TEACHING ARTS IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES

Module 1

What is Art?

Interactions between the elements and principles of art help artists to organize sensorially pleasing
works of art while also giving viewers a framework within which to analyze and discuss aesthetic
ideas.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the frameworks we can use to analyze and discuss works of art

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 The interplay between the principles and elements of art provide a language with which to
discuss and analyze works of art.
 The principles of art include: movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast ,
proportion and pattern.
 The elements of art include: texture , form , space , shape, color, value and line .
 How best to define the term art is a subject of constant contention.
 Since conceptual art and postmodern theory came into prominence, it has been proven that
anything can be termed art.

Key Terms

 Formalism:The study of art by analyzing and comparing form and style—the way objects
are made and their purely visual aspects.

What is Art?

Art is a highly diverse range of human activities engaged in creating visual, auditory, or performed
artifacts— artworks—that express the author’s imaginative or technical skill, and are intended to
be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.

The oldest documented forms of art are visual arts, which include images or objects in fields like
painting, sculpture, printmaking , photography, and other visual media . Architecture is often
included as one of the visual arts; however, like the decorative arts, it involves the creation of
objects where the practical considerations of use are essential, in a way that they usually are not
in another visual art, like a painting.

Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality), expression,

communication of emotion, or other qualities. Though the definition of what constitutes art is
disputed and has changed over time, general descriptions center on the idea of imaginative or
technical skill stemming from human agency and creation. When it comes to visually identifying a
work of art, there is no single set of values or aesthetic traits. A Baroque painting will not
necessarily share much with a contemporary performance piece, but they are both considered art.

Despite the seemingly indefinable nature of art, there have always existed certain formal
guidelines for its aesthetic judgment and analysis. Formalism is a concept in art theory in which an
artwork’s artistic value is determined solely by its form, or how it is made. Formalism evaluates
works on a purely visual level, considering medium and compositional elements as opposed to
any reference to realism , context, or content.

Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and elements of art. The principles
of art include movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast, proportion and pattern. The
elements include texture, form, space, shape, color, value and line. The various interactions
between the elements and principles of art help artists to organize sensorially pleasing works of art
while also giving viewers a framework within which to analyze and discuss aesthetic ideas.

Ecce Homo, Caravaggio, 1605: This is an example of a Baroque painting.

Bjӧrk, Mutual Core, 2011: This is an example of a contemporary performance piece.

What Does Art Do?

A fundamental purpose inherent to most artistic disciplines is the underlying intention to appeal to,
and connect with, human emotion.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Examine the communication, utilitarian, aesthetic, therapeutic, and intellectual purposes of art

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 The decorative arts add aesthetic and design values to the objects we use every day, such
as a glass or a chair.
 Art therapy is a relatively young type of therapy that focuses on the therapeutic benefits of
art-making, using different methods and theories.
  Since the introduction of conceptual art and postmodern theory, it has been proven that
anything can, in fact, be termed art.
 It can be said that the fine arts represent an exploration of the human condition and the
attempt at a deeper understanding of life.

Key Terms

 human condition:The characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the
essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and
mortality.
 fine arts:Visual art created principally for its aesthetic value.
 aesthetic:Concerned with artistic impact or appearance.

A fundamental purpose common to most art forms is the underlying intention to appeal to, and
connect with, human emotion. However, the term is incredibly broad and is broken up into
numerous sub-categories that lead to utilitarian , decorative, therapeutic, communicative, and
intellectual ends. In its broadest form, art may be considered an exploration of the human
condition, or a product of the human experience.

The decorative arts add aesthetic and design values to everyday objects, such as a glass or a
chair, transforming them from a mere utilitarian object to something aesthetically beautiful. Entire
schools of thought exist based on the concepts of design theory intended for the physical world.

Bauhaus chair by Marcel Breuer: The decorative arts add aesthetic and design values to everyday objects.

Art can function therapeutically as well, an idea that is explored in art therapy. While definitions
and practices vary, art therapy is generally understood as a form of therapy that uses art media as
its primary mode of communication. It is a relatively young discipline, first introduced around the
mid-20th century.

Historically, the fine arts were meant to appeal to the human intellect, though currently there are
no true boundaries. Typically, fine art movements have reacted to each other both intellectually
and aesthetically throughout the ages. With the introduction of conceptual art and postmodern
theory, practically anything can be termed art. In general terms, the fine arts represent an
exploration of the human condition and the attempt to experience a deeper understanding of life.

What Does Art Mean?

The meaning of art is shaped by the intentions of the artist as well as the feelings and ideas it
engenders in the viewer.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the perspectives behind the meaning of art

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 The meaning of art is often shared among the members of a given society and dependent
upon cultural context.
 The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as “one of the most
elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.”
 Some purposes of art may be to express or communicate emotions and ideas, to explore
and appreciate formal elements for their own sake, or to serve as representation.
 Art, at its simplest, is a form of communication and means whatever it is intended to mean
by the artist.

Key Terms

 mimesis:The representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in

literature and art.

The meaning of art is often culturally specific, shared among the members of a given society and
dependent upon cultural context. The purpose of works of art may be to communicate political,
spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty (see aesthetics), to explore the nature
of perception, for pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Its purpose may also be seemingly
nonexistent.

The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as “one of the most elusive
of the traditional problems of human culture.” It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or
communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal elements for
their own sake, and as mimesis or representation. More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin
Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community develops for itself a medium
for self-expression and interpretation.

Helen Frankenthaler, 1956: A photograph of the American artist Helen Frankenthaler in her studio in 1956.

Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication. It means whatever the artist intends it to
mean, and this meaning is shaped by the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well
as the ideas and feelings it creates in its viewers . Art is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts,
and observations.
What Makes Art Beautiful?

Beauty in terms of art refers to an interaction between line, color, texture, sound, shape, motion,
and size that is pleasing to the senses.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Define “aesthetics” and “beauty” as they relate to art

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 Beauty in art can be difficult to put into words due to a seeming lack of accurate language.
 An aesthetic judgment cannot be an empirical judgment but must instead be processed on
a more intuitive level.
 Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and appreciation of art,
beauty, and taste. Aesthetics is central to any exploration of art.
 For Immanuel Kant, the aesthetic experience of beauty is a judgment of a subjective, but
common, human truth.
 For Arthur Schopenhauer, aesthetic contemplation of beauty is the freest and most pure
and truthful that intellect can be, and is therefore beautiful.
 Art is often intended to appeal to, and connect with, human emotion.

Key Terms

 aesthetics:The branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, taste, and the creation
and appreciation of beauty.
 intuitive:Spontaneous, without requiring conscious thought; easily understood or grasped
by instinct.

What makes art beautiful is a complicated concept, since beauty is subjective and can change
based on context. However, there is a basic human instinct, or internal appreciation, for harmony,
balance, and rhythm which can be defined as beauty. Beauty in terms of art usually refers to an
interaction between line, color, texture , sound, shape, motion, and size that is pleasing to the
senses.

Aesthetic Art

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty,
and taste. Aesthetics is central to any exploration of art. The word “aesthetic” is derived from the
Greek “aisthetikos,” meaning “esthetic, sensitive, or sentient. ” In practice, aesthetic judgment
refers to the sensory contemplation or appreciation of an object (not necessarily a work of art),
while artistic judgment refers to the recognition, appreciation, or criticism of a work of art.

Numerous philosophers have attempted to tackle the concept of beauty and art. For Immanuel
Kant, the aesthetic experience of beauty is a judgment of a subjective, but common, human truth.
He argued that all people should agree that a rose is beautiful if it indeed is. There are many
common conceptions of beauty; for example, Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel are
widely recognized as beautiful works of art. However, Kant believes beauty cannot be reduced to
any basic set of characteristics or features.

For Arthur Schopenhauer, aesthetic contemplation of beauty is the freest and most pure that
intellect can be. He believes that only in terms of aesthetics do we contemplate perfection of form
without any kind of worldly agenda.

Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam,  The Sistine Chapel, 1508-1512:

Beauty in art can be difficult to put into words due to a seeming lack of accurate language. An
aesthetic judgment cannot be an empirical judgment but must instead be processed on a more
intuitive level.

Art and Human Emotion

Sometimes beauty is not the artist’s ultimate goal. Art is often intended to appeal to, and connect
with, human emotion. Artists may express something so that their audience is stimulated in some
way—creating feelings, religious faith, curiosity, interest, identification with a group, memories,
thoughts, or creativity. For example, performance art often does not aim to please the audience
but instead evokes feelings, reactions, conversations, or questions from the viewer . In these
cases, aesthetics may be an irrelevant measure of “beautiful” art.

Who Is an Artist?

An artist is a person who is involved in the wide range of activities that are related to creating art.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Summarize the evolution of the term “artist” and its predecessors

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 In ancient Greece and Rome there was no word for “artist,” but there were nine muses who
oversaw a different field of human creation related to music and poetry, with no muse for
visual arts.
 During the Middle Ages , the word “artista” referred to something resembling “craftsman.”
 The first division into major and minor arts dates back to the 1400s with the work of Leon
Battista Alberti.
  The European Academies of the 16th century formally solidified the gap between the fine
and the applied arts which exists in varying degrees to this day.
 Currently an artist can be defined as anyone who calls him/herself an artist.

Key Terms

 muses:Goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science, and the arts in Greek mythology.
 Pop art:An art movement that emerged in the 1950s that presented a challenge to
traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular culture such as advertising and news.
 fine arts:The purely aesthetic arts, such as music, painting, and poetry, as opposed to
industrial or functional arts such as engineering or carpentry.

An artist is a person who is involved in the wide range of activities that are related to creating art.
The word has transformed over time and context, but the modern understanding of the
term denotes that, ultimately, an artist is anyone who calls him/herself an artist.

In ancient Greece and Rome, there was no word for “artist.” The Greek word “techne” is the
closest that exists to “art” and means “mastery of any art or craft.” From the Latin “tecnicus”
derives the English words “technique,” “technology,” and “technical.” From these words we can
denote the ancient standard of equating art with manual labor or craft.

Each of the nine muses of ancient Greece oversaw a different field of human creation. The
creation of poetry and music was considered to be divinely inspired and was therefore held in high
esteem. However, there was no muse identified with the painting and sculpture; ancient Greek
culture held these art forms in low social regard, considering work of this sort to be more along the
lines of manual labor.

During the Middle Ages, the word “artista” referred to something resembling “craftsman,” or
student of the arts. The first division into “major” and “minor” arts dates back to the 1400s with the
work of Leon Battista Alberti, which focused on the importance of the intellectual skills of the artist
rather than the manual skills of a craftsman. The European academies of the 16th century formally
solidified the gap between the fine and the applied arts, which exists in varying degrees to this
day. Generally speaking, the applied arts apply design and aesthetics to objects of everyday use,
while the fine arts serve as intellectual stimulation.

Currently, the term “artist” typically refers to anyone who is engaged in an activity that is deemed
to be an art form. However, the questions of what is art and who is an artist are not easily
answered. The idea of defining art today is far more difficult than it has ever been. After the
exhibition during the Pop Art movement of Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box and Campbell’s Soup Cans,
the questions of “what is art?” and “who is an artist?” entered a more conceptual realm. Anything
can, in fact, be art, and the term remains constantly evolving.
Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans, 1962: Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans have come to be representative of the
Pop Art movement.

Essential Learning Objectives

The elementary art curriculum is built around these essential learning objectives for all grades.

At a level appropriate to their grade, students will...

1. Use art tools and materials safely and independently.
2. Become confident with a wide variety of art media & techniques.
3. Learn basic art vocabulary, including the Elements of Art.
4. Generate & express ideas independently and as collaborators for group projects.

5. Learn to recognize and use all stages of the creative process

6. Gain awareness of the role of art throughout history and across cultures.

And most importantly...

7. Develop confidence and experience joy through creative expression.

Art History Timeline

Art Periods/ Dates Chief Artists and Major Works Characteristics Historical Events
Movements
Mesopotamia - Sumerian (2700 BCE) Sumerian Votive Offerings, Standard of Warrior art and Sumerians invent writing (3400
Ancient Near Ur, Ziggurat of Ur, Bull Lyre narration in stone relief BCE) Hammurabi writes his
East (3500 BCE Akkadian (2200 BCE) Head of Akkadian Rule, Stele of law code (1780 BCE);
– 636 BCE) NaramSin
Chapter 2
Neo-Sumerian (2050 Gudea of Lagash, Stele of Hammurabi
BCE) and Babylonian
(2000 BCE)
Assyrian (720) and Lamassu Guard , Gate of Ishtar
NeoBabylonian (600
BCE)
Egyptian (3500 Dynastic Period (3000 Palette of Namer, Khafre, Step Art with an afterlife Narmer unites Upper/Lower
BCE – 30 BCE) BCE) and Old Kingdom Pyramid(Imhotep), Great Pyramids of focus: pyramids and Egypt (3100 BCE); Rameses II
Chapter 3 (2000 BCE) Giza tomb painting, battles the Hittites (1274 BCE);
Middle Kingdom Tombs carved into mountains Cleopatra dies (30 BCE)

New Kingdom (1500 Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut,

BCE) and Abu Simbel (Ramses II) Akhenaton and
Armana Period (1350 his family, Bust of Nefertiti
BCE)
Ancient Greece Cycladic (Cyclades Cycladic figurines (Geometric women Minoan – Ocean height of the Bronze Age
(3000 BCE – Islands) (2500 BCE) with folder arms, Seated Harp Player) themes
1200 BCE) Minoan (Crete) (1500 Palace of Knossos, Leaping Bull fresco,
Chapter 4 BCE) Snake Goddess, Octopus Vase,
Harvesters Vase
Mycenaean (mainland Funerary mask, Lions Gate, Treasury of
Greece) (1200 BCE) Atreus
Greek and Geometric and Geometric Krater Greek idealism: Athens defeats Persia at
Hellenistic (900 Orientalizing (800 BCE) balance, perfect Marathon (490 BCE);
BCE – 30 BCE) Archaic (550 BCE) Kouros, Kore, vases by Exekias, proportions; Peloponnesian Wars (431 b.c.–
Chapter 5 architectural orders 404 BCE); Alexander the
(amphora, kraters)
(Doric, Ionic, Great's conquests (336 b.c.–323
Early and High Classical Kritios Boy, Riace Warrior, Everything Corinthian) BCE.)
Art (450 BCE) on the Acropolis (Parthenon – Iktinos
 and
Kallikrates) Doryphors/Spear Bearer
(Polykleitos – “perfect” sculptures) ,
Athena Partheonos (Phidias),
Diskobolus/Discus Thrower (Myron)
Late Classical (350 BCE) Hermes and Infant Dionysos
(Praxiteles),
Aphrodite of Knidos (Praxiteles),
Apoxyomenos/Scraper, (Lysippos)
Hellenistic (200 BCE) Dying Gaul, Laocoon & Sons, Nike of
Samothrace, Altar of Zeus,
Etruscan (700 Etruscan (600 BCE) Sarcophagus from Cerveteri, Apulu Mixture of Greek and Occupied Italy in the early
BCE – 509 (Apollo), Interior of the Tomb of the Roman Styles, Roman days and were wiped out
BCE) Reliefs Cerveteri, Italy composite columns, use
Chapter 6 of these styles in their
homes, sophisticated
tombs
Roman (735 Roman Republic (200 Temple of Portunus, Pompeii frescoes verism, Roman Julius Caesar assassinated (44
BCE - 337 CE) BCE) realism: practical and BCE.); Augustus proclaimed
Chapter 7 Early Empire (50 CE) Ara Pacis, Portrait of Augustus, Maison down to earth; the Emperor (27 BCE); Diocletian
Carree, Pont-du-Gard, Colosseum arch Imperial splits Empire (292 CE); Rome
Procession falls (476 CE)
High Roman (150 CE) The Pantheon, Equestrian Statue of
Marcus Aurelius, Portrait busts,
Pantheon
(Hadrian)
Late Empire (250 CE) The 4 Tetrarchs, Arch of Constantine,
Constantine the Great, Aula Palatina
Late Antiquity/ Early Christian (400 CE) Old St. Peter’s, Mausoleum of Galla Central plan churches, Christianity was found by Jesus
Early Christian Placidia, Good Shepherd, Santa Christian images Christ, Christians hide in the

(192 – 526) Constanza, St. Apollinare Nuovo Roman Empire to escape harsh
Chapter 8 persecutions, Constantine
granted religious tolerance
Byzantine and Byzantine (600 CE) St. Michael the Archangel, Justinian and Heavenly Byzantine Justinian partly restores Western
(324 CE - 1453 Attendants (San Vitale), Hagia Sophia, mosaics; Islamic Roman Empire (533–562);
CE) architecture and amazing Iconoclasm Controversy ( 726–.
Chapter 9 maze-like design, 843); Birth of Islam (610) and
Beginning of manuscript Muslim Conquests (632–732)
Illumination
Islamic Islamic (1000) Dome of the Rock, Mosque of Córdoba, Five Pillars of Faith, Muhammad born 570 CE, at age
(622 - 1924) Palace of the Lions, Mosque of Selim II, Koran, arabesques, of 40 receives calling as a
Chapter 10 calligraphy, quibla wall, prophet of a new religion, Dies
horseshoe arch, mosque 632 CE
Early Medieval Warrior Lords (600) Sutton Hoo Ship purse cover, Animalhead Portable works, Migration period, Viking Raids
(410 -1024) post interlacing patterns, (793–1066); Battle of Hastings
Chapter 11 Hiberno-Saxon (800) Chi Rho Iota page of Book of Kells, Illuminated manuscript, (1066);
\ Lindisfarne Gospels, Cloissonne, Burial relics
Animal style jewelry
Carolingian (800) Ebbo Gospels, Crucifixion Cover from
the Lindau Gospels, Palatine Chapel
Ottonian (900) Gero Crucifix, St. Michael’s, Bronze
door of Bishop Bernward, Durham
Cathedral,
Romanesque Romanesque (1100) St. Sernin, Autun Cathedral (and Heavy walls, smaller Crusades I–IV (1095–1204);
(950 -1100) sculptures by Gislebertus), Reliquary of window, Pilgrimages,
Chapter 12 Sainte-Foy, Pisa Cathedral, Durham Relics
Cathedral, Bayeux Tapestry

Gothic (1140 - Gothic (1200) St. Denis (Abbot Suger-1st Gothic bldg), Stained Glass! Tall Black Death (1347–1351);
1300) Reims, Notre Dame, Chartres (jamb churches, Flying Hundred Years' War (1337–
Chapter 13 statues), Reims, Amien, Sainte-Chapelle, Buttresses, Rayonnant 1453)
Salisbury Cathedral, Ekkehard and Uta, Style
Rottgen Pieta
Late Late Medieval Italy Madonna Enthroned (Cimabue, Duccio, Figures starting to have Italy had many city-states,
Medieval/Late (1300) and Giotto), Arena Chapel frescos form with shadows,
Gothic/Proto- (Giotto), Maesta Altarpiece (Duccio), Italian buildings stressed
Renaissance Good and Bad Government frescoes width and height
(1200 -1400) (Lorenzetti), Baptistery of San Giovanni
Chapter 14 Doors (Pisano)

Early Northern Early Northern Très Riches Heures (Limbourg Brothers) Oil painting, extreme Gutenberg invents movable type
Renaissance Renaissance (1400s) (Book of Hours) Merode Altarpiece detail, symbolism, (1447); Turks conquer
(1400s) (Campin) Ghent Altarpiece (Hubert and donors included in Constantinople (1453);
Chapter 20 Jan Van Eyck), Arnolfini Portrait (Jan altarpieces, Columbus lands in New World
van Eyck) Deposition (Van der Weyden) (1492);
Early Italian Early Renaissance (1450) Ghiberti's Doors, Brunelleschi, Rebirth of classical Gutenberg invents movable type
Renaissance Donatello, Botticelli, Masaccio, culture, Medici as a (1447); Turks conquer
(1400s) Annunciation (Fra Angelico) patron, use of linear Constantinople (1453);
Chapter 21 Foreshortened Christ (Mantegna) perspective, frescoes and Columbus lands in New World
tempera, Cosimo (1492);
d’Medici’s neo-platonic
academy
High Italian & High Renaissance (1550) Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Many papal Martin Luther starts Reformation
Venetian Bramante, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian commissions (1517)
Renaissance
(1500s)
Chapter 22
Northern Venetian and Northern Dürer, Bruegel, Bosch, Jan van Eyck, The Renaissance spreads Council of Trent and Counter-
Renaissance Renaissance (1500) Rogier van der Weyden northward to France, the Reformation (1545–1563);
(1430–1550) Low Countries, Poland, Copernicus proves the Earth
Chapter 23 Germany, and England revolves around the Sun (1543)

Mannerism Mannerism (1550) Last Supper (Tintoretto), El Greco, Art that breaks the Magellan circumnavigates the
(1527–1580) Entombment of Christ (Pontormo, rules; elongated and globe (1520–1522)
Chapter 23 Madonna with the Long Neck twisted bodies,
(Parmigianino), Bronzino, Cellini
Italian Baroque (1650) Rubens, Caravaggio, Bernini, Splendor, art as a Thirty Years' War between
Baroque Gentileschi, Palace of Versailles weapon in the Catholics and Protestants
(1600–1750) Velazquez (Spain) religious (1618– 1648), Counter-
wars Reformation in Italy
Dutch Still-Life(Claesz) Genre (Vermeer), Still-lifes, genre
Baroque Portraits (Hals and Rembrandt) paintings, portraits,
Chapter 25 Landscapes and landscapes
(1600s)
Rococo Rococo (1700s) Pilgrimage to Cythera (Watteau), The Highly decorative, Louis XIV in France
(1700s) Swing (Fragonard), Cuvilles’s Hall of ‘frilly” posh Louis
Chapter 26 Mirrors XIV

Neoclassical Neoclassical (1800) David, Ingres, Kauffmann, West, Art that recaptures Enlightenment (18th century);
(1750–1850) VigeeLebrun, Chiswick House (Boyle Greco-Roman grace Industrial Revolution (1760–
Chapter 26 & Kent), Monticello (Jefferson) and grandeur 1850)
English: Gainsborough, Reynolds, Grand Manner
Hogarth (Marriage a la mode series, portraiture
satire)
Romanticism Romanticism (1800) Friedrich, Constable, Goya, Cole, The triumph of American Revolution (1775–
(1780–1850) Gericault, Delacroix, Turner, imagination and 1783); French Revolution
Chapter 27 individuality (1789– 1799); Napoleon
crowned emperor of France
(1803)
Realism Realism (1860) Courbet, Daumier, Millet Celebrating working European democratic
(1848– 1900) class and peasants; en revolutions of 1848
Chapter 27 plein air rustic
painting
Photography Photography (1850) The Gross Clinic (Eakins), A Harvest daguerreotype,
(1850) of calotype,
Death (O’Sullivan), Horse Galloping
(Muybridge)
Arts & Crafts, Arts & Crafts Casa Mila natural forms,
Art Nouveau (England), repeated designs of
(1900) Art Nouveau floral and geometric
(Paris)(1900) patterns
Impressionism Impressionism (1865– Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro, Capturing fleeting Franco-Prussian War (1870–
(1865–1885) 1885) Cassatt, Morisot, Degas effects of natural light 1871); Unification of Germany
Chapter 28 (1871)
Post- Post-Impressionism Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat A soft revolt against Belle Époque (late-19th-
Impressionism (1900) Impressionism century
(1885–1910) Golden Age); Japan defeats
Chapter 28 Russia (1905)
Fauvism and Fauvism and Matisse, Kirchner, Kandinsky, Marc Harsh colors and flat Boxer Rebellion in China
Expressionism Expressionism (1910) surfaces (Fauvism); (1900); World War (1914–
(1900–1935) emotion distorting 1918)
Chapter 29 form
Cubism, Cubism, Futurism, Picasso, Braque, Boccioni, Malevich, Pre– and Post–World Russian Revolution (1917);
Futurism, Supremativism, Mondrian War 1 art American women franchised
Supremativism Constructivism, De experiments: new (1920)
, Stijl forms to express
De Stijl (1905–1920) modern life
(1905–
1920)
Chapter 29
Dada and Dada (1920) and Duchamp, Dalí, Ernst, Magritte, Kahlo Ridiculous art; Disillusionment after World
Surrealism Surrealism (1930) painting dreams and War
(1917–1950) exploring the I; The Great Depression
Chapter 29 unconscious, (1929–
readymades 1938); World War II (1939–
1945) and Nazi horrors;
atomic bombs dropped on
Japan (1945)
Abstract Abstract Expressionism Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko, Warhol, Post–World War II: Cold War and Vietnam War
Expressionism (1945) and Pop Art Lichtenstein pure abstraction and (U.S. enters 1965); U.S.S.R.
(1940s–1950s) (1960s) expression without suppresses Hungarian revolt
and Pop Art form; (1956) Czechoslovakian revolt
(1960s) popular art absorbs (1968)
Chapter 30 consumerism
Postmodernis Postmodernism and Cindy Sherman, Christo and Jeanne- Art without a center Nuclear freeze movement;
m and Cold
and Deconstructivism Claude, Kiefer, Frank Gehry, reworking and mixing War fizzles; Communism
Deconstructivis (1970– past styles collapses in Eastern Europe
m ) and
(1970– ) U.S.S.R. (1989–1991)
Chapter 31

Modern Art Movements

1. Symbolists: de Chavannes, Moreau, Redon, Rousseau
2. Art Nouveau: Horta, Beadsley, Gaudi
Abstraction: (Art About “Ideas”)
3. Analytical Cubism: Picasso, Brauqe
4. Synthetic Cubism: Picasso, Braque
5. Orphism: Delauneay
6. American (2nd Gen.) Cubist: Hartley, Davis, Douglas
7. Futurism: Balla, Boccioni, Severini

Expressionism: (Art about “Feelings”)

8. Vienna Successionists: Klimt, Schiele
9. Fauvism: Matisse, Derain
10. Die Brucke: Kirshner, Nolde
11. Der Blaude Reiter: Krandinsky, Marc
12. Neue Sachlichkeit/New Objectivity: Gros, Beckmann, Dix, Kollwitz
Art about “Ideas”:
13. Dada: Arp, Duchamp
 14. Surrealism: de Chirico, Ernst, Dali, Magritte, Oppenheim
15. American Regionalism: Wood, Lawrence, Hopper
16. Mexican Muralists: Orozco, Rivera
17. Constructivism/ Supermatism: Malevich, Gabo
18. Purism: Le Corbusier, Leger
19. DeStijl: Mondrian, Rietveld
20. Bauhaus: Gropius, Meis van der Rohe
21. International Style Architecture: le Corbusier
22. Prairie Style: Frank Lloyd Wright
23. Organic Sculpture: Brancusi, Moore
A Return to Expressionist Sensibilities:
24. Post War European Espressionism: Bacon, Giacometti
25. Abstract Exoressionism: Polluck, De Kooning, Klein, Rothko
A Return to Formalism:
26. Color Field: Newman, Rothko, Frankenthaler, Louis
27. Hard Edge: Kelly, (early) Stella
28. Minimalism: Judd, Tony Smith
29. Assemblage/ Neo Dada: Rauschenberg, Johns
30. Pop Art: Lichtenstein, Warhol, Oldenburg
31. American Women Sculptors: Nevelson, Bourgeois, Hesse
32. Performance Art: Tanguely, Beuys
33. Conceptual Art: Kosuth, Nauman, Beuys
34. Super Realism: Close, Hanson
35. Earth Art: Smithson, Christo, Heizer
36. Neo Expressionism: Schnabel, Kiefer, Susan Rothenburg
37. Feminist Art: Chicago, Sherman, Kruger, Wilke, Holzer, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker Modernism Quotes:
1. “All of us have started from Cezanne” –Fernand Leger
2. “When religion, science, and morality are shaken – when external supports threaten to collapse then
a. man’s gaze turns away from the outside world towards himself.” –Vasily Kandinsky
3. “I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.” –Picasso
4. “I have not painted a woman – I have painted a painting!” –Matisse
5. “Painting, after all, has never been a mirror of the external world, it has never been like a photograph. It
a. has been a creation of signs which were always rightly read by contemporaries…” b. –
Daniel Kahnweiler
6. “Our Ideas and our ideals must be clad in hair shirts – they must be fed on locusts and wild honey, not on
history – if we are ever to escape the exhaustion of our European bad taste.” –Franz Marc
7. “What I want to show in my work is the idea which hides itself behind so‐called reality. I am seeking for
the bridge which leads from the visible to the invisible…” –Max Beckmann
8. “… theonly interesting truth is the subjective… We have to admit that reshaped nature is at least as
expressive as ‘natural nature’.” –Rene Claair
9. “Like ourselves, these artist [of Africa and Oceana] sought to express in their work only internal truths,
renouncing in consequence all consideration of external form.” –Kandinsky
10. “In the highest sense, an ultimate mystery lies behind the ambiguity which the light of the intellect fails
miserably to penetrate.” –Paul Klee
11. Modernism
 “Modernism for the visual arts repudiates the notion that representation of the
empirical world correctly reports “reality.” The appearances of things are not the
way things are; the representation of appearances even less so (Plato). Thus, the
representational art of the Western Tradition is false and misguided and should
be fundamentally altered or dismissed. The way we actually experience things is
much more complicated than our visual information gives us to believe; a table
seen in perspective, and a represented as such, is neither the whole nor the “real”
table. What counts is the way we feel and think about it; and to express this in
visual art we need to abstract from it its characteristic features as differently
perceived, to distort its many appearances for expression’s sake, or to abandon
making images of it as an object altogether, in favor of nonobjective line, shapes,
and colors, The ultimate “reality” is the medium itself and its physical elements.”
Garnder

Comparing works of Modern/Post Modern Art

1. What is the source or the inspiration of the idea for the work? (Is it a conceptual or physical?)
2. What relationship does the work have to the concept of “beautiful” or aesthetics?
3. Is the work in any “autobiographical”? If so, how is it autobiographical?
4. What relationship does the work have to it’s environment or surroundings? (Especially in the case of
sculpture)
5. What is evident in the work regarding the working process of the artist? What can be said about the
working process of the artist which is germane to the work?
6. What connection is apparent in the work to concepts of Modernism and/or Post Modernism?
7. How is the audience invited to interact/engage in with the work of art or react to the work?
8. Is the work primarily emotional or intellectual in its conception?
9. What is the role of space in relationship to form, if this work is sculptural?
10. What is the content of the work? What is the source of the imagery?
11. Who is the intended (most receptive) audience for this work?
12. What formal concerns most pre‐occupy the artist?
13. What role does time and entropy (change over time) play in the work (especially relevant with sculpture)?
 M2 - The 7 Elements of Art and Why Knowing
Them Is Important
By Shelley Esaak

Updated September 26, 2019

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. 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).

The 7 Elements of Art

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
2. Shape
3. Form
4. Space
5. Texture
6. Value
7. Color

Artists manipulate these seven elements, mix them in with principles of design, and
compose a piece of art. Not every work of art contains every one of these elements, but
at least two are always present.

For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and space in a sculpture,
because these elements are three-dimensional. They can also be made to appear in
two-dimensional works through the use of perspective and shading.

Art would be sunk without line, sometimes known as "a moving point." While line isn't
something found in nature, it is absolutely essential as a concept to depicting objects
and symbols, and defining shapes.

Texture is another element, like form or space, that can be real (run your fingers over
an Oriental rug, or hold an unglazed pot), created (think of van Gogh's lumpy, impasto-
ed canvases) or implied (through clever use of shading).

Color is often the whole point for people who are visual learners and thinkers.
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
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.

Does your instructor want you to write a few words and/or pages on a painting of your
choice? Choose wisely, and then wax euphoric on form, lines, and color.

Have you found an unidentified work in your great-aunt's attic/toolshed/outhouse? It is

helpful when describing the piece to someone who may be able to supply you with
further information, to throw in some of the piece's elements of art along with: "It's an
etching. It's on paper."

Stumped for conversation at a gallery show? Try "The artist's use of ________ (insert
element here) is interesting." This is a much safer course than attempting
to psychoanalyze the artist (after all, you may be standing in a clump of people that
includes his or her mother) or using words which leave you a bit uncertain of exact
meanings and/or pronunciations.

The elements of art are both fun and useful. Remember line, shape, form, space,
texture, value and color. Knowing these elements will allow you to analyze, appreciate,
write and chat about art, as well as being of help should you create art yourself.
What are the different types of elements of art?
14 Answers

Here is a list of the different elements of art:

Line is a stroke made through space. A line comes in different lengths, and can be drawn vertically,
horizontally, or curved. Line is the foundation to drawing.

Shape is a closed line with boundaries. Shape is not just circle and triangles, but can come in abstract
forms too

Form is the combination of shape and line to create depth. Form is what creates the illusion of three
dimension.

Value is how light or dark something appears. Value plays a very important part to shading and
highlighting. Contrast is the relationship between the light values and dark values. If there are very
light areas and very dark areas, there is a high concentration of contrast. If the values are mainly grey
and lightest vs. darkest is not very different, there is little contrast.

Texture is what the surface looks like, like how rough or smooth the drawing looks. Rarely does an art
piece actually feel like the texture. Rather, it is the illusion that the object that is drawn looks like it
shows this tactile quality.

Color has three properties-hue, value, and intensity. In addition to these, there are primary and
secondary colors. Red, yellow, and blue are the primary, and orange, green, and purple are the
secondary. One can study the color wheel to see how these colors interact with one another,
(complementary are opposite of each other, analogous sit next to each other.

Space is the area between objects. Blank space if referred to as negative space. With three dimensional
art, space refers to perspective. Perspective is the illusion of depth. Elements of perspective and space
include foreground and background. In general, space and perspective refer to the overall layout of the
art piece.

These are the seven elements of art.

(The elements of art are different than the principles of art. You can think of it like the elements of art
are the basic tools, and the principles of art are how to use those basic tools. In order to become a
better artist, one must feel comfortable and understand the elements of art. )
TASK 1:

MAKE THE 7 ELEMENTS OF ARTS. EACH ELEMENTS

SHOULD BE PLACE IN A SEPARATE BOND PAPER.
ANY MATERIALS WILL DO.