Download Art Appreciation Basics

2013
Art Appreciation
Basics
Martin Zander
2
M. Zander
Art
Appreciation
Basics
This book has been purchased online on:
XinXii.com – eBooks & documents from indie authors
http://www.xinxii.com
3
Copyright, Legal Notice and Disclaimer:
This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable
international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights:
you are not allowed to give or sell this Guide to anyone else. If you received this publication
from anyone other than xinxii.com, you've received a pirated copy.
Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal
evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to
achieve complete accuracy of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility for
errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own
risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in
fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the
information and recommendations accordingly.
Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the
property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied
endorsement if we use one of these terms.
Finally, use your head. Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal,
medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader. So
have fun with the eBook, and get your stuff done.
Copyright © 2013 Martin Zander. All rights reserved worldwide.
4
Contents
Art Appreciation Basics ..................................................................................................... 7
Introduction................................................................................................................................ 7
Is This Art? .................................................................................................................................. 7
Art Isn't Always Pretty ................................................................................................................ 9
What Makes Something a Work of Art ...................................................................................... 9
Art Gallery Etiquette ....................................................................................................... 10
What am I supposed to see in a painting ................................................................................. 10
What is so important about color ............................................................................................ 10
What is with all the lines .......................................................................................................... 11
What is a mixed medium piece ................................................................................................ 11
Can I touch it ............................................................................................................................ 11
How do I react to Art ................................................................................................................ 11
Various Kinds of Art ........................................................................................................ 12
What is Abstract Art ................................................................................................................. 12
What does Contemporary Art mean? ...................................................................................... 12
What is Figurative Art............................................................................................................... 13
Folk Art ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Narrative Art ............................................................................................................................. 13
How is Realism different from Photography............................................................................ 13
Analyzing the subject of a painting .................................................................................. 14
Figure and Ground ................................................................................................................... 14
Light and Color ......................................................................................................................... 15
Unity and Variety...................................................................................................................... 15
Classic vs. Romantic.................................................................................................................. 15
Linear vs. Painterly ................................................................................................................... 16
Composition ............................................................................................................................. 17
Early Art Period .............................................................................................................. 17
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 17
ANTIQUITIES - before 500 years B.C. ....................................................................................... 18
GREEKS AND ROMANS - 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. .......................................................................... 19
MEDIEVAL - 500 to 1500 .......................................................................................................... 19
RENAISSANCE - 1400 to 1520 ................................................................................................... 20
NEOCLASSICAL - 1700 to 1800 ................................................................................................. 21
REALISM - 1800 to 1880 ........................................................................................................... 21
Modern Art Period .......................................................................................................... 22
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 22
MODERN ART - 1800 to present .............................................................................................. 22
IMPRESSIONISM - 1870 to 1900............................................................................................... 22
POSTIMPRESSIONISM - 1880 to 1920 ...................................................................................... 23
5
CUBISM - 1900 to 1920 ............................................................................................................ 23
ABSTRACT - 1912 to present .................................................................................................... 24
6
Art Appreciation Basics
Introduction
How many times have you said, "I don't know anything about art but I know what I like"?
Don't be afraid to admit it… it's a common phrase and there's absolutely nothing wrong with
saying it. The ironic thing about the sentence is, knowing what you like about art is really the
first step toward knowing about art. You see, in order to understand art, you don't need a
degree in the stuff. All you need are your eyes - and some time.
I think we can all agree that a flower garden is easy to look at. All at once, the senses are
bombarded with an orchestra of color, shape, line and texture. An activity free of stress, fear
and judgment, stopping to smell the roses, is not unlike standing before a painting. But you
would say…… when looking at a flower garden, no one expects you to know the bloom's
name, where it was grown or what the gardener might have been thinking. To that I say,
when looking at a painting, no one expects you to have special knowledge either. It's a
misconception that if we do make the effort to wander into a museum or gallery, we will
automatically be required to stand motionless in the quiet confines of large square roomsor worse - we will be summoned to speak in detail about the patterns and colors that hover
above the hard wooden floors. Not a very thrilling proposition is it? Relax. Museums and
galleries are of course nothing like that. While it is common courtesy not to shout in public
places, in a museum, you are not required to wear all black, you need not spew art speak
and there is no pop quiz at the end of your journey. In fact, you don't even have to like what
you see.
Is This Art?
As a young, wide-eyed college student, I walked into my first drawing class expecting to
learn about pencil techniques, anatomy or at the very least, why the recommended art
7
paper for the course cost me $14.34 a sheet. Instead, my classmates and I came face to face
with an energetic drawing instructor with a rather unique teaching method. Our first
assignment? Make marks on paper. It was a simple enough request until she added the
following restrictions… no pencil, pen, ink, chalk, paint or other material from our art kits
could be used.
Dumbfounded and somewhat terrified, I (along with my peers) sat frozen - convinced that
our professor was probably in need of a leave. Several arguments and many minutes later,
one lone student stood up, threw his paper on the ground and proceeded to cough up a
good amount of saliva. He then bent down, scooped up some dust and dirt from the cement
floor, and carefully smeared the stuff on his spit soaked paper.
Disgusted and confused, I stared at the event and began contemplating what a career in
business might be like. Looking toward the door, I was somehow not shocked to hear my
drawing teacher say, "Bravo!"
Though I didn't know it at the time, (how could I?) that one small act changed the way I
would forever think about and view art.
Looking at a saturated mud picture in drawing 101 didn't make me like realistic portraits or
harmonious landscapes any less... on the contrary. What it did do however, was help me to
realize that fine art is not only paintings or drawings that look "right", nor is it simply
sculptures which are executed in a "correct" manner. It also helped me to see that problem
solving - in this case, creating marks on paper without traditional drawing tools - is a large
part of art making. In other words, when you look at a work of art, you should never dismiss
(or underestimate) the process the artist went through to get to the final stage...
8