Question | Answer |
abstract art | art that departs from natural or realistic appearances |
Abstract Expressionism | art movement of mid-20th century that emphasized spontaneous and dramatic personal expression in large abstract paintings |
acoustics | the science of sound, concerned primarily with the production, propagation, and perception of sound |
Acrylic | a paint made of color pigments with a synthetic polymer as a binder; it does not darken or yellow with age |
Addition | when a sculptor adds or combines material (sometimes called built sculpture) |
harmony (music) | wo or more tones played or sung at the same time; the composition and progression of chords, simultaneous sounds, and counterpoint |
hedonism | he pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle |
Heresy | challenge to or rejection of the orthodox doctrines of a religion or church |
hero's journey | the mythic quest in pursuit of some destination or goal whose attainment will lend greater meaning to life |
high comedy | omedy which is subtle, sophisticated, tasteful and intellectual |
High relief | culptural relief in which forms extend from the background to at least half their depth |
Hinduism | ominant religion of India based on worship of many gods, including Brahma, and the teachings of the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita |
hip-hop music | usic developed in African-American communities during the late 1970s that features rhythmic and rhyming speech ("rapping") and a 4 |
homophonic | music that moves from chord to chord, without undue elaboration, or with a simple melody |
Hue | the common name of a color (red, blue, green, yellow) and its position in the spectrum or on the color wheel |
Humanism | the study of the creative and intellectual contributions of human cultures |
Humanities | the creative and intellectual contributions of humankind |
hypothetical imperatives | Kantian term for actions conditioned on some goal or desire |
iconoclasm | deliberate destruction of religious art, imagery, icons, and other symbols or monuments |
illuminated manuscript | text that is decorated with ornamental designs, miniatures, or lettering, often with gold leaf or silver |
Imagery | employment of evocative images in works of art, especially poetry and literature, where words can summon up "mental pictures" for the reader |
Impasto | the thick application of paint creating a textured surface on the canvas |
Impressionism | movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emphasized simplified composition and the effect of light and color to capture a painter's visual impression |
improvisation | variations on a musical theme spontaneously created |
improvisational dance | dance that is free form movement created and performed spontaneously |
Inductive reasoning | reasoning that proceeds from particular facts to a general conclusion |
Instrumentalism | philosophic theory that ideas are instruments of response and adaptation to a given situation, and that their truth is to be judged in terms of their effectiveness |
Intaglio | a printing technique in which an image is printed from a recessed design incised or etched into the surface of a plate |
Intensity | the strength, or purity of a color |
intermezzo | a composition which is performed between acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work |
interval | the difference in pitch between tones, usually expressed in the number of steps |
Ionic order | classical Greek architectural style that features a fluted column shaft, capitals with volutes (spiral scroll-like ornaments) and a large base |
Islam | monotheistic religion based on the Qur'an and teaching that there is only one God and that Mohammed is his prophet |
Jainism | ancient Hindu religion which emphasizes harmlessness (nonviolence) and renunciation |
jazz dance | movements and gestures inspired by jazz |
jazz fusion | form of jazz that began in the 1970s and combines jazz with other genres, including rock and rhythm and blues |
jazz music | musical style developed by African-Americans at the beginning of the 20th century that is an amalgamation of African and European music, featuring improvisation, syncopation, polyrhythms and the use of "swing time" |
jeté | in ballet, a leap, pushing off from one leg and landing on the other |
Judaism | monotheistic religion of the Jews based on the Torah; Jews believe that they are God's Chosen People meant to live a holy and ethical life |
jump cut | immediate transition from one moment in a shot to a later moment in the same shot, causing an abrupt shift in the subject's position |
Juxtaposition | the side-by-side placement of objects in an artwork or composition |
karma | the belief that the good and evil a person does will return either in this life or in a later one |
key | a specific scale, determined by the first note in that scale, which dominates in a section of music |
Law of the Golden Section | law that expresses the most aesthetically satisfying relationship between the two sides of a plane (for example, a rectangle); the ratio is 1 to 1.68 |
leap of faith | Kierkegaard's notion that belief in God requires us to overcome any rational doubts and embrace faith |
libertarianism | political philosophy which emphasizes personal and individual liberty above collective social interests |
Line (art) | the path of a moving point through space |
line (dance) | compositional element of dance which describes the linear nature of the body's positioning |
linear perspective | creation of the illusion of depth based on the fact that parallel lines or edges appear to converge, and objects appear smaller as the distance between them and a viewer increases |
Linear sculpture | a sculpture employing two-dimensional materials |
Lithography | a printing technique employing the antipathy of oil and water; a flat surface with a design area (image) that is ink-receptive is printed and the non-printed area is ink-repellent |
Logic | thinking in a linear, step-by-step manner about ideas or problems |
long shot | camera shot where the subject(s) are at a distance that gives them context, devoting about half of the frame to the actor(s), emphasizing their surroundings |
low comedy | comedy which is often vulgar, rude, coarse and physical |
Low relief | sculptural relief that projects very little from the background; also called bas-relief |
madrigal | a polyphonic vocal work, usually written for four or five voices, setting a pastoral poem to music, performed without instrumental accompaniment, and intended for secular use |
Mahabharata | major religious epic of ancient India and a major text of Hinduism |
Mahayana | Buddhist discipline that emphasizes selfless action on behalf of others |
Manipulation | when a sculptor shapes the material by hand (modeling clay or other materials) |
Mannerism | art movement of the Late Renaissance that emphasized artificiality, clashing colors, and emotional themes |
Mass (art) | the size, shape, and volume of three-dimensional forms |
mass (music) | a vocal composition including the sung portions of the Roman Catholic liturgy, primarily in Latin |
master shot | uninterrupted shot of an entire scene, usually used as a timing and pacing reference during the editing process |
Materialism | philosophical position that all processes, phenomena, and objects |
megaliths | large stone monuments of the Neolithic period (such as Stonehenge) |
melodrama | a drama with exaggerated characters and plot intended to appeal to the emotions |
melody | succession of tones in a given sequence that possesses certain subjective qualities - a perceivable coherence, an inevitability, and a sense of completion |
Mesolithic art | art of the Middle Stone Age, circa 10,000-8,000 B.C.E. |
Metaphor | a figure of speech in which something is explained in terms of something else |
meter | grouping of beats into measures |
microliths | small stone tools, usually made of flint or chert, from the Mesolithic period |
haiku | Japanese verse form with three lines of five, seven, and five syllables often alluding to the subject of nature or the seasons |
halakhah | Rabbinic religious law |
Harlem Renaissance | period of vibrant African-American cultural and intellectual life during the 1920s and 1930s, centered in New York City's Harlem neighborhood |
Harmony (art) | congruity or compatibility of parts with one another and with the whole; the state of all elements being in perfect balance |
suspension of disbelief | an audience's willingness to accept events onstage as true or plausible during a performance |
Symbolism | use of a symbol, object, or image to represent something else (that is, a concept or idea) |
Symmetry | the exact duplication of elements (shapes, forms, etc) on either side of a (usually imaginary) straight-lined central axis |
Sympathetic magic | a mythic ceremony or ritual found in early societies designed to influence the behavior of deities or supernatural forces |
symphony | a full orchestral work usually in four movements |
syncopation (music) | in music, when normally unaccented beats are accented in a piece of music |
syncopation (dance) | dance that involves steps to an unstressed beat; improvised or rehearsed execution of more rhythmical step patterns |
Synthesis | the combination of thesis and antithesis which produces a new and higher level of truth |
synthesizer | electronic instrument that produces a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies; it can either imitate other instruments or generate unusual new sounds |
Tempera | a water-based paint that uses egg, glue, or casein as a binder; it dries with a flat, dull finish, which means it is not as luminous as oil paint |
tempo | measured pace at which a composition is played |
Ten Commandments | moral rules given by God to the prophet Moses, according to the Hebrew Bible |
Tensile strength | ability of a material to withstand bending |
Texture (art) | the surface quality (roughness or smoothness) of materials, either actual or implied |
texture (music) | a component of orchestration, referring in a descriptive way to the number of instruments playing at any one time |
The Eightfold Path | the Buddhist guide to a life of peace and harmony including eight directives for living a "right" life |
The Forms | Plato's concept that there are ideal essences (the Forms) of objects or things |
The Golden Mean | desirable middle between two extremes, between excess and inadequacy, as defined by Aristotle |
The Hero's Journey | the mythic quest in pursuit of some destination or goal whose attainment will lend greater meaning to life |
the Virtues | those traits of character or admirable properties allowing humans to achieve a virtuous life |
The Way | the path of the morally enlightened individual in Daoist teaching |
theater | the art of writing and producing plays, a collaborative medium of artistic expression |
Theater of Alienation | dramatic genre associated with Bertold Brecht which sought to create emotional distance by highlighting artificiality of the theater, so the audience would watch objectively and focus on ideas |
Theater of Cruelty | dramatic genre which assaults the senses through shocking scenes with a goal of alienation and entertainment |
theme | a musical idea repeated through a composition |
tilting | vertical movement of the camera from a fixed position |
timbre | the "color" of a tone, meaning which instrument plays it; the color or quality of the musical sound being produced |
title cards | explanatory printed text on cards inserted into a film |
toccata | musical style that allows the performer to present variations on a stated theme and display virtuosity |
tonal music | music that is written in a specific key |
Tone (music) | the basic element of music, also called a note; it is used to construct a melody |
tone a single note of a definite frequency | formal Islamic prayer performed by Muslims five times a day |
Torah | the Hebrew Bible |
tracking shot | camera shot that moves directly toward or away from the subject or alongside the subject through the use of a rolling platform called a dolly |
tragedy | a drama with a unpleasant ending, generally involving the downfall of a flawed protagonist, which often involves catharsis |
tragic flaw | a defect in the hero's character |
Transcendentalism | philosophical movement during the Romantic era that emphasized feeling over reason and the role of the individual finding an intuitive relation to the universe through solitude amid nature |
Trompe l'oeil | a style of painting that creates the optical illusion of three dimensionality |
turning point | a moment in the drama where the main character must make a crucial decision, one which will determine his fate; also called the crisis |
Unities | neoclassical requirements for theater: unity of time; unity of place; and unity of action |
Unity | when all elements in a work of art give a sense of oneness or self-contained completeness |
universal values | common values or ethical beliefs required for a society or community to survive and function that apply across all cultures |
Utilitarianism | ethical theory that the greatest good for the greatest number should be the only criterion for moral decisions |
Value | the relative lightness or darkness of color |
Variation (art) | how often an element is used and the relationship of one element to another |
Vedas | ancient Hindu sacred writings |
Veil of Ignorance | mental device to enable individuals to develop a standard of justice while remaining ignorant of their own place in or value in this imagined society |
Venus figurines | Paleolithic art objects depicting women with exaggerated hips and breasts; thought to be portable fertility totems. |
verisimilitude | the appearance of truth or reality in theater (stage set, dialogue, etc.) |
Victorian photography | photography in the 19th century that experimented with realistic portraits and images of literary and biblical scenes |
virtue | the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong |
Virtue Ethics | ethical system that emphasizes moral character and development of the virtues as a basis for moral action |
virtuoso | a dancer who performs with great expertise or technical ability |
Watercolor | a vivid water-based paint, usually applied to paper, with outstanding brilliance and translucence; also, term for resulting artwork |
Weathering | the effect of the weather |
wipe | a gradual transition from one image to another, accomplished by the movement of a border, edge, or shape (such as a vertical bar or an expanding circle) between the images |
world music | term for global music (generally non-Western) that is "discovered" by Western audiences |
wu wei | Daoist concept of following one's true nature and living such that one's deeds are natural, effortless, and moral |
Zen Buddhism | Buddhist school found primarily in China, Japan and Korea that seeks enlightenment through meditation and the development of mental and spiritual discipline |
sublime | a quality of greatness or vastness that is beyond calculation, comparison, or imitation; often invoked with reference to nature |
substitution | when the sculptor molds or casts an artwork |
subtext | unstated motivations, ideas, or tensions beneath the surface of a drama's text |
Subtraction | when the sculptor carves or cuts away unwanted material to create the work |
suite | a set of short musical movements, for one or any combination of instruments, or for orchestra, played in a specific order |
Sunken relief | sculptural relief in which the image or design is modeled below the original surface of the background, which is not cut away |
Surrealism | movement of the early 20th century influenced by Freud's focus on dreams; art assembled realistic forms in fantastical contexts |
suspense | in drama, the creation of anticipation |