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Art Appreciation Notes
- Module
- Art Appreciation
- Institution
- University Of Missouri
Detailed art appreciation notes, covers entire textbook
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Kathe Kollowitz-German or Russian?, black and white was her medium, often sad piecesexpressing her gloom and pain, just using black and white but can show pain and sorrow very
well, commonly pictures of mothers & daughters throughout life, sometimes small happy things
were shown, but eventually hardships of these people were portrayed, uses her art to explain
suffering
Giacometti-huge eyes, like they can’t see or like they see everything, from Switzerland, lived in
Paris for a while-worked at the same studio for 40 years, he could never make a real looking
clay head, female figures were standing figures and they were there “only to be looked at and to
return that look” “untouchable”, but male figures were always captured in motion
Ch 1
- Only artists can EXPLAIN their work, but viewers can appreciate & understand art
- Subject- the “what” of a work of art
- Genres- categories of subjects (religious, mythological, historical, portrait, still life,
landscape, the physical process of making art, etc)
- Genre subjects- images & themes from everyday life
- Abstract art- art with imagery, doesn’t resemble the original things/scenes that it was
derived from
- Non Objective art- art that may make no reference to the natural world, no pretext to
representing it, but still have a subject
Content
- Content- refers to a work’s array of intangible aspects (emotional, intellectual,
psychological, SYMBOLIC elements); a much bigger concept than subject (the WHY of a
work of art)
- Even buildings and architecture can have content
Form
- Form- (the HOW of the what) the totality of a composition or design; the arrangement or
organization of all of its visual elements; gives substance to a subject or an idea
(materials, visual strategies)--- how every element of a work fits together
- Also used to describe 3D shapes and multi-dimensional works of art (sculptures,
architecture)
Iconography
- Iconography- the study of themes and symbols; when deciphered reveal the underlying
meaning of art
Visual Elements & Principles of Design
, - Visual Elements- line, shape, value, color, texture, space, time and motion
- Line- the shortest distance between two points and is the thing created by the
connection of many points (basic but very essential)
- Shape- in 2D art- a flat area created when two ends of a line are connected and an area
is enclosed; can also describe an area of a work that is created by other shapes
surrounding it; in 3D art this is the fundamental visual component
- Value- describes the relative lightness or darkness of an image
- Color- has properties, behavior, effects
- Texture- the surface character of materials as experiences by the senses of touch and
sight
- Space- describes the area around or within the components of a work of art
- Time and motion- motion occurs over time and distance; motion can be actual
(components of the piece really change position) or implied (illusionary)
Principles of Design
- Principles of Design- refer to the visual strategies that are used to construct a work of art
(unity and variety, emphasis, focal point, balance, rhythm, scale, proportion)
- Unity- a sense of oneness or cohesiveness; harmonious whole
- Variety- contrast & diversity; the counterpoint of unity; contradicting elements that add
surprise or spontaneity
- Emphasis- describes an attention-grabbing aspect that directs the viewer’s eye to a
particular area
- Focal Point- the main point of interest in a work of art
- Balance- the distribution of weight (actual or visual); results in a physical stability
- Rhythm- recurrent visual motifs and compositional accents, movement, and flow (like in
music)
- Scale- the size of something relative to the human dimensions of a viewer
- Proportion- comparative size- the size of elements or images within a work of art in
relation to each other or to the whole
Mediums and Techniques
- Medium- the materials and tools that artists use to create a work of art (can be pretty
much ANYTHING- marble, oil paint, charcoal, HAIR????, chocolate???)
- Techniques- methods; the specific ways that mediums are handled, used
Style- the distinctive mode of expression that results from the way in which an artist handles
materials and the elements and principles of art and design; the “signature look” of an artist’s
work
Realism
, - Realism- refers to the replication of people & things as they are seen by the eye or
thought to be seen-without idealization, without distortion (Rapheal’s Portrait of
Baldassare Castiglione) (can include photos)
- Representational Art- forms in the natural world that most people would recognize even
if the maker has not rendered the details with exact realism
Expressionism
- Expressionism- a style that reflects a subjective, “inner world”; a style that conveys the
psychological & emotional state of the artist
- Uses distortion, exaggeration, color, brushwork, texture
Abstraction
- abstraction art- art that does not imitate or clearly represent visible reality; the opposite
of realism; have a lack of readily distinguishable characteristics; abstractness can vary
from work to work
Abstract Art & Nonobjective Art
- Nonobjective art- does not begin with objects in the visible world; the artist creates
compositions from the elements of art (line, shape, color, etc)- Different from Abstract,
but Similar
Ch 2 Line and Shape
- Lines & shapes are very important in art
- Dot- a point but with a measurable size
The Measure of Line
- Refers to a line’s length & width
- If given enough width, a line can play the role of a shape
Types & Qualities of Line
- Lines can be straight, curved, horizontal, diagonal, etc
- Quality of line relates to its measure (thickness) and its characteristics (smooth, jagged,
broken, continuous, etc)
- Lines can mean lots of things, create moods, and be symbolic
Actual, Implied, and Psychological Lines
- Actual Lines- lines that are physically present in a work of art
- Implied Line- refers to the sense of line created by the perceptual tendency to connect a
series of points (discontinuous lines look continuous)
- Psychological Line- suggest a conceptual connection (invisible line/path) between or
with elements or characters in a composition (ex-people looking at one another, or an
object)
Directionality of Line: Vertical, Horizontal, and Diagonal
- Horizontal lines suggest calm and stability
- Vertical lines represent limitless heights, seem to defy gravity
- Diagonal convey energy, spontaneousness, whimsicalness
- Lines are used to define shape
Outline and Contour Line
, - Outline- a concrete mark that defines a boundary or outer edge of an object or a figure
- Contour Line- not an actual line, but an edge that is perceived where a 3D form curves
away from the viewer
- The Birth of Venus (outlines) vs Mona Lisa (contour lines)
- chiaroscuro/modeling- using contrasts and graduations of light and shade to create the
illusion of 3D on a 2D surface
Line, Value, and Shape
- Value- a progression from light to dark achieved by altering the measure or density of
lines
- Crosshatching- dense patterns of crisscross lines
- Stippling- pattern of dots that varies in density
- Hatching- closely spaced parallel lines
Shape, Form, Volume, and Mass
- Shape- used to describe flat, enclosed areas (circle or square)
- Form- used to describe 3D shapes (spheres or cubes) OR the totality of a work (as
defined earlier)
- Volume- the measurable space within a 3D form or object- can also be applied to sound
in video or film media
- Mass- describes the bulk of a solid, 3D form (Egyptian pyramids)
- Formalism- an approach to art criticism that concentrates primarily on the elements and
design of works of art, rather than their historical contexts or the backgrounds of the
artists
Actual Mass vs Implied Mass
- Actual mass=measurable (pyramids of egypt)
- Implied mass=objects that look dimensional on a 2D surface
Types of Shapes
- The outer edge of a shape characterizes its type
- Rectilinear- shapes with straight edges and angular corners
- Curvilinear- shapes with curving edges
- Both can be described as geometric
- Geometric shapes like circles, cones, spheres=nonobjective (they are not derived from
visible reality and make no reference to it)
- Abstract Shapes- radical alterations of visible reality (simplified versions, exaggerated
versions, etc)
- Amorphous- implied shapes, vague, interpreted by the eye
Geometric Shapes
- Rectangles, cubes, triangles, pyramids, circles, spheres (Pascal’s Provincial Letters by
Dorothea Rockburne)
Organic Shapes
- Derived from those found in nature (curvilinear-implies growth and movement)
- La Pedrera/Casa Mila (architect Antoni Gaudi) uses carved stone and very minimal
straight lines or flat surfaces with a wavelike roof-infuse building with warmth,
spontaneity
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