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Module-2 Art Appreciation
Module-2 Art Appreciation
Module-2 Art Appreciation
You have just reached the second chapter for this subject! What a terrific journey
you must have had with the first chapter. Let’s keep the momentum going with the topics
in store for the second chapter.
As you have learned on the previous topics, an art piece communicates a
message to its audience that is open for various interpretation and understanding. Within
that art piece are stylistic features that helps the artist communicate meaning to its
audience. These features are what we call elements of art. These elements guide the
viewer to a deeper understanding of any piece of art when we are analyzing it
intentionally. Basically, in this unit, you will identify elements, and answer questions as
you carefully look at paintings and other works of art and analyze how these elements
are used purposefully.
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LESSON 1
Elements and Principles of Art
It is said that art is the process or product of the purposeful arrangement and
rearrangement of items that affects and influences our intellect, senses, and emotions.
In this lesson, we are to tackle the fundamental elements of art are used by artists to
construct a piece of art.
1. Color
Color helps establish a mood for your composition. When light waves strike an
object and reflect back to the optic nerve in a human’s eyes, the sensation they
perceive is called color. Artists and designers use color to depict and describe the
subject. Color is used by designers to portray mood, light, depth, and point of view.
Designers use the color wheel and the tenets of color theory—a set of guidelines for
mixing, combining, and manipulating colors—to create color schemes.
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What Is Color in Art?
In works of art, artists use color to depict and describe the subject. Artists,
especially painters, utilize their knowledge of color to portray mood, light, depth, and
point of view in a work of art.
Hue: Hue refers to the color itself, which is distinct from any other color, and
represents the name we assign that color such as red, orange, and magenta.
Value: Value is the darkness or lightness of a hue. When hues are mixed with
white, the resulting color will have a lighter value called tints. When hues are
mixed with the color black, they have a darker value called shades. The many
values of a hue can be shown on a gradient spectrum resembling paint
swatches.
Chroma: A color’s chroma refers to the purity of a color. Chroma is related to
saturation, with high-chroma colors appearing brighter, and low-chroma colors
appearing duller.
The color wheel is a circular diagram that illustrates the relationships between
different colors. Here is a brief guide to the colors in the color wheel.
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[The color wheel]. (n.d.). https://www.pinterest.com/pin/161637074097544182/
Primary colors: Primary colors are colors that are combined to make a
range of other colors. Traditionally, these are red, yellow, and blue. When
mixed, these three primary colors can form many other colors.
Secondary colors: Secondary colors are the result of mixing two primary
colors. In the traditional color model, the three secondary colors are green
(yellow plus blue), orange (yellow plus red), and purple (red plus blue).
Tertiary colors: Tertiary colors are the combination of one primary color
with one secondary color. There are six tertiary colors on the traditional
color wheel: magenta (red-purple), vermillion (red-orange), amber (yellow-
orange), chartreuse (yellow-green), teal (blue-green), and violet (blue-
purple).
Complementary colors: Complementary colors are colors that are found
opposite each other on the color wheel. Complementary color schemes
include blue with orange, red with green, and yellow with purple.
Analogous colors: Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color
wheel. Analogous color schemes include yellow paired with chartreuse and
green; red with vermillion and orange; and blue with teal and violet. The
three colors in each pairing share a common hue, so they appear to match.
Warm colors: Reds, oranges, and yellows are referred to as warm colors.
Cool colors: Blues, greens, and purples are referred to as cool colors.
Monochromatic: A color scheme is monochromatic when it only features
shades or tints of a single hue.
Neutral colors: Blacks, greys, whites and shades of beige are often
referred to as neutral colors.
2. Line:
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Line refers to the way that two points in space are connected. Whether they’re
horizontal lines, diagonal lines, or vertical lines, lines can help direct the eye toward a
certain point in your composition. You can also create texture by incorporating
different types of lines such as curved or patterned lines instead of just straight lines.
3. Value:
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Value is a basic element of art that refers to the gradual change of lightness or
darkness of a color. It is created when a light source shines upon an object creating
highlights, form shadows and cast shadows.
Value is most evident on the gray scale where black is represented as lowest or
darkest and white is represented as the highest or lightest value. Or more simply said,
they are the various shades of grey between white and black. Artists us them to
create highlights and shadows (shading) in objects and create depth in their paintings or
drawings.
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attention, and a dark figure on a mostly white background will command the
eye’s attention as well.
Colors of different value in art interact with each other to create different effects
that can change the mood or depth of your painting. Here are some types of value in
art.
High key: High key colors contain the most white and are on the palest end of
the gradient scale.
Low key: Low key colors contain the most black, and are on the darker end of
the gradient scale.
High contrast: When two colors have opposite values, such as very dark and
very light blue, they are considered high contrast.
Low contrast: When two colors have values that are only slightly different
from one another, they are considered low contrast.
4. Space:
Space is an element of art that can draw your audience’s attention to your
intended focal points, or give the illusion of a three-dimensional space.
Space is one of key elements of art that refers to the distance around and
between the subjects and aspects of a composition. There are three types of space
that are involved in art composition: positive space (which is the area of the work
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occupied by the subject or subjects), negative space (which is the area around the
subject or subjects), and three-dimensional space (a series of techniques that allows
an artist to transform a two-dimensional space into a three-dimensional one). When
they work together, positive and negative space can draw your viewer’s eye to points
of interest. Three-dimensional space creates an optical illusion that makes your
painting look more realistic.
There are three types of space for artists to consider when outlining a
composition on your picture plane, or the plane that exists in the world of your
picture.
1. Positive Space: Positive space refers to the space around the subject or
subjects in a picture. For instance, if you’re drawing a still life, a bowl of
fruit might be your positive space.
2. Negative Space: Negative space refers to the empty spaces surrounding
or in between the subject or subjects in a work of art.
3. Three-dimensional Space: Renaissance Artists mastered the technique
of creating the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. They
did so by utilizing linear perspective, diminishing scale, and atmospheric
perspective. Linear perspective refers to the use of geometric tools, like a
vanishing point, to create the appearance of depth. Diminishing scale
dictates that the farther you are from an object, the smaller it appears.
Atmospheric perspective refers to the object becoming light color as you
move away from it in space.
5. Shape
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In its most basic form, a shape is a two-dimensional area that is surrounded by
an outline. Graphic artists can use other elements including line, color, value, and
shadow to give a shape the appearance of a three-dimensional shape. There are
three types of shapes: organic shapes which occur naturally in the
world, geometric shapes which are angular and mathematically consistent,
and abstract shapes that represent things in nature but aren’t perfectly represented.
Shape is one of the principles of art that serves as a building block for
representing every variety of subject matter through painting, sculpture, and
architecture. In its most basic form, a shape is a two-dimensional area that is
surrounded by an outline. Within the context of art, shape is the external form, the
contours, or the outline of a subject. Though shapes are two-dimensional in painting
and drawing, artists use other elements including line, color, value, and shadow to
give a shape the appearance of a three-dimensional shape.
human figure.
6. Form:
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Form pertains to the way that a shape or physical configuration occupies space.
Form is one of the principles of art that dictates how artists represent dimensional
shapes in two-dimensional or three-dimensional art.
Form is one of the elements of visual art which pertains to the way that a shape
or physical configuration occupies space. For a three-dimensional work of art like a
sculpture or work of architecture, form is the shape, structure, and arrangement of
components like length, width, and depth of a shape. Instead of creating form
through physical shape, painters create the appearance of form on a flat surface by
using light, shadow, the appearance of an object’s contours, negative space, and the
surrounding objects around the subject matter.
Form is one of the principles of art that dictates how artists represent dimensional
shapes in two-dimensional or three-dimensional art.
The two types of forms or shapes in art: geometric forms and organic forms.
Geometric forms refer to precise, regular, angular, geometric shapes that are
mathematically consistent, including spheres, cubes, pyramids, cones, and cylinders.
Organic forms (or biomorphic forms) represent organic, irregular shapes that
often occur in the natural world, which are usually asymmetrical, free-form, or curved.
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When making a work of visual art, you should consider the two types of texture,
known as physical (or actual) texture and visual (or implied) texture.
Physical texture: The physical texture of a work of art refers to its tactile
texture that you can feel when you touch it. For example, the physical texture
of a work of art may be soft, hard, smooth or rough.
Visual texture: Artists who create works of art on a two-dimensional surface,
such as painters or draftsmen, are creating a visual texture of their work by
manipulating materials on their canvas.
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Examples of Texture in Art
Artist Titian
Year 1534
Dimension 119 cm
s × 165 cm
(47 in
× 65 in)
Location Uffizi, Floren
ce
Titian. (1532). Venus of Urbino. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/late-
Venus of Urbino by Titian (1532–1534): In this
renaissance-venice/a/titian-venus-of-urbino
large-scale painting, Titian depicts a nude woman lounging on a bed. He uses his
paint to indicate the surface quality of the blanket she’s laying on, and the upholstery
of her bed. His ability to convincingly depict the different textures of these costly
fabrics is a sign of his mastery of visual texture .
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Simply put, the principles of good design are the tools every artist uses to create an
effective composition. These tools are: balance, contrast, emphasis, movement,
proportion, repetition, simplicity, space and unity. How well an artist understands and
uses these tools will determine if
Defining the Principles
Horizontal Balance
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[Horizontal balance]. (n.d.). https://thedailyguardian.com/the-balance-of-life/
When components are balanced left and right of a central axis they are
balanced horizontally.
[Example painting of horizontal balance]. (n.d.). [Example painting of horizontal balance]. (n.d.).
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/balance-with-me- https://fineartamerica.com/featured/balance-with-me-
debbie-criswell.html debbie-criswell.html
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Vertical Balance
The painting on the right is a little more obvious in its vertical balance. Notice
how the three objects in the top part of the painting balance the apparent heaviness of
the one object (the plate of pancakes) in the lower part of the painting.
Radial Balance
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[Radial balance]. (n.d.).
https://thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/balance-a-principle-of-art
Types of Balance
Symmetrical Balance
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place in certain art works, however, because of its identical repetition, pure symmetry for
a composition can easily become too monotonous and uninteresting to look at.
Approximate symmetry on the other hand has greater appeal and interest for the
viewer. The two sides of a composition are varied and are more interesting to view. Even
though they are varied somewhat, they are still similar enough to make their repetitious
relationship symmetrically balanced.
Asymmetrical Balance
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The key to working with contrast is to make sure the differences are obvious. The most common
ways of creating contrast are by creating differences in:
Color — complimentary colors on the color wheel, i.e. red vs. green, blue
vs. orange, yellow vs. violet
Hue — saturated vs. muted colors
Movement — fast vs. slow
Shape — organic vs. geometric shapes
Size — large vs. small shapes
Space — positive vs. negative
Temperature — warm vs. cool
Texture — rough vs. smooth
Value — light vs dark
Contrast also adds visual interest. Most designs require a certain amount of
contrast, if there is too much similarity of the components in any design, it
will become monotonous. Too little contrast results in a design that is bland and
uninteresting to view.
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of geometric shapes (coffee pot and cups) with organic shapes (steam and clouds). The
dark steam is also contrasted with the light clouds off in the distance.
Defining Emphasis
Emphasis in art is when the artist gives dominance to or stresses a particular area or
element of focus in a painting. Without it a composition is nothing more than a
presentation of a group of details with equal importance. When a composition has no
emphasis, nothing stands out as demonstrated in the illustration below.
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[Images with emphasis and without emphasis]. (n.d.). https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/rhodes/designprinciples2.html
Adding Emphasis
Contrast — the more strongly an element contrasts with its surroundings, the more it
stands out and draws attention it to itself. See the discussion on Contrast for information
about how to use this design principle.
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Placement — elements centered on the canvas will command the viewer’s
attention, however, artists tend to avoid putting the focal point in the center of the
canvas. It is best to off center it a bit and still achieve the same effect. Off center
placement is much more pleasing to the eye.
Size or Scale — this refers to how something seems in scale or size as it is compared
to the objects around it. The larger the scale the more it will stand out and attract the
eye. Smaller elements tend to recede into the background.
4.Movement – the suggestion of action or direction, the path our eyes follow when we
look at a work of art.
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Movement is the principle of good design which gives the artist control over what
the viewer sees next. Using this principle, the artist can create the path our eyes will
travel as we look at a work of art. For example, our attention is first captured by the main
focal point and then it proceeds to move around the composition as one element after
another catches our attention.
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Rhythm is the result of repetition which leads the eye from one area to another
in direct, flowing, or staccato movement. It can be produced by continuous repetition, by
periodic repetition, or by regular alternation of one of more forms or lines. A single form
may be slightly changed with each repetition or be repeated with periodic changes in
size, color, texture, or value. A line may regularly vary in length, weight, or direction.
Color may also be repeated in various parts of the composition in order to unify the
various areas of the painting.
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into the painting. The pattern on the floor also creates repetition. You also get the feeling
of movement created by implied action.
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[Example images of good and bad proportions]. (n.d.) https://www.interaction-
design.org/literature/article/repetition-pattern-and-rhythm
Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When
the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is
said to be “out of proportion”. For example, if a person has a head larger than their entire
body, then we would say that they were out of proportion.
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[Harmony in art]. (n.d.). https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-techniques/composition/harmony-in-art/
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6. Repetition and rhythm – the act of repeating an element either regularly or
irregularly resulting in a rhythm of the repeating elements.
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In the painting of Egypt detail has been deliberately left out so the shapes rather
than the features become the areas of interest.
Space in art refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within
shapes and forms found within a composition. In this discussion we will be taking a
closer look at several different ways space is used in art. These are:
Positive space
Negative space
Two-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space
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Positive and Negative Space
There are two types of space in art: positive and negative. Both positive and
negative space are important factors to be considered in every good composition. They
occur in both two-dimension and three-dimension art and are complementary to one
another. One impacts on and affects the reading of the other.
Do you see the shapes in negative space? These shapes have substance or mass and
are not simply the absence of something. This is important to remember. Negative space
has weight and mass, and plays an important role in defining your subject.
Negative space is most evident when the space around a subject matter, and not the
form itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape. In this case the use of
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negative space is very much a key element of the artistic composition. In the example
above, the negative space forms a shape of two men face to face.
Overlapping objects
Changing size and placement of related objects
Linear perspective
Relative hue and value
Atmospheric perspective
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a. Overlapping objects within your composition is the simplest tool you can use for
creating three-dimensional space in your painting or drawing. The effect is achieved by
allowing the contour of one form to be interrupted by the contour of another form, so that
it looks like one form is physically sitting in front of the other.
b. Changing size and placement of related objects. When two shapes are the same
size and are placed on the same plane, the image tends to appear rather flat and not
have much depth to it. However, by simply varying the size and placement of the shapes
a greater sensation of depth is created.
As a rule of thumb, larger objects tend to appear closer to the viewer and smaller ones
tend to recede into the background. Also, objects placed lower on the canvas appear
closer in distance than those which are placed higher up.
d. Relative hue and value. Using hue and value to create 3D space on a flat canvas
surface are very important cues that tell us whether an object is nearby or far away. In
general, warm colors or hues tend appear closer, whereas cool hues tend to recede
away from the viewer. On the same token, close objects tend to exhibit brighter, richer
hues, and/or more contrasting in values, including extremes of dark and light. However,
distant objects tend to be either similar or neutral in value, and exhibit grayer hues.
Colors that are close in value are perceived as being on or near the same plane, but
colors that have strong contrast in value appear on separate planes.
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bluish gray and details blurring, imitating the way distant objects appear to the human
eye.
As a rule of thumb when using this tool, remember that colors tend to pale and fade as
they recede into the distance. Objects become less defined and lack detail.
Deep Space
When used effectively all of these tools to create the illusion of three-dimensional space
will create a sense of what is referred to as deep space within your painting. In deep
space there are three terms used to describe depth:
Foreground is the area of a painting that visually appears closest to the viewer. It is
often located on a lower plane or bottom of the canvas.
Middle ground is space that makes up the distance between the foreground and
background of a painting. There is no specific measurement for what the limits are.
Typically, it is located somewhere on the middle plane of the canvas.
Background is the area of a painting that visually appears to be far away in the distance
at or near the horizon. It is usually located on a higher plane of the canvas.
There are a number of ways to create the illusion of distance or depth on a flat
surface. Here are some of those ways:
1. Objects that are further away, will appear smaller than those close by. Those same
objects will also grow less distinct the further away they are. Their colors will fade and
blend into the background colors.
2. Objects which are placed higher on a plane create the feeling of depth or distance. The
viewer senses that he or she is standing away from the objects and that there is a large
amount of space in the foreground.
3. Overlapping shapes tend to create a feeling of depth.
4. Arrangement of lights. When light is contrasted against dark, a sense of depth is felt.
5. Converging lines. Parallel lines, as they move away into the distance, appear to come
closer together to form a vanishing point which may or may not be seen. A good
example of this is a road or a path.
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6. Colors. Warm and bright colors appear closer, whereas cool or dull colors tend to
recede into the distance.
The painting on the right demonstrates positive and negative space in a three-
dimensional painting. Can you see the positive and negative here? The fish occupies the
positive space and the water represents the negative space around the fish.
Overlapping Objects
Overlapping objects is a helpful tool for
creating an illusion of 3D. Depending
on how it is applied can give a sense
of deep or shallow space within a
composition.
[Example images with overlapping objects]. (n.d.).
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/463589355383772603/
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Changing Size and Placement
Linear Perspective
[Images with linear perspective]. (n.d.) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/19210735893131219/
Can you see how perspective has given the three paintings above a sense of
depth?
Perspective gives you the sensation that the train is moving away from you and
yet it pulls you down the hallway with it in the painting on the right.
Perspective can also make objects appear 3D. The artist of this building used
two-point perspective to create an object that appears to have volume. Without two-point
perspective this building would lack depth and appear flat.
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Hue and Value
Warm colors pull you up close. Cool colors recede off into the distance. The
painting on the left is a good example of this tool in use.
On the right, light moves toward you and darkness moves off into the
background.
Atmospheric Perspective
perspective/
As objects move off into the distance, they become less detailed and grayer. For
example, notice the horizon and the mountain in these two paintings.
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Deep Space
When used effectively all the tools (overlapping, perspective, atmosphere, hue and
value) can create the sensation of deep space.
9. Unity – the relationship between the individual parts and the whole of a
composition. This is the desired result in all great art.
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2. It also gives elements the appearance of completeness that they belong
together. When a composition has unity the design will be viewed as one piece,
as a whole, and not as separate elements with the painting. Using too many
shapes and forms may cause a design to be unfocused, cluttered and confusing.
The painting on the left creates a sense of unity by the effective use of repetition.
See how the artist has repeated similar forms (ducks) and color (brown) throughout the
composition?
On the right grouping of similar objects, proximity was used to create unity within
this painting.
The road in this painting is the “third element” that helps to create a relationship
between the people in the foreground to the people in the background.
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This painting is another good example of how proximity creates relationships
between related objects.
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LESSON 2
Content in Art
Looking into the what is being depicted by the artwork might be helpful in deriving
the meaning of a particular image. The subject of an artwork has been there as a basic
component of artwork. Let us try to dig deeper into this and other related concepts.
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to achieve the following:
An artwork holds clues that tell us what it is all about. It is a constant mediation
between the viewer and the artwork. Luckily, there are clues that guide the viewer. The
clues are the three basic components:
Subject- refers to the visual focus or image presented in the artwork; the “what.”
Content- the meaning that the artist tries to communicate to the viewer; the
“why.”
Form- how the art work is presented using the elements and the medium or
materials; the “how.”
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Types of Subject
Representational Art- presents subjects that have concrete references to the real
world such as events or objects. Also called “figurative art” because the figures
depicted are easy to decode.
Non-representational Art- the subject presented have no concrete reference to
the real world; not a person, a place, object or event. Instead, the subject is
presented using visual elements such as colors, shapes, and lines, employed to
convey a particular feeling, emotion, or concept.
Abstract Art- abstract and non-representational art exist in a spectrum. The
difference between the two is almost indiscernible.
Sources of Subject
Nature
Culture
History
Heritage
Religion
Mythology
People
Other works of art
Kinds of Subject
Still life
History
Animals
Nature
Figures
Landscape
Cityscape
Seascape
Dreams
Mythological characters
Fantasies
Content in Art
An art work’s content is the message or meaning that it expresses or communicates. A
viewer must take note that there are various levels of meaning that aids in understanding
the content of an art work. They are:
Factual meaning- the most basic level of meaning for it may be made out from
the immediately recognizable forms in the artwork and how they relate to one
another.
Conventional meaning- pertains to the widely-recognized interpretation of the
artwork using motifs, signs, symbols and other cyphers. These conventions are
forged through time, strengthened by repetitive use and wide acceptance by the
viewers and scholars who study them.
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Subjective meaning- stem from the viewer’s or audiences’ personal
circumstances (what we know, learned, experienced, and values we stand for.)
When these subjectivities come into play, a variety of meaning may arise as
individuals experience and artwork. Subjective meaning is, therefore, never
singular but multiple and varied.
1.
2.
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3.
4.
5.
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