Art Glossary

Definitions of Art Forms, Mediums, and Movements

Country, Varia, Medium, Art Movement
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India

India's contemporary art scene is a vibrant amalgamation of tradition and innovation. Key spaces like the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale showcase a diverse (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Anish Kapoor
Ink

Ink is a colored liquid or paste used for writing, drawing, painting, and printing. The term also refers to the process of applying ink to mark, cover, stain, draw, or trace over pencil lines. Ink (...) read more

Image © nani888/Shutterstock
Inkjet print

An inkjet printer creates prints by spraying millions of tiny ink droplets onto paper. This type of printing is generally inexpensive because the ink is relatively affordable. Artists can use (...) read more

Image © KOKTARO/Shutterstock
Installation

Installation art is a three-dimensional artistic genre that involves site-specific works designed to alter the viewer's perception of space. These works are typically created for interior spaces, (...) read more

Image © OliveTree/Shutterstock
Intaglio

Intaglio is a printmaking technique where a design is incised below the surface of a metal or stone plate. Ink is applied to the plate, filling the incised lines or depressions, while the surface is (...) read more

Artwork by Jasper Johns
Interactive art

Interactive art is a form of art where the spectator is actively involved by the artist to achieve the artwork's purpose. This involvement can include allowing the visitor to walk around, in, or on (...) read more

Artwork by Alberto Biasi
Ireland

In Ireland, contemporary art is a reflection of its rich history intertwined with current issues and innovative ideas. Dublin's Irish Museum of Modern Art and Temple Bar Gallery are key institutions (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Francis Bacon
Israel

In Israel, contemporary art is a captivating blend of diverse influences reflecting its complex history and cultural mosaic. Renowned institutions such as the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Israel (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Yaacov Agam
Italy

The contemporary art scene in Italy is a testament to the nation's deep-rooted artistic tradition, vibrantly interacting with innovative expressions and global movements. Esteemed institutions, (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Mimmo Paladino
Japan

Contemporary Art in Japan is a vibrant fusion of traditional aesthetics and modern creativity. Japanese artists, such as Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami, have made significant contributions to the (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Yayoi Kusama
Junk art

Junk art is a form of art that demonstrates how any material or object can be used to create a wide range of paintings, sculptures, installations, and assemblages. Many Junk Art pieces are made using (...) read more

Artwork by Gupta
Kinetic art

Kinetic art is an international movement that emerged in the 1920s and gained prominence in the 1960s, referring to art that involves both apparent and real motion. It encompasses any medium that (...) read more

Artwork by Jesus Rafael Soto
Kitsch

Kitsch is a term used to describe cheap, commercial, sentimental, or vulgar art and objects commonly associated with popular culture. The word is borrowed from German, where it originally means (...) read more

Artwork by William Sweetlove
Lambda print

A Lambda print is produced using a Lambda laser printer, a technology developed by the Durst company. The Durst Lambda was one of the first printers to use digital laser technology to create (...) read more

Artwork by Araki
Land Art

Also referred to as Earth Art, Earthworks, or Environmental Art, Land Art is a sculptural movement that involves creating artworks that integrate conceptual or physical elements of the earth or (...) read more

Image © Robert Lukeman / Unsplash
Laser print

A laser print is created by using red, blue, and green lasers to expose photographic silver halide paper. After exposure, the paper is processed with photographic chemicals to produce an (...) read more

Image © KIDSADA PHOTO/Shutterstock
Late modernism

Late Modernism refers to the continuation and evolution of Modernist principles in art, architecture, and literature from the mid-20th century into the late 20th century. This movement maintains a (...) read more

Artwork by Roy Lichtenstein
Latin American Art

Latin American Art is a style which takes inspiration from its culture, society, politics, native traditions, religions and landscape. Op-Art and Kinetic Art figure prominently in Latin artworks. (...) read more

Artwork by Carlos Cruz-Diez
Latvia

Latvia's contemporary art scene is a fascinating blend of historical influences and innovative expressions. Institutions such as the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga showcase inspiring (...) read more

Artwork Copyright © Vija Celmins
Lebanon

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

Artwork Copyright © Etel Adnan
Lettrism

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

Artwork by Laure Prouvost
Light Object

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

Image © bese/Shutterstock
Light and Space

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

Artwork by James Turrell
Linocut

Linocut is a printmaking technique similar to woodcut, where a sheet of linoleum is used as the relief surface. The design is carved into the linoleum using a V-shaped gouge or chisel, creating (...) read more

Image © vesnushka/Shutterstock
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Est. 2005 — twenty years of collecting, online.