Overview

Now we move into that part of the course which you've been expecting...away from the "science of seeing" and into "the nitty-gritty of art"; the making of art, the tools used, the history and so on.... You have arrived!!! But first for a little overview and a few definitions which will keep you in line as we move through this unit which comprises the bulk of our course......

Creative tools give people different ways of representing their world. These tool can be ancient and basic like charcoal and paints made from ground earth (as used in the cave painting of the bison, above) or modern like airbrushes and computers. Sometimes these tools make possible representations of reality which would not be possible without them. (Early people could not have painted the animals they saw around them without making paint. James Cameron could not have 're-sunk' the Titanic in his film so convincingly without computer generated images.) Here's a photo of Cabot Tower in St. John's and a sample of what might be done with it as a digital manipulation using imaging software.

  • All art works are representations of reality, either of the real world or the inner world of the artist. Over the centuries artists learned to use the tools they had to fool the eye into "seeing" depth, light, etc., where none existed. In recent years new technologies have opened up worlds which only exist in imagination. All of these images are optical illusions. They work because artists have learned a great deal about how people perceive space, light and form; in other words, artists have learned how people "see" and then use this knowledge to their advantage.

  • Works of art which look like some part of reality can be called representational or objective. (For example, this pastel painting of a mummer hurrying to catch his buddies as they go about their business in Trinity during the Christmas season looks realistic; it is "representational".)

  • Works of art which are based on reality but appear distorted from that reality can be called abstract. (For example, this oil painting by Vincent van Gogh called "Starry Night" looks to be based loosely on what we might see overlooking the French village when viewed on a clear star filled night. The swirling patterns and thick brush strokes remove the image from 'reality' into a slightly distorted 'abstraction of reality'.)


  • Works of art which do not look like any part of our reality can be called non-objective or non-objective abstract. (Take a look at this 1973 watercolour painting by Frank LaPoint from the AGNL. What do you see? It's title is "Store Window View #6". Does knowing the title help you to appreciate the painting?)

  • Creative tools of newer technologies can blur the differences between reality and fiction. Consider the idea of virtual reality. A lot of artists today use their imagination and skill to create entirely within the world of computers. Look at how convincing their art works become when they are used in video games and as special effects in movies and TV.

..............................................................................................It's nitty-gritty time!