Art in the World Around Us: PART 3: The Language of Art

?People throughout the world speak many different languages. Spanish, Swahili, Japanese, Hindi, French, English, and Apache are just a few of the 3,000 different languages that are spoken. Each language has its own system of words and rules of grammar. To learn a new language, you need to learn new words and a new set of rules for putting those words together.

The language of visual art has its own system. All that you see in a work of art is made up of certain common elements. They are arranged according to basic principles. As you learn these basic elements and principles, you will learn the language of art. Being able to use the language of visual art will help you in many ways. It will increase your ability to understand, appreciate, and enjoy art. It will increase your ability to express yourself clearly when discussing art. It will even help you improve your ability to produce artworks.

The Elements of Art:

A symbol is something that stands for, or represents, something else. In a spoken language, words are symbols. The word chair stands for a piece of furniture that has a seat, a back, legs, and sometimes arms. In the language of art, we use visual symbols to communicate ideas.

The basic visual symbols in the language of art are known as the elements of art. Just as there are basic kinds of words-such as nouns and verbs-there are basic kinds of art elements. These are line, shape and form, space, color, value, and texture. The elements are the visual building blocks that the artist puts together to create a work of art. No matter how a work is made, it will contain some or all of these elements.

When you look an image, it’s difficult to separate one element from another. For example, when you look at ___16, you see a shiny, round bowl outlined with a thin yellow line filled with bumpy, red raspberries.

However, rather than seeing the elements of texture (shiny and bumpy), color (red), shape (round), and line (thin and yellow) separately, you see the bowl of raspberries as a whole. You visually "read" the elements together.

Sometimes the differences between the elements are not clear-cut. A line may be so wide that it looks like a shape, or an artist may manipulate light and dark values to indicate different surface textures. Look at the variety of textures Janet Fish has created in Raspberries and Goldfish ( ___16).

When you first learned to read, you did not begin with a full-length novel.

You learned by reading one word at a time. That is how you will start to read the language of art: one art element at a time.

Vocabulary: symbol elements of art principles of art subject nonobjective art composition content credit line medium

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Create a Symbol:

Creating Visual Solutions Using Experiences. In visual art, symbols can be concrete representations of abstract ideas, such as a heart standing for love.

Create a visual symbol that represents something important to you. Elaborate on your experiences, such as an activity or club you are involved with. Share your symbol with your classmates. Can they identify what it represents?

Computer Option. Design a visual symbol using a computer application.

Choose from the tools and menus to represent this idea with line, shape, or color. Hold down the Shift key when making straight lines or restricting shapes to circles or squares. Title, save, print, and display your best example. Include a short explanation about your symbol.

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_ ___16 Notice how the artist has used color and texture to direct the viewer's eye through this artwork. Look at the number of different surfaces she depicts. How many different textures can you identify? Although the shiny surfaces catch your attention, notice the matte, or dull, surfaces as well.

Janet Fish. Raspberries and Goldfish. 1981. Oil on canvas. 182.9 x 162.6 cm (72 x 64_).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York.

Purchase. The Cape Branch Foundation and Lila Acheson Wallace Gifts, 1983. (1983.171) Janet Fish/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

The Principles of Art:

After you have learned to recognize the elements of art, you will learn the ways in which the elements can be organized for different effects. When you learn a language, you learn the rules of grammar by which words are organized into sentences. Without these rules, people would find it difficult to communicate.

Visual images are also organized according to rules. The rules that govern how artists organize the elements of art are called the principles of art. They also help artists organize the art elements for specific effects. The principles you will learn about are rhythm, movement, pat tern, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, and harmony. When the elements and principles of art work together to create a sense of wholeness, unity is achieved.

The elements and principles of art are often referred to as the formal qualities in artworks.

_ ___17 Gabriele Münter was one of the founders of modern German Abstract Expressionism. In 1911 she joined with other radical artists to form the group known as Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). She stayed in Germany through World War II but was forced to work in secret during the Nazi era, when German Expressionism was outlawed. Since this was painted in 1934, it’s one of her "secret" paintings.

Gabriele Münter. Breakfast of the Birds. 1934. Oil on board. 45.7 x 55.2 cm (18 x 213/4_). The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay.

The Work of Art:

In art, it’s important to understand the three basic properties, or features, of an artwork. These are subject, composition, and content.

The Subject:

The subject is the image viewers can easily identify in a work of art. The subject may be one person or many people. It may be a thing, such as a boat. It may be an event, such as a dance. What are the subjects in Gabriele Münter's painting, Breakfast of the Birds? Some artists choose to create nonobjective artwork. Nonobjective art is art that has no recognizable subject matter. In these types of works, the elements of art themselves become the subject matter.

The Composition:

The second property of a work of art is the composition of the work. The composition is the way the principles of art are used to organize the elements of art. Notice how Münter has used the reds to separate indoors from outdoors, yet she ties the woman to the birds by using related colors. The woman is placed with her back toward the viewer, so that the viewer looks in the same direction as the woman, toward the birds. As you learn more about the elements and principles of art, you will discover how to control the composition of your artwork.

The Content:

The third property of a work of art is the content. The content is the message the work communicates. The message may be an idea or a theme, such as patriotism or family togetherness. It may be an emotion, such as pride, love, or loneliness. Sometimes you know what the intention of an artist might have been when he or she created the work, there fore the meaning of the work may be clear. However, at other times, you may not be certain of what the work might mean, and you have to consider all possibilities. Many artists can paint the same subject, a woman looking out a window, but each painting may have a different message. What do you think is the content of Münter's painting?

The Credit Line:

Look at ___ 17. The credit line appears beneath the caption. A credit line is a list of important facts about a work of art. Every artwork in this guide has a credit line.

Most credit lines contain at least six facts. They are as follows:

_ Name of the artist.

_ Title of the work. This always appears in italics.

_ Year the work was created. Some times, in the case of older works, "c." appears before the year. This is an abbreviation for circa, a Latin word meaning "about" or "around."

_ Medium used by the artist. This is the material used to make art. If more than one medium is used, the credit line may read "mixed media."

_ Size of the work. The first number is always the height, the second number is the width, and if the work is three-dimensional, the third number indicates the depth.

_ Location of the work. The location names the gallery, museum, or collection in which the work is housed and the city, state, and country. The names of the donors may also be included.

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Using Credit Line Information:

Applying Your Skills. Who is the artist of the work in ___9? What is the title of the painting by Frida Kahlo? Which work in this section was completed most recently? Which is the largest work in this section? Which works in this section are not housed in the United States?

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Review:

1. List the elements and principles of art.

2. Compare and contrast the use of the elements of art in ___16.

3. How do subject and composition differ?

4. Name the six facts most credit lines include.

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_ ___18 Andy Warhol. 100 Cans. 1962. Oil on canvas. 182.9 x 132.1 cm (72 x 52_). Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. Gift of Seymour H. Knox, 1963. © 2003 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/TM Licensed by Campbell's Soup Co.

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Critiquing the Artwork:

Art criticism is a four-step process for using your perception skills to get deeply involved in a work of art. You will learn more about these four steps in Section 2.

1 DESCRIBE--What do you see? During this step, you will collect information about the subject of this artwork.

List all the information from the credit line.

What is the subject of this work?

2 ANALYZE--How is this work organized? This step deals with the work's composition or for mal qualities. In it, you note the art elements used a well as the art principles that organize them.

How are the shapes arranged in this work? What colors are used? How large is each can? (Note: Refer to the credit line t help you determine your answer.) Are the cans evenly spaced throughout? Explain.

In what way is the bottom row of cans different from the others?

3 INTERPRET--What message does this artwork communicate to you? This step focuses on the content of the work. In it, you make assumptions and guesses about the meaning.

Why do you think the artist made the bottom row different? Why do you think the artist spaced the cans as he did? Form a conclusion about the meaning of depicting ordinary soup cans.

4 JUDGE--What do you think of the work? In this step, you will tell whether you think the artwork is successful or not.

Do you think this is a successful work of art? Why or why not?

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Andy Warhol was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. He began his career as a commercial artist in New York City. He was a painter, movie director and producer, and publisher. Warhol was a leader of the Pop art movement, an art style that celebrated images from contemporary culture, such as comic guide characters and everyday objects, helping viewers to see them in a whole new light. Warhol's favorite subjects included celebrities and product packaging. When asked why he chose soup cans as his subject, he explained that he had soup for lunch every day for 20 years.

Andy Warhol. Self-Portrait. 1986. Acrylic screenprint on canvas. © 2003 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Andy Warhol 1928-87

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Museum Web sites offer interactive art experiences.

Imagine peeling back the layers of paint on a canvas to discover a "hidden" image underneath, or hearing the words of one of your favorite artists.

You may not be able to do that on a visit to a museum.

However, you may be able to do that on a visit to a museum's Web site! With a click of the mouse you can visit the "virtual" Louvre Museum in Paris, or museums closer to home. Museum officials hope that Web sites will get more people interested in art.

The interactivity of Internet technology allows people to explore art in a new, exciting way. They can get a taste of what the museum experience offers. For example, the Web site of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City lets users move the cursor over the image of a piece of art. For each spot highlighted, users get an explanation of that feature's importance-the symbolism of a specific object in the painting, For example.

Visitors to the Web site of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles go behind the scenes to learn about research projects on some of the museum's artworks.

The Frick Museum in New York City offers Web browsers a virtual tour of its exhibits, complete with audio histories of the paintings and the artists.

Of course, Web sites can't duplicate the experience of seeing artworks in person. But for many people, it's the next-best thing to being there!

Using a search engine, locate an art museum or art gallery Web site that interests you. Analyze and evaluate the site. Then write a one-page critical analysis of the site.

•Analyze the features of the site. Which appeal to you? Which don't? How easy is it to navigate around the site?

•Describe any parts of the site you would change or improve.

Evaluate the site's overall design, visual representations, and clarity of language.

•Evaluate the credibility of information represented on the site.

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART THE FRICK MUSEUM

TOP: A page from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art allows viewers to study a painting in depth. ABOVE: The Internet offers an online tour of the Frick Museum in New York City.

SECTION 1 REVIEW

Building Vocabulary:

On a separate sheet of paper, write the term that best matches each definition given below.

1. The visual expression of an idea or experience created with skill.

2. To become deeply aware through the senses of the special nature of a visual object.

3. Self-taught artists who have had little or no formal schooling in artistic methods.

4. Something that stands for, or represents, something else.

5. The basic visual symbols in the language of art.

6. The rules that govern how artists organize the elements of art.

7. Art that has no recognizable subject matter.

8. The way the principles of art are used to organize the elements of art.

9. A list of important facts about a work of art.

10. A material used to make art.

Just the Art Facts:

Answer the following questions using complete sentences.

11. Describe the five purposes of art.

12. Name and describe four sources of inspiration for artists.

13. Explain the relationship between the elements of art and the principles of art.

14. Select a work of art in this section and identify the subject.

15. Read the credit-line information of an art work from any section and list the Figure number, the title, the year the work was created, and the medium.

Thinking Critically About Art:

16. Compare and Contrast. Survey the avocational opportunities in art mentioned. Then research art classes and pro grams in your community. Compare and contrast these avocational opportunities to decide which one interests you the most.

Consider such factors as time required, materials, training, and personal interest.

17. Compare and Contrast. Study __14 and __15 to list their similarities and differences. Are light and dark values of colors used in the same places in each work?

18. Historical/Cultural Heritage. Review the Meet the Artist feature.

Compare Grant Wood's American Gothic in ___10 to his self-portrait. Can you identify the theme of determination in each artwork? What else do these works have in common? Where does Grant Wood reveal part of his cultural heritage in his self-portrait?

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Use the Performing Arts Handbook to discover the art of masks and the many ways this art form has been created and worn throughout the world's cultures. Faustwork Mask Theater presents the message of masks.

Linking to the Performing Arts Take a Web Museum Tour of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Click on the link at art.glencoe.com.

Explore their online tour of still lifes to appreciate why this art genre is still popular.

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_ ___1 The goal of some artists is to imitate life. Their works are lifelike, down to the smallest detail. The goal of other artists is to create a mood or feeling. What do you think was the goal of the artist who created this work? Explain your reaction.

Red Grooms. Ruckus Rodeo (detail). 1975-76. Wire, celastic, acrylic, canvas, and burlap. 442 x 1539.2 x 746.8 cm (174 x 606 x 294_). Collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas. Museum purchase and commission with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Benjamin J. Tillar Memorial Trust, 1976.1.P.S. © 2003 Red Grooms/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.