Francis Kanyari
Art Terminologies
- Medium is the material used by artists to create art. It is the material that a piece of art is made out of usually can be oil, tempera, or ink on Canvas, wood, and silk, respectively. It is also the categorization/type of art based on the material used such as sculpture, drawing, or painting.
- Context constitutes all the elements of the artwork that influence the artist or the artwork. It includes the time of the artwork making, place of making both geographically and culturally, and the reason it was made, among others. Contextual information helps people become more informed about an artwork, mostly because all types of artworks exist in contexts that are multiple.
- Representational is a term for art representing some reality aspects, in a less or more straightforward way. It is also the work of art closely resembling/depicting forms in both the human-made and natural world.
- Abstract/non-objective is a term used in describing art that is not based on nature or external reality. An abstract describes any art in which the color and form are in the absence of a representational image. Depiction of any real image is discarded in pure abstraction. Non-objective art is one in which real objects are not represented.
- Two-dimensional is a term used in art when the composition of work of art possesses the dimensions of width and length but has no depth. Usually, pieces of art that are two-dimensional, such as prints, paintings, and drawings are made up of shapes.
- Three-dimensional (forms) is an element of art used by an artist to compose the artwork. It connotes artwork that encloses volume, having height, width, and length. Forms are shapes in three dimensions, and just like shapes, they can be organic or geometric.
- Virtual arts is a form of art where the makers of art use canvas, paint, and other materials to create objects of art. In virtual arts, emotions, feelings, or opinions are expressed through painting, photography, and drawing. Performing arts, on the other hand, is an art form where the artists use their bodies and their voices to pass a message or make their artistic expression. In performing arts, emotions, feelings, and opinions are expressed through the performance of means such as dance, public speech, music, theatre, and more.
- Subject refers to the significant ideas represented in the work of art. It is the essence of a piece of art or the narrative or visual focus of an artwork. In descriptive art, the subject is the things or person represented in the artwork while in non-objective or abstract art forms; the subject is the primary character of the artist’s visual signs.
- Elements of art are stylistic characteristics included within a piece of art to help the art maker communicate his or her message. They are the virtual tools used by an artist in creating a composition. There are seven elements of art which include shape, form, space, texture, value, color, and line with an addition of materiality and mark making.
- Principles of art are a representation of how the elements of art are used by the artist to help in creating and effect while conveying the intent of the artist. The principles of art include unity, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, balance, pattern, and movement. The principles help in determining the success or finishing of the painting.
- Aesthetic is a philosophy applied in arts that aims at formulating the criteria for understanding the qualities of art. It is the understanding or study of anything visually pleasing within the principles of art boundaries. Aesthetic describes the response that is not about the artwork being topical, useful, emotional, or even scientific but about the appeal of the artwork visually.