- one side is the mirror image of the other.
Unbelievably, even people are symmetrical. Symmetry can occur in any orientation as long as the image is the same on either side of the central axis. Therefore, if you were to take a dividing line straight down the middle of all three of these images, the same mirror image is on the other side.
Asymmetry means without symmetry or that no mirror images are in a composition.
More Art Vocabulary: Aesthetics - a type of philosophy that focuses on the nature and value of art and beauty.
Arts disciplines - Studies within the arts such as dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.
Collage - A collection of materials arranged for a composition on a two- dimensional surface.
Color - The element of art derived from reflected light which has three properties: hue, value, and intensity.
Decorative - Works of art created for the purpose of aesthetics or visual harmony.
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Exhibitions - an organized display of works of art.
Kinetic - art that can move.
Mixed Media - the use of different materials in the same work of art.
Modeling - shaded and highlighted forms on a flat surface that appear three- dimensional.
Negative space - the space around and through a shape or object.
Perspective - the representation of three-dimensional objects on a flat, two- dimensional surface.
Portfolio - a complete collection or body of artistic work.
Positive space - the space in a composition occupied by the subject or objects.
EDUCATION AND OTHER ART FIELDS
People can work in many settings that help support the role of art in our community. Schools, universities, hospitals, and museums all provide ways to support art.
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Art Educators
People who believe in art and enjoy working with children and youth can become art teachers. To become an art teacher: o attend a university. o study about art techniques, materials, history and theories of art.
Art teachers must know how to educate children. They must be able to write curriculum that includes daily lesson plans. Art teachers work in schools. They also can work in museums and other public and recreational centers. Teaching is another art form which can be exciting for many individuals. Teachers enjoy presenting this diverse subject to young minds.
Curators
Art museums collect, preserve, present and educate the public on art of the past and art of today. They educate people with the importance of art in our society. They explain how it is linked to history in a unique and special way. Museum curators are people who select and exhibit artworks for all of us to view. Curators can also work for a gallery, or own a gallery.
As our society continues to develop and unfold, we will see the different roles and careers that artists can take.
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Lesson 2 Review
1. What defines an artist’s technique? A. The artist’s chosen medium. B. The artist’s style or the personal ways in which the artist expresses feelings or ideas. C. The way an artist uses the technical skills of a given medium. D. How abstract or real an artwork is.
2. If you were to take a photograph of your neighborhood and not alter it in any way, what style of art would it be? A. Abstract B. Nonobjective C. Realistic D. Expressive
3. Which of the following things are symmetrical? A. A Butterfly B. A Human Face C. An Open Book D. All of the Above
4. True or False: In art, Positive space means the space around or through an object. A. True B. False
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5. You are visiting a museum and are looking at a painting of trees with deep blue and green colors. A possible way to describe the painting would be. The painting is full of: A. geometric shapes and warm colors. B. geometric shapes and cool colors. C. organic shapes and warm colors. D. organic shapes and cool colors.
Answers
1. C 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. D
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LESSON 2 THINGS TO REMEMBER
The way an artist uses the technical skills of a given medium defines an artist’s technique An example of a realistic style of art would be a photograph of your neighborhood A butterfly, a human face, and an open book are examples of things that are symmetrical Positive space is the space in a composition occupied by the subject or objects An example of a painting full of organic shapes and cool colors would be a painting of trees with deep blue and green colors One would need to attend a college or university to become an art teacher An art teacher must learn about art techniques and materials, and the history and theories of art Art teachers can work in the following environments; schools, museums and public recreation centers Curators can work in museums and in their own galleries
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LESSON 3: THE BEGINNING OF ART
To understand art we have to understand its history. Art has a long and vast history that has inspired many artists and art historians. They have often looked at it for ideas and understanding.
In this lesson, you learn about the masters in Art History. The works of these artists and architects continue to influence and inspire present day artists. This lesson also includes those artists’ famous masterworks or art pieces.
ACTIVITY: There are numerous resources where you can find much more of an in depth look at art history. To gain a fuller understanding, check out an art history book from the library, or look up some of the artists on the Internet. The information that you find can supplement this text with the visuals.
The Beginning of Art
The oldest recording that historians and archeologists have of art if from the Stone Age. These humans focused on survival, spending their days hunting and gathering food and finding shelter and warmth. Who would
29 ART AND YOU have known they also made images? These people made cave paintings, reliefs, and sculptures with stone. Since hunting was so important, their subject matter consisted mostly of animals.
One of the great paintings of the Stone Age is located on the border between northern Spain and the south of France. Two boys were chasing a ball after their dog in Lascaux, France. They discovered cave paintings of bison, horses, and cattle that were made more than 15,000 years old.
Egyptian Art
Now let us jump far ahead in time to the continent of Africa. There, we can find the Ancient Egyptians producing incredible feats of the imagination. Early Egyptian art was based on religious beliefs and it had a strong link to the afterlife.
The art of Ancient Egypt spans three periods dating from 2680 B.C. to 1342 B.C. The most dynamic period was that of the Old Kingdom, when the Great Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara were created.
These people were masters at stone and building. The structure of a pyramid is an amazing achievement in any time or civilization. The pyramids were grand in size-with a base of about 750 feet and 450 feet tall.
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Slaves devoted painstaking efforts in lifting limestone blocks. This process possibly took many generations before the pyramids were completed.
They consisted of the King and Queen’s chambers, along with airshafts. Why did the Egyptians build such massive structures when they were mostly full of limestone blocks?
What exactly was the purpose of the King and Queen’s chambers contained in these pyramids?
As stated earlier, the Egyptians put great value of the soul and spirit after death. This soul, or ka, as they called it, was part of the body during life. The soul would leave the body upon death and then return to it for a new life and immortality. Therefore, it was very important to protect the bodies of the deceased. Therefore, the King, or Pharaoh, and Queen, who were the most important people in Egyptian culture, had the pyramids built to protect their bodies after death (Mittler, 1994).
Egyptians also created the first life size structure of the human form along with portraiture in wood and stone. They carved intricate relief drawings with a strict set of rules.
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All of these works acted as symbols or substitutes for the human body, and a complete and beautiful drawing was vital, as it concerned them with what would happen to that person after death.
Classical Art
The influence that the country of Ancient Greece had on the rest of the Western world cannot be overstated. The Greeks inspired many people in the fields of art, science, philosophy, and so on. One of the most important concerns of these people was the belief that human beings are the center of their own universe, and that rational thought is incredibly valuable. They had a love for the natural world and the human body, and considered it a reflection of the deep ways of the universe. The Egyptian's admiration of beauty is very much a part of sculptures of human figures during this period.
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One area in which the Greeks thrived was in architecture. The buildings that they created in honor of their gods were like nothing that history had seen before. They consisted of a large, central room called a cella. The cella served as a dedication to a god or goddess. Columns also existed around the room.
The three styles of Greek architecture were the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
o The earliest and most often used style was the Doric order. It was simple in design and the columns were cylindrical, sleek, and without ornate details.
o The Ionic, used mainly for smaller buildings, had columns that were slightly more ornate than the Doric style. They contained a circular base with a curvilinear decorative piece at the top.
o The Corinthian period was the least used and the simplest in design (Mittler, 1994).
The Greek’s most prized art form was that of sculpture. They created many huge marble sculptures of human beings. They paid great attention
33 ART AND YOU to detail and realism, yet certain things were highly stylized to show their love for perfect beauty. The Greek’s sculpture started out rigid in form with humans standing straight up and then, as things evolved, the Greeks started to show movement. Myron’s Discobolus (Disc Thrower) created around 450 B.C., shows a life size nude male getting ready to throw a disc. His muscles protrude as he glances back at his right arm that extends straight back from his body. His knees are bent and his other arm rests on one knee. It is displaying a moment in time, where movement is about to take place. It was a true breakthrough in the history of art.
Myron’s Discobolus (Disc Thrower)
Ancient Rome
The Roman republic existed around 500 B.C., and the Greeks inspired much of their art and architecture. Yet, Roman sculpture is much more realistic than that of Greece with the purpose to record men as they were. Roman architecture was a huge accomplishment and, although inspired by the Ionic period from Greece, there were original qualities to it as well. They were less concerned with beauty and more with the purpose of the building.
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One of their premiere inventions was that of the use of concrete instead of stone. One of the most amazing examples of all time is that of the Coliseum, completed in 80 A.D. Its purpose was to hold many visitors in the stadium where gladiator events took place. It has three rows or tiers on arches with columns in between each arch. The arches are Doric in style.
The Medieval Period
The Roman Empire seemed to have it made, with its power stretching across Western Europe, North Africa, Greece, and some of the Near East. Yet the rise of Christianity and the internal problems of the empire eventually caused it to crumble.
The Medieval period, or Middle Ages, was born and it existed from approximately 500 to 1500 A. D. The Middle Ages was a period of growth and change, as Christianity began to flourish in all modes of expression. Unlike today, artists of the Middle Ages remained nameless because their
35 ART AND YOU work was essentially religious in nature. To have one’s name on a work was not important. The artists’ purpose was for God, and not for themselves.
St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome is an important church built in that time. The construction of the cathedral began between 326 and 333 A. D. and lasted about thirty years. The church was completed during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine. The five aisles in the cathedral resemble a cross when looking at them from above, and it is an example of the Latin Cross plan (Mittler, 1994). The church was full of mosaics, although none of them has survived.
Romanesque and Gothic Architecture
The Romanesque period shows the continued use of the Latin Cross plan in the design of churches. However, the structure continued to evolve during this period. The architects got away from wood ceilings, and they started to develop stone ceilings with buttresses for support. The weight of the stone was heavy, so support of many stones, or buttresses, were placed alongside the walls so the ceilings would not collapse.
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These churches were still very dark, because it was difficult to build large windows with stone walls and ceilings. The windows were small so the walls would not collapse (Mittler, 1994).
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Gothic period developed. Out went the heaviness, low, and thick walled Romanesque churches, as the Gothic period came in.
During this period, many innovations of architecture were developed. A great discovery was that of the flying buttresses, which allowed builders to reduce pressure on the walls. These buttresses counteracted the weight by reaching from one side to the other side of the aisles of the church. This eliminated the need for solid walls and more light was able to come into the church.
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Stained glass windows displayed scenes from the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.
One of the great examples of the Gothic period was that of the Notre Dame, a cathedral located in Paris. The flying buttresses support the walls and the exterior shows a High Gothic style with some older elements as well.
The Renaissance
Now we see the cultural center of Europe shift from the Gothic style of France to that of Italy. Renaissance is a French word that means rebirth, and the study of humanism, along with philosophical ideals, were of much importance. A Classical style reemerged in the city of
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Florence. An artist named Giotto lived and worked in Florence during this time. Giotto would forever change the course of painting.
Giotto created murals painted in a medium called fresco.
Fresco is a type of painting where the artist applies pigments to a wet plastered wall. These pigments become part of the wall surface. Giotto was an amazing artist in the fact that he was concerned with depicting human emotion and realistic figures.
In his mural “Lamentation”, created around 1305 in Padua, Italy, he showed figures of deep sorrow as they surround the dead Christ. His painting is dramatic, as the diagonal composition shows overlapping figures full of movement in the foreground, the front of the painting, and background, the back area of the painting.
This style was very new to painting. Giotto’s work has been a great influence to all artists ever since.
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People were discovering their role in the world and how they, as humans, had a vital purpose to live and learn, not only to prepare for heaven. Perspective and modeling began to show figures as they looked in real life. Painters began to use deeper and richer colors, with intense hues that created a sense of space. Artistic talent seemed to be abundant and a few great masters were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti
Both men lived in Italy and emerged as two of the most famous artists of that time.
Leonardo created amazing sketches of the human figure and anatomy. Not only was he interested in nature, but also completed wonderful religious works. The Last Supper, a mural created from 1495-98 A. D., was an example of Renaissance values. Christ is seen in the center of the mural, showing a peaceful state, along with the implied lines of perspective that center to him. The twelve apostles that surround him at the table exhibit a flurry of emotion, as they have just found out that one of them will betray Christ. Leonardo da Vinci was a true Renaissance man, with many interests including poetry, music, science and mathematics.
Michelangelo shared the same passion as Leonardo, His genius is shown in the sculpture “Pieta”, about 1500 A. D., where a life-size Virgin Mary is seen holding the crucified Christ. Her beautiful and youthful face is full of
40 ART AND YOU deep feeling as she looks down to the body of Christ. The realism sculpted from marble is amazing to look at, as the draped clothes of Mary have such accurate detail that the marble appears soft. Christ’s lifeless body is shown with unbelievable care and it is hard to imagine how someone could sculpt such a realistic masterpiece out of stone.
Another astounding work by Michelangelo was that of the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He lay on his back on a tall scaffold that stretched to the ceiling of the chapel. The mural has nine sections that show the story of humanity. The figures are hyper-realistic, modeled with light and shadow to show their muscular form.
Stopping only to sleep and eat, it took him four years to complete. Michelangelo was never able to walk upright again. He was driven, intense, and at times easily angered. His works are like nothing we have seen and his passion for art and perfection forever left a mark on history.
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The Baroque Perio d
From 1600 to 1750, the Baroque period emerged from the Renaissance. The classic and natural style of the Renaissance became a more colorful and dynamic style in the Baroque Period. Action, time, light, and space were important themes in the Baroque period.
Included in this section is also the Venetian artist Titian, who appeared just before the beginning of the Baroque period.
Venetian Art
Titian, a master painter from the city of Venice, provided an understandable shift from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Titian was less interested in painstaking detail and realism, and more into dramatic composition of color and painterly technique. Titian used the medium of oil paints instead of tempera. Artists painted on canvas instead of wood. Oil painting provided a more dramatic and bold effect of color, where an artist could create layers of glossy and subtle glazes.
Titian’s figures were also full of emotion and mood, something that could be created with rich color contrast. The painting, Venus of Urbino, shows a reclining Venus, a youthful beauty, who lays in the foreground of the painting. Value contrast is the lightness of the figure that contrasts with the dark background of the room. The roundness of the figure contrasts with the geometric, linear shapes in the background, like the wall and windows.
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The painting portrays softness and abundance of mood, as a little dog sleeps at her feet. All the colors and textures seem to harmonize and balance each other in a new way.
Sculpture in the Baroque
Sculptors very much took on the themes of the Baroque period. Mood and intense passion provided great value to these artists along with the height of the moment, which was full of drama and animation.
Gianlorenzo Bernini’s sculptural altar, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, is a great example of this style. Bernini’s figure of St. Theresa, carved out of dramatic marble, has flowing and rippling drapery. The sculpture depicts the biblical scene of the moment when St. Theresa is visited by an angel who pierces her heart with God’s love. Dramatic golden rays made from golden metal rods flow down onto the scene of the two marble figures. The angel holds a golden arrow and has a sweet smile on his face as St. Theresa swoons with emotion. The two figures seem to be moving in time, as light shines down from them from a concealed window from above (Mittler, 1994).
Bernini shows a moment in time, with mixed media (golden rods, light from window, marble) and dramatic and real movement. This sculptural altar takes on a new form that has not ever been seen before in art making.
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Painting in the Baroque In sculpture the forms twist and turn in single moments in time, but what about painting? Caravaggio was a Baroque painter who captured dramatic moments in time with realistic and flawed figures. This style made his paintings seem very realistic, along with his extremely dramatic use of light and shadow contrast, called chiaroscuro.
The Conversion of St. Paul, completed in 1601, is an oil painting on canvas. The painting depicts St. Paul after he has fallen from his horse. He is lying on his back with his body pushed against the picture plane. His arms are outstretched reflecting the confusion of the moment. There is a mysterious man in the background. The three figures, St. Paul, the horse and the mysterious man, are in realistic detail. The painting consists of dramatic lights and darks and up close compositional elements (Mittler, 1994).
The Baroque Outside of Italy Outside of Italy, artists in Spain, France, England, and Holland developed elements of the Baroque style. In each country, the style developed differently. The Holland painter
Rembrandt van Rijn, for example, painted the inner emotion or psychology of his subjects, with careful detail and golden sepia tones. Rembrandt also painted many self-portraits, where he began to explore his inner emotion and identity. The contrast of light and dark was also used. Rembrandt used lots of paint and implied thick strokes, or impasto.
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Rembrandt was a master of the Dutch Baroque, yet died penniless and unrecognized (Mittler, 1994). ______Lesson 3 Review 1. What was an important aspect of art to the Egyptians? A. That they depict the human figure as real as possible. B. That they show that their race is superior. C. That the representations of the King and Queen were always in stone. D. That forms of the human body depicted the set of rules followed to ensure a safe return from the afterlife.
2. In Classical Greek Architecture, to whom or what was the cella dedicated? A. The beauty of the human form. B. The gods or goddesses. C. The scholars and scientists. D. The architect and his builders.
3. Why did artists or architects tend to remain nameless in the Middle Ages? A. Their government believed it to be public works. B. Their name was not important because art was a reflection of their faith. C. It was a rule of the Christian Church. D. The names have been lost over time.
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4. In architecture, what is the purpose of a buttress? A. To provide support so that the ceilings would not collapse. B. To allow more windows to be built so that more light could come into the church. C. To allow more narrow cathedrals to be built. D. The supporting wall between two arches.
5. Name four things that interested the artist Giotto. A. Human emotion, color, line, and religion. B. Foreground, background, color, and emotion. C. Human emotion, religion, color, and symbolism. D. Human emotion, realism, foreground, background.
6. Michelangelo came down to eat for only one art piece: A. the ceiling of The Sis t ine C h ape l. B. The Pieta. C. The Last Supper. D. All of the Above.
7. Which of the following options best describes the Baroque period? A. Full of color, drama, space, and line. B. Full of action, time, light, and space. C. Full of mood, color, line, and realism. D. None of the Above
Answers
1. D 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. D 6. A 7. B
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LESSON 3 THINGS TO REMEMBER
The art created hundreds of years ago can influence and inspire artists working today Art created in the Stone Age contains animals as subject matter The Stone Age cave paintings discovered in Lascaux, France are estimated to be 15,000 years old The important aspect of art to the Egyptians was that forms of the human body depicted the set of rules followed to ensure a safe return from the afterlife In classical Greek architecture the cella was dedicated to the gods or goddesses Artists or architects tended to remain nameless in the Middle Ages. Their names were not important because art was a reflection of their faith In architecture, the purpose of a buttress is to provide support so the ceilings would not collapse The artist Giotto was interested in human emotion, realism, foreground, and background Michelangelo worked without stopping, except to sleep and eat when he was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel The Baroque period was not full or color, drama, line, mood, or realism. It was full of action, time, light, and space
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LESSON 4: MODERN ART
Significant Artists, Architects and Masterworks in History
It is true that many art historians cannot agree when the period that we call modern art began. What is modern art exactly? Art reinvents itself and has been groundbreaking for its time.
After the Baroque period, artists formed styles like Neoclassicism and Romanticism. o Neoclassicism was about lack of emotion and strong linear forms with a lack of bold colors. Its purpose was to inspire morality in the public o Romanticism, on the other hand, sought different ways to express emotion with dramatic colors.
Realism The realists began to change painting in fundamental ways. The artists that were a part of this movement wanted to depict subject matter as it really was, not in a romantic sense like their predecessors. They turned their attention more to the medium of paint itself, bringing attention to the process of painting, the medium, and the canvas.
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Edouard Manet worked hard to create luminosity in his painting, and to show the beauty of actual light. He used a flatter and broader manner to apply paint to the canvas.
Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass, c. 1863, shows a picnic in the woods with three figures- two clothed men, and one nude woman with a woman crouching in the background. The big question, of course, is why is the woman nude when there are two clothed men talking to one another right beside her? This alarmed the onlookers, along with the fact that the seated woman stared directly to the viewer. The salons in Paris rejected this painting.
Manet was interested in attacking traditional themes in art and ended up exhibiting his work with other rejected artists. New ideas about the traditions of art began to form in France.
Impressionism A group of young artists, who were poor because no one paid them to paint, began a style that would radically change the art world forever. Each artist in this group varied its subject matter and interests, yet wanted to see a real change in the art world. They were interested in painting outside, and capturing the impressions of light and color. Their strokes were short, strong and painterly. Their radical use of color was groundbreaking. Reds and greens were next to one another, along with blues and oranges.
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The painters often used colors like blues and violets to shadow, instead of grays and blacks.
One of the most famous Impressionists was Claude Monet. He painted façades of churches, haystacks, water lilies, and other scenes in nature. He painted the brilliance of sunlight and its effect on objects in nature. Haystacks in open fields showed the different phases of light and the bright colors that existed all around.
Another well know Impressionist was Pierre Auguste Renoir. He painted the amiable side of life, with joyous scenes of nature and people. His brushstrokes were loose and his subject matter happy.
Edgar Degas was a painter who was very skilled in his depiction of the human form. He was also quite captivated with painting dancers and the ballet.
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Degas' work was unique due to the influence of Japanese prints. This included depicting forms in flat ways and directing the viewers’ eye around the composition, with implied lines, or the outside lines of the subject matter (Mittler, 1994). In addition, Degas’ subject matter was sometimes incomplete. Think of a photograph that has something missing from the composition, like a part of tree. The camera, invented during this time, was a major influence on the work of Degas and other painters.
Post-Impressionism
The art movements continued to evolve and rebel against one another. In the case of the Post-Impressionists, they were rebelling against the Impressionists’ desire to capture fleeing light and color. Because the Post- Impressionists used many various styles, it is hard to group the movement by certain elements.
Many consider Paul Cézanne to be the “Father of Modernism”. He began to disregard space and focus more on compositional elements. In a painting entitled Still Life with Apples and Oranges, he showed no example of space or depth and instead pushed the imagery flat up against the picture plane. The entire top of the table looks as if it is vertical, yet all the apples and oranges lie on it. This technique allows the viewer to see the objects more clearly. However, it is not realistic because the fruit would be rolling off the table. Cézanne also depicted his subject matter with flat and blocky color. The fruit had dark outlines and were painted with broader strokes. Yet, despite all the unrealistic imagery, the painting was harmonious.
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It was because there was a shift from painting some sort of reality to placing value on the elements of design.
Vincent Van Gogh is probably the most well known figure of Modern art. His tormented life, along with his brilliant paintings, have brought much attention to him. In addition, his art was unappreciated during his lifetime, and it was not until after death that he became famous. The Starry Night, painted in 1889, shows a dramatic display of the night sky with swirling lines and bold blues, yellows, and greens. Broad and long strokes, along with shorter ones, fill the canvas, and create a feeling of movement and deepness.
Paul Gaugin was another breakthrough artist. He too used deep, pure colors to express his emotion and to create a newfound harmony in his painting. His painting “Vision after the Sermon” (Jacob Wresting with the Angel), done in 1888, was one of the first canvases in history that shows real use of unnatural color and symbolism. For instance, in this painting, Gaugin painted the ground or grass a deep brick red. This brave step broke open a passage for artists to use color in a symbolic and new way. More of this will be examined in the section on Abstract Expressionism.
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The Fauves
This group of artists, just like the Post-Impressionists, used a bold and bright color palette and emotional, expressive brush strokes. Their work was inspired by the art from Polynesia, Africa, and other cultures.
The most famous Fauvist was Henri Matisse, who is still widely popular today. He was an artist whose main passion was color and line, as seen in his painting Red Room (Harmony in Red). The painting is of a simple scene-a living room with some fruit and candles on the table. A woman is shown placing down a basket of fruit and there is a window showing a pastoral landscape to the left. Yet, it is a dramatic and bold statement because the entire table, along with the wall, is painted in a deep red color, seemingly bleeding into one another. Organic, curvilinear shapes and fruit baskets are repeated on the tablecloth and the wall. The shapes and the baskets appear to float between the tablecloth and the wall, and back again.
Matisse wanted the joy of his painting to come across, like a musical symphony. He continued to make art while he was old and hospitalized. It was said that he had an extended brush so that he could paint and draw on the ceilings when he was too weak to sit up.
Cubism
Pablo Picasso, a name recognized by people from all over the world, was the ringleader of the Cubist movement. Cubism was a movement that was
54 ART AND YOU interested in abandoning real perspective and wanted to show shapes and forms in a geometric fashion.
Without question, the work of Cézanne had influenced this movement, because he began to abandon all real perspective and instead began painting forms that were more geometrical in nature.
Picasso did explore other methods and styles of painting besides Cubism, however. His Blue Period was when he decided to paint most of his canvas with overall blue tones. That was then followed by his Rose Period, and so on.
Yet in his work “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”, c. 1907, the public saw a dramatic shift in his work. The painting is of five female nudes, yet the figures are severely angular in style and show multiple views of each figure.
The painting is also very flat. There is no illusion of space, and the background is full of angular shapes that somehow mirror that of the figures. This work was the beginning of Cubism and it exemplified the values of that movement.
Dada and Surrealism
The art began to change from an interest in radical design to more conceptual ways of thinking about it. The movement Dada was just that, for it was art made to make fun of art in a way that rebelled against all the beliefs that were followed thus far.
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Due to World War I, this was a tortuous time in history. The Dada artists believed that art-making did not make sense during a time of war. A famous example of this was Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain”; an actual urinal turned upside down and then placed in a gallery.
Surrealism was a movement that came after the war. It was somewhat influenced by the absurdity of the Dada’s, yet also wanted to express the unconscious mind and dreams (Fichner-Rathus, 1986). The artist Salvador Dali, from Spain, is the best-known Surrealist. His paintings are often eerie in feeling and symbolized the dark unconsciousness of the mind. Some people believed him to be mad, as his life was also bizarre.
TWENTIETH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE
Architecture was also influenced by the way the art world was continuing to change. American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who lived from 1867-1959, forever changed architecture.
His work is in a Naturalistic style, which was more organic in form than basic geometric buildings. Wright wanted to create a sense of harmony between his buildings and nature, and therefore create buildings that imitated the surrounding landscape (Fichner-Rathus, 1986). The domestic
56 ART AND YOU house called Fallingwater is such an example, where the open rooms and large deck were on top of a waterfall. They somehow all merged as one unit. Wright’s many buildings influenced many architects to come, for his work exists all over America.
CONTEMPORARY ART The center of the art world shifted from Paris to New York and, along with that, a dozen or so radical movements of art popped up with frenzy. This period was from the end of World War II to the art of recent times.
There may even be a few artists discussed who are still alive today! Artists now freely experiment with materials and concepts like never before, and they have expressed their creative instincts with no boundaries.
It is a time when art stirred great intrigue and controversy. It is a time that is still presently affecting young artists of today.
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Abstract Expressionism
In New York, many interests were popping up during the mid 1900’s. Things like Zen Buddhism and the Japanese style of art were inspiring artists. Surrealism was also not forgotten. The world seemed more accessible and this influenced all art forms. Abstract Expressionism is characterized by instinctual imagery, large fields of color and spontaneous brushwork. Artists like Hans Hofmann, actually born in Bavaria, worked in New York during this time. Many movements and artists before him, like Matisse and Picasso, influenced him. His paintings were of large blocks of colors varying in size and length. Bright blues, yellows, and oranges make up his canvas in The Golden Wall (1961). He studied color theory and understood that all cool colors would recede while warm colors would push forward. He wanted to create a harmony and balance of his flat colorful shapes. Think about how dramatically different this was from anything that was created before. His work was nonobjective, for it did not have any subject matter other than color and design.
Jackson Pollock was another tragic figure in art and has recently been popularized through Hollywood cinema. He is most well known for ‘dancing’ around his canvases, flicking paint in all directions. Movement and frenzied brushwork, along with the uncontrolled outcome, became the primary themes of his work. He dripped, splattered, and brushed all over his canvases.
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Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman were all artists whose interests were more on flat and vibrating fields of color than on loose brushwork. It was offered as a pure expression of beauty where the viewer could relax in the massive fields of color. They all had varied approaches to their painting, yet each was strong in his communications about the simplicity and power of color.
Pop Art
This contemporary art movement was truly unique in its ideas. The term Pop comes from the words popular culture; Pop artists exploit and use images from commercial sources. They want to challenge viewers’ concepts about art and culture and show the common images that our culture has come to admire. Advertisements and movie posters were often common inspirations to these artists, like in Andy Warhol’s famous prints of Campbell’s Soups and Marilyn Monroe. His “Marilyn Diptych” shows fifty or so exact portraits of Monroe, with some partially blacked out on one side. The colors of Monroe are bright and overstated, and it shows how her image is of a commercial value, not of a real person.
Contemporary Sculpture
Henry Moore is a well known contemporary sculptor who worked in stone. His abstract, large figures are similar to Native American art. This also is true of Pablo Picasso. Often his figures reclined. The organic shapes had much fluidity (Fichner-Rathus, 1986).
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Alexander Calder is another famous sculptor in modern history. He conceived mobiles, or a type of moving sculpture that hangs in the air. These mobiles came to be massive in size with a presence that soars above the viewer, sometimes over 90 feet in the air.
Duane Hanson, another influential sculptor, created life-like human figures that can sometimes be mistaken for real people. His technique is so exact that the polyester resin he uses actually resembles real skin. Hanson uses real clothes and accessories and these methods actually confuse viewers who cannot tell if they are real or not (Fichner-Rathus, 1986).
ART OF TODAY AND BEYOND THE WESTERN WORLD
Art of today continues to develop in new and different ways. More and more, artists are using video, performance, and other technology to create contemporary works of art.
The nature of artists is to experiment and explore reflections of our culture and society to create lasting recorded impressions. As technology develops and as our society advances, art will follow suit.
Further, as citizens of the United States and the Western world, we are most familiar with the artwork made here in America and Europe. However, there is a vast array of art and history in all parts of the world. Artists from Africa, the East, the Oceania, and all over have created works that have influenced many artists.
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Sometimes these works are more functional and serve as an integral and symbolic way into their spirituality and culture. Art is a language that can communicate and transcend all boundaries and belief systems and customs. By studying the art of the Western civilization, we can begin to understand the language of other cultures.
Lesson 4 Review 1. Which of the following influenced Edgar Degas’ work? A. Light, color, and the natural world. B. Eastern art and Claude Monet. C. The camera and the Japanese print. D. Classical art and beauty.
2. Who is sometimes called the “Father of Modernism”? A. Vincent Van Gogh. B. Giotto. C. Claude Monet. D. Paul Cézanne.
3. What three periods did Picasso work in? A. The Blue Period, The Rose Period, and Cubism. B. Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism. C. The Blue Period, The Rose Period, and Fauvism. D. All of the Above.
4. True or False: The architect Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to continue with the modern style of artists, and began creating works that resembled the natural world. A. True B. False
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5. True or False: Hans Hofmann, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Andy Warhol were all Abstract Expressionists. A. True B. False
6. Which artist created large-scale mobiles? A. Alexander Calder. B. Henry Moore. C. Duane Hanson. D. Frank Lloyd Wright.
7. Which of the following art forms are artists more commonly using today? A. Installations. B. Video. C. Performance. D. All of the Above.
Answers 1. C 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. A 7. D
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LESSON 4 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Modern Art appears after the Baroque Period on a historical timeline The artists who create in the Neoclassic style use strong linear forms without bold colors or emotion to inspire morality in public Romanticism is a style of art that uses dramatic colors to express emotion Edgar Degas was influenced by the camera and the Japanese print Paul Cezanne is sometimes called the “Father of Modernism” Picasso worked in three periods of art; Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism The architect Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to continue with the modern style of artists and began creating works that resembled the natural world Hoffman, Pollock, Rothko, Newman, and Warhol were not all Abstract Expressionists Alexander Calder created large-scale mobiles Artists of today are more commonly using installations, video, and performance as art forms
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LESSON 5: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART
In this lesson, you will learn about the language of art and design. One of the most important things to learn about works of art is their design and planning. To understand this, you have to learn about the elements and principles of art.
One of the most important aspects to learn about art and aesthetics is the different ways that the art pieces are organized or designed. To do this, you must learn about the foundation of visual language, which first includes the elements and principles of art.
The elements of art are the building blocks of an art piece.
They include color, value, line, shape, form, texture, and space. Artists utilize these elements to help further express their visual ideas (Mittler, 1994). These elements give artists ways to arrange and form their compositions. Composition refers to the organization of the elements of art on an art piece.
What exactly are the principles of art? They are the different ways the elements are used in works of art.
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The principles of art include • balance, • unity, • emphasis, • harmony, • variety, • movement, • rhythm, and • proportion (Mittler, 1994).
In other words, the elements make the principles or, you cannot have the principles without the elements.
Just as writers or musicians compose their ideas, so do artists. Writers learn ways to express their ideas through certain arrangements and organization, as do artists. It has been said that artists inherently use the elements and principles of art and do not need to study or practice them.
COLOR
Color has three components: hue, intensity, and value (Mittler, 1994). o Hue is simply a color’s given name, for example, red, yellow, or blue. o Intensity refers to the quality of brightness or pureness of a color. The most intense colors are colors in their true form-or colors that have been unaltered. o value refers to a hue’s degree of lightness or darkness. An artist can change a color’s value by adding white or black to it.
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Value We just learned about value as a component of color, but value also stands alone as an important element of art. Value simply refers to dark and light. It is the range of darkness and lightness in a drawing. Value helps to describe form and space, along with helping to create a focal center of interest. Artists can show a range of value from the lightest light (no dark value) to the darkest dark (all dark values). A black and white photograph or drawing can show a range of value on an object, which would reveal its highlights and shadows. These highlights and shadows help define the object’s form, which makes it look three-dimensional.
Line
Line is essential to most works of art. Simply put, line is a continuous mark made by a moving point. We can make lines by moving our pen, pencil, or paintbrush across a surface. A sculptor can create lines with his fingers on the clay or it can be the perceived edges of the piece. There are all kinds of lines. Lines can be straight, curvy, thick, or thin. . They can help create forms, movement, and can show many emotions. For example, try drawing a delicate line. Now try drawing a line full of force and assertion. As you can gather, lines help create the mood that an artist is trying to create.
Shape and Form
Shape and form are two elements that can easily be confused. However, they have distinct properties that set them apart. Shape is an area that is limited to two-dimensional qualities.
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Shapes are flat and contain only height and width. Form is an object with three-dimensional qualities; it not only shows height and width but also depth (Mittler, 1994).
Forms are shapes. Yet they have the depth to make them look three- dimensional.
Texture Texture refers to the surface quality of the way things look or feel. Texture is the way that an object actually feels, such as a stone sculpture that is roughly cut can have a bumpy texture. In painting, an artist can create implied texture or the illusion of texture through technique and content. For example, if an artist paints a dress that looks soft and shiny as if it were made of satin, that is implied texture. The artist used specific techniques and media to produce that effect.
Space Space is the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things. Artists create the illusion of space through value, perspective, and the arrangement of objects. Perspective is a technique that artists use to show distance and to make objects look three- dimensional.
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When an artist demonstrates perspective, objects in the foreground, or front of the picture, are larger, and subsequently objects get smaller and smaller as they fade into the background.
In art, space can be as two-dimensional or three-dimensional. If space is just two-dimensional then the artist utilized only height and width. If the space in a work of art is three-dimensional then the artist also used depth, plus height and width.
Principles of Art As stated earlier, artists create compositions by organizing the elements into certain designs. We can examine works of art by looking at how artists used the elements of design to create certain principles of art. Again, the principles of art are balance, unity, emphasis, harmony, variety, movement, rhythm, and proportion.
When artists add certain elements to a picture, they deliberately or instinctively decide how this element will help create certain principles of art. There are millions of possibilities associated with this. For example, an artist may decide to add bright red and yellow colors to a rather cool and dark background to create emphasis or balance.
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Alternatively, if there is a drawing full of geometric shapes and lines, an artist may add organic forms to the foreground to help create variety. Artists can also repeat a motif, or a unit of design, to create pattern.
Balance Balance refers to a way an artist uses the elements to create a feeling of equilibrium in a work. Symmetrical balance occurs when there are identical images on both sides of the art piece.
Asymmetrical balance occurs when different elements of art do not mirror one another on each side but find a way to balance out the artwork. Radial balance occurs when elements of art spiral out from a central point.
Think of the center of a flower and the way that each petal radiates from the center.
Unity Unity simply refers to the overall look of an artwork that has a feeling of wholeness or oneness (Mittler, 1994). A work of art can achieve unity when each element seems to be an essential part of the composition. Unity often works with harmony to show how each element and principle work together to make an art piece feel complete.
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Emphasis Emphasis occurs when elements accentuate the differences or contrasts between those elements. Artists create emphasis to grab the viewer’s attention; to show the most important part of the work.
How would an artist like Vincent Van Gogh emphasize a church in a painting? He could emphasize it in many ways, including creating a contrast between the organic and angular shapes. Organic shapes would be things like clouds, grasses, bushes, etc. The church itself could be angular and therefore standout against the organic shapes.
He could also create the church in a large scale compared to the rest of the painting. The church could become much larger than any other figures in the foreground.
Harmony Harmony refers to a way of using like or similar elements to create a piece that utilizes their likeness (Mittler, 1994). Repetition and slight or gradual change is one way to create harmony.
Imagine a painting that repeats the same shapes, like squares, but maybe slightly changes each square’s dimension.
The painting may also consist of three repeated colors, like blue, white, and yellow. This painting would be an example of how the two elements color and shape create a sense of harmony. 71 ART AND YOU
Variety Variety is achieved through differences and changes in the elements (Mittler, 1994). It is a way of combining elements to create unlike qualities that can capture the viewer’s attention. For example, a bunch of round forms can contrast with angular lines. Some of the shapes may have smooth textures while others appear rough. The hues of the shapes can be a variety of different colors; some may be warm while others are cool. Yet artists need to be careful to not use too much variety within the elements, for this can distract or confuse the viewer.
Movement Movement is a principle of art that creates a sense of action that guides the eye through an art piece (Mittler, 1994). Artists can easily show movement with lines or shapes on a certain path, or on many paths. Repeated colors, the outline of shapes or forms, and texture are elements used to create movement.
Movement became a much more popular principle of art when artists began experimenting with abstraction, as in the Abstract Expressionist movement.
Rhythm Rhythm occurs with repeated elements in a work of art. Rhythm in art is similar to rhythm in music. Similar repeated elements in an artwork produce a visual beat.
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These elements cause the viewer to examine a painting by glancing from one repeated element to the next, and it can cause a movement or unity in an art piece.
Proportion Proportion is a principle of art that is concerned with certain elements relating to the whole and to each other. It is a comparative relationship where certain elements, like a shape for example, can emphasize other shapes. For example, artists can show objects in larger natural proportion so that those objects stand out more in a painting. If a figure is largely in the foreground, and may look a little out of natural proportion, we can assume that the artist wanted to emphasize that figure. Think back to Van Gogh’s church painting. Imagine there is a small figure in the foreground that looks incredibly small in comparison with the large church. We know that the artist wanted to emphasize that church by using the principle of proportion. WORKING WITH THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES
Color Value Line Shape Form Texture Space Balance Emphasis Harmony Variety Movement Rhythm Proportion
The above chart is an essential resource for learning about the aesthetics of art (Mittler, 1994). It will help you identify the many possible relationships that occur between the elements (top row) and principles (bottom row) of art.
To use it, begin with the first element, color, and identify if that element helps achieve the above principle, the first one being balance.
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Find a work of art that you can examine during this exercise (on the Internet, in books). 1. Ask yourself “Is there evidence of color in this work?” 2. If yes, then ask, “Does color help achieve balance in the painting?” 3. If yes again, then check the box where color and balance intersect. 4. Next, go on to the box where color and unity intersect. 5. Ask yourself “Does color help achieve unity in this painting?” 6. Check if yes. Then follow through with all the principles of art in relationship to color. Go to the next element, value, and do the same thing. Remember, if the painting was black and white, color is not evident and you would simply move on to value.
What results did you find? It is quite common that people find different results for the same painting. Try doing this with a friend or family member and see what you both come up with and then compare results.
Lesson 5 Review True or False: 1. Value is a component or quality of color and an element of art. A. True B. False
2. Lines can be evident in sculpture. A. True B. False
3. Shape and form are similar elements in art; it is just that shape has a third dimension, which is depth. A. True B. False
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4. You notice the texture of a collage that contains sandpaper and buttons. This texture is implied texture. A. True B. False
5. Space can only be evident in art through perspective, or elements receding into the background. A. True B. False
Multiple Choice: 6. A good example of radial balance would be: A. A butterfly B. A wedding ring C. A daisy D. An eye
7. An example of emphasis would be: A. Seven lines of the same width and height placed along the center of the painting. B. A blue and a red square side by side. C. A large red flower that contrasts with a dark background. D. A woman sitting on a chair wearing light hued dress and is largely out of proportion with the small room. E. C & D
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8. Do you think movement would be more apparent in a realist portrait painting or in an abstract painting with lots of textures and linear shapes? A. It would be more apparent in the abstract painting. B. It could be more apparent in both; it depends on the style of the portrait. C. I do not think movement could be apparent it either. D. It would be more apparent in the portrait painting.
9. Artists can use the following principles to create rhythm: A. Line B. Texture C. Shapes D. Color E. All of the Above
True or False: 10. If there were one dominant element in an artwork, that element would help achieve many principles. A. True B. False
11. The design chart can help determine if there is an overall sense of unity in an art piece. A. True B. False
Answers 1.A 2.A 3.B 4.B 5.B 6.C 7.E 8.A 9.E 10. A 11. A
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LESSON 5 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Value is a component of quality of color and an element of art Lines can be evident in sculpture Shape does not have depth, form does The texture of a collage that contains sandpaper and buttons is rough, not implied texture Space can be evident in art through perspective or elements receding into the background and other aspects A good example of radial balance would be a daisy A good example of emphasis would be a large red flower that contrasts with a dark background or a woman sitting on a chair wearing a light hued dress and being largely out of proportion with the small room Movement would be more apparent in an abstract painting with lots of textures and linear shapes Artists can use line, texture, shapes and color to create rhythm One dominant element in an artwork can help to achieve many principles
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LESSON 6: ART CRITICISM AND AESTHETICS
In this lesson, you will study the ways to discuss art. You will examine the three theories of judging art to enhance your understanding of art criticism. Art criticism is a lot like playing detective. We are searching for clues and meanings to find out the message of a work of art.
Art criticism helps you open your mind to find ways of communicating about works of art. It also aids in discovering information within works of art. However, in order to find hidden meanings or messages, you must know what to look for. Then, you must know how to do it.
You will end your search by deciding if a work of art succeeds or fails in your eyes. In order to make that decision, have supporting details to back you up. In this lesson, find a magazine, photographs, or an art book so that you can look at images to practice these methods. (Note: For the internet, use some well known search engines and enter in artist’s names, like “Picasso”, or enter famous art movements, for example “Pop Art”.
Aesthetic Scanning As Brutger stated (2005), in 1972, an art educator and theorist named Harry Broudy published a book about the art of aesthetics. Aesthetic scanning means cues or clues that contribute to the overall design and beauty in a work of art.
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An art viewer needs a certain framework of ideas when looking at a work of art. This helps becoming knowledgeable about how to view works of art. This model will help you be analytical while making distinctions when viewing images. Using your sensory perception, you will develop a richer sense of art ideas and images.
Now locate an art image and examine it. The first step is identifying the Sensory Properties. These include the art elements of color, value, line, shape, form, texture, and space. The questions to ask will relate to these properties. For example: What colors do you see? Do you see any lines? Is there deep or shallow space in the picture? Are there more dark colors or bright colors? What kind of shapes does the picture have in it? Is texture evident? What kind of texture is it, smooth, rough?
Ask these types of questions for each element.
Next, look at the Formal Properties. Use the principles of design to look at the organization of an art piece. The principles include balance, unity, emphasis, harmony, variety, movement, rhythm, and proportion.
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Now ask questions like: Is the picture balanced? What makes it balanced? What is the focus? Is there rhythm? What element gives it rhythm? Are there repeated shapes? What would help this piece? Is there color needed over there? Do you see any movement, if so, where does it exist? What gives it movement? Is there anything that distracts you in this picture?
Be able to ask yourself questions about every kind of design principle in different kinds of ways.
Now look at the artwork and begin to come up with your own interpretation. What do you think the overall feeling or mood is of the work? This step is interpreting the Expressive Properties of a work.
For example: Is this a sad or happy work? What may the artist be trying to tell us? Is it bold or timid, peaceful or chaotic? Does it remind you of something particular? How does it make you feel when you look at it? Would you hang it in your house, why or why not?
Finally, in an aesthetic scan, we need to examine the Technical Properties. Decide what medium was used to create this work.
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Is it a painting, sculpture, print, photograph, etc? What kind of material did the artist use? How well did the artist succeed with this particular medium? Why do you think he or she chose to use that medium?
Answering all these questions is formally examining the aesthetic qualities in a work. This method is helpful when doing it with other friends or family. By answering all these questions, you can just admire or observe it from an aesthetic point of view.
The Four Steps to Art Criticism Now find a different work of art or image. Look at this work of art using four steps but in somewhat of a different way. This is the most well known form of art criticism. It includes description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. Use these to help you gain information about a work of art (Mittler, 1994). Try writing your answers down on a sheet of paper.
Description: In the first step, simply describe exactly what you see in an artwork. Do this as neutrally as possible. Again, use sensory properties to gain information. Identify all the lines, shapes, colors, textures, values, etc. Also, discuss the subject matter, but still just state it with no opinion.
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Analysis: Now explain how the parts are organized. Which principles of design seem important? Do these principles work well together, why or why not? Refer back to the design chart. Analyze how things effect and influence each other. Describe the relationships that you see.
Interpretation: Now you need to decide the meaning or idea of this work. What is it symbolizing? What is the feeling or mood of the work? What does this work mean? What adjectives would you use to describe this work? Your interpretation is a personal one and there is no right or wrong answer here.
Judgment: Finally, you get to decide if you think this art piece is successful or not. What makes it successful? What areas need improvement? Be able to explain why or why not. Be mindful of the steps you have just completed.
To make a solid judgment as an art critic, consider what aesthetic qualities are in this artwork. What aesthetics criteria was the artist using? This leads us into the three theories of art.
The Three Art Theories
The following three theories are what critics have found to categorize art (Mittler, 1994).
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Imitationalism: is when the artist seems primarily concerned with imitating the real world as he or she sees it. The subject matter is presented in a realist way and the artist is imitating life. Think of an exact portrait of a famous King or Queen, or a landscape painting of a beautiful field of flowers, done as real to life as possible.
Emotionalism: is when the artist seems primarily concerned with showing or communicating a mood, feeling, or ideas to the viewer. Simply put, the artist wants to express an emotion. Think about the way an artist makes his or her brush strokes; is the artist calm or chaotic? If it is a painting of a woman and she looks sad, then the painting is expressing a sorrowful emotion.
Both realistic and abstract work can be full of emotion.
Formalism: when an artist seems interested in showing an effective organization of the elements of art using of the principles of design. An artist may want the viewer to be aware of lines, shapes, colors, etc. There are many works of art with this interest nowadays. A painting full of color harmonies with lines and shapes, like a Kandinsky, for example, would be a good example of Formalism.
Now, lets refer back to that painting of a the sad looking woman. Imagine she is in a dark room, with muted colors and tones. Maybe she is sitting on her bedside looking down. It is painted with exact details as the light shines through her bedroom window. It almost looks like a photograph because it is so realistically painted.
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This piece is an example of what theory? The truth is, you can pick both Emotionalism and Imitationalism, and it does not have to be one or the other.
Maybe, to you, the artist was more concerned with showing the deep, melancholy emotion of the unknown woman. Maybe the viewer was supposed to wonder why she was sad. However, for someone else the realistic painting style is what catches their eye. Both answers are right. That is the beauty of art criticism; it is a personal choice.
The reason this step is so important when judging a work of art is that we get to decide if the artwork were a successful example of its given theory. What impressed you about the work? Was it the emotion displayed? What are the design elements? Was it hard to decide between the three?
Maybe you see that an artist was trying to express his or her emotions but it failed in your eyes. Perhaps it was supposed to be imitating the natural world but it did so poorly. The three theories of art are just tools to use when judging a work of art.
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Lesson 6 Review
1. Choose the best description of Formal Properties in an aesthetic scan. A. Lines are bold and short; the colors are complementary. B. Emphasis is on the seated figure. C. The feeling is joyous and light. D. Shapes and forms are abundant.
2. Choose the best description of Technical Properties in an aesthetic scan. A. All the elements harmonize with one another. B. The implied texture at the top looks soft and shiny. C. The value contrasts are dramatic and create a feeling of mystery and intrigue. D. The stone is rough with a lot of detail.
3. Which of the following is an example of Description? A. The artwork is successful because it is a wonderful example of Imitationalism and all the elements harmonize with one another. B. The right side of the picture does not balance with the left side. There is too much variety and not enough unity. C. There are several round shapes, or oranges in the center of the picture with organic lines on the tablecloth. D. The subject matter seems symbolic of the cycles of life.
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4. Which of the following is an example of Interpretation? A. The picture feels calm, quiet, and reflective. B. It shows several warm colors and flat shapes in the background. C. There is a lot of movement going on in the foreground that unifies with the still background. D. It is not successful because it is not clear which theory it falls into and its use of medium is poor.
Match the following:
5. Emotionalism A. True to life. Formalism B. Full of mood and passion. Imitationalism. C. Full of design elements.
Answers 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. B, C, A
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LESSON 6 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Art criticism can help the viewer decide if a work of art succeeds or fails in their opinion An aesthetic scan is used to discover the clues that contribute to the overall design and beauty in a work of art The Sensory Properties in an aesthetic scan contain color, value, line, shape, form, texture, and space Deciding if a work is happy or sad is part of an aesthetic scan The viewer can not complete an aesthetic scan by looking at only one of the Properties Formal Properties in an aesthetic scan best be described by an emphasis on the seated figure The best description of Technical Properties in an aesthetic scan would be the stone is rough with a lot of detail An example of Description is there are several round shapes or oranges in the center of the picture with organic lines on the tablecloth An example of interpretation could be as follows: the picture feels calm, quiet, and reflective Formalism can best be described as full of design elements
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LESSON 7: THE VALUE OF ART
In this lesson, you will learn the benefits associated with the study of art and art history. Learning about art aesthetics and history can help you in many ways as a student and as a citizen.
One cannot understate the value of art appreciation and the creation of art to those individuals who enjoy the process. People have been making art since the beginning of time. Consider the reason why they have been doing so. Why do people value art so much, whether they are educators, art patrons or gallery owners? Why do people believe that art is important? Scholars and philosophers have long studied these questions. What is the value of art?
To begin, art is a language that we can all understand. Art crosses boundaries, whether cultural or racial. Through it, we can begin to understand other people’s experiences. Art provides people with the mode for self-expression, without the need to speak.
Art teaches us discipline and patience, it makes us begin and complete a project that is truly our own. Sometimes art can help us understand ourselves better, or can make us look and feel differently about a situation.
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It teaches us higher order thinking skills. The analysis of symbolism forces us to come up with our own visual solutions.
Art can be a form of healing for some, and a time of quiet reflection for others. Art does not discriminate; anyone can appreciate and create art. Art can be relaxing, a quiet time to break up the routine of the day. Art stimulates the mind and quiets the outside world. That is some of the mystery and beauty of art.
Communicating through the arts As a student, it is important to be able to communicate about your own art or art that you see in a museum. You may want to draw, paint or create a collage when studying a history lesson.
You may be surprised at how much more you get out of that lesson when creating a visual to complement it. For example, if you were making a collage about the Harlem Renaissance, what kind of elements would you use? What would be the color scheme and overall mood of a piece?
Remember, when discussing works of art, it is quite helpful to refer to the design chart and discuss how the elements helped create the principles. This will help you discover the design relationships between the elements and the
90 ART AND YOU principles of art. From there you can draw your conclusion: is this a successful piece? Do the elements and principles of art help create a feeling of unity? That is the million-dollar question. Be prepared to answer why you do or do not think an art piece shows unity. Use the elements and principles as reason for your opinion. You have just performed an aesthetic scan of an artwork.
Another way to communicate about art is through art criticism. You now know the four steps in reviewing a work of art. These steps help you make sound judgments on works of art; they go beyond liking or disliking a work. Again, the four steps are description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. When talking about works of art, rehearse these four steps to come up with a conclusion about that work. These steps are the resources that you cannot be without when commenting on a work of art.
The reason it is important to learn about aesthetic scan and art critiques is that it helps us understand what the artist had in mind. Further, it also helps us understand ourselves.
Art can provide a language that crosses barriers and provides critical and analytical thinking into areas of politics and humanity. It can somehow link us to the world yet leave us with a feeling of unique individuality. We can use these techniques to form sound opinions about many things in life and with many art forms.
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Making Connections As stated earlier, art helps us make connections between different sociological and economic elements. We have discussed how art exists as a universal expression. What reasons can art help us as a society?
Examine some of the following ways art can benefit our society and our world:
Art can help us understand artists’ time and place; it commemorates certain events in history Art shows artists’ disposition, values, or opinions. It helps us understand humanity. There is a basic need for human expression and beauty. Art helps us fulfill our potential Art can educate the masses by showing personal, spiritual and religious beliefs. It can visually teach us why an artist may value a certain religion. Art can catalyze change or exhibit social protest. Art helps us make our world a more beautiful place. For example, works of art can brighten up a house, workplace, or school. Art can provide collaboration between artists. It can create bridges. Art can make us examine or reflect upon new issues. Art can help define a community, its values, and its people.
As you can see, art can benefit our culture in numerous ways. Since the beginning of humanity, the impulse to create has been a natural instinct. When people were living in caves, they decorated their walls with the subject matter of their daily lives.
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It is then of no surprise that the drawings and relief carvings that they created were of what they valued in life, like a scene of people dancing around a big feast.
Artist Studios Artists need places to create their work. Art materials can sometimes be messy, have a strong odor, or require a large amount of space. Therefore, many artists work in studios, places specifically designed for artists to create.
Sometimes artists may work out of their home. They can work in one room, a garage, or a workshop in their backyard. However, there can be specific artist studios that are located in a city. Sometimes there can be many artist studios in one building.
For example, in Miami there are two of those places. The first is the Bakehouse Art Complex, which houses seventy plus artists. These artists range from painters, to jewelry designers, to ceramists. Artist’s Studio Another studio complex located in Miami is Art Center/South Florida. Both of these complexes allow visitors to come and look at the studios and galleries located within. If artists are working there, you may even be able to look inside. Visiting a professional artist’s studio is a wonderful learning experience. It can teach you about the discipline and experimentation that goes into art
93 ART AND YOU making. So, along with visiting art museums and galleries, check to see if there are any artist studio complexes in your area. You may be surprised to find that there are.
Other resources Because the visual arts are such an expression of humanity and culture, there are many more opportunities to be a part of an arts community. Art festivals are another way to educate yourself about art and artists. Art festivals can have different themes, like contemporary art, commercial arts and crafts festivals that exhibit things like pottery and jewelry.
Volunteering is also a great way to meet individuals in the arts community. Museums and other non-profit art organizations are always looking for people. This can lead to valuable work experience and get you ahead in the field of Museum Studies.
Well-known artists sometimes need studio assistants to help them. This can put you into the local art community. There you can learn about being a professional artist. An experience like that can teach you about the different materials available and the processes that one has to take to use them.
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THE INTENTIONS OF ARTISTS COMPARED TO THE ART WORLD
In this short discussion, you will explore artists’ intentions and how that can differ from the people involved in selling and exhibiting works. To keep the process of exhibiting and admiring art, there has to be money behind it. It is of no secret that artists sometimes struggle to become financially successful. That can depend on gallery support. Museums need significant funding. This is for the large buildings that they inhabit, and an esteemed collection of famous or quality artworks.
Art can be seen by some as purely investment, where Picasso and Monet paintings can auction in New York City for millions upon millions of dollars. So, what does all this mean? How does money become such a key factor in the making of art? In this discussion, you will examine all these factors and questions and come to your own understanding of the relationship between artists and the art world.
Art collectors
Art collectors help support artists, art museums, art institutions, and galleries. Many collectors have a taste for a certain period or periods of art and actively seek it out. Some do it as an investment standpoint. Others do it because they appreciate good art and the value that art adds to our culture.
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They may also realize how hard it is to support oneself as an artist and wish to help. Some art in stitutions or museums rely on funding from these collectors. So, just how does this affect the art world? Is the art world subject to the collectors’ taste?
There is a field of work in the art world called art administrators. They take on many roles surrounding the exhibition and preservation of art. Yet some museums resist receiving funding from major collectors, because there are usually strings attached.
A collector may give his or her collection of art only if they name the gallery or a museum wing after them. This can sometimes take away from the freedom of exhibiting other works. Yet, what can the collector do for artists? Collectors can make or break a career for an emerging or established artist. Emerging artists are artists whose career is still being established or recognized. Established artists are artists who have solid representation in galleries and are well known to the art world.
If a collector decides to collect the work of a particular artist, that collector is able to support the artist’s work and make other collectors desire to buy art from that artist as well, which can dramatically change the artist’s career. However, the artist needs to be careful not to give in to collectors’ whims and desires, thus changing the creative process of the artist.
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MORE ON ARTISTS’ INTENTIONS AND THAT OF COLLECTORS
It is true that art dated back in history is of great monetary value. In addition, art from other cultures can be of much intrigue for art consumers and add a unique decoration to a home. Do all artists see their work in peoples’ homes when they are creating it? Do you know that when some people of the world create things they may not even think of themselves as an artist? For example, in Africa the people have made beautiful woodcarvings like masks and headdresses of intricate design. Many of these carvings serve to honor their ancestors and to keep the spirits happy so that their tribe can survive. There are certain people of an African tribe who create these honorary objects; linked to their belief system and their well-being.
The Africans would have not known that one day all of these art pieces would be in museums and worth thousands of dollars at art auctions. The African people are not alone in their way of making art. Many other tribes from other places than the Western world create art pieces that serve a certain purpose for that tribe. They did not think of it as a way to make money, they may not even have money or something like it in their tribe or culture. Therefore, you can understand that, because of the differences in cultural values and rules, art takes on very different meanings to different people.
Some tribes could think it strange that Americans would have all their ritual masks
97 ART AND YOU hanging on their walls. They may think it strange because why would they hang American paintings in their tribal villages, for example. Why do you think people collect items from other cultures? Why do you think that objects dated back in history are of so much monetary value? These are important analytical questions to ask yourself when studying the financial aspect of the art world.
Lesson 7 Review
1. Which of the following can best help you perform an aesthetic scan? A. The artwork’s place in history. B. Identifying the subject matter. C. Critiquing a work of art. D. A design chart.
2. How can an artist achieve unity in a work? A. If all the elements harmonize with one element. B. If the viewer finds a piece successful through analysis. C. If the elements and principles of art work together successfully. D. If the mood and color scheme depict the subject matter in a unique fashion.
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3. The steps to art criticism are: A. Describing the work, analyzing its organization, interpreting the mood and ideas, and making a judgment. B. Describing the work, interpreting the mood and ideas, analyzing its organization, and making a judgment. C. Interpreting the mood and ideas, analyzing its organization, describing the work, and making a judgment. D. No ne of the Above.
4.True or False: Art can teach us about religious values. A. True B. False
5. Art can provide: A. Understanding between different cultures. B. Collaborations between different artists. C. A basic human need for expression and fulfillment. D. Change in our society. E. All of the Above.
Answers 1. D 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. E
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LESSON 7 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Using a design chart is the best help to perform an aesthetic scan An artist can achieve unity in a work if the elements and principles of art work together successfully The steps to art criticism are: describing the work, analyzing its organization, interpreting the mood and ideas, and making a judgment Art can teach us about religious values Art can provide: understanding between different cultures, collaborations between different artists, show a basic human need for expression and fulfillment, and changes in our society Showing the difference between male and female artists, both young and old, is not a previous listed benefit of becoming a part of an arts community Another word for docent is guide A gallery usually represents a number of artists Artists can work in various types of studios A theatre is not generally considered to be a community visual arts resource
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END OF COURSE REVIEW
Capability, process, and outcome are words you can use to define art There is more than one clear definition of what art is An example of Art as Social Commentary is a photograph of world hunger taken in a poor country Admiring the design of a tall building, or flipping through a magazine, or receiving a postcard in the mail from someone who is traveling is an example of how art and design affect our lives People have been making art since the Primitive times The way an artist uses the technical skills of a given medium defines an artist’s technique An example of a realistic style of art would be a photograph of your neighborhood A butterfly, a human face, and an open book are examples of things that are symmetrical Positive space is not the space occupied by the subject or objects An example of a painting full of organic shapes and cool colors would be a painting of trees with deep blue and green colors The important aspect of art to the Egyptians was that forms of the human body depicted the set of rules followed to ensure a safe return from the afterlife In classical Greek architecture the cella was dedicated to the gods or goddesses Artists or architects tended to remain nameless in the Middle Ages. Their names were not important because art was a reflections of their faith
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In architecture, the purpose of a buttress is to provide support so the ceilings would not collapse The artist Giotto was interest in human emotion, realism, foreground, and background Michelangelo worked without stopping, except to eat, when he was creating the Sistine the Chapel The Baroque period was not full or color, drama, line, mood, or realism. It was full of action, time, light, and space Romanticism is a style of art that uses dramatic colors to express emotion Edgar Degas was influenced by the camera and the Japanese print Paul Cezanne is sometimes called the ”Father of Modernism” Picasso worked in three periods of art; Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism The architect Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to continue with the modern style of artists and began creating works that resembled the natural world Hoffman, Pollock, Rothko, Newman, and Warhol were not all Abstract Expressionists Alexander Calder created large-scale mobiles Artists of today are more commonly using installations, video, and performance as art Value is a component of quality of color and an element of art. Lines can be evident in sculpture Shape does not have depth, form does The texture of a collage that contains sandpaper and buttons is rough, not implied texture
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Space can be evident in art through perspective or elements receding into the background and other aspects A good example of radial balance would be a daisy A good example of emphasis would be a large red flower that contrasts with a dark background or a woman sitting on a chair wearing a light hued dress and being largely out of proportion with the small room Movement would be more apparent in an abstract painting with lots of textures and linear shapes Artists can use line, texture, shapes and color to create rhythm. One dominant element in an artwork can help to achieve many principles Formal Properties in an aesthetic scan best be described by an emphasis on the seated figure The best description of Technical Properties in an aesthetic scan would be the stone is rough with a lot of detail An example of Description is there are several round shapes or oranges in the center of the picture with organic lines on the tablecloth An example of interpretation could be as follows: the picture feels calm, quiet, and reflective Formalism can best be described as full of design elements. Using a design chart is the best help to perform an aesthetic scan An artist can achieve unity in a work if the elements and principles of art work together successfully The steps to art criticism are: describing the work, analyzing its organization, interpreting the mood and ideas, and making a judgment Art can teach us about religious values
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Art can provide: understanding between different cultures, collaborations between different artists, show a basic human need for expression and fulfillment, and changes in our society Showing the difference between male and female artists, both young and old, is not a previous listed benefit of becoming a part of an arts community Another word for docent is guide A gallery usually represents a number of artists Artists can work in various types of studios A theatre is not generally considered to be a community visual arts resource
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REFERENCES
Artlex Art Dictionary. (2005, March 1). Electronic preference formats recommended by the Artlex Art Dictionary. Retrieved March 1, 2005 from the World Wide Web: HYPERLINK "http://www.artlex.com" http://www.artlex.com.
Brutger, James H. (2005, March 8). Aesthetic Scanning. Retrieved March 7, 2005 from the World Wide Web: HYPERLINK "http://www.d.umn.edu/artedu/scan.html" http://www.d.umn.edu/artedu/scan.html.
Fichner-Rathus, Lois. (1986). Understanding Art. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Mittler, Gene A. (1994). Art in Focus. New York, NY: Macmillan/McGraw Hill.
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