Art Terms Glossary
The following words include both art and non-art terms. Many of these words have been defined
in the context of an art experience but also have nuanced meanings and additional significance beyond the definitions in this glossary. A more comprehensive glossary with additional vocabulary can be found on the Web site: www.pbs.org/art21
abstract art At its purest, abstract art is character- ized by the use of shapes, colors, and lines as elements in and for themselves.
aesthetic Used to describe something as visually- based, beautiful, or pleasing in appearance and to the senses. Aesthetics is a term developed by philosophers during the 18th and 19th centuries and is also the academic or scientific study of beauty and taste in art.
allegory The expression, by means of symbolic fic- tional figures and actions, of truths or generalizations about human existence.
ambiguity A situation in which something can be understood or explained in more than one way.
For artists, ambiguity is often cited as an important characteristic that allows their work to be appreciated or interpreted from multiple perspectives.
animation Giving movement to something; the process of making moving cartoons or films that use cartoon imagery.
anthropomorphism The attribution of human form, characteristics, or behavior to nonhuman things.
aphorism A concise statement expressing an opinion or a general truth, often in a clever way. For example, “Art is the lie that makes us realize the truth.” (Pablo Picasso)
appropriation The act of borrowing imagery or forms to create something new.
collaboration A working arrangement between an artist and another person, group, or institution. Artists often work in collaboration with a variety of special- ists, assistants, colleagues, and audiences.
conceptual art Works of art in which the idea is of equal, or greater, importance as the finished product. Conceptual art can take many forms, from photo- graphs to texts to videos, while sometimes there is no object at all. Emphasizing the ways things are made more than how they look, conceptual art often raises questions about what a work of art can be.
critique An assessment of something with com- ments on its good and bad qualities. Criticism is the activity of judgement or informed interpretation. In art, critiques often take the form of a group discus- sion in which the merits of a particular work are debated. Critique remains an important element in many works of art that address social issues, ideas, and events.
curator A person who is responsible for the collec- tion, care, research, and exhibition of art or artifacts.
ecology The relationship between organisms and their environment, ecology is also concerned with the relationship between people and nature.
fabrication The construction or manufacture of an object. Artists working on large or technically difficult pieces often enlist the help of fabrication studios with access to specialized equipment and a skilled labor force.
feminist art movement The efforts of artists internationally to bring increased visibility to the role of women within art history and art practice. The movement began in the 1960s and continues today. Feminist art is related to the larger feminist move- ment that encompasses literary, political, and social activists.
iconography Symbols and images that have a par- ticular meaning, either learned or universal.
installation art A work of art created for a specific architectural situation. Installations often engage multiple senses such as sight, smell, and hearing.
irony The incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens, especially when the disparity seems absurd or laughable. In art and literature, irony is often used as a device for social critique and is based on making a statement that suggests its opposite is true.
juxtaposition The state or position of being placed close together or side by side, so as to permit com- parison or contrast.
lexicon Literally, a vocabulary. A collection of terms or characteristics used in a particular profession, sub- ject, or style.
metaphor A relationship between disparate visual or verbal sources where one kind of object, idea, or image is used in place of another to suggest a like- ness or analogy between them.
monochromatic Made of or having only one color or variations of one color.
monoprint A printmaking technique that yields a singular image that cannot be exactly reproduced. Essentially a painted print, in the monoprinting process ink or paint is applied directly to a plate, creating a unique image that cannot be produced as an edition or series.
montage Literally “putting together,” montage refers to an image or, in film and music, a sequence, com- posed by assembling and overlapping many different pieces from various sources.
parable A brief, succinct story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.
paradox A statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true. Also, a statement or proposition that contradicts itself.
performance art Public, private, or documented (for example in film, video, audio, or writing), per- formance art is a nontraditional art form that features a performance activity by, or directed by, an artist.
photojournalism The profession or practice of recording and reporting real and “newsworthy” events using photography.
popular culture Literature, broadcasting, music, dance, theater, sports, and other cultural aspects of social life distinguished by their broad-based pres- ence and popularity across ethnic, social, and regional groups.
postmodernism 20th-century cultural movement marked by reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements. Typically marked by the abandonment of strong divisions of genre or hierarchy and the embodiment of complexity, ambiguity, diversity, and interconnectedness or interreferentiality.
propaganda A systematically spread message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. Often, publicity released by an organization or government to promote a specific policy, idea, doctrine, or cause.
public art Works of art that are designed specifically for, or placed in, areas physically accessible to the general public.
realism The realistic and natural representation of people, places, and/or things in a work of art; the opposite of idealization.
redaction The editing of text to make it suitable for publication. In government documents, refers
to the process of removing sensitive or classified information from a document prior to its publication or release to the public.
retablo A small oil painting typically on wood panel or relief. Used primarily in Latin American tradition as a devotional image honoring a Catholic saint.
ritual A ceremonial act or a detailed method or process of accomplishing specific objectives.
satire Exposing human vices or follies to ridicule or scorn.
site-specific art Work created especially for a particular space or site. Site-specific work can be permanent or temporary.
social commentary The act of expressing an opin- ion about the nature of society, most often with the intention of promoting change by calling attention to a given problem. Artists engage in social commen- tary through their work as a means of raising public awareness and inspiring dialogue about pertinent issues.
spectacle A mediated or constructed view or image that is of a remarkable or impressive nature, sensa- tionalizing its subject.
symbolism The practice of representing things by an image, sign, symbol, convention, or association.
vernacular Everyday language specific to a social group or region; the everyday language spoken by a people as opposed to the literary language.
visual literacy The ability to effectively interpret images or create and use images as a form of communication.
The following words include both art and non-art terms. Many of these words have been defined
in the context of an art experience but also have nuanced meanings and additional significance beyond the definitions in this glossary. A more comprehensive glossary with additional vocabulary can be found on the Web site: www.pbs.org/art21
abstract art At its purest, abstract art is character- ized by the use of shapes, colors, and lines as elements in and for themselves.
aesthetic Used to describe something as visually- based, beautiful, or pleasing in appearance and to the senses. Aesthetics is a term developed by philosophers during the 18th and 19th centuries and is also the academic or scientific study of beauty and taste in art.
allegory The expression, by means of symbolic fic- tional figures and actions, of truths or generalizations about human existence.
ambiguity A situation in which something can be understood or explained in more than one way.
For artists, ambiguity is often cited as an important characteristic that allows their work to be appreciated or interpreted from multiple perspectives.
animation Giving movement to something; the process of making moving cartoons or films that use cartoon imagery.
anthropomorphism The attribution of human form, characteristics, or behavior to nonhuman things.
aphorism A concise statement expressing an opinion or a general truth, often in a clever way. For example, “Art is the lie that makes us realize the truth.” (Pablo Picasso)
appropriation The act of borrowing imagery or forms to create something new.
collaboration A working arrangement between an artist and another person, group, or institution. Artists often work in collaboration with a variety of special- ists, assistants, colleagues, and audiences.
conceptual art Works of art in which the idea is of equal, or greater, importance as the finished product. Conceptual art can take many forms, from photo- graphs to texts to videos, while sometimes there is no object at all. Emphasizing the ways things are made more than how they look, conceptual art often raises questions about what a work of art can be.
critique An assessment of something with com- ments on its good and bad qualities. Criticism is the activity of judgement or informed interpretation. In art, critiques often take the form of a group discus- sion in which the merits of a particular work are debated. Critique remains an important element in many works of art that address social issues, ideas, and events.
curator A person who is responsible for the collec- tion, care, research, and exhibition of art or artifacts.
ecology The relationship between organisms and their environment, ecology is also concerned with the relationship between people and nature.
fabrication The construction or manufacture of an object. Artists working on large or technically difficult pieces often enlist the help of fabrication studios with access to specialized equipment and a skilled labor force.
feminist art movement The efforts of artists internationally to bring increased visibility to the role of women within art history and art practice. The movement began in the 1960s and continues today. Feminist art is related to the larger feminist move- ment that encompasses literary, political, and social activists.
iconography Symbols and images that have a par- ticular meaning, either learned or universal.
installation art A work of art created for a specific architectural situation. Installations often engage multiple senses such as sight, smell, and hearing.
irony The incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens, especially when the disparity seems absurd or laughable. In art and literature, irony is often used as a device for social critique and is based on making a statement that suggests its opposite is true.
juxtaposition The state or position of being placed close together or side by side, so as to permit com- parison or contrast.
lexicon Literally, a vocabulary. A collection of terms or characteristics used in a particular profession, sub- ject, or style.
metaphor A relationship between disparate visual or verbal sources where one kind of object, idea, or image is used in place of another to suggest a like- ness or analogy between them.
monochromatic Made of or having only one color or variations of one color.
monoprint A printmaking technique that yields a singular image that cannot be exactly reproduced. Essentially a painted print, in the monoprinting process ink or paint is applied directly to a plate, creating a unique image that cannot be produced as an edition or series.
montage Literally “putting together,” montage refers to an image or, in film and music, a sequence, com- posed by assembling and overlapping many different pieces from various sources.
parable A brief, succinct story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.
paradox A statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true. Also, a statement or proposition that contradicts itself.
performance art Public, private, or documented (for example in film, video, audio, or writing), per- formance art is a nontraditional art form that features a performance activity by, or directed by, an artist.
photojournalism The profession or practice of recording and reporting real and “newsworthy” events using photography.
popular culture Literature, broadcasting, music, dance, theater, sports, and other cultural aspects of social life distinguished by their broad-based pres- ence and popularity across ethnic, social, and regional groups.
postmodernism 20th-century cultural movement marked by reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements. Typically marked by the abandonment of strong divisions of genre or hierarchy and the embodiment of complexity, ambiguity, diversity, and interconnectedness or interreferentiality.
propaganda A systematically spread message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. Often, publicity released by an organization or government to promote a specific policy, idea, doctrine, or cause.
public art Works of art that are designed specifically for, or placed in, areas physically accessible to the general public.
realism The realistic and natural representation of people, places, and/or things in a work of art; the opposite of idealization.
redaction The editing of text to make it suitable for publication. In government documents, refers
to the process of removing sensitive or classified information from a document prior to its publication or release to the public.
retablo A small oil painting typically on wood panel or relief. Used primarily in Latin American tradition as a devotional image honoring a Catholic saint.
ritual A ceremonial act or a detailed method or process of accomplishing specific objectives.
satire Exposing human vices or follies to ridicule or scorn.
site-specific art Work created especially for a particular space or site. Site-specific work can be permanent or temporary.
social commentary The act of expressing an opin- ion about the nature of society, most often with the intention of promoting change by calling attention to a given problem. Artists engage in social commen- tary through their work as a means of raising public awareness and inspiring dialogue about pertinent issues.
spectacle A mediated or constructed view or image that is of a remarkable or impressive nature, sensa- tionalizing its subject.
symbolism The practice of representing things by an image, sign, symbol, convention, or association.
vernacular Everyday language specific to a social group or region; the everyday language spoken by a people as opposed to the literary language.
visual literacy The ability to effectively interpret images or create and use images as a form of communication.