Jargon & Buzzwords for Newbies on Art Walk Dates
Talk About Artworks & Abstract Paintings to Meet People at Museums
Jun 28, 2009
Gallery hoppers on an art walk don’t need to know all of the art world jargon and buzzwords, but it is easy for newbies to try out a few of them. It’s hip to talk about artworks, especially the dreaded abstract paintings. And, asking for someone’s opinion is a great way to meet people at museums, art galleries, or while strolling through a statue garden.
Quick Review for Newbies: Artworks and Abstract Paintings
Any newbie can baffle a less well-read neophyte, though the newbie should try to be cool about abstract art and never say, “What is this?” Also, though it’s normal (especially for guys) to try to find an object like a tree, a dog, or a naked lady in abstract art, don’t utter any of these observations out loud.
Here are some definitions:
- Abstract: “The artist either exaggerates or simplifies the form of the subject to attach emotion or meaning to it,” according to Mike"Birdman"Sexton. Total abstraction bears no trace of any reference to anything recognizable.
- Realist / Realism: The artist tries to make the subject look realistic. Once the camera had been invented, painters were free to explore abstractions.
- Impressionist / Impressionism: In the late 19th century, painters altered their brushstrokes to show how various outdoor lighting (early morning, overcast, shadows at noon) changed the look of the subject in a painting.
- Pop Art: Pop art makes a statement about modern culture by using everyday objects, like Andy Warhol's soup cans. Calling a painting “pop art” is usually a sneering putdown, unless one is referring to an actual Warhol.
- Surrealist / Surrealism: A surrealist makes objects look or act unnaturally, as in a dreamlike manner.
- Installation Art: Installations are three dimensional works designed to transform the perception of space. (It's usually a lot of big things in a room.)
Meet People at Museums or Galleries: Use Elements of Art to Talk About the Work
Here are concepts to help newbies make conversation and meet people in a gallery.
Composition: Composition is the arrangement of elements in a work of art. A good composition can make something more important (the focal point) than other parts of a painting. "I love how the whole composition brings your eye right to the dagger stabbing Saint Somebody in the heart."
Line or Mark: Usually something done with a pencil or brush. The viewer can say, “I like how this artist uses washes of color and careful lines (or uninspired lines or undefined lines or lyrical lines).” Horizontal lines are tranquil. Curvy lines suggest movement or energy. "I love the energy in this piece."
Shape or Form: Shape is two dimensional. Form is three dimensional, as in a sculpture. There are geometrical shapes, like squares, and there are organic shapes, like leaves. Repeated shapes become a pattern. "This piece is so organic."
Space: The feeling of depth in a painting or drawing. Also used to mean the positive space (the object in a work) or negative space (the space outside of the object). "His use of line really draws you right into the space."
Color: A painter can talk all day about color. Here are some useful phrases to throw around at a gallery. Bright colors – "A Playful use of color". Dark Colors – “A sense of mystery” or “The suggestion of a…” fill in the blank with “grave” or “doorway” or “uncertain image". All light colors – “It has an ephemeral feeling to it.”
Easy Art Walk Jargon and BuzzwordsNewbies don’t need to know all the jargon and buzzwords, but here are elementary tips to sound somewhat hip and cool.
- Piece: The art object. Say, “I really like this piece,” rather than “I really like this painting.”
- Work: The art object. Say, “I like the quality of Dodo’s work”, or, “His work reveals an inner calm”, not “Dodo is a really good painter.” Try not to say, “This is a real piece of work.”
A new exhibition or show means the space in which art objects will be seen by an audience for a temporary period of time.
- Gesture: The movement used by an artist in the act of painting. The word “gesture” can be used instead of “line” or “brushstroke”. Say, “I like Dodo’s use of the gesture to describe his subject matter,” or just throw the word “gesture” into any sentence. Most people think it sounds cool.
- Painterly: Painterly style is when the viewer can see the brushstrokes.
Some Easy Putdowns:
- “Crude and contrived.” Crude means primitive, unlearned, or vulgar. Contrived means the painting was too planned and not natural. Saying both will avenge the painter from opposite directions.
- “That painting doesn’t really work for me.”
Easy Praise:
- “This piece shows an awareness of reality.”
- “It has a playful quality.” Use this with anything with colors or squiggles.
- "Amazing." Use this word when tongue-tied.
Be extremely politically correct within the art-world context.
Remember to be cool. Act confident. Hold back. Use variations of the above ideas and throw extra words in so it doesn't sound like a laborious repetition. Make up words, just like George W. Bush. Practice some phrases at home. But, know that it takes a true Pekingese to make real art. Here are other good date ideas and look for free admission dates for museums.
Resources:
Getty.edu
Sexton, Mike. Birdmansart.com
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