Synthetism

Term used by the Pont Aven artists (in particular, EMILE BERNARD (1868-1941)) for their exhibition at the Exposition Universelle of 1889; and by the Groupe Synthe’tiste, formed in 1891, which included French painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) among its members. The term refers to an emphasis on the simplification of drawing and pattern, and the expressive purity

1 Comments

Tachism

Derived from the French word tache meaning ‘patch’, this term was coined by the French critic MICHEL TAPIE in relation to post-war European abstract art, and related to art informel and abstract expressionism. The patches and blots of color on a canvas assume their own significance, as if applied at random, spontaneously, and act as projections of the

3 Comments

trompe i’oeil

A French term meaning ‘deception of the eye’, used to describe a highly illusionistic painting in which objects are depicted with photographic realism or have extremely realistic perspective. Trompe-l’œil (/trɒmp ˈlɔɪ/ tromp LOY, French: [tʁɔ̃p lœj]; French for ‘deceive the eye’) is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. Forced perspective is a

1 Comments

ut pictura poesis

A Latin phrase meaning ‘explaining painting and poetry’, this argument’s origins lie in the comparisons made between the two disciplines in Aristotle’s Poetics and Horace’s Ars Poetica. These formed the bases during the Renaissance and Baroque periods for several treatises on similar theories. The fundamental assumption is that painting, like poetry, is the ideal imitation

Verismo

A movement in late 19th-century Italian art and literature, based in Naples. It emphasized the importance of popular culture and a realistic portrayal of contemporary life, breaking both with academicism and romanticism. Typical were the paintings of A MANCINI (1852-1930) and the sculptures of V GEMITO (1852-1929). The term is also used to refer to

1 Comments

Victor Vasarely

Hungarian-French painter, trained in Budapest and influenced by constructivist ideas. He moved to Paris in 1930 and in the late 1940s evolved his characteristic idiom and method. In abstract paintings he explored ambiguities of form and space and sensations of movement through patterns of black and white and contrasting colors, becoming known as a leading op painter in the 1960s.

4 Comments

Vincent van Gogh

Dutch painter active mainly in France and counted a post-impressionist. Almost unknown in his lifetime, he was, during his years as full-time artist, totally dependent on his brother, Theo, who worked for the dealer Goupil in Paris, and supplied him with paints and canvases. Vincent wrote many letters to him, also to other relatives

Virtual reality

A term borrowed from science fiction. Computer technology is used to simulate multiple audio, visual and tactile experiences. As the technology continues to be improved, ‘spectators’ are increasingly able to interact with more and more convincing virtual realities. Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. Applications

2 Comments

Vladimir Tatlin

Russian artist, called the father of constructivism though he rejected the role and was regarded in 1920s Western Europe as the man who led art into technology and industrial production. He was essentially poetic, capable of leadership but loved for his quiet ways, his craftsman’s skills and his playing and singing of Russian folk music on

3 Comments

Vorticism

An avant-garde movement in painting, sculpture and literature, launched by the English painter and writer WYNDHAM LEWIS (1882-1957) and the American poet EZRA POUND (1885-1972) who coined the term. The image of the vortex (whirlpool, spinning cone) signifies a point of stillness and concentration at the centre of energetic motion. At the center is,

Willem de Kooning

Dutch-American painter, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He worked in a commercial art firm and attended art evening classes before emigrating to New York in 1926. In the mid 1940s he emerged as, with Pollock, the creator of American abstract expressionism. For years he had painted figures, balancing an Ingres-like conception of form with an anti-classical

William Blake

English poet, painter, illustrator and printmaker, an outstanding figure in what later became known as romanticism, now renowned for his visionary work in words and images and for his opposition to the academic priorities of his time, particularly those taught by Reynolds. The son of a London hosier, he attended a drawing school at the

Abraham

Abraham (“Father/Leader of many”, Standard Hebrew Avraham; Arabic Ibrāhīm) is the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His story is told in the Book of Genesis. All three religions regard him as the ancestor of the Arabs, through Ishmael. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are referred to as the “Abrahamic religions” in reference to their

2 Comments

Belief Systems

Belief System n A series of ideas organized to project an image of what is ‘Real’. These ideas are often manifested through interaction with others like parents, peers, mentors, educational material or society institutions. A belief system can have profound impact on the way in which one lives one’s life as well as serve as an

3 Comments

Brahmanism

Brahmanism is an early form of Hinduism which developed its worship and philosophy from the Vedas. Over years, the more tolerant and socially mobile system of Hindu society was ppressurisedinto a rigid caste system and the more liberal mystic Vedism was reduced to a complex sacerdotalism. Brahmanism, which is called “proto-Hinduism” by some, soon

5 Comments

Buddha

Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, Enlightened One, from the Sanskrit: to awaken) can refer to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived from about 623 BC to 543 BC attaining enlightenment around 588 BCE, or to anyone who has rediscovered enlightenment. Buddhism recognises three types of Buddha, of which the simple term

2 Comments

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. Buddhism teaches

1 Comments

Mulasarvastivada

The Mūlasarvāstivāda (Sanskrit: मूलसर्वास्तिवाद; traditional Chinese: 根本說一切有部; ; pinyin: Gēnběn Shuō Yīqièyǒu Bù) was one of the early Buddhist schools of India. The origins of the Mūlasarvāstivāda and their relationship to the Sarvāstivāda sect still remain largely unknown, although various theories exist. The continuity of the Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic order remains in Tibetan Buddhism, although until recently, only Mūlasarvāstivādin bhikṣus (monks) existed: the bhikṣuṇī order had never been introduced. History In

3 Comments

Theravada or Southern Buddhism

Theravāda (/ˌtɛrəˈvɑːdə/; Pāli, lit. “School of the Elders”)[1][2] is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism‘s oldest existing school.[1][2] The school’s adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha’s teaching or Buddha Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over a millennium.[1][2][web 1] The Pāli Canon is the most complete Buddhist canon surviving in a classical Indian language, Pāli, which serves as the school’s sacred language[2] and lingua franca.[3] In

3 Comments

East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana

East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in East and Southeast Asia and follow the Chinese Buddhist canon. These include the various forms of Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Korean Buddhism, Singaporean Buddhism and Vietnamese Buddhism.[1][2] Besides being a major religion in these four cultural regions, it is also a significant religion in Malaysia. East Asian Buddhists constitute the numerically largest

1 Comments