Today is the first crit! So exciting!
I am looking forward to seeing your work and beginning a dialogue for the rest of the semester- creating an open forum is important to help all of us improve as artists-
Here is a lost of some of the vocabulary that we will be using to talk about photography- using the right terms will aid in thinking about photography on new levels...
aesthetic- A branch of philosophy concerned with discovering the origins of the art experience and the relationship between art and other aspects of culture- it refers to the concern with artistic qualities of form .
amorphous shape- A shape without clear definition:formless, indistinct, and of uncertain dimension.
approximate symmetry- The use of similar imagery on both sides of a central axis.
asymmetry- Having unlike, or non-corresponding, appearance -"without symmetry."
balance- A sense of equilibrium achieved through implied weight, attention, or attraction, but manipulating the visual elements with an artwork.
biomorphic shape- An irregular shape that resembles the freely developed curves found in living organisms.
closure- A concept derived from gestalt psychology describing the mental relationships that develop while incomplete information is grasped as a complete, unified whole; the artist provides visual suggestions, which the observer brings to final recognition.
composition- The total arrangement of all the elements in an artwork- sometimes interchangeable with the terms design and form.
concept- A comprehensive idea or generalization- an idea that brings diverse elements into a basic relationship.
content- The essential meaning and significant of a work of art- refers to the sensory, subjective, psychological or emotional properties a work of art contains, as opposed to its descriptive aspects alone.
contour- The line that defines the edge of an object of a drawn or painted shape- the outline contours may also be marked by the variations of tones, textures, or color.
craftsmanship- Aptitude, skill, quality workmanship in the use of tools and materials.
curvilinear-Stressing the use of curved lines, as opposed to rectilinear, which stresses straight lines.
economy- The distillation of the image to the basic essentials for clarity of presentation.
form- The organization and arrangement of visual elements that develop unity in artwork- the total appearance or organization of an artwork.
geometric shape- A shape that appears related to geometry; usually simple, such as a triangle, rectangle and circle.
graphic art- 2-dimensional art forms, such as drawing, painting, and printmaking.
harmony- The pleasing quality achieved by different elements of a composition interacting to form a whole.
implied line- Implied lines (subjective lines) are those that dim, fade, stop, and/or disappear. The missing portion of the line is implied to continue and is visually completed by the observer as the line reappears.
implied shape- A shape that does not physically exist but is suggested by dots, lines, areas, or their edges.
line- The path traced by the point of a tool, instrument, or medium as it moves across an area. A line is visible when it contrasts in value with its surroundings.
medium- The materials and means used to bring an artwork into existence.
monochromatic- Having only one hue; the complete range of value of one color from white to black.
motif- A design unit that is repeated often enough in the total composition to make it a significant or dominate feature.
movement- Eye travel directed by visual design in a work of art.
Naturalism- The approach to art that attempts a description of things as they appear in nature. Pure naturalism would contain no personal interpretation introduced by the artist.
negative area- The unoccupied or empty space in an artwork defined by the positive elements created by the artist.
nonrepresentational art- A type of art that is entirely imaginative and not derived from anything visually perceived by the artist and, consequently, not associated by the observer with any previously experienced natural object.
pattern- Any artistic design serving as a model for imitation. A repeated element and/or design that is usually varied and produces interconnections and obvious directional movements.
picture frame- The outermost boundary of the picture plane.
picture plane- The actual flat surface on which the artist executes a pictorial image. In some cases, the picture plane acts merely as a transparent plane of reference to establish the illusion of forms existing in a three-dimensional space.
positive area- The portion of an artwork in which the art elements (shape, line, etc) or their combination, produce the subject- nonrepresentational or recognizable images.
proportion- The comparative size relationship between the parts of a whole.
radial- Emanating from a center.
rectilinear shape- A shape whose boundaries consist of straight lines.
repetition- The use of the same visual effect a number of times in the same composition. Repetition may produce dominance, harmony, pattern or rhythm.
representational art- A type of art in which the subject is presented through the visual art elements so that the observer is reminded of actual objects.
rhythm- A sense of movement achieved by the repetition of visual units; the use of measured accents.
scale- Size relative to human dimensions or another standard unit of measure.
space- The interval, or measurable distance, between points or images.
style- A specific artistic character or dominate trend of form noted during a period of history or during an art movement. Style also refers to the expressive use of media that gives an artwork individual character.
subject- The persons, things, signs, or ideas represented in an artwork that express the artist's inspiration of intention.
subjective- That which is derived from the mind, reflecting a personal viewpoint, bias, or emotion.
symmetry- The mirrorlike repetition of appearances on both sides of an imaginary central axis.
texture- the surface character of a material that can be experienced through touch or the illusion of touch.
three-dimensional- Possessing a dimension of depth, in addition to having the dimensions of height and width.
transparency- A visual quality in which a distant image or distant can be seen through a nearer one.
two-dimensional- Possessing the dimensions of height and width.
unity- The result of bringing the elements of art into the appropriate ratio between harmony and variety to achieve a sense of oneness.
value- the relative degree of light or dark.
variety- Differences achieved by opposing, contrasting, changing, elaborating, or diversifying element in a composition to add individualism and interest.
void- An area lacking positive substance and consisting of negative space.
