#1 _ CPAR
Contemporary art is the art that springs out of the
present-day events and passions of the society.
The main distinction between modern art and
contemporary art is the time period in which they
have existed. Modern art emerged in the late 1800s
and continued to grow for more or less a century. It
slowly waned in the middle to late 20th century
when postmodernism came to light. Postmodernism
then give birth to what we know now as
contemporary art.
The Subject of Art
1. Realism- the subject is done the way it actually
looks. (Painting of Araceli Dans, the Bridal White.)
2. Distortion
The artist uses his or her imagination and alters the
subject according to his or her desire. (Norma
Belleza’s painting, the Fiesta)
3. Abstraction
The artist breaks a part a subject and rearranges it
in a different manner. (National Artist Vicente
Manansala)
4. Non Objectivism -no subject at all.
-interplay of pure elements, like line,
shape or color, and so on. (painting of Roberto
Chabet which is on Acrylic paper)
Elements of Art
1. Space
Space in visual arts can be defined as a void, an
emptiness which can either be positive or negative.
An illusion of space can still be created in a twodimensional surface using perspective.
There are two types of perspective:
atmospheric perspective, which utilizes the
properties of light and air in depicting the illusion of
distance; and linear perspective, which involves the
use
of vanishing points and receding hidden lines.
2. Line
Line is the extension of a point, a short or long
mark drawn or carved on a surface.
This refers to a prolongation of a point or a mark
on a surface. Solid lines can be used in order to
define form while broken lines are typically used to
suggest hidden forms.
3. Shape and Form
When the ends of a line meet, they form a shape.
It can also be described as a figure separate from
its surrounding area or background.
A shape may be natural or living forms called an
organic shape and can be irregular or rounded. It
may also be measured forms called geometric
shape
4. Color
Probably the most striking art element that
catches the eye is color. It is a sensation created by
visible wavelengths of light caught in a prism.
This refers to visual perception that allows a
person to differentiate objects due to the way
various wavelengths of light are reflected.
Color is a very important element because it can
communicate information and emotion to the
viewer. These are the three properties of color:
Hue, which refers to the basic or pure color, and
is represented in the color wheel.
Value, which refers to the lightness and darkness
of color. A light color or tint is the result of adding
white to a hue, while a dark color or shade results
from adding black to a hue.
Saturation, which refers to brightness and
dullness of color. It is also referred to as purity of
the color. A bright color can be produced by adding
more pigment to the same hue, while a dull color
can be produced by adding gray or the color’s
complement to the pigment
The color wheel is an arrangement of primary,
secondary and tertiary colors. It is important tool to
identify which colors can work well if used in a
certain artwork which is the color schemes or color
relationships. 5. Value
In visual arts, value is the degree of lightness and
darkness of a color.
6. Texture
Texture is the surface of an artwork. A texture
can be actual or tactile, meaning, it can really be felt
by touch, or it can be simulated or illusory, which
mean it can only be seen, not felt.
This element refers to the feel or appearance of a
surface. Person may describe as actual or implied.
Actual texture can be felt tangibly based on the
material that is used for the artwork while implied
texture can be exhibited, for instance, in a painting
of fur of an animal.
7. Time and Motion
Movement in the visual arts can either be an
illusion or an actual motion. An illusion of movement
is more common in two-dimensional artworks. On
the other hand, actual motion is easily seen in
kinetic sculpture that moves with the wind or are
vibrating with the surrounding air.