What do you need to know for Media Art? 1. Important Definitions for Media Art Interactivity – The degree to which a media art work allows information to be transferred immediately both to and from the work and the “observer”, each thus having an effect on the other. Heterogeneity – Consisting of dissimilar parts or elements. Different components or ingredients combined to form one thing. Hybridization – Something that is heterogeneous in origin or composition. Something that has two or more different types/forms of components performing essentially the same task or function. Medium – A mode of artistic expression or communication. A means of effecting something or conveying something. A substance/material used for transmission. Temporality – Relating to time as distinguished from space. A sequence of time. Light – The physical property of actual light/illumination or reflection of light, e.g., mirrors, fire, light bulbs, glow materials. Sound – Actual, implied, and or simulated noise. Something that is usually audible. Time – Chronological, non-linear, delivery system vs. actual; mechanical vs. organic. Performance – Performer and audience. The performer typically is the product or the medium. There is often a “recording” of the performance. Point of View – Social/political/religious/economical/emotional/cultural/”ism’s”. Narrative – Story, event, talking. A sequence, often containing a plot and or a theme. Can be text-based as well as image-based. Placement or Framing – Deals with composition and the act of curating works. Movement – Actual or implied motion. Series of Work – A body, a collection of several products that deal with a common theme or use similar materials. The works have commonalities to them so that they are recognizable as belonging to the same artists, and appear to the audience as though they were meant to be placed with one another for a specific purpose. These works have a unity and harmonious relationship with each other. 2. Elements of Design Line An element of design that creates a path. A line is curved, straight, or a combination. Lines take many forms; they can be straight and sharp. Lines can create patterns which add emotional impact to the visual image. Lines can also be used as forms of universal language in communication. Shape An element of design used to describe distance, depth, and perspective. There are three basic shapes: square, circle, and triangle. Each of these shapes has a psychological meaning associated with it. The triangle has an attitude of conflict or action. The circle gives a sense of protection or infinity. Honesty or equality is associated with the square. Mass/Form An element of design that is three dimensional and encloses volume (cube, sphere, pyramid, cylinder, and free flowing). Mass often refers to the size or amount of space consumed. The mass or form, plus the shape, tend to give relation with other elements. The various weights of different shapes can be used to emphasize type styles. Texture An element of design that refers to the surface -- whether it is rough, smooth, or soft, for example. It can be actual or simulated (implied). Texture is a part of every printed image. The first reaction is to touch the surface. Texture can be produced by lines that form images. However, this element is usually visual and no reaction would be received through the sense of touch. Actual texture can be produced as well, using a variety of techniques. Colour An element of design that identifies things as being red, blue, yellow, orange, etc. When colour is used, it causes that part of the work to attract attention. Colour can have a strong emotional and psychological impact on the viewer. It can be used to add interest and to reduce boredom. Yellow, orange, and red are considered warm colours and they denote aggression, excitement, and danger. Blue, green, and violet are considered to be cool colours and are associated with nature and passiveness. 3. Principles of Design Balance A principle of design that refers to the equalization of elements in a work. There are three kinds of balance: • Symmetrical; • Asymmetrical; • Radial. Formal balance is achieved when all of the elements on/in the work are of equal weight and are placed symmetrically on/in the work. If a line were drawn through the exact centre, it would divide the design elements in half. Informal balance may be achieved when the value, size, and location of unequal elements on a page are changed. Contrast A principle of design that refers to differences in values, colours, textures, and other elements in a work to achieve emphasis and interest. Contrast adds variety to a design. It is the variations of the elements in the work. Some elements in a work stand out because of contrast. This is achieved by a difference in size, colour, or appearance. A few contrasts are: • Round-Straight; • Ornate-Plain; • Broad-Narrow. Contrast can be used to keep the attention of the viewer, and to keep the viewers interest moving from one element to another. Unity A principle of design that relates to the sense of oneness or wholeness in a work of art; everything in the art work contributes to the idea. Unity or harmony gives elements the appearance of belonging together. It is the proper balance of all elements so that a pleasing whole (work) results. The image is viewed as one piece, as a whole, and not as separate elements. Using too many shapes or colours may cause a design to be unfocused. An organized design can be achieved by using a basic shape which is then repeated. Rhythm A principle of design that refers to the arrangement (or movement) of parts in a work of art to create a movement of your eye from one alike area, colour, texture, line, etc., to another. It occurs when a design element is repeated. Rhythm acts as a guide so that the eye reads important parts of a message. Proportion A principle of design that speaks to the relationship between size and shape. Proportion helps to achieve balance and unity in a work. To obtain good proportion, the sizes of the elements must be regulated. To prevent the design from being dull and static, proportion must be balanced by the use of contrast or unity. Proportion is a means of developing an aesthetically pleasing relationship between each of the elements used in the work. Emphasis A principle of design by which the artist or designer may use opposing sizes, shapes, contrasting colours, or other means to place greater attention on certain areas or objects. Usually the “area of interest” is created through emphasis. More Information The elements of art can be likened to basic baking ingredients. To make a cake, you need to use some basic ingredients like flour, sugar, and water. To create art, you need to use elements such as line, shape, colour, value, and texture. i) Colour is also referred to as hue. Some examples of colours are red, yellow, and blue. Red, yellow and blue are called primary colours. With red, yellow, and blue you can create all the colours on the colour wheel. Green, violet, and orange are called secondary colours because they are created using the primary colours. Here are some other terms you should know when discussing colour theory: Complementary Colours: are opposite to each other on the colour wheel. For example, red and green are complementary colours. When red and green are placed side by side, they seem to appear more vibrant. But if you mix complementary colour paints, you’ll end up with a muddy brown. Analogous Colours: are sideby-side on the colour wheel. Yellow and Yellow-Orange and Orange are side-by-side on the colour wheel. Warm Colours: are hues such as yellow, orange, red, and brown. These colours are often associated with things like the sun, heat, deserts, etc. Cool Colours: are hues such as blue, green, purple, and grey. These colours are often associated with things like rain, clouds, ice, grass, etc. The colour wheel shows the relationships between the colours. Did you know? Because of their association with things outside the art world, colours can have a physiological effect on viewers. Cool colours tend to recede in paintings, which can create a sense of calm in the viewer. In contrast, warm colours are said to arouse or stimulate the viewer, and often appear to jump out in paintings. Interior decorators are very conscious of the effects that colour can have on mood, emotions, and the human psyche; this is something you may want to consider the next time you paint your room! ii) Value refers to the intensity of a colour. Colours can be dull, bright, and everything in between. Changing the value of a colour when painting involves adding black, or its complement, to dull the colour, or adding white to brighten the colour. Value System: a collection of hues created by gradually changing the value of one local colour. Shades: adding black or the complementary colour to a certain hue. For example, you can create a shade of red by adding some green or black to it. Tints: adding white to a colour will brighten the colour. You can create a tint of green by adding some white to it. The result is often referred to as a pastel colour. In this computer graphic, you will see many tints and shades of green. The use of a broad value system makes the teapot appear threedimensional. iii) Line is most often thought of as the mark from point A to point B. Line can be expressive depending on how it is created. Quick vertical lines can create a sense of urgency, while a long snaking line may express tranquility. The expressive quality of line often comes from its association with the world around us. AriseArise, by Jennifer Kathleen Phillips, was created in PhotoShop. Notice how the curve in the lines and the imagery work together to create a dream-like quality. iv) Shape is formed when a line meets itself, creating a two-dimensional enclosed area. Examples of shapes include circle, triangle, square, rectangle, etc. Form: the three dimensional counterpart to shape (with height, width, and depth). A triangle is a shape, but a pyramid, a sphere, and cylinders are examples of a form. This collage is a collection of two dimensional square shapes. An example of form is the image of the human nose. v) Space is the area surrounding or within an object. Space is often defined in terms of negative and positive. Positive Space: the area within an object, or the space that the object occupies. Negative Space: the space surrounding the object. Adams Church, Ansel Adams, 1942. The positive space is the clay structure in the foreground and background that make up the walls of the church. The negative space is the area within the doorway of the front wall, and the sky that surrounds the back wall. vi) Texture refers to the surface quality of an object, how it feels to the touch, or how it looks like it would feel if you touched it. Texture can be described as smooth, rough, bumpy, slimy, soft, furry, etc. There are two types of texture found in the art world; actual and simulated. Actual Texture: texture that can be felt with the sense of touch. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, Umberto Boccioni. This sculpture has an actual surface quality that can be seen with the eyes and felt with the fingers. Simulated Texture: texture that is suggested by the artist, but cannot actually be experienced with the sense of touch Woman of Rock is a digital painting, but it looks as though it has the surface quality of a smooth polished rock. This is an example of simulated texture. Questions for Review and Understanding 1. True or False: By mixing with just red, yellow, and blue paint, you can create all of the colours on the colour wheel. Answer True. Red + Yellow = Orange Blue + Red = Purple Yellow + Blue = Green Combining the primary colours with some of the secondary colours creates the other colours on the wheel. 2. a) What two human senses does actual texture engage? b) How does texture differ from the other art elements? Answer a) You need to use both your sense of sight and touch to experience actual texture. b) Texture differs from the other elements because line, shape, colour, space, and value only engage our sense of sight. 3. What is the difference between positive and negative space? Answer If you looked at a picture of an apple sitting on a table, the apple and the table would be identified as positive space. The area surrounding those objects would be negative space. Therefore, positive space is the area that the object occupies, and negative space is the area that is left over. 4. List two elements of art, other than texture, that are evident in Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space? Answer The following elements can be identified in Boccioni’s sculpture: Line - The edges of the sculpture are defined by horizontal, flowing lines that suggest movement; Shape/Form - This is a 3D sculpture, so it referred to as a form; Colour - The artist has selected a gold colour for his sculpture. Gold has associations with authority, wealth, and importance. What does this say about his sculpture? Space - The sculpture itself creates positive space. The area between the “legs” and all around creates negative space.