I.

Types of Art Subjects

1. Representational Art or Objective Art. They are those arts which depict (represent)
objects that are commonly recognized by most people. They attempt to copy, even if
in a subjective manner, something that's real. It uses “form” and is concerned with
“what” is to be depicted in the artwork.

Examples:
A. Still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically
commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, flowers, plants, rocks, or
shells) or man-made (drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so
on) in an artificial setting.
B. Portraiture (portrait) is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic
representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant.
C. Landscapes, Seascapes, Cityscapes

Ein Meerhafen (17th c.) by Johann Anton Eismann

1
2. Non-representational Art or Non-objective Art. They are those arts without any
reference to anything outside itself (without representation). It is non-objective
because it has no recognizable objects. It is abstract in the sense that it doesn’t
represent real objects in our world. It uses “content” and is concerned with “how” the
artwork is depicted.

Le Premier Disque (1913) by Robert Delaunay

Composition VII (1913) by Wassily Kandinsky

2
II. Ways of Representing Art Subjects

1. Realism. It often refers to the artistic movement, which began in France in the 1850s.
The popularity of realism grew with the introduction of photography - a new visual
source that created a desire for people to produce things that look “objectively real”.
Undistorted by personal bias, realism believed in the ideology of objective reality and
revolted against exaggerated emotionalism. Simply speaking, it is a method of
portraying an art subject according to the objective reality. It depicts what the eyes
can see, what the ear can hear, what the sense faculty may receive.

Escaping Criticism (1874) by Pere Borrell del Caso The Old Violin (1886) by William Harnett

The Twins, Chianti Grapes (1885) by George Henry Hall

3
2. Abstraction. In abstract art, the artist does not show the subject at all as an objectively
reality, but only his idea, or his feeling about it (exaggerated emotionalism). It is all
about what the artists feel and what mood they might want to portray. Abstract art is
all shapes, no real-life images, scenery, or objects. It is totally the opposite of realism.

Forms of Abstraction

A. Distortion. This is clearly manifested when the subject is in misshapen condition,

or the regular shape is twisted out. It is a form of emphasizing detail to the point
that something is no longer “correctly” depicted.

B. Elongation. It refers to that which is being lengthened, a protraction or an

extension.

C. Mangling. This may not be a commonly used way of presenting an abstract

subject, but there are few artists who show subject or objects which are cut,
lacerated, mutilated, torn, hacked or disfigured.

D. Cubism. It began in the early 1900s when artists such as Georges Braque
(French) and Pablo Picasso (Spanish) began painting in such a way that was far
removed from traditional art styles. The Cubists tried to create a new way of seeing
things in art. Many of their subjects, be they people or landscapes, were
represented as combinations of basic geometric shapes - sometimes showing
multiple viewpoints of a particular image. Cubist pictures are therefore often
described as looking like pieces of fractured glass.

E. Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism is a modern art movement that

flowered in America after the Second World War and held sway until the dawn of
Pop Art in the 1960's. With this movement New York replaced Paris as the center
of the art world.

In a painting, the artists applied paint rapidly, and with force to their huge canvases
in an effort to show feelings and emotions, painting gesturally, non-geometrically,
sometimes applying paint with large brushes, sometimes dripping or even throwing
it into the canvas.

Abstract Expressionism was influenced by the Existentialist philosophy, which

emphasized the importance of the act of creating, not of the finished object. What
matters for the artist are the qualities of the paint itself and the act of painting itself.

4
The Old Guitarist (1904) by Pablo Picasso The Scream (1893) by Edvard Munch

City Landscape (1955) by Joan Mitchell

5
3. Symbolism. A symbol is a visible sign of something invisible such as an idea or
quality. Symbolism systematically uses symbols to concentrate or intensify meaning,
making the work of art more subjective (rather than objective) and conventional. For
example, a flag is a symbol of a country and it depicts the value of nationalism; a lion
to represent courage and a lamb to represent meekness. The logos and emblems of
business firms and the coat of arms of bishops are also examples of symbolism.

Le Vice suprème: Frontispiece (1884) by Félicien Rops Allegory of Sculpture (1889) by Gustav Klimt

Le Découragement de l'artiste (1895) by Henri Fantin-Latour

6
4. Fauvism. It is derived from the French “les fauves,” which means “the wild beasts.” It
is an artistic movement of the last part of the 19th century which emphasized
spontaneity and use of extremely bright colors. To a fauvist, for example, a tree trunk
need not be brown. It could be bright red, purple or any other color.

Garden (1919) by Francisco Iturrino Verdun, France (1915) by George Luks

Fête Nautique (1922) by Raoul Dufy

7
5. Dadaism. The term “dada” is a French word, which means a “hobby-horse.” A hobby-
horse is a child’s toy consisting of a wooden horse mounted on a stick. With this
etymology, we could say that Dadaism is system of art which is per se “nonsensical.”
Some would say it is not an art because it strives to have no meaning at all.

Dada Head (1920) Merz Blauer Vogel (1922)

by Sophie Taeuber-Arp by Kurt Schwitters

Fountain (1917) by Marcel Duchamp

8
6. Futurism. Futurism came into being with the appearance of a manifesto published by
the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti on the front page of the February 20, 1909, issue
of Le Figaro. It was the very first manifesto of this kind.

Marinetti summed up the major principles of the Futurists. He and others espoused a
love of speed, technology and violence. Futurism was presented as a modernist
movement celebrating the technological, future era. The car, the plane, the industrial
town were representing the motion in modern life and the technological triumph of
man over nature.

Volo sul paese (1929) Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913)

a by Giulio D’Anna by Umberto Boccioni

The Biker (1923) by Fortunato Depero

9
7. Surrealism. It is an offshoot or a child of dada. It is also known as “super realism,”
which revolves on the method of making ordinary things look extraordinary. It focuses
on real things found in the imagination or fantasy or it has realistic subjects that are
found in the unconscious mind; depicting dreamlike images of the inner mind.

Two Types of Surrealism

A. Veristic Surrealism. It allowed the images of the subconscious to be undisturbed

so that the meaning could be understood through analysis. They follow images of
the subconscious until consciousness could understand the meaning. Examples:
Rene Magritte would show a nighttime sky, then a daytime foreground, or Salvador
Dali would melt clocks to show how unreal how time and space were; slice of a
cheese with a face on it.

B. Automatism or Abstract Surrealism. Images of the subconscious should not be

burdened by meaning, so they are represented in an abstract form. It is focused
more on feelings and less analytical. Proponents: Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.

Surrealistic Techniques:

A. Scale. Changing an object’s scale, or relative size. Example: ordinary small size
of glass to a big extraordinary size.

B. Levitation. Floating objects that don’t normally float. Example: Stone Floating

C. Juxtaposition. Joining two images together in impossible combinations. Example:

Car running and on top of it is a horse running with a man riding.

D. Dislocation. Taking an object form its usual environment and placing it in an

unfamiliar one. Example: a face wrapped by a piece of cloth; an electric burner
inside the car.

E. Transparency. Making objects transparent that are not transparent.

F. Transformation. Changing objects in unusual way.

10
 The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Salvador Dalí

Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War) (1936) by Salvador Dalí

La Guerre (1945) by Toyen

11
8. Impressionism. It is also sometimes referred to as optical realism due to its interest
in the actual viewing experience, including such things as the effect of color, light and
movement on the appearance of the objects depicted in the artworks. Impressionism
focused on directly describing the visual sensations derived from nature. Devotees of
Impressionism were not concerned with the actual depiction of the objects they
painted. Instead they were concerned with the visual impressions aroused by those
objects.

The Impressionists created one of the most important artistic movements of the
nineteenth century and it got its start in France. The theme of the Impressionism
movement teaches, “the human eye is a marvelous instrument”. The worldwide impact
of Impressionism was large and lasting.

Claude Monet is widely recognized as the father of the Impressionist movement, and
his work Impression: Sunrise is widely recognized as the first work of this new
movement. Fascination with color, light and movement formed the core of the
Impressionism movement.

Impression, soleil levant (1872) by Claude Monet

12
Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863) by Édouard Manet

Woman with a Parasol (1875) by Claude Monet

13
III. Kinds of Art Subjects

1. Landscapes, Seascapes, and Cityscapes. Refers to an artwork whose primary

focus is natural scenery, such as mountains, forests, cliffs, trees, rivers, valleys,
etc.

In Europe, the paintings of pure landscapes without human figures was almost
unheard of until the Renaissance. They only served as backgrounds prior to this.

Landscape artists can choose to depict their vision of the earth in a variety of ways.
They can be painted realistically, in an effort to replicate nature as closely as
possible. But landscape painting does not need to replicate a specific place. For
instance, a landscape painting can be created in an abstract manner, in which the
imagery is imbued with a deeper spiritual meaning. A good example of artists who
work in this method are the Aboriginal artists of Australia who create intensely
detailed abstract paintings.

2. Still Life. Is defined as a collection of inanimate objects arranged together in a

specific way.

The magic of still life paintings is that they can show us a new way of looking at
the ordinary objects around us. Once they are placed into a specific arrangement
and then captured in paint, ink, pastel, or any other medium - the objects take on
a whole new meaning. They are imbued with a life beyond the ordinary. Their
existence becomes recorded in time.

14
 The still lifes of Chinese and Japanese painters usually show flowers, fruits and leaves
still in their natural setting, unplucked from the branches.

3. Animals. They are often used as symbols, but they are often simply majestic creative
muses. They have been represented by artists from almost every age and place. In
fact, the earliest known paintings are representations of animals on the walls of caves.

Animals have been used as symbols in conventional religious art.

1. The dove stands for the Holy Spirit in representations of the Trinity
2. The fish and lamb are symbols of Christ
3. The phoenix is the symbol of Resurrection
4. The peacock is the symbol of Immortality through Christ

4. Portraits. A portrait painting or drawing depicts the image of a particular person

or animal, or group thereof. The subject of a portrait is usually called a "sitter",

15
 because traditionally people would sit in front of the artist to have their portrait
painted. Nowadays, of course, artists can work from a photograph, so not
everyone has to "sit" for a portrait.

Portraits are effective and compelling when they tell us something about the
person. A good portrait is not just a visual representation of a person; it will also
reveal something about the essence of the person. What the portrait reveals may
not be completely obvious - sometimes it can be cleverly implied through a certain
expression or pose, an included object, or the artist's use of color. Sometimes the
person in the portrait can become iconic, representing a wider group of people
from a specific period in time, who share something in common.

5. Figures. The sculptor’s chief subject has traditionally been the human body, nude or
clothed. The body’s form, structure and flexibility offer the artist a big challenge to
depict it in a variety of ways, ranging from the idealistic as in the classical Greek
sculptures to the most abstract.

16
6. Everyday Life. Genre painting developed particularly in Holland in the seventeenth
century. The most typical subjects were scenes of peasant life or drinking in taverns,
and tended to be small in scale. In Britain William Hogarth’s modern moral
subjects were a special kind of genre, in their frankness and often biting social satire.

Genre Paintings – representations of rice threshers, cockfighters, candle vendors,

street musicians and children at play.

7. History and Legend. Is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than
artistic style. History paintings usually depict a moment in a narrative story, rather than
a specific and static subject, as in a portrait.

History consists of verifiable facts, legends of unverifiable ones, although many of

them are often accepted as true because tradition has held them so far. Insofar as
ancient past is concerned, it is difficult to tell how much of what we know now is history
and how much is legend.

17
8. Religion and Mythology. Art has always been a handmaiden of Religion. Most of the
world’s religions have used the arts to aid in worship, to instruct, to inspire feelings of
devotion and to impress and convert non-believers.

9. Dreams and Fantasies. Dreams are usually vague and illogical. Artists especially the
surrealists have tried to depict dreams as well as the grotesque terrors and
apprehensions that lurk in the depths of the subsconscious. A dream may be lifelike
situation. Therefore, we would not know if an artwork is based on a dream unless the
artist explicitly mentions it.

18
IV. Elements of Art

The elements of art are sort of like atoms in that both serve as "building blocks" for
creating something. You know that atoms combine and form other things, right?
Sometimes they'll casually make a simple molecule, as when hydrogen and oxygen form
water (H2O). If hydrogen and oxygen take a more aggressive career path and bring
carbon along as a co-worker, together they might form something more complex, like a
molecule of sucrose (C12H22O11).

A similar activity happens when the elements of art are combined. Instead of elements
such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, in art you have these building blocks:

1. line 5. texture
2. shape 6. value
3. form 7. color
4. space

LINE
Line is the foundation of all drawing. It is the first and most versatile of the visual elements
of art. Line in an artwork can be used in many different ways. It can be used to suggest
shape, pattern, form, structure, growth, depth, distance, rhythm, movement and a range
of emotions.
Line is the simplest visual expressive means. It connects a certain distance between two
points and it can be straight, curvy, angular or free. Width, direction and length of the line
often define stroke of an individual artist. It is the crucial element in design and the
necessary constituent of marks and signs. Thick or thin, line helps form shape and form,
create a drawing and consequently it’s the most basic component of figural and many
abstract artistic styles. Some of techniques, such as printmaking, are based on line, and
some of drawing types are defined by simple lines alone, such as croquis.

We have a psychological response to different types of lines:

• Curved lines suggest comfort and ease

• Horizontal lines suggest distance and calm
• Vertical lines suggest height and strength
• Jagged lines suggest turmoil and anxiety

The way we draw a line can convey different expressive qualities:

• Freehand lines can express the personal energy and mood of the artist
• Mechanical lines can express a rigid control
• Continuous lines can lead the eye in certain directions
• Broken lines can express the ephemeral or the insubstantial
• Thick lines can express strength
• Thin lines can express delicacy
19
Examples of the Use of Line in Art

LINE AS TONE AND FORM

HENRY MOORE (1898-1986)

Sheep, 1972 (intaglio print on paper)

LINE AS TEXTURE

PETER DOIG (1959-)

The Architects Home In The Ravine, 1991 (oil on canvas, 200x275cm.)

20
 LINE AS STRUCTURE

ROBERT DELAUNEY (1885-1941)

Eiffel Tower, 1910 (oil on canvas)

LINE AS MOVEMENT

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (c.1760-1849)

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1823–29 (woodblock print from '36 Views of Mount
Fuji')

21
 LINE AS EMOTION

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

Weeping Woman, 1937 (oil on canvas)

LINE AS ENERGY

REMBRANDT VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

Two women teaching a child to walk, c.1635-37 (red chalk on paper)

22
 LINE AS FORM

ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976)

Edgar Varèse and Unknown Man, 1929-30 (wire sculpture)

LINE AS ABSTRACTION

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

Bull - plate 11, January 17 1946 (lithograph)

23
SHAPE

Shape can be natural or man-made, regular or irregular, flat (2-dimensional) or solid (3-
dimensional), representational or abstract, geometric or organic, transparent or opaque,
positive or negative, decorative or symbolic, colored, patterned or textured.

Shape refers to area defined by edges – lines, which is two dimensional. It is often related
to simple geometric figures such as triangle, square, rectangle, circle or various polygons.
At the same time, it can emulate any of the outlines found in nature, depicting silhouettes
of different animals, objects, people or plants. Shape cannot exist without other basic
elements of art. They are also in charge of creating the subject matter, whether it is
figurative or abstract art.

The Perspective of Shapes: The angles and curves of shapes appear to change
depending on our viewpoint. The technique we use to describe this change is
called perspective drawing.

The Behaviour of Shapes: Shapes can be used to control your feelings in the
composition of an artwork:

• Squares and Rectangles can portray strength and stability

• Circles and Ellipses can represent continuous movement
• Triangles can lead the eye in an upward movement
• Inverted Triangles can create a sense of imbalance and tension

Examples of the Use of Shape in Art

TWO DIMENSIONAL SHAPES

M. C. ESCHER (1898-1972)
Reptiles, 1943 (lithograph)

24
 THREE DIMENSIONAL SHAPES

ANTHONY CARO (1924-2013)

Paul's Turn, 1971 (cor-ten steel)

REPRESENTATIONAL SHAPES

HARMEN STEENWYCK (1612-1656)

'Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life', 1640 (oil on oak panel)

25
 ABSTRACT SHAPES

PAUL CÉZANNE (1881-1973)

Still Life with a Peach and Two Green Pears, 1883-87 (oil on canvas)

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SHAPES

STUART DAVIS (1892-1964)

Colonial Cubism, 1954 (oil on canvas)

26
 GEOMETRIC SHAPES

AL HELD (1928-2005)
"S-E" 1979 (84"x84", acrylic on canvas)

ORGANIC SHAPES

GRAHAM SUTHERLAND (1903-1980)

Pastoral, 1930 (etching)

27
 SYMBOLIC AND DECORATIVE SHAPES

EADFRITH, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE (died 721)

'Illuminated Ornamental Cross', 715-721, Lindisfarne Gospels

TRANSPARENT, REFLECTIVE AND OPAQUE SHAPES

RICHARD ESTES (b. 1932)

Donohue's, 1967 (oil on masonite)

28
 THE PERSPECTIVE OF SHAPES

WAYNE THIEBAUD (1920)

Around the Cake, 1962 (oil on canvas)

TONE

Tone is the lightness or darkness of a color. The tonal values of an artwork can be
adjusted to alter its expressive character.

Tone can be used:

• to create a contrast of light and dark.

• to create the illusion of form.
• to create a dramatic or tranquil atmosphere.
• to create a sense of depth and distance.
• to create a rhythm or pattern within a composition.

29
Examples of the Use of Tone in Art

TONE AS THE CONTRAST OF LIGHT AND DARK

CARAVAGGIO (c.1527-1610)
Basket of Fruit, 1595-96 (oil on canvas)

TONE AS FORM

ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528)

Old Man aged 93, 1521 (brush drawing on paper primed with color)

30
 TONE AS DRAMA

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

Guernica, 1937 (oil on canvas)

TONE AS TRANQUILITY

JEAN FRANÇOIS MILLET (1814-1875)

The Angelus, 1857-59 (oil on canvas)

31
 TONE AS DEPTH AND DISTANCE

CHARLES SHEELER (1883-1965)

Canyons, 1951 (oil on canvas)

COLOR

Color is the visual element that has the strongest effect on our emotions. We use color to
create the mood or atmosphere of an artwork.

Color is the direct consequence of reflection of light and one of the most important
elements of art. Color hues come in a scale, but there are three basic colors – blue, red
and yellow. When mixed, these three colors produce all other nuances of the spectrum.
First characteristic of color is therefore nuance or hue, defining the color, in terms we
define as red, green, yellow, orange and so on. Intensity is the next trait of this pictorial
element, describing the clarity of the hue, in the range from bright, deep and vivid to dull
or pastel. Intensity often refers to saturation or its purity. Value is the third characteristic
of color, defining its lightness or darkness. Each hue comes in a span of shades, tinted
with white to become lighter or shaded with black to turn darker.

There are many different approaches to the use of color:

• Color as light
• Color as tone
• Color as pattern
• Color as form
• Color as symbol
• Color as movement
• Color as harmony
• Color as contrast
• Color as mood

32
Examples of the Use of Color in art

COLOR AS LIGHT

GIACOMO BALLA (1871-1958)

Street Light, 1909 (oil on canvas)

COLOR AS TONE

EMILE NOLDE (1867-1956)

Lake Lucerne, 1930 (watercolor on vellum)

33
 COLOR AS PATTERN

JUAN GRIS (1887-1927)

Violin and Checkerboard, 1913 (oil on canvas)

COLOR AS FORM

ANDRÉ DERAIN (1880-1954)

Portrait of Matisse, 1905 (oil on canvas)

34
 COLOR AS HARMONY

EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917)

COLOR AS CONTRAST

JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER (1775-1851)

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 1835 (oil on canvas)

35
 COLOR AS MOVEMENT

VICTOR VASARELY (1906-1997)

Vonal KSZ, 1968 (silkscreen print)

COLOR AS SYMBOL

VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)

The Potato Eaters, 1885 (oil on canvas)

36
 COLOR AS MOOD - JOY

VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)

Sunflowers, 1888 (oil on canvas)

COLOR AS MOOD - SADNESS

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

The Old Guitarist, 1903-04 (oil on panel)

37
 COLOR AS MOOD - PEACE

GUSTAV KLIMT (1862-1918)

Isle on Lake Attersee, 1902 (oil on canvas)

COLOR AS MOOD - ANXIETY

EDVARD MUNCH (1863-1944)

The Scream, 1893 (oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard)

38
 COLOR AS MOOD - NOISE

GINO SEVERINI (1883-1966)

The Dance of the Pan-Pan at the Monico, 1909-1911/1959-1960 (240cm x 400cm, oil
on canvas)

PATTERN

Pattern is made by repeating or echoing the elements of an artwork to communicate a

sense of balance, harmony, contrast, rhythm or movement.

There are two basic types of pattern in art: Natural Pattern and Man-Made Pattern. Both
natural and man-made patterns can be regular or irregular, organic or geometric,
structural or decorative, positive or negative and repeating or random.

Natural Pattern: Pattern in art is often based on the inspiration we get from observing
the natural patterns that occur in nature. We can see these in the shape of a leaf and the
branches of a tree, the structure of a crystal, the spiral of a shell, the symmetry of a
snowflake and the camouflage and signalling patterns on animals, fish and insects.

Man-Made Pattern: Pattern in art is used for both structural and decorative purposes.
For example, an artist may plan the basic structure of an artwork by creating a
compositional pattern of lines and shapes. Within that composition he/she may develop
its visual elements to create a more decorative pattern of color, tone and texture across
the work.

39
Examples of the Use of Pattern in Art

NATURAL PATTERN

RORY MCEWEN (1932-1982)

Kensington Gardens 1, 1979 (watercolor on vellum)

MAN-MADE PATTERN

WILLIAM MORRIS (1834-1896)

Pencil and Watercolor Sketch for Acanthus Wallpaper Pattern, 1874-75

40
 PATTERN AS LANDSCAPE

PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)

Farm Near Duivendrecht, 1907 (oil on canvas)

PATTERN AS ENVIRONMENTALISM

ANDREW GOLDSWORTHY (b. 1956)

Rowan Leaves Laid Around Hole, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 25 October 1987
(photograph)

41
 PATTERN AS CONTRAST

M.C. ESCHER (1898-1972)

Day and Night, 1938 (woodcut)

PATTERN AS REPETITION

BRITISH SCHOOL (Jacobean Era)

The Cholmondeley Ladies, c.1600-10 (oil on wood panel)

42
 PATTERN AS DECORATION

RENÉ MAGRITTE (1898-1967)

L'Avenir des Statues (The Future of Statues), 1932 (oil on plaster head)

TEXTURE

Texture is the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material
from which it is made.

We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and physically (through
touch).

Optical Texture: An artist may use his/her skillful painting technique to create the illusion
of texture. For example, in the detail from a traditional Dutch still life above you can see
remarkable verisimilitude (the appearance of being real) in the painted insects and drops
of moisture on the silky surface of the flower petals.

Physical Texture: An artist may paint with expressive brushstrokes whose texture
conveys the physical and emotional energy of both the artist and his/her subject. They
may also use the natural texture of their materials to suggest their own unique qualities
such as the grain of wood, the grittiness of sand, the flaking of rust, the coarseness of
cloth and the smear of paint.

Ephemeral Texture: This is a third category of textures whose fleeting forms are subject
to change like clouds, smoke, flames, bubbles and liquids.

43
Examples of the Use of Texture in Art

OPTICAL TEXTURE

JAN VAN HUYSUM (1682-1747)

Bouquet of Flowers in an Urn, 1724 (oil on canvas)

PHYSICAL TEXTURE

VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)

Self Portrait, 1889 (oil on canvas)

44
FORM

• Form is the physical volume of a shape and the space that it occupies.

• Form can be representational or abstract.

• Form generally refers to sculpture, 3D design and architecture but may also relate
to the illusion of 3D on a 2D surface.

Three-Dimensional Form can be modelled (added form), carved (subtracted form) and
constructed (built form). It can be created from sculptural materials like clay, wax, plaster,
wood, stone, concrete, cast and constructed metal, plastics, resins, glass and mixed
media. It may also be kinetic, involving light and movement generated by natural,
mechanical and electronic means. More recently the CAD process of 3D printing has
been added to the list of sculptural processes.

Two-Dimensional Form constructs the illusion of 3D in 2D media by a skillful

manipulation of the visual elements. Perspective drawing, trompe l'oeil, 3D computer
graphics programs and holograms are examples of 2D form.

Examples of the Use of Form in Art

FORM AS CARVING
STONE CARVING

MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI (1475-1564)

Pietà, 1498-99 (marble)

45
 WOOD CARVING

WORKSHOP OF TILMAN RIEMENSCHNEIDER (1460-1531)

Pietà in the Franciscan Church of Würzburg, 1510 (painted wood carving)

FORM AS MODELLING AND CASTING

AUGUSTE RODIN (1840-1917)

Call to Arms (detail of foot), 1878 (Cast Bronze)

46
 FORM AS CONSTRUCTION

NAUM GABO (1890-1977)

Head No.2, 1916 (Cor-ten sheet steel - copy of cardboard original)

FORM AS LIGHT AND SPACE

JAMES TURRELL (b. 1943)

Skyspace, 2004 (light installation)

47
 FORM AS LAND ART

ROBERT SMITHSON (1938-1973)

The Spiral Jetty, 1970 (6650 tons of mud, salt crystals and black basalt rocks)

FORM AS KINETIC ART

ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976)

Six Dots over a Mountain, 1956 (painted steel)

48
Why Are the Elements of Art Important?

The elements of art are important for several reasons. First, and most importantly, a
person can't create art without utilizing at least a few of them. No elements, no art -- end
of story. And we wouldn't even be talking about any of this, would we?

Secondly, knowing what the elements of art are enables us to (1) describe what an artist
has done, (2) analyze what is going on in a particular piece and (3) communicate our
thoughts and findings using a common language.

Musicians can talk about the key of "A," and they all know it means "a pitch relating to
440 oscillations per second of vibration." Mathematicians may use the very basic word
"algorithm" and feel confident that most people know they mean "a step-by-step
procedure for carrying out computation." Botanists world-wide will employ the name "rosa
rugosa," rather than the much longer "that old-fashioned shrub rose - you know, the one
that leaves hips in the fall - with the five-petaled flowers that can be yellow, white, red or
pink." These are all specific examples of a common language coming in handy for
intelligent (and shortened) discourse.

So it is with the elements of art. Once you know what the elements are, you can trot them
out, time after time, and never put a wrong foot forward in the Art World.

49