Topic 4: SUBJECT / CONTENT and MEDIUM of the Art

Subject -Refers to any person, objects, scene, or event described or presented in a work
of art.
Appeal of most works of art lies in the representation of familiar objects
Content - means to what the artist expresses or communicate in the whole art work, on the
other hand, refers to a work's essence, or what is being depicted.
If the subject is recognizable, it is easy to get the content.

ART is FORM
Form means
(1) elements of art
(2) the principles of design
(3) Medium of the artist.

ART is CONTENT
Content is idea-based and means:
(1) what the artist meant to portray
(2) )what the artist actually did portray and
(3) How we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual messages.
• It includes ways in which a work was influenced - by religion, or politics, or society
in general, or evens the artist's use of hallucinogenic substances - at the time it was
created.

THE ARTIST and his MEDIUM

A medium refers to the materials that are used to create a work of art. The plural of
medium is media. Some of the most common media are oil paints (paints that use oil to hold
pigments together), tempera (pigments held together with egg yolk), marble (soft, white
stone), and bronze (a metal used to cast sculptures).
Medium used by artists vary widely and range from tools including paints, brushes,
pencils and pastels used by traditional artists, to instruments, voice and electronics used in
the auditory arts. Additional, sculptors use raw materials like wood, paints, clay and plastics
to create figurines and sculptures.

THE ARTIST AND HIS CHOICE OF SUBJECT

• Everything under the sun is a raw material for the artist.

• Personal statement or his satisfaction.
• Affected by his choice of medium.

2 TYPES OF SUBJECT

• REPRESENTATIONAL
 Arts with a subject - is an art or figurative art represents objects or events in the real
world, usually looking easily recognizable. For example, a painting of a cat looks very much
like a cat– it’s quite obvious what the artist is depicting.

• NON- REPRESENTATIONAL Arts without a subject - They appeal directly to the senses, these
depends on the elements of design that convey a message which is not objective.
Ex. Music, Architecture and many functional arts

KINDS OF SUBJECTS
• Landscape or seascape
• Still life
• Animals
• Dreams and fantasies
• Portraits
• Figures
• Everyday life
• Religions or Mythology