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LIBRARY

Art Words

An art glossary built around terms that appear in artwork descriptions on this site, growing little by little.

Index

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. 152 terms
Academism
Expression following norms institutionalized by art schools. In Manila, rooted in early 20th-century portraiture centered on UP Fine Arts.
Aquarelle · Watercolor
Painting in transparent water-soluble pigment, of French origin; it relies on delicate gradation and the white of the paper.
Action Painting
A postwar American painting movement that records the act itself — flinging, dripping, full-body gesture — directly onto the canvas.
Acrylic
Water-based paint using synthetic resin. Valued for fast drying in the tropical climate of the Philippines.
Assemblage
A technique of combining found objects into three-dimensional works; it expanded the boundaries of sculpture in the mid-20th century.
Agitprop
Politically charged propaganda art. In the Philippines, it took shape as protest art during the 1970s Marcos era.
Atelier
A French-origin word for an artistic studio. Used when implying an educational master-apprentice system.
Abstract
Painting concerned with relationships of form, color, and line rather than depicting specific objects. Fernando Zóbel is the leading figure in postwar Philippines.
Allegory
A mode in which abstract concepts are encoded in concrete imagery; common in Spanish-colonial religious painting.
Avant-garde
Vanguard practice that pushes beyond established art frameworks. In the Philippines, postwar circles such as the Saturday Group and Shop 6 are key reference points.
Earthwork · Land Art
Art that takes the earth itself as material and site, working in sand, soil, and stone outside the gallery.
Artist's Proof · A.P.
In limited edition prints, impressions the artist keeps. Marked 'A.P.' separately from the numbered edition.
Art Fabrication
作家の構想を専門の工房や職人が実際に製作する制作方式。大型彫刻やインスタレーションで一般化し、構想と手作業の分業を前提とする。
Art Deco
A decorative style that flourished in the 1920s–30s. Traces remain in the architectural ornament along Escolta Street, Manila.
Art Nouveau
A late-19th to early-20th-century decorative style based on organic forms and curves; it strongly shaped prints and posters.
Art Brut · Outsider Art
Raw art created by self-taught artists outside the formal art world. In the Philippines, discussed in relation to street painters and drawing movements in prisons.