Art Glossary

A Happening is a term used to describe artistic and theatrical events held by artists in the 1950s and 60s. These events were typically staged in gallery installations or planned environments and (...) read more

Hard Edge art is a style of abstract painting that became popular in the 1960s. It features areas of color separated by crisp, sharp edges that are painted with geometric precision. The term (...) read more

Hypermodernism is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, characterized by an intense embrace of technology and a focus on speed, complexity, and the (...) read more

Hyperrealism is a genre of sculpture and painting that closely resembles high-resolution photographs. It is an evolution of Photorealism and is often applied to an independent art style or movement (...) read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lithography is a printing method based on the principle that water and oil do not mix. It can be used to print artwork or text onto paper or other suitable materials. Traditionally, an image was (...) 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