Visual Art: Definition & Meaning

"Visual Arts" is a modern but imprecise umbrella term for a broad category of art which includes
a number of artistic disciplines from various sub-categories. Its wide ambit renders meaningless
any attempt at definition, so rather than define or compose some diluted meaning for it, here is a
list of its constituent disciplines.

What Does Visual Art Include?

Definitions of visual art usually encompass the following:

1. What is Digital Art?

Digital art is like any other art. It just is created using different tools than the more traditional
arts. Art is not about the tools used to create it. It is about the vision, message, or emotion of the
artist. Photography is a medium through which artist’s may create art. Likewise, a computer is
just a medium or tool through which an artist can express his/her vision of line, form, color,
composition and rhythm.
An artist chooses the medium (oils, watercolors, or pixels) she wants to use. When the digital
artist, has mastery over the tools and technologies [software, equipment, etc.], she can go beyond
“taking a digital picture” or “applying an effect” and create art – an individual expression of her
vision.

Digital Art falls into three basic categories: digital painting, digital photography & darkroom,
and fractals. There are several subcategories and, of course, the artist can combine any and all to
create their own unique vision.

Below are descriptions from the Digital Fine Arts Society of New Mexico which accurately
describes the various types of Digital Fine Art. Digital Photography, Photopainting, and
Integrated Digital Art which characterize my work are, of course, discussed first.

Digital Photography
The artist uses a digital or conventional camera. The photographs are digitized and translated to
the computer environment where the artist uses image editing and special effects software to
perform darkroom type manipulations.

Photopainting
This combines the disciplines of photography and painting. The artist uses image editing and
paint software to go beyond dark room techniques to add further expression to the image.
Digital Collage
This is a technique of combining many images from varying sources into one image. This is
most commonly achieved by the use of layering techniques in image editing and paint software.
The artist may also use images from x-rays or radar to produce images that the eye does not
normally see, which expands the realm of human perception.
Integrated Digital Art
This is the “mixed media” of the digital art world. Artists combine any number of the techniques
to achieve unique results. The digital environment is much less restricted than conventional
mediums in this type of integration and manipulation.
Digital Painting
2D: The artist creates 2D images totally in the computer virtual environment with the use of
painting tools that emulate natural media styles. Sometimes referred to as “Natural Media”. 3D:
The artist uses 3D modeling and rendering software to essentially sculpt in virtual space. This
method also makes use of all of the other methods.
Vector Drawing
The artist uses vector drawing software and creates the image totally in the virtual environment.
This makes use of shapes which are outlined and can be filled with various colors and patterns.
This tends to produce a harder edged or graphic look.
Algorithmic/Fractals
This is art produced exclusively by mathematical manipulations. This is the so-called “computer
generated” art. The art here lies in the invention of the mathematical formulas themselves and the
way the programs are written to take advantage of the display capabilities of the hardware. The
art also lies in the creative intentions and subsequent selections of the artist/mathematician.

2 . P E R F O RM A N C E A RT

Artworks that are created through actions performed by the artist or other participants, which
may be live or recorded, spontaneous or scripted
Throughout the twentieth century performance was often seen as a non-traditional way of
making art. Live-ness, physical movement and impermanence offered artists alternatives to the
static permanence of painting and sculpture.
3. Architecture Art
A work of architecture has an idea—an organic link between concept and form. This idea is a
hidden thread connecting disparate parts with exact intention. Pieces cannot be subtracted or
added without upsetting fundamental properties. The phenomena of space, light, material/detail
—as understood by others—convey the art, whether or not the organizing idea is fully grasped.
4. Dance
5. Film
6. Literary
7. Theater
Performing arts refers to forms of art in which artists use their voices, bodies or inanimate
objects to convey artistic expression. It is different from visual arts, which is when artists use
paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Performing arts include
a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience. Theatre, music, dance
and object manipulation, and other kinds of performances are present in all human cultures.
8. Applied Arts (Fashion Furniture)
The term "applied art" refers to the application (and resulting product) of artistic design to
utilitarian objects in everyday use. Applied art embraces a huge range of products and items,
from a teapot or chair, to the walls and roof of a railway station or concert hall, a fountain pen or
computer mouse.

Functions of Art
Ideally, one can look at a piece of art and guess with some accuracy where it came
from and when. This best-case scenario also includes identifying the artist
because they are in no small way part of the contextual equation. You might
wonder, "What was the artist thinking when they created this?" when you see a
piece of art. You, the viewer, are the other half of this equation; you might ask
yourself how that same piece of art makes you feel as you look at it.

These—in addition to the time period, location of creation, cultural influences,

etc.—are all factors that should be considered before trying to assign functions to
art. Taking anything out of context can lead to misunderstanding art and
misinterpreting an artist's intentions, which is never something you want to do.

The functions of art normally fall into three categories: physical, social, and
personal. These categories can and often do overlap in any given piece of art.
When you're ready to start thinking about these functions, here's how.

Physical

The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works of art
that are created to perform some service have physical functions. If you see a
Fijian war club, you may assume that, however wonderful the craftsmanship may
be, it was created to perform the physical function of smashing skulls.
A Japanese raku bowl is a piece of art that performs a physical function in a tea
ceremony. Conversely, a fur-covered teacup from the Dada movement has no
physical function. Architecture, crafts such as welding and woodworking, interior
design, and industrial design are all types of art that serve physical functions.
Social

Art has a social function when it addresses aspects of (collective) life as opposed
to one person's point of view or experience. Viewers can often relate in some way
to social art and are sometimes even influenced by it.

For example, public art in 1930s Germany had an overwhelming symbolic theme.
Did this art exert influence on the German population? Decidedly so, as did
political and patriotic posters in Allied countries during the same time. Political
art, often designed to deliver a certain message, always carries a social function.
The fur-covered Dada teacup, useless for holding tea, carried a social function in
that it protested World War I (and nearly everything else in life).

Art that depicts social conditions performs social functions and often this art
comes in the form of photography. The Realists figured this out early in the 19th
century. American photographer Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) along with many
others often took pictures of people in conditions that are difficult to see and
think about.

Additionally, satire performs social functions. Spanish painter Francisco Goya

(1746–1828) and English portrait artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) both went
this route with varying degrees of success at motivating social change with their
art. Sometimes the possession of specific pieces of art in a community can elevate
that community's status. A stabile by American kinetic artist Alexander Calder
(1898–1976), for example, can be a community treasure and point of pride.

Personal

The personal functions of art are often the most difficult to explain. There are
many types of personal functions and these are highly subjective. Personal
functions of art are not likely to be the same from person to person.

An artist may create a piece out of a need for self-expression or gratification. They
might also or instead want to communicate a thought or point to the viewer.
Sometimes an artist is only trying to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self
and viewers. A piece might be meant to entertain, provoke thought, or even have
no particular effect at all.
Personal function is vague for a reason. From artist to artist and viewer to viewer,
one's experience with art is different. Knowing the background and behaviors of
an artist helps when interpreting the personal function of their pieces.

Art may also serve the personal function of controlling its viewers, much like
social art. It can also perform religious service or acknowledgment. Art has been
used to attempt to exert magical control, change the seasons, and even acquire
food. Some art brings order and peace, some creates chaos. There is virtually no
limit to how art can be used.

Finally, sometimes art is used to maintain a species. This can be seen in rituals of
the animal kingdom and in humans themselves. Biological functions obviously
include fertility symbols (in any culture), but there are many ways humans adorn
their bodies with art in order to be attractive to others and eventually mate.

PHILOSOPHICAL IMPORTS OF ART

1. Integrity as a concept has to do with perceived consistency of our actions, values,

methods, principles, expectations and outcome

Integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you
refuse to change.

Integrity means to complete what you say.

Integrity means you stick to your personal code of conduct…what you have decided is
right or wrong.

Integrity means honoring yourself.  It doesn’t mean you have to “feel” like doing the job
or even like the job….it means you do the job because you gave your word.

Saying and doing are two totally different things..integrity is doing what you promised.

Integrity is a skill….it is developed over time.  It is developed with experience and

observation.

Integrity must be maintained.

Integrity gives us a foundation from which to draw on for future projects.  We

automatically know our strength because we have proven it to ourselves  (this one is
really important)

Integrity is our secret back up system.

What is artistic integrity:

 Always painting with passion

 Never copying  but taking ideas and tweaking them to make them our own
 Being original….not normal
 Having the courage to take a chance
 Always remembering your artistic vision comes
from your life, your thoughts…..your courage
 Creating a painting because it comes from your soul and not for recognition or
prizes
 Being willing to be scared….to create on the edge
  To continue creating when doubt in yourself appears
 Doing your very best each and every day

2. Proportion/ Consonance
Scale is used in art to describe the size of one object in relation to another, each
object is often referred to as a whole. Proportion has a very similar definition but
tends to refer to the relative size of parts within a whole. In this case,
the whole can be a single object like a person's face or the entire artwork as in
a landscape.

For example, if you're painting a portrait of a dog and a person, the dog should be
at the correct scale in relation to the person. The person's body (and the dog's as
well) should be in a proportion to what we can recognize as a human being.

Essentially, scale and proportion help the viewer make sense of the artwork. If
something seems off, then it can be disturbing because it's unfamiliar. Yet, artists
can use this to their advantage as well.

Some artists purposely distort proportions to give the work a certain feel or to
relay a message. The photomontage work of Hannah Höch is a great example.
Much of her work is a commentary on issues and she blatantly plays with scale
and proportion to emphasize her point.

That said, there is a fine line between poor execution in proportion and the
purposeful distortion of proportion.

Proportion and scale help give a piece of art balance. We instinctively have a

sense of balance (that's how we can stand up straight) and that relates to our
visual experience as well.

Balance can be symmetrical (formal balance) or asymmetrical (informal balance)

and proportion and scale are key to our perception of balance.

Symmetrical balance arranges objects or elements so they are evenly weighted,

such as your nose in the center of your eyes. Asymmetrical balance means that
objects are placed to one side or another. In a portrait, for instance, you might
draw a person slightly off-center and have them look toward the middle. This
weights the drawing to the side and offers visual interest.

3. Radiance/ Clarity
1. Integritas (wholeness) –

It must not be deficient in what it needs to be most itself.

2. Consonantia (proportionality) and –

Its dimensions should suitably correspond to other physical objects as well as to a metaphysical

ideal, an end.

3. Claritas (radiance) –
It should clearly radiate intelligibility, the logic of its inner being and impress this knowledge of
itself on the mind of the perceiver.