Art Glossary

Assemblage is an artistic process involving the combination of three-dimensional objects to create a work of art. The term, which originates from the French word for assembly, often involves the use (...) read more

A term coined to describe artworks that are designed to be destroyed during their creation. Gustav Metzger, who developed this concept, outlined key principles: the artwork must disintegrate within (...) read more

Automatism refers to a technique in the creative process that accesses material from the unconscious or subconscious mind. It is based on Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic method of free association. (...) read more

Avant-garde refers to innovative and experimental ideas in the arts that challenge established norms and conventions. Originating from the French term for advance guard, it describes both the (...) read more

Bauhaus was a school of art, design and architecture established in Weimar, Germany. Architect Wlater Gropius established it in 1919. Bauhaus used a method for teaching within a community of artists (...) read more

The Bay Area Figurative Movement, which also goes by the names Bay Area Figurative School, Bay Area Figurative Art, or Bay Area Figuration, came to existence in San-Francisco Bay Area. This was in (...) read more

A Chinese term that describes performance art. This concept is relatively new and may be challenging to articulate unless people understand the intentions behind it. It is a flexible concept that (...) read more

Body art involves creating art directly on or with the human body. Common forms include body piercings and tattoos, but it also encompasses practices like branding, scarification, scalping, body (...) read more

A body print is an art technique where the artist uses their body as a printing plate. This can be done by smearing grease, margarine, or oil on the skin, hair, and clothes, then pressing the body (...) read more

Bronze is a metal alloy made primarily of copper and tin, with a typical modern composition of 88% copper and 12% tin. Over time, bronze develops a patina, a surface color that often turns deep green (...) read more

Browser art is a form of renegade art where artists use computers to transform code, website structures, and server links into visual material. These artists, often called net artists or net writers, (...) read more

Brutalism is an architectural style from the 1950s and 60s characterized by the use of raw concrete to create block-like forms. This style was often applied in public housing and civic buildings, (...) read more

A C-type print, also known as a chromogenic print, is a photographic print made from a color negative or slide. The print is created on chromogenic paper, which contains three emulsion layers, each (...) read more

Calligraphy is a visual art closely related to writing, involving the creation of decorative lettering or handwriting using a brush or pen. Contemporary calligraphy is the art of giving form to (...) read more

Capitalist Realism is a German form of political pop art that emerged in Cold War-era Berlin in 1963. It sought to challenge the dominance of American pop art in the Western world. The movement (...) read more

Carborundum is the trademark name for silicon carbide crystals, an abrasive material commonly used in sandpaper, cutting tools, and grinding wheels. Originally, artists used carborundum for grinding (...) read more

Cement refers to a variety of mixtures, typically made from clay, limestone, water, sand, and gravel, which form concrete used in construction. The term to cement also means to join or unite (...) read more

Ceramic is a term used to describe objects made from clay or other inorganic materials. These objects can be either decorative or functional and have been created since at least 4,000 B.C. Ceramic (...) read more

Chalk is a natural mineral, primarily composed of calcium carbonate. In art, chalk refers to sticks used for drawing, made from a mixture of chalk, colored pigments, and gum Arabic. These sticks are (...) read more

Charcoal is made from charred wood and is used in both initial sketches and finished drawings. It can be easily smudged or erased, making it versatile for corrections. To make charcoal drawings (...) read more

Chinese Contemporary Art is marked by a wide range of styles and experimental approaches. In the 1980s, avant-garde exhibitions were often shut down by government officials. The 1990s saw the rise of (...) read more

Clay is a natural material formed when rocks break down over time due to weathering. Water carries the fine particles of earth, which accumulate as a soft, sticky substance called muck. This muck is (...) read more

CoBrA stands for Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam; the group was formed with a desire to break away from the existing art movements of the time. Their critique of Western society led them to (...) read more

Collage is a production art technique commonly used in visual arts where a new artwork is created by assembling various materials. These materials can include ribbons, newspaper and magazine (...) read more