Exploring Artistic Media (02:56)

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Media refers to the substances, materials, or objects used to create a work of art. Media include: drawing, painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, video art, and performance art.

Choosing the Right Media: Tony Lewis on Drawing (00:34)

Graphite is the most used material in Lewis' studio; he developed a relationship with the media by focusing on it.

Choosing the Right Media: Kirsten Leenaars on Video Art (00:44)

Leenaars' inspiration comes from everyday life.

Choosing the Right Media: Paola Cabal on Installation Art (01:24)

Cabal evaluates the qualities of the space where she will install the work. See a list of resources for studying art.

Art Periods (00:33)

Period is a phase of art defined by its place in time; it refers to the knowledge, material, and subject matter applicable.

Ways to Distinguish Art by Period (00:59)

Identify content, subject matter, materials, scale, and style. Each period contains "sign posts."

An Example of Period: Baroque (00:41)

Baroque landscapes are highly structured and hierarchical.

Getting More Specific than Period —Example of Style: Cubism (01:47)

Style is more common in more modern periods. Cubism is a style where forms are fragmented into facets. See a list of resources for studying art.

Ascertaining Cultural Origin (01:02)

Identify formal qualities, narrative, and context. Formal qualities include: form, edges, surface, perspective, light, shadow, line, shape, color, and value. Technology and ideology affect art through time.

Cultural Context Clues: Representational Art (01:57)

Works of art that mimic the world express values. Cultures have distinguishing features and marks that appear in art.

Cultural Context Clues: Materials (00:41)

Certain cultures use certain materials in artwork.

Cultural Context Clues: Form and Design (01:42)

From refers to the visible elements of an artwork and how they unite; design refers to the skilled arrangement of materials. Pattern or form often indicates cultural origin. See a list of resources for studying art.

Art Styles and Movements (00:50)

Style refers to the mode of expression characteristic of a person, group, or period; movement is an artistic tendency seen in the works of several artists. Consider four questions when discussing style or movement.

Survey of Styles and Movements (00:35)

Art style generates from a group of artists living and working together; they develop a common language.

Style/Movement: Impressionism (00:29)

Impressionism represents the relaxed ambiance of people in urban and suburban settings.

Style/Movement: Pointillism (00:53)

Pointillism, developed by Georges Seurat, is a derivative of Impressionism where artists apply paint in small dots.

Style/Movement: Fauvism (01:36)

Non-natural, bright colors and simple forms characterize fauvism. See a list of resources for studying art.

Art's Relationship to History (00:35)

Art reflects society and directs culture; art history is humankind's history.

Influence of Technology (00:59)

Stephen Eisenman states that art has always had a strong technological basis. Artists must use the technology most appropriate to his or her time to communicate to a broad audience.

Influence of the Artist (00:18)

Art develops over time; artists influence each other.

Influence of Social and Political Developments (01:14)

Eisenman states art has relative autonomy, relatively independent of the broader social world. Social and political developments impact works of art. See a list of resources for studying art.

Utilizing Tools for Research and Exhibitions (00:34)

Artists, curators, and historians use floor plans, elevation drawings, and maps to research, reconstruct situations, and plan exhibitions.

Floor Plan (01:26)

Floor plans can be symmetrical, pinwheel, central, or contain lateral wings. Eisenman uses a church as a historical example.

Drawing as Thinking (00:40)

Drawings express the artist's ideas and feelings. During the Renaissance, disegno was directly inspired by God.

Evolution of Architectural Drawings (00:37)

Historically, architectural drawings were tools and not appreciated for aesthetic quality. Today, design drawings are expressive.

Elevation Drawing (01:43)

An elevation drawing is a scale drawing of a building's exterior or interior as seen from a vertical projection. Many architectural firms use computer assisted programs to create elevation drawings. See a list of resources for studying art.