Unit 8 Sensing and understanding

Reading 2 Text organisation 1

Texture, form 2,1 a As part of your course of study n Art History you have been given an essay with the title
?) 1, p!20 The elements of design with which artists work are observable properties of matter: Une,
shape and form, space, texture, valu (Hghts and darks) and lighting, color, and time'
(Zelanski & Fisher 2007). Describe the way in which different artists and designers have
used one of the elements of design to communicate their ideas.
Some of the words in the essay titte have more than one meanng. For exampie, note
how the word vafue is defined as 'Hghts and darks', whereas it usually means 'the amount
somethmg is worth'. Look at the two meanings for each of the following words and decide
which one is correct for the quote in the essay title.
1 matter noun
a [C] a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered
b [U] physical sUbstance in the universe

2 form noun
a [C] a paper or set of papers printed with spaces n which answers to questions
can be written
b [C] the shape or appearance of something

3 texture noun
a [C or U] the degree to which something is rough or smooth or soft or hard
b [U] the character of a piece of writing or music
b Discuss the following questions.
1 How is this essay title different from other examples you have studied so far?
2 How many elements of design are mentioned in the quote?
3 How many should you discuss in the essay?

Study tip /f an essay title includes a quote, it is mportant to understand the quote in detail and
check the definition ofany unfamiliar words in it. Make sure the def/n/t/on re/ates o the subject
you are sWdying.

2.2 Ania decided to start her reading for her Art History essay with a text about line. Skim read the
text (which contines on page 112) and choose the best summary of the main idea n the text.
1 It is important for artists, designers and sculptors to use clear unes n their work so their
deas are easy to understand.
2 Lines can be seen in a great variety of shapes in the real world and in works of art. They
can be used to show positive and negative spaces.

Line
A mark that is much longer than it is wide may be perceived as a
line. !n the world around us, we can see trees and grass, legs and
telephone posts as lines if we learn to apply the idea "line" to the
world of real things. A tree without leaves can be perceived as a
5 number of lines.
Seeing Une
It is easiest to see lines in works that are linear and two-dimensional,
such as in pieces of caigraphy. CaLligraphy is the art of fine writing,
so highly developed in Arabic cultures, Japan, and China that some
10 pieces are meant first as art and only secondarily as figures to be
read. In these cultures, many pieces of caUigraphy were designed to
be put on the wall and be seen at a distance, so that great attention
was paid to the effects of the lines and the way they work together.

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 Unt 8 Sensing and understanding

Lines may be seen in different pars of a design.-In John Alcorn's drawing* that was done for the
15 televisin adaptation of the novel The Scarlet Letter, we can see not only back Unes on white but
also white lines defined by black-inked reas. Notice how gracefully Alcorn draws the rapid changes
frorn the white of the background to the white lines defining the hair, leading us to'see the former
as negative, or unfilled, space, and the latter as positive, or filled space.
It is less obvious, but we can perceive lines along edges where two reas that are treated
20 differently join. Along the left side of the woman's face, as we see, it, there is a strong
white line belonging to and describng her profUe. On the right side
of her face there is a strong edge belonging to the back of her hair,
with her face appearing to be behind it.
In three-dimensional works we may find lines that are cut into the
25 surface of objects. In the eleventh-century Norwegian door panels**
a craftsman carved the wood into a complex pattern of lines. These
patterns continually change from animis to snakes and to plants.
They are carved in such a linear way that at first we perceive a series
of inter-connected lines and not a collection of seprate objects.
30 The human figure is sometimes a series of lines in space, a perception
that can be seen in the figures of Alberto Giacometti, such as Waking
Man (right). This image of a human as something less than a skeleton
talks about the isolation and loneness of the individual in modern
dvilsation. Giacometti himself said that his focus was not so much
35 on the figure as on the (arge, empty space around it that presses in Aberto Giacometti,
on it. Waiking Man, c.1947-49

Adaped from Zelanski, P. & Fsher, M. E (2007). TheArt of Seeirig (7Vn edn.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
pp.59, 60, 64.
* the pcture on page 111 / ** the picture n 1.2a

2.3 Think about the following questions. Discuss them with others.
1 Which of the three images associated with the text (the drawing, the carving and the
sculpture) do you fike best? Why?
2 Which of these hree art forms js the most common n your culture?
2.4 Ania decided the text contained useful points for her essay and made notes on the content.
She realised that the text ncludes examples and comments on the examples. Complete Ania's
notes on the text.

mark = Une
->- real world e.g. 1 _rees; gras<_, L&gs, teiephone poste

calligraphy = art of fine writing

e.g. Arabia cultures and 2 .
comment: put on wall to 3
design / drawing
e.g. Alcorn's 4 _ . . _ _ . ....
comment: white & blaok lines - show negative/unfilled space vs.

door panel / carving

e.g. llth century 6 , .
comment: lines change from 7. .
don't seem seprate objects - but a series 8
human figure / sculpture
e.g. Giacometti's 9 _.. _ . _ .,
comment : image of skeleton talks about 10 .
focus on 11 -_^___ -_ - - - . _. . ..

112

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