“Church’s content is idyllic and - DIGITAL PATHWAYS ARTdigitalpathwaysart.weebly.com/uploads/9/8/2/3/9823286/chap01.pdf · many self-portraits painted by the Mexican artist Frida

2

�

Frederic Edwin Church. The Icebergs. 1861. Oil on canvas.163.8 � 285.8 cm (641�2 � 1121�2�). Dallas Museum of Art,Dallas, Texas.

“Church’s content is idyllic and

majestic—you feel he has frozen

time at perfect moments, captured,

and at times orchestrated, Nature’s

best at the best moment”

—Carter B. Horsley

The Worldof Art

Analyzing Context Clues. When a word is unfamiliar, you can often use its context—nearby words and phrases—toguess its meaning. Using context clues, try to determine the meaning of idyllic in theabove quote.Then restate the quote in yourown words.

3

UNIT 1

� FIGURE 1.1 Artists speak to us, the viewers, through their works. Sometimes, they tell a story.At other times, as in this self-portrait, they express strong emotions. What emotion, or feeling, doyou “read” in this artist’s painting of herself? Does she appear happy? Sad? Explain your reaction.

Frida Kahlo. Self-Portrait with Monkey. 1938. Oil on Masonite. 40.6 � 30.5 cm (16 x 12�). Albright-Knox Art Gallery,Buffalo, New York. Bequest of A. Conger Goodyear, 1966.

4 CHAPTER 1 Art in Your World

Figure 1.1 is one ofmany self-portraits

painted by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). Kahlo’s tragicpersonal history was a driving force in her art. At the age of 6, shewas stricken with polio, a crippling disease.Twelve years later, a busaccident broke nearly every bone in her body. She spent a year in afull-body cast and underwent 30 operations. Her self-portraits, whichare highly expressive, seem to reflect a life of physical pain and emo-tional difficulties. She never appears smiling but, rather, always wearsthe expression appearing in Figure 1.1.

Compare and Contrast. Examine the work in Figure 4.23 on page 82. It is also a self-portrait of a twentieth-century artist. List similari-ties and differences in the subject and content between the two works.

The urge to create art is as old as humanity itself. Since

the dawn of history, people have used art to commu-

nicate information, tell stories, and record events. Art is

one of the deepest forms of personal expression.

In this chapter, you will:

Identify the purposes of art.

Compare and contrast sources to which artists

turn for inspiration.

Create visual solutions using direct observation

and imagination.

Compare and contrast the use of the elements of

art in artworks.

CHAPTER 1Art in Your World

5


What Is Art?

An artwork is the visual expression of an idea or experience created with skill. Visual art is more than paintings hanging on a wall. Visual art

includes drawing, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, photography, film-making, crafts, graphic arts, industrial and commercial design, video, andcomputer arts.

Art Is CommunicationWhen you talk to someone or write a letter, you communicate. You share

your ideas and feelings by using words. You can also communicate throughthe arts. Art is a language that artists use to express ideas and feelings thateveryday words cannot express. In order to experience art fully, you must domore than simply look at it with your eyes; you must develop the ability toperceive. To look is to merely notice and label an object with a name such as“chair” or “house.” To perceive is to become deeply aware through the senses ofthe special nature of a visual object. Perception is the result of perceiving. Tounderstand a work of art, you must train yourself to perceive. Try to perceivewhat Meyer Straus is expressing in his painting, Bayou Teche (Figure 1.2). Ifyou concentrate on his image, you can feel the humid atmosphere of theLouisiana swamps and hear the mosquitoes buzzing. You can understandhow it feels to be enclosed by branches dripping with Spanish moss. You canalmost hear the water lapping at the boat.

LESSON 1

� FIGURE 1.2 Straus captured the feel of the bayou by including details such as the flowers in the foreground andthe gray Spanish moss hanging from the limbs of the live oak trees. Look at the figures in the boat. The trees andswamp overwhelm them. What do you think the figures are doing? What atmosphere does the painting capture?

Meyer Straus. Bayou Teche. 1870. Oil on canvas. 76.2 � 152.4 cm (30 � 60"). Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia.

Vocabulary

artworkperceive

LESSON 1 What Is Art? 7

others to live each day as if it weretheir last. That is what Munch is say-ing with his striking image.

� Social function. Artists may produceart to reinforce and enhance theshared sense of identity of those in afamily, community, or civilization(Figure 12.17, page 332). That is whymany families commission or hire anartist or photographer to produce afamily portrait. Art produced for thispurpose also may be used in celebra-tions and displayed on festive occa-sions. Think of the many forms ofvisual art that might be seen in aparade—costumes, band uniforms,floats, and dances are all forms ofvisual art that might be included inthe public celebration of a parade tocommemorate an important holidayor event.

� Spiritual function. Artists may create art to express spiritual beliefsabout the destiny of life controlled bythe force of a higher power. Art pro-duced for this purpose may reinforcethe shared beliefs of an individual or

� FIGURE 1.3 The child in the painting appearspale and calm. She is not looking at her mother.What is she staring at? Notice the exaggerateddrooping of the woman’s head. What has the artistdone to focus your attention on the sick child?

Edvard Munch. The Sick Child. 1907. Oil on canvas. 118.7 � 121 cm (463�4 � 472�3). Tate Gallery, London,England. © 2003 Artists Rights Society (ARS), NewYork/BONO, Oslo

The Purposes of ArtPeople created art to record ideas and

feelings long before they had writtenwords. They used art then as we use ittoday. The following are some of themost common functions of art:

� Personal functions. Artists createart to express personal feelings.Edvard Munch had a tragic child-hood. His mother died when he wasvery young, and one of his sistersdied when he was 14. His painting,The Sick Child (Figure 1.3), shockedviewers who were used to seeinghappy paintings with bright colors.The work was meant to remind view-ers of personal family tragedies. Per-haps the artist wanted to tell them toappreciate what they had. Often peo-ple who have suffered a loss remind

Learning toPerceive

Illustrating Ideas from DirectObservation. Select an everyday objectsuch as one that might be found in theclassroom. Closely observe the object.Allow yourself two or three minutes toperceive the object.Then put the objectwhere you can’t see it and make a list ofall the attributes of the object that youcan think of. Look at the object again andadd at least three more attributes orcharacteristics to your list. Use your listand your observations to illustrate anidea for an artwork.


a human community. In Pueblo Scene:Corn Dancers and Church (Figure 1.4),the artists have created a three-dimensional representation of a reli-gious festival that connects twocultures and two religions. Works ofart have been created for religiouspurposes throughout history. Manyexperts believe that the prehistoriccave paintings of animals had cere-monial purposes, which means theywere more than simple records ofevents. The Greek Temples were builtto honor the ancient gods. During theMiddle Ages in Europe, almost all artwas created for the Catholic Church.

� Physical functions. Artists andcraftspeople constantly invent newways to create functional art. Indus-trial designers discover new materials

that make cars lighter and stronger.Architects employ new buildingmaterials such as steel–reinforcedconcrete to give buildings more inter-esting forms. In Figure 1.5, noticehow the artist has combined a varietyof precious and semiprecious materi-als to create a unique necklace.

� Educational function. In the past,many people could not read and artwas often created to provide visualinstruction. Artists produced art-works, such as symbols painted onsigns, to impart information. Viewerscould learn from their artworks. Inthe Middle Ages, artists createdstained-glass windows, sculptures,paintings, and tapestries to illustratestories from the Bible or about rulersof a kingdom.

� FIGURE 1.4 The figures and buildings for this scene were made by a family of artists. Look closely andyou will notice that some of the figures are made of painted clay, while others have hair made from yarn andclothing made of fabric. What do the different figures appear to be doing? What does the procession in theforeground seem to be about?

Vigil Family, Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico. Pueblo Scene: Corn Dancers and Church. c. 1960. Painted earthenware. GirardFoundation Collection at the Museum of International Folk Art, a unit of the Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

LESSON 1 What Is Art? 9

In addition, when we look at art fromthe past, we learn from it. Art from otherplaces and other times can tell us whatpeople did. Paintings such as Anne ofCleves (Figure 1.6) show us people fromthe past, what they wore, and how theylooked.

Art as a LifelongPursuit

Art can be a part of your lifelonglearning. You may choose to pursue acareer in art or to explore art as an avo-cation, or hobby. Avocational opportu-nities in art include making art or craftprojects at home, taking classes for per-sonal enjoyment, and getting involvedin community art programs.

In this book you will learn to analyzeand evaluate artworks. You’ll also findmany opportunities to create artworksand discover the tools, materials, andtechniques of various art media. Thereare many ways to make art a part ofyour life and education.

� FIGURE 1.5 This necklace is unusual becauseeach unit is different. The repetition of rectanglesand the repetition of materials and shapes on thedifferent rectangles create a unified work.

Earl Pardon. Necklace 1057. 1988. Sterling silver, 14k gold,ebony, ivory, enamel, mother of pearl, ruby, garnet, bluetopaz, amethyst, spinel, and rhodolite. 43.1 � 2.8 � .3 cm(171⁄4 � 11⁄8 � 1⁄8"). National Museum of American Art,Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Renwick collection.

Check Your Understanding

1. What does it mean to perceive?2. Name the five purposes of art.3. Describe two of the purposes of art.

� FIGURE 1.6 This portrait of Anne of Cleves, one of the wives ofHenry VIII, shows what a royal person in the sixteenth century might haveworn for special occasions. The portrait was created before the weddingbecause King Henry wanted to know what his intended wife looked like.He had never met her. Notice the unusual jewelry on her hat and the richfabrics of her dress. How many different fabrics can you identify? Howdoes her clothing indicate her social position?

Hans Holbein. Anne of Cleves. 1539. Tempera and oil on parchment. 65.1 � 48 cm(255⁄8 � 187�8"). The Louvre, Paris, France.


Vocabulary

folk artistsartistsaction painting

LESSON 2

Why Do Artists Create?

The urge to create is universal. Artists are driven by their sense of wonder and curiosity. The creative impulse is often suppressed if one

becomes afraid of making mistakes. Artists exhibit the courage to takerisks. They are able to see their surroundings in new and unusual ways.They are willing to work intensely for long periods of time to achieve their goals. Artists who are self-taught and therefore have had little or no formalschooling in artistic methods are called folk artists. Most artists learn skillsand techniques from other artists. Eventually artists develop their own unique styles.

The impulses that drive artists to create vary. Both Leo Twiggs and RogerBrown created art in response to a devastating natural catastrophe: Hurri-cane Hugo. Twiggs, who lives in South Carolina and witnessed the hurri-cane, used strong lines to represent the force of the winds (Figure 1.7).Brown, who lives in Chicago, responded to the same tragedy in a differentway. He illustrated only the aftermath of the hurricane. He turned the eventinto a giant postcard in which he depicted the fury of the storm by showingthe trees in neat rows, broken off at exactly the same level (Figure 1.8).

� FIGURE 1.7 Identify the door namedin the title. Look at the dark shape nearthe center of the painting. How manyfigures are standing in the door? Whatpart of this work tells you about thedestructive force of the hurricane?

Leo F. Twiggs. East Wind Suite: Door. Hugo Series.1989. Batik: Dyes and wax resist on cotton. 61 �51 cm (24 � 20�). Private Collection.

LESSON 2 Why Do Artists Create? 11

Where Do Artists Get Ideas?

Artists are creative individuals who useimagination and skill to communicate invisual form. They use the materials of artto solve visual problems. Artists look tomany sources for inspiration. Somelook outward to their natural and cul-tural environment for ideas. Otherslook within themselves for creativemotivation.

NatureSometimes artists look to their natural

surroundings and record them. The firstgroup of landscape artists in the UnitedStates was called the Hudson RiverSchool because most of them lived nearthat river in New York. They painted theworld around them, paying meticulousattention to realistic detail. One HudsonRiver School artist, George Inness, livedin Newburgh, New York. His early workdepicted the vast American landscape ina romantic manner (Figure 1.9).

� FIGURE 1.8 This paintingdepicts the same event as shown in Figure 1.7. The two artistsrepresent the hurricane in verydifferent ways. What does thispainting remind you of? Does itresemble an advertisement or apostcard? Why do you think theartist chose humor to presentsuch a devastating event?

Roger Brown. Hurricane Hugo. 1990. Oil on canvas. 121.9 � 182.9 cm (48 � 72�). Morris Museum of Art,Augusta, Georgia.

� FIGURE 1.9 This paintingcelebrates nature and industry,although the two are notnecessarily compatible. If youlook carefully, you can see thetown of Scranton, Pennsylvania,accurately depicted in thedistance. Why do you think the artist has included all the tree stumps in this painting? What symbols ofindustrialization has he used?

George Inness. The Lackawanna Valley.c. 1856. Oil on canvas. 86 � 127.6 cm (337⁄8 � 501�4�). National Gallery ofArt, Washington, D.C. © 1998 Board of Trustees. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Huttleston Rogers.


People and Real World Events

Another artist, Grant Wood, capturedthe essence of the Midwestern Ameri-can spirit during the Great Depression inhis work, American Gothic (Figure 1.10).The stern, small town citizens posedbefore their house. The couple’s deter-mination was meant to reassure thoseshaken by the stock market crash duringthe Great Depression.

� FIGURE 1.10 This painting has beenused and parodied countless times. Becauseof this, it can be easy to overlook themessage Wood intended. Symbols tell astory: the Gothic window represents thecouple’s European heritage, and the pitchfork stands for their determination.Can you identify other symbols in thepainting and tell what they might mean?

Grant Wood. American Gothic. 1930. Oil onbeaverboard. 74.3 � 62.2 cm (291⁄4 � 241�2�).Friends of the American Art Collection. All rightsreserved by the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago,Illinois and VAGA, New York, New York. (1930.934).

Grant Wood grew up on a farm and drew with whatever materials could be

spared. Often he used charcoal from the wood fire to sketch on a leftover piece

of brown paper. He was only ten when his father died, and his mother moved

the family to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Wood went to school. He studied

part-time at the State University of Iowa and attended night classes at the Art

Institute of Chicago. When he was 32, he went to Paris to study at the

Académie Julian. In 1927, he traveled to Munich, Germany, where some of

the most accomplished artists of the period were working. While there, he saw

German and Flemish artworks that influenced him greatly, especially the work

of Jan van Eyck. After that trip, his style changed to reflect the realism of those

painters.

MEET THE ARTISTGRANT WOOD

American, 1892–1942

Grant Wood. Self-Portrait. 1932. Oil on Masonite panel. 37.5 �31.4 cm (143�4 � 123�8�). Collectionof The Davenport Museum of Art,Davenport, Iowa. © Grant Wood/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

Myths and LegendsSome artists borrow ideas from

famous works of literature. RomareBearden interpreted one part of anancient Greek legend, The Odyssey, in hispainting Return of Ulysses (Figure 1.11).The Greek legend, written by the poetHomer, describes the adventures thatbefall a hero returning home from war.Bearden used his unique style to portrayan important scene from this story.


Spiritual and Religious Beliefs

Visual artists in every culture usetheir skills to create objects and imagesto be used to express spiritual beliefs.Many non-Western cultures do noteven have a word for “art.” Those whocreate objects do the best work they canbecause it is important. The mask inFigure 1.12 was made to be worn dur-ing ceremonial winter dances by theYup’ik people who lived in northwest-ern Alaska.

Creative TechniquesMany artists founded new art move-

ments and developed new techniques tocreate art. Jackson Pollock was a leaderof the Abstract Expressionist movement.He studied painting in the 1930s withThomas Hart Benton as his teacher.Benton was an American regionalistwho painted realistic paintings andmurals that celebrated American life(Figure 13.29, page 376). Pollock’s earli-est works were in the realistic style ofhis teacher. After 1947, he developed

action painting, the technique of drip-ping and splashing paint onto a canvasstretched on the floor (Figure 1.13 on page14). The idea for this style of painting,which influenced many who came afterhim, came from within himself.

� FIGURE 1.12 This bird mask was created for a dance ceremony. Notice how the artist has usednatural earth pigments to color the wood, plusnatural materials like feathers and sinew todecorate it.

Yup’ik. Bird Mask. 1988. Wood, feathers. Height: 64.7 cm(251�2�). Robert H. Lowie Museum, University of California,Berkeley, California.

� FIGURE 1.11 This print is the last in a series of serigraphsillustrating the story of Ulysses, alegendary Greek hero. Bearden hassimplified shapes and used unusualcolors but you can still recognizepeople and objects in the work.Describe three things you recognize in this scene.

Romare Bearden. Return of Ulysses. 1976.Serigraph on paper. 47 � 57.1 cm (181⁄2 � 221�2�). Copyright restricted.National Museum of American Art,Washington, D.C. Gift of the BrandywineGraphic Workshop. © Romare BeardenFoundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.


Artists of the PastArt is not made in a vacuum. Artists

of a particular time period often influ-ence each other. Artists also learn fromand build on the work of artists whocame before them. Pablo Picasso basedhis 1957 painting, Las Meninas (afterVelázquez) (Figure 1.14), on Las Meninas(The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez(Figure 1.15), which was painted in 1656.Although Picasso changed the colorsand used his own Cubist style, you canrecognize some of the figures andobjects that are in the realistic Velázquezpainting. How many figures and objectscan you find that appear in both works?

� FIGURE 1.14 This painting is based on Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor)(Figure 1.15). Similar figures and objects are present in both paintings—the artist, the easel with theunfinished painting, the child who appears to be the subject of the artwork in progress, the dog, and the figure in the door. Compare these objects with the ones depicted in Velázquez’s work. What hasPicasso done to make the work uniquely his own? Do you think he was exhibiting a sense of humor?

Pablo Picasso. Las Meninas (after Velázquez). 1957. Oil on canvas. 2 � 2.6 m (6' 63�4" � 8' 63�8"). Museo Picasso,Barcelona, Spain. © 2003 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

� FIGURE 1.13 Pollock wantedto express his personal feelingswhen he created his art. Heallowed his feelings to influencehis choice of colors and themanner in which he applied themto the canvas.

Jackson Pollock. Cathedral. 1947. Enameland aluminum paint on canvas. 181.6 �89.1 cm (711⁄2 � 351�16�). DallasMuseum of Art, Dallas, Texas. Gift ofMr. and Mrs. Bernard J. Reis. © 2003Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ArtistsRights Society (ARS), New York.

Keeping aSketchbook

Creating Visual Solutions UsingDirect Observation. Artists developperception and artistic skills by con-stantly sketching the world around them.Begin keeping a sketchbook of your own.Choose a notebook with unlined paper.Practice using direct observation todraw anything that catches your eye.Themore you draw, the better you will “see”objects. Make written notes about yoursketches, such as the quality of light orthe colors you notice.

Ideas Commissioned byEmployers

Many artists are hired by individualsor companies to create works of art.Graphic designers create corporatelogos, brochures, and many other printmaterials. They may also design menusfor restaurants. Fine artists, like sculp-tors and painters, are often commis-sioned to create artworks for display inpublic spaces and buildings.

Ideas for Your OwnArtwork

In the coming chapters, you willneed to come up with ideas of yourown for original works of art. Like allother artists, you may at times findyourself at a loss for ideas. You canlook to the sources listed in this lessonfor inspiration. The work of your peerscan also inspire you. See the StudentArt Portfolio features in Chapters 4–11of this book for a showcase of studentartworks and visual art journal ideas.You will find that keeping a visual artjournal or sketchbook can be an enor-mous help. In addition to recordingimages, you may jot down ideas thatcome to you after participating in otherart events such as concerts, movies,and theatre productions. You will alsofind that a sketchbook can be used topractice skills and techniques you learnin class.


� FIGURE 1.15 This painting was interpreted byPicasso, another Spanish artist, three centuries afterVelázquez completed it. Explain what is happening inthe painting. The princess, in white, has a regalbearing. She is clearly the center of attention. Doyou see the king and queen in the picture? Who isthe person in the doorway? Can you describe theroles of the other people in the painting?

Diego Velázquez. Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor). 1656. Oil on canvas. 3.18 � 2.8 m (10'51�4� � 9'3�4�). Museo delPrado, Madrid, Spain.


1. Define the word artist.2. Identify four different sources for

artistic ideas.3. Why do artists keep sketchbooks?

LESSON 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 accordingto 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 yourselfclearly when discussing art. It will even help you improve your ability to produce artworks.

The Elements of ArtA 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 furniturethat has a seat, a back, legs, and sometimes arms. In the language of art, weuse visual symbols to communicate ideas.

The basic visual symbols in the language of art are known as the elements ofart. Just as there are basic kinds of words—such as nouns and verbs—thereare 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 artistputs together to create a work of art. No matter how a work is made, it willcontain some or all of these elements.

When you look an image, it is difficult to separate one element fromanother. For example, when you look at Figure 1.16, you see a shiny, roundbowl outlined with a thin yellow line filled with bumpy, red raspberries.


Vocabulary

symbolelements of artprinciples of artsubjectnonobjective artcompositioncontentcredit linemedium

Computer Option. Design a visualsymbol using a computer application.Choose from the tools and menus torepresent this idea with line, shape, orcolor. Hold down the Shift key whenmaking straight lines or restrictingshapes to circles or squares.Title, save,print, and display your best example.Include a short explanation about your symbol.

Create a Symbol

Creating Visual Solutions UsingExperiences. In visual art, symbols canbe concrete representations of abstractideas, such as a heart standing for love.Create a visual symbol that representssomething important to you. Elaborate onyour experiences, such as an activity orclub you are involved with. Share yoursymbol with your classmates. Can theyidentify what it represents?

LESSON 3 The Language of Art 17

However, rather than seeing the ele-ments of texture (shiny and bumpy),color (red), shape (round), and line(thin and yellow) separately, you seethe bowl of raspberries as a whole. Youvisually “read” the elements together.

Sometimes the differences betweenthe elements are not clear-cut. A linemay be so wide that it looks like ashape, or an artist may manipulate lightand dark values to indicate differentsurface textures. Look at the variety oftextures Janet Fish has created in Raspberries and Goldfish (Figure 1.16).

When you first learned to read, youdid not begin with a full-length novel.You learned by reading one word at atime. That is how you will start to readthe language of art: one art element at a time.

The Principles of ArtAfter you have learned to recognize

the elements of art, you will learn theways in which the elements can beorganized for different effects. Whenyou learn a language, you learn the

� FIGURE 1.16Notice how theartist has used colorand texture todirect the viewer’seye through thisartwork. Look at the number ofdifferent surfacesshe depicts. Howmany differenttextures can youidentify? Althoughthe shiny surfacescatch your attention,notice the matte, ordull, surfaces as well.

Janet Fish. Raspberriesand Goldfish. 1981. Oilon canvas. 182.9 �162.6 cm (72 � 64�).The MetropolitanMuseum of Art, NewYork, New York.Purchase. The CapeBranch Foundation and Lila AchesonWallace Gifts, 1983.(1983.171) © JanetFish/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.


rules of grammar by which words areorganized into sentences. Without theserules, people would find it difficult tocommunicate.

Visual images are also organizedaccording to rules. The rules that governhow artists organize the elements of art arecalled the principles of art. They alsohelp artists organize the art elements forspecific effects. The principles you willlearn about are rhythm, movement, pat-tern, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis,and harmony. When the elements andprinciples of art work together to createa sense of wholeness, unity is achieved.The elements and principles of art areoften referred to as the formal qualities inartworks.

The Work of ArtIn art, it is important to understand

the three basic properties, or features, ofan artwork. These are subject, composition,and content.

The SubjectThe subject is the image viewers can

easily identify in a work of art. The subjectmay be one person or many people. Itmay be a thing, such as a boat. It may bean event, such as a dance. What are thesubjects in Gabriele Münter’s painting,Breakfast of the Birds (Figure 1.17)?

Some artists choose to create nonob-jective artwork. Nonobjective art is art that has no recognizable subject matter(Figure 1.13, page 14). In these types ofworks, the elements of art themselvesbecome the subject matter.

The CompositionThe second property of a work of art

is the composition of the work. Thecomposition is the way the principlesof art are used to organize the elements ofart. Notice how Münter has used thereds to separate indoors from outdoors,yet she ties the woman to the birds byusing related colors. The woman is

� FIGURE 1.17Gabriele Münter was one of the founders ofmodern German AbstractExpressionism. In 1911 shejoined with other radicalartists to form the groupknown as Der Blaue Reiter(The Blue Rider). Shestayed in Germany throughWorld War II but wasforced to work in secretduring the Nazi era, whenGerman Expressionism wasoutlawed. Since this waspainted in 1934, it is oneof her “secret” paintings.

Gabriele Münter. Breakfast of theBirds. 1934. Oil on board. 45.7� 55.2 cm (18 � 213⁄4�). TheNational Museum of Women inthe Arts, Washington, D.C. Giftof Wallace and WilhelminaHolladay.

LESSON 3 The Language of Art 19

placed with her back toward theviewer, so that the viewer looks in thesame direction as the woman, towardthe birds. As you learn more about theelements and principles of art, you willdiscover how to control the composi-tion of your artwork.

The ContentThe third property of a work of art is

the content. The content is the messagethe work communicates. The message maybe an idea or a theme, such as patrio-tism or family togetherness. It may bean emotion, such as pride, love, or lone-liness. Sometimes you know what theintention of an artist might have beenwhen he or she created the work, there-fore the meaning of the work may beclear. However, at other times, you maynot be certain of what the work mightmean, and you have to consider all pos-sibilities. Many artists can paint thesame subject, a woman looking out awindow, but each painting may have adifferent message. What do you think isthe content of Münter’s painting?

The Credit LineLook at Figure 1.17. The credit line

appears beneath the caption. A creditline is a list of important facts about a workof art. Every artwork in this book has acredit line.

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

� Name of the artist.

� Title of the work. This alwaysappears in italics.

� Year the work was created. Some-times, in the case of older works, “c.”appears before the year. This is anabbreviation for circa, a Latin wordmeaning “about” or “around.”

� Medium used by the artist. This is thematerial used to make art. If more thanone medium is used, the credit linemay read “mixed media.”

� Size of the work. The first number isalways the height, the second num-ber is the width, and if the work isthree-dimensional, the third numberindicates the depth.

� Location of the work. The locationnames the gallery, museum, or collec-tion in which the work is housed andthe city, state, and country. Thenames of the donors may also beincluded.


1. List the elements and principles of art.

2. Compare and contrast the use of theelements of art in Figure 1.16 onpage 17.

3. How do subject and compositiondiffer?

4. Name the six facts most credit linesinclude.

Using Credit LineInformation

Applying Your Skills. Who is the artistof the work in Figure 1.9 on page 11?What is the title of the painting by FridaKahlo (Figure 1.1, page 4)? Which workin this chapter was completed mostrecently? Which is the largest work inthis chapter? Which works in this chapterare not housed in the United States?


� FIGURE 1.18

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 VisualArts/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/TM Licensed by Campbell’s Soup Co. All Rights Reserved.

Art Criticism in Action 21

Art criticism is a four-step process for using your perceptionskills to get deeply involved in a work of art. You will learnmore about these four steps in Chapter 2.

1 DESCRIBE What do you see?During this step, you will collect information aboutthe 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 aswell 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 tohelp you determine your answer.)

Are the cans evenly spaced throughout? Explain.

In what way is the bottom row of cans different fromthe 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 themeaning.

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 depictingordinary 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 orwhy not?

Andy Warhol was born inMcKeesport, Pennsylvania, justoutside of Pittsburgh. He beganhis career as a commercial artistin New York City. He was apainter, movie director and producer, and publisher. Warholwas a leader of the Pop artmovement, an art style that celebrated images from contem-porary culture, such as comicbook characters and everydayobjects, helping viewers to seethem in a whole new light.Warhol’s favorite subjectsincluded celebrities and productpackaging, as in Figure 1.18.When asked why he chose soupcans as his subject, he explainedthat he had soup for lunch everyday for 20 years.

Critiquing the Artwork

Andy Warhol. Self-Portrait. 1986. Acrylicscreenprint on canvas. © 2003 Andy WarholFoundation for the Visual Arts/Artists RightsSociety (ARS), New York.

Andy Warhol1928–87

Museum Web sites offer interactiveart experiences.

magine peeling back the layers of paint on acanvas 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 amuseum’s Web site! With a click of the mouse youcan visit the “virtual” Louvre Museum in Paris, ormuseums closer to home. Museum officials hopethat Web sites will get more people interested in art.

The interactivity of Internet technology allowspeople to explore art in a new, exciting way. Theycan get a taste of what the museum experienceoffers. For example, the Web site of the MetropolitanMuseum of Art in New York City lets users movethe cursor over the image of a piece of art. For eachspot highlighted, users get an explanation of thatfeature’s importance—the symbolism of a specificobject in the painting, for example.

Visitors to the Web site of the Getty Museumin Los Angeles go behind the scenes to learn aboutresearch projects on some of the museum’s artworks.The Frick Museum in New York City offers Webbrowsers a virtual tour of its exhibits, completewith audio histories of the paintings and the artists.

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


TIME to Connect

Using a search engine, locate an art museum or artgallery Web site that interests you. Analyze and evaluatethe 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, andclarity of language.

• Evaluate the credibility of information represented on the site.

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TOP: A page from the New York MetropolitanMuseum of Art allows viewers to study a paintingin depth. ABOVE:The Internet offers an onlinetour of the Frick Museum in New York City.

CHAPTER 1 REVIEWBuilding Vocabulary

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

1. The visual expression of an idea or experi-ence created with skill.

2. To become deeply aware through thesenses of the special nature of a visualobject.

3. Self-taught artists who have had little orno 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 organizethe elements of art.

7. Art that has no recognizable subject matter.

8. The way the principles of art are used toorganize the elements of art.

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

10. A material used to make art.

Reviewing Art Facts

Answer the following questions using com-plete sentences.

11. Describe the five purposes of art.

12. Name and describe four sources of inspira-tion for artists.

13. Explain the relationship between the ele-ments of art and the principles of art.

14. Select a work of art in this chapter andidentify the subject.

15. Read the credit-line information of an art-work from any chapter and list the figurenumber, the title, the year the work wascreated, and the medium.

Use the Performing Arts Handbook to discover the artof masks and the many waysthis art form has been created and wornthroughout the world’s cultures. FaustworkMask Theater presents the message of maskson page 413.

Linking to thePerforming Arts

Take a Web MuseumTour of the NationalGallery of Art inWashington, D.C.

Click on the link at art.glencoe.com.Explore their online tour of still lifes toappreciate why this art genre is still popular.

ART

Chapter 1 Review 23

Thinking Critically About Art

16. Compare and Contrast. Survey the avo-cational opportunities in art mentioned onpage 9. Then research art classes and pro-grams in your community. Compare andcontrast these avocational opportunities todecide which one interests you the most.Consider such factors as time required,materials, training, and personal interest.

17. Compare and Contrast. Study Figures1.14 on page 14 and 1.15 on page 15 to listtheir similarities and differences. Are lightand dark values of colors used in the sameplaces in each work?

18. Historical/Cultural Heritage. Reviewthe Meet the Artist feature on page 12.Compare Grant Wood’s American Gothic in Figure 1.10 to his self-portrait on thesame page. Can you identify the theme ofdetermination in each artwork? What elsedo these works have in common? Wheredoes Grant Wood reveal part of his culturalheritage in his self-portrait?

Documents

“Church’s content is idyllic and - DIGITAL PATHWAYS ARTdigitalpathwaysart.weebly.com/uploads/9/8/2/3/9823286/chap01.pdf · many self-portraits painted by the Mexican artist Frida