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Understanding Art Exam #1
Vocabulary for first Understanding Art Exam
77
Art History
Undergraduate 1
10/05/2010

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Term
Aesthetics
Definition
The branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste.
Term
Abstraction
Definition
Simplification.
Term
Aestheticism
Definition
19th century European movement that emphasized aesthetic values over moral and social themes.
Term
"Art for Arts Sake"
Definition
The philosophy of art that claims that the only "true" art is divorced of any didactic, moral, or utilitarian purpose. This quote is most often credited to Theophile Gautier.
Term
Components of Art
Definition
Subject, form, and content.
Term
Gestalt
Definition
German word for "form". The philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Term
Plastic Arts
Definition
Art works that are made with physical form, existing in the three-dimensional world. Example: Sculptures
Term
Graphic Arts
Definition
Term applied to printmaking and drawing. Typically drawn on a flat surface. Two dimensional.
Term
Precise Lines
Definition
Strict, exact, well defined lines.
Term
Gestural Lines
Definition
A line drawn with force and speed. It is given a very spirited feel and spontaneous quality.
Term
Actual Line
Definition
A drawn, visible, factual line in an art piece.
Term
Implied Line
Definition
A type of line that is created mentally, due to juxtaposition of certain points and elements in an art piece.
Term
Contour Line
Definition
Lines that define the boundaries of a shape.
Term
Psychological Line
Definition
Lines often caused by people in an art piece. They often attempt to convey the thoughts of the people involved.
Term
Cross-Contour Line (Contour Hatching)
Definition
Lines that help shade and define an object's form. When used as hatching, the lines cross one another, better defining the form of an object.
Term
Contour Line
Definition
A line that helps define form.
Term
Hatching
Definition
Intersection of lines to provide shading and tone. The closer and thicker the lines, the darker the tone.
Term
Stippling
Definition
Using a series of dots to define form and shading. The more dense the dots are, the darker the shaded region becomes.
Term
Cross-hatching
Definition
Intersecting horizontal and vertical lines to create the illusion of form and shading.
Term
Expressive Quality of Line
Definition
Horizontal - Calmness, Flatness Vertical - Aggressive, Assertive, Defying Gravity
Term
Shape: Positive Areas and Negative Space
Definition
Positive space is reserved for the subjects, whereas negative space is the "background" of the image. The part that usually pops out is the positive space, as it is most often the focus of the art piece.
Term
Volume and Mass
Definition
Volume is how much space an object occupies, whereas mass is directly proportional to the weight. Mass can also be described as the "force it requires to move the object". Mass is not equal to volume, as you can have a large object that remains ethereal, such as a hot air balloon. For graphic arts, these words are used to merely describe the appearance of objects in an art piece and may be subjective.
Term
Actual Volume and Actual Mass
Definition
Terms used to describe the volume and mass of an object that exists in the three dimensional world. Mass is the difficulty in moving an object, whereas volume is the amount of space that the object occupies.
Term
Implied Volume and Mass
Definition
Implied mass could be done by making an object appear to be constructed of a very dense material. Also, if you make and object have no openings, it lacks an ethereal quality, thereby giving it a lot of mass. Applied volume can be done by having an object of reference, or by depicting an object that is consistent in size in the real, physical world.
Term
Plastic Shape
Definition
The shape or form of an object that occupies the three dimension, physical world.
Term
Geometric and Organic Shape
Definition
Geometric shapes, such as circles, rectangles, and triangles, are created and can be depicted mathematically. These shapes do not convey emotion. Organic shapes do convey emotion and have a living feel to them.
Term
Rectilinear and Curvilinear Shape
Definition
Rectilinear shapes include, but are not limited to rectangles. These are objects made purely with lines. Curvilinear shapes, however, are made using curves, such as a circle or oval.
Term
Biomorphic Shape
Definition
A nonrepresentational form whose shape suggests a living organism.
Term
Amorphous Shape
Definition
A shape with no distinct form, or certain dimensions. It is difficult to see the boundaries on amorphous shapes.
Term
Figure-Ground Relationship
Definition
The distinction between what is the positive area (subject) and the negative area (background) of an art piece. Often, the Rubin vase is cited for it's famous illusion and lack of distinctness between what the figure is and what the ground is.
Term
Figure-Ground Reversal
Definition
A phenomenon that occurs when an art work has more than one interpretation of what the figure is and what the ground is. In this case, the audience will sometimes have trouble figuring out what the "true" subject is and what the "true" background is.
Term
Icon
Definition
A symbol, or relic, representing something other than it's literal meaning. In order to be an icon, it has to be widely recognized for it's meaning.
Term
Actual Shape
Definition
A shape defined by contour lines.
Term
Implied Shape
Definition
A shape that is completed by the viewer.
Term
Value
Definition
Relative lightness and darkness of a color.
Term
Achromatic Value
Definition
Relative lightness and darkness on gray scale. Includes black, white, and all grays.
Term
Value Contrast
Definition
The measurement of the difference in value. Strong contrast is created with a greater difference in value.
Term
Low-Key Value
Definition
Darker values, caused by adding black to a color.
Term
High-key Values
Definition
Lighter values, caused by adding white to a color.
Term
Chiaroscuro
Definition
Art categorized by large differences in lightness and darkness. High contrast art works.
Term
Tenebrism
Definition
Theater-like lighting, using exaggerated chiaroscuro. Caravaggio is most often credited for the invention of Tenebrism.
Term
Value Pattern
Definition
Careful arrangement of all the values in an art piece, to help guide the eye through it.
Term
Local Value
Definition
Values found in the natural, real world.
Term
Highlight and Shadow
Definition
Highlight is the lighter parts, with tint in an art piece. Shadow is the darker regions, using shades.
Term
Open and Closed Value Composition
Definition
In an open value composition, the values can merge from one object to another, causing ambiguity in the separation of shapes. In closed value composition, the shapes are unambiguous, and well defined.
Term
Color and Hue
Definition
Color is the aesthetic quality of an object in reference to the light reflected off of it. It is determined by hue, saturation, and brightness.

Hue is the distinctive characteristics of a color that allow us to categorize it, i.e., blue or green.
Term
Prism
Definition
A four sided glass object that, when pure white light is shined through, echoes the visible light spectrum.
Term
Spectrum
Definition
All possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye.
Term
Color Temperature
Definition
The relative coolness of warmness of a color. Cool colors are those closer to blue on the color wheel, whereas warm colors are those closer to red. These colors have been mentally assigned through the human experience.
Term
Color Saturation (Intensity)
Definition
The intensity of a color. A color with high saturation has a very pure, vivid, dense color to it, whereas a color with no or little saturation is closer to gray scale.
Term
Chroma / Chromatic
Definition
Chroma means color. Chromatic is the adjectival form of color. Chroma is sometimes used to describe the vividness of a color.
Term
Tints and Shades
Definition
Tints are lighter colors, made by adding white to a color.

Shades are darker colors, made by adding black.
Term
Color Value
Definition
One color's relative lightness or darkness. This can be used to separate similarly colored objects in an art piece.
Term
Monochromatic
Definition
Using only one color, however different forms of this color can be used to create an art piece.
Term
Polychromatic
Definition
Having multiple colors.
Term
Pigment
Definition
A color synthesized by using minerals, animals, or plants.
Term
Additive Color Mixing System
Definition
The use of RGB colors. This color system uses light and is applied to computer screens, television screens, as well as theater lighting.
Term
Subtractive Color System
Definition
The color system that uses the colors RYB. Used when mixing pigments.
Term
Primary Colors
Definition
Red, Yellow, and Blue. These are the colors of the subtractive color system. These are also colors that cannot be broken down, and can also theoretically be used to create all other colors.
Term
Secondary Colors
Definition
Colors created by mixing the same proportions of two adjacent primary colors on the color wheel. Secondary colors are opposite of primary colors on the color wheel, and bring out primary colors the most, because they lack the primary color in themselves.
Term
Tertiary Color
Definition
Created by mixing two adjacent colors on the color wheel, one of which is a primary and one secondary.
Term
Analogous Colors
Definition
The colors on the color wheel that are not primary, secondary, or tertiary. They are the in betweens. There are infinite definable analogous colors.
Term
Complementary Colors
Definition
Colors opposite of the color wheel, one of which is a primary color and one is secondary. These colors, when used together, will make the primary color "pop" off the canvas. This is due to the lack of the primary color inside the secondary color.
Term
Neutralized Color
Definition
Dulling a color by way of a vehicle or mixing a black, white, gray, or other color. This removes the intensity of a color.
Term
Representational Art
Definition
Art that depicts something that is easily recognizable to most people.
Term
Optical Perception
Definition
The way we perceive, or see something.
Term
Conceptual Perception
Definition
The subjective way in which we respond to a piece of artwork.
Term
Non-Representational Art
Definition
Art that does not represent a specific object or thing. They are normally made to invoke emotion.
Term
Non-Objective Art
Definition
Art with no recognizable figures or objects.
Term
Texture
Definition
The tactile quality of a surface.
Term
Impasto
Definition
Painting style in which the paint is laid on a surface very thickly.
Term
Actual Texture
Definition
The physical, literal, tactile feel to an art piece.
Term
Natural Texture
Definition
Texture that is not synthesized. i.e., bark of a tree
Term
Simulated Texture
Definition
The illusion of texture without actually having it.
Term
Invented Texture
Definition
Creative way of adding alternate materials to create an interesting texture.
Term
Abstract Texture
Definition
Texture that does not appear to match the object upon which it is found.
Term
Subversive Texture
Definition
Texture that is chosen to foil or undermine our ideas about the object depicted.
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