Art & Design

visual literacy

The ability to effectively interpret images or create and use images as a form of communication.

convergent thinking

a problem-solving strategy in which a pre-determined goal is pursued in a linear progression using a highly focused problem-solving process. Six steps are commonly used:1. Define the problem, 2. do research, 3. determine your objective, 4. devise a strate

divergent thinking

an open-ended problem solving strategy. Starting with a broad theme, the designer explores in all directions, expanding ideas in all directions.

media

Materials that are used to create a work of art or are understood within a certain genre, like painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, or film. The term can also refer to tools or methods to deliver information, like newspapers, television, film, p

process

An artist's investigation, or the steps the artist takes to make a work of art. It differs widely from artist to artist. For many artists, it has become just as important, if not more important, than the final work of art itself.

fabrication

The act of forming something into a whole by constructing, framing, or uniting its parts. it often involves the collaboration of specialists, who provide skills and specialized machines or processes to realize the artwork.

collaboration

A cooperative working arrangement between an artist and another person, group, or institution. Artists often work together with a variety of specialists, assistants, colleagues, and audiences. Some artists even form long-term working partnerships with oth

aesthetic

Used to describe something as visually-based, beautiful, or pleasing in appearance and to the senses. it is a branch of Western philosophy dealing with that academic or scientific study of beauty, art, and taste.

contemporary art

Art made after 1970 or works of art made by living artists. A loose term that at times overlaps with Modern Art, many museums specialize in showing art by living artists in isolation while other institutions show this art period along with works dating ba

modern art/modernism

An historical period and attitude from the early to mid-20th century (roughly 1860's to 1970), characterized by experimentation, abstraction, a desire to provoke, and a belief in progress. These artists strove to go beyond that which had come before. Work

post-colonism

it refers to a set of theoretical approaches to the aftermath and legacy of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European colonial rule�and especially to issues of individual and national identity, the subjugation and exploitation of nations or ethnic groups

post-modernism

A term that has come to describe the stylistic developments that depart from the norms of modernism starting around the 1970's. Notable characteristics include conceptual emphasis, social commentary, irreverence, and skepticism about universal truths. Typ

pluralism

A new openness to multiple styles and media - a variety of accepted points of view or conventions in the art world (rather than distinct schools or movements.

content

The subject matter, concepts, or ideas associated with a work of art. the term is shaped by the artist's intentions, the context of its presentation, and by the experiences, thoughts, and reactions of the viewer.

context

The location, information, or time-frame that informs how a work of art is viewed and what it means. Works of art often respond to a particular space or cultural climate. If the context for a work of art is changed or re-contextualized, the way in which t

form

The shape and structure of a work of art, formal elements include color, shape, pattern, and duration. Many artists strive for a relationship between this term and content, so that the way something is made fits with what the artist intends the work to be

iconography

Symbols and images that have a particular meaning, either learned or universal.

symbolism

The practice of representing something by an image, sign, symbol, convention, or association.

stylized

Describes works of art that conform to imagined or invented visual rules. Artwork that is this term tends to be less spontaneous or visually responsive to changes in subject matter.

graphic

A description applied to two-dimensional images without modulation of shadows and highlights to suggest three-dimensional form. Characterized by contrast and shape; often pertains to media such as fonts, comic books, and cartoons.

typography

The style, arrangement, or appearance of fonts, letters, or characters in printed or published texts or graphic designs.

abstraction

In visual art, the use of color, shape, and line as elements in and of themselves. The term also refers to artwork that reduces natural appearances to simplified or nonrepresentational forms. it can also be conceptual, such as when a sentence or subject m

realism

In art and literature, the theory or practice of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation; the opposite of idealization.

representation

Depicting recognizable people, places, or things. Includes the figurative, landscape, and still life genres of traditional painting and sculpture.

public art

Works of art that are designed specifically for, or placed in, outdoor spaces or areas physically accessible to the general public.

performance/performance art

Public, private, or videotaped, performances often involve the artist performing a creative, visually compelling action. Performance art is normally created by people with a visual arts education and relates more to the history of painting and sculpture t

minimalism

The name coined to describe a school of abstract painting and sculpture that emphasizes extreme simplification of form, often employing geometry or repetition. Much art of this type is reduced to basic shapes (for example, cubes and spheres) or raw, inele

feminism art movement

The efforts of artists internationally to bring increased visibility and respect to the role of women within art history and art practice. The movement began in the 1960s and continues today. Feminist art is related to the larger feminist movement that en

pictoralism

Movement that dominated photography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries where the photographer has somehow manipulated the image (often with soft focus) rather than a simply documenting. Technique often emphasized artificial, romanticized qualit

paradigm shift

a transformation from one way of thinking to another driven by agents of change (example agents might include: printing press, industrial revolution, computer, etc.)

concept/conceptual art

it is a thought or idea; a frame of mind that can include imagination, opinion, and logic. it emphasizes that the idea is equal to, if not more important than, the finished product. it can take many forms, from photographs to texts to videos, and sometime

land art

Also known as earth art or earthworks, it uses the raw materials of the natural world to make large-scale, outdoor sculpture. Often taking many years to complete, some earthworks made in the 1970s exist to this day while others are still under constructio

history painting

Large-scale painting that represents either historical events or scenes from legend or literature. Considered the highest form of art in the nineteenth century, these paintings are grand in concept and execution. Much of Modern art has been a reaction aga

installation

The term originally referred only to the arrangement of works of art in a gallery. In contemporary art, it can also be an artwork that uses a range of materials to present a particular environment, or an artwork designed for a specific physical space (usu

monument

A public work of art, usually large in scale, which commemorates a group of people, historical event, or ideal. these are most often made at the invitation of a civic group or government. Memorials are a type of these and come in a variety of scales and m

diorama

Invented by Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre (inventor of daguerreotype, early photography) in the early 1800's in Paris - today known as a full-size replica or model and often associated with museums and the depiction of nature, cityscapes, historical events

site-specific

Describes works of art that are designed for a particular place; may be permanent or impermanent. Some of these works are located in remote places, and the experience of the artwork is often limited to photographic documentation and verbal explanation.

place

A geographic or imaginary location, landscape, origin, or relation in space. Artists are influenced by their surroundings and their works are often in response to a site or historical situation. In American history, places such as the antebellum South or

kitsch

A term adopted from the German kitsch meaning trash. Used to describe items that are overly decorative or sentimental, that appeal to popular, undiscriminating, or lowbrow taste and are often of poor quality. Kitsch may also have negative connotations�mea

high/low

These terms refer to artistic traditions that previously were considered distinct but are increasingly blurred in contemporary culture. High art has been defined as visual expression using established materials and media, such as painting and sculpture, w

popular culture

The collected creative expressions of contemporary society�such as literature, radio and TV broadcasting, music, dance, movies, and sports�distinguished by their broad availability and appreciation across ethnic, social, and regional groups, and often dis

craft

The artistic practices within the decorative arts that are traditionally defined by their relationship to functional or utilitarian products. it can also refer to the labor or skill of an artist or artisan.

genre

A means of categorizing works of art based on style, form, and subject matter. For example, history painting and landscape are genres of painting; horror and romantic comedy are genres of film; detective and science fiction are genres of literature.

icon

An image or symbol that has a particular meaning, either learned or universal, by virtue of resemblance or analogy to the object or idea it represents.

metaphor

A relationship between disparate visual or verbal sources where one kind of object, idea, or image is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. Artists use these to bridge differences between seemingly dissimilar images and i

allegory

An image or story that refers to a related or overarching concept, such as good or evil, which typically reflects truths or generalizations about human experience.

analogy

a similarity or connection between things which are apparently separate and dissimilar. they are often used to explain a difficult concept or unfamiliar skill. For example, when a teacher describes wet plaster as having the "consistency of cream," she is

motif

A recurrent or dominant theme in a work of visual or literary art.

narrative

The representation in art, by form and content, of an event or story. Whether a literal story, event, or subject matter�or a more abstract relationship between colors, forms and materials�narrative in visual art applies as much to the work as it does to t

appropriation

In art, the act of borrowing imagery or forms to create a new work of art. The act of borrowing pieces or sections of cultural products�from visual, performance, or popular sources�in order to create a new work. Can be used in homage or commentary.

juxtaposition

Placing seemingly disparate or unrelated objects or images close together or side-by-side, to encourage comparisons or contrasts. Visual artists often use these to refer to existing images or ideas and suggest new meanings for them.

transcendence

The state of being beyond the range of normal perception and consciousness, or of being free from the constraints of the material world.

ambiguity

The capacity to be understood in more than one way. In art, a word, phrase, or image can be this if it contains multiple meanings to the artist and/or the viewer. For artists, this is often cited as an important characteristic that allows their work to be

critique

An assessment of something, with commentary on its good and bad qualities. Criticism is the activity of judgment or informed interpretation. In art, critiques often take the form of a group discussion in which the merits of a particular work are debated.

culture

The rarely questioned system of beliefs, values and practices that form one's life. they are often identified by national borders, ethnicity, and religion�while some cultures cross borders, ethnicities and organized faiths. A culture which involves a sele

ideology

An organized system of values and opinions that form the basis of a social, political, or economic agenda. Informed by a culture, they often take the form of rules, codes, or guiding principles.

utopia

An imagined perfect society; an ideal community with perfect laws, government, and social conditions. Evocative of people's hopes and wishes, they are ultimately unrealizable. Some believe the Internet is a place where a utopia may be possible.

consumer society

A society in which mass-produced goods are made attractive and are advertised through mass-communication and media.

consumption

The intake of objects, images, and popular ideas into one's home, body, or daily life. Whether in the form of food, furniture, art objects, or advertising, consumption is rooted in the sale and purchase of goods. Artworks that deal with consumption involv

identity

How you view yourself, how others perceive you, and how a society as a whole defines groups of people. Influences of one's identity are: ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, and class, as well as education, childhood, and life experience. Contempor

identity politics

Refers to the beliefs and activities of those who target racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and work for social rights and economic parity

essentialism

(sameness): Playing down distinctions among group members in the interest of building a large, cohesive coalition. (strategy often used by artists in the1970's / early 1980's)

multiculturalism

Refers to the recognition of cultural differences - advocating these differences as desirable / good rather than something we should fear and repress

diversity

difference): Strongly contrasts with essentialism. this term is not formed around one centralized variable like race - instead it is formed within a complex matrix of many variables (gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, religion, community, nation, etc.).

hybridity

Related to notions of multiculturalism and diversity - "state of being, arrived at through the innovative mixing an borrowing of ideas, languages, and modes of practice

otherness

male/female, black/white, heterosexual/homosexual, Western/non-Western - defined as a stereotyped contrast to a Westernized mainstream identity with the mainstream being "normal" and desirable identity (binary thinking)

persona

A personality that a person projects in public, often representing a character in a fictional context.

stereotype

A generalized type or caricature of a person, place, or culture, often negative in tone. Visual as well as verbal, they tend to reduce or oversimplify the subject.

vernacular

Language specific to a social group or region; language spoken or written by everyday people as opposed to literary or cultured language. Vernacular images are those that commonly appear in daily life in a particular culture.