Art Glossary

Reflecting its rich cultural heritage and dynamic social discourse, Lebanon has crafted a contemporary art scene that is both vibrant and unique. Artists like Etel Adnan and Akram Zaatari, using (...) read more

Lettrism is an art form that uses letters, words, and symbols to create artwork. The movement was established in Paris in the 1940s and later gained popularity in the 1950s in America. Lettrisme is (...) read more

Light art refers to artworks that use light as the primary medium. These can include sculptures or installations that interact with the natural or urban environment. Light art can be suspended, in (...) read more

The Light and Space Movement refers to loosely affiliated art movements connected to minimalism, geometric abstraction, and op art that originated in Southern California in the 1960s. Greatly (...) read more

A limited edition print is one of a number of prints made at the same time from one printmaking plate. A fixed number are made and signed by the artist, indicating the printing order, using the (...) read more

Live art is a form of performance that began in the 1960s and is generally exploratory and innovative. It involves a single artist or an artist group presenting the work before a live audience. The (...) read more

Lowbrow is a derogatory term that refers to certain forms of popular culture. It describes an art movement that began in Los Angeles in the 1970s. The term lowbrow originally refers to a person with (...) read more

Lyrical abstraction is a descriptive term characterizing a type of abstract painting closely related to Abstract Expressionism, in use from the 1940s to the present. The term can also describe two (...) read more

Magnum Photos is a photographic cooperative founded in 1947 by four photographers: Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Chim Seymour. Based in New York, the organization was (...) read more

Mail Art is a populist art movement centered on the creation and exchange of small-scale artworks through the postal service. It developed out of the Fluxus movement in the 1950s and 1960s and has (...) read more

The Manifesto Invencionista was published in 1946, marking the beginning of the concrete art movement in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Written by artist Tomás Maldonado and published by the Asociación (...) read more

Marouflage on canvas is a technique where a paper artwork is affixed to a canvas using a transparent adhesive. This method is often used to avoid the need for framing behind glass and is usually (...) read more

Massurrealism is a portmanteau word coined by American artist James Seehafer in 1992. He observed a trend among postmodern artists who blended themes and aesthetic styles with mass media, including (...) read more

Matter painting is a technique that involves blending thick impasto paints with materials like cement, mud, sand, or shells. The term first emerged in the 1950s to describe the works of Belgian and (...) read more

The term medium in art refers both to the type of art being created and the materials used to make the artwork. For example, painting, printmaking, and sculpture are types of art that are referred to (...) read more

Mexico's contemporary art scene is a vibrant blend of indigenous traditions and global currents, reflecting its rich cultural history. Museums such as Museo Tamayo and Museo Jumex in Mexico City host (...) read more

Minimalism is a style in music and visual arts characterized by pared-down designs and simplicity. It began in Western art after World War II, gaining prominence particularly in American visual arts. (...) read more

Modern Realism is an art style that depicts subjects as they exist in reality. Emerging after the development of abstract art, Modern Realism combines traditional realistic representation with modern (...) read more

Meaning School of Things, Mono-ha originated in Tokyo in the mid-1960s. Instead of creating traditional artwork, the artists of Mono-ha used different materials and their natural properties to (...) read more

Multiples refer to a series of identical art objects produced in limited editions according to the artist's concept. These works are specifically created for sale and are often considered the most (...) read more

Naïve art describes a style of artwork that is simple and unsophisticated, often created by artists without formal training in an academy or art school. The style is characterized by a lack of (...) read more

Neo-Dada is a minor visual and audio art movement with intents similar to those of Dada artwork. While it revives some of Dada's objectives, Neo-Dada emphasizes the importance of the produced artwork (...) read more

Known as Neo-Geo for short, this movement uses geometric objects and shapes to create abstract artwork as a metaphor for society. Inspired by various 20th-century art styles, including minimalism and (...) read more

Net Art is art created on the internet, specifically for the internet. Artists who create it use computers to generate imagery, exhibit art online, or build programs that produce unique artworks. (...) read more