ArtLex Art Dictionary

ArtLex Art Dictionary looks like a useful source of information.

Art Dictionary for artists, collectors, students and educators in art production, criticism, history, aesthetics, and education.

You'll find definitions for more than 3,600 terms used in discussing art / visual culture, along with thousands of supporting images, pronunciation notes, great quotations and cross-references.

Technorati Tags: art

Interpreting Contemporary Art

ACCESS ART: Interpreting Contemporary Art

A panel discussion which will explore approaches to and difficulties involved in appreciating contemporary visual art.

Windsor Lecture Theatre - Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
1723 Hollis Street - Bedford Row Entrance, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Thursday, October 27 - 7pm.

Organised by Visual Arts Nova Scotia. More details currently on their hompage.


tags: nova scotia, contemporary art

Quoting Raúl Acero

From Raúl Acero, in his book Making Ceramic Sculpture:

I think all human beings are born with the ability and desire to make art. Slowly, over time, and due to our education, we lose those abilities and replace them with insecurities about making and understanding art.

I can relate to that. I have always steered clear of being labelled 'artist', largely because of the language that often surrounds art.

Raúl also helps me understand the essence of abstract art:

... this wall sculpture can be considered pure abstract or nonrepresentational art. It relies on the relationship between parts to achieve grace and beauty. Sometimes leaving out recognizable elements, such as birds or flowers, can be liberating. By using texture, color, and spacial relationships, we can invoke the same kind of feelings and responses that representational objects do, but in a more mysterious and deep manner. The viewer must search for things in the sculpture, instead of being presented with them right away.

This is the type of art I want to explore further. I don't think I will ever be able to do representational art. The question is, can one master abtract without those skills?

Comments on this topic, as always, are welcome.


Technorati Tags: sculpture, abstract, art

Elias Wakan - geometric sculpture in wood

Elias's work is a fine blend of aesthetics, mathematics and craftsmanship. Assembling complex shapes from simple pieces of wood, each carefully cut, Elias strives to 'show how complexity derives from simplicity.'

One can get a first impression of his work from this view of Drumbeg House Gallery. If you have time for a long read, Elias answers the question 'How Do You Make These'? There is obviously a fair bit of trial and error, as detailed in Moebius Mistake, and 'How Long Did It Take?' tells the story of his sculpture called Triumph.


Technorati Tags: sculpture, mathematics, art

Coventry Canal Art Trail

As a canal enthusiast I was delighted to come across the Coventry Canal Art Trail while searching the web for sculpture related sites.

This 5 1/2 mile canal provides a route from the Oxford canal into the heart of the city. The map shows the 26 sites of the artworks which comprises 39 works by 31 different artists. Five categories of work were commissioned: community art, entry markers, gateways, heritage markers and sculptural seating.

If I had to choose three favorites, I think they would be:

• The Journeyman, a tribute to the navvies who built the canal.
• Folding Wedges, a pair of benches in oak.
• Seats by the Water, and Traveller & the Stream, a combination of sculpture and landscape architecture.

Three very distinct styles. Three very striking works of art that can be enjoyed by the general public.


Technorati Tags: art, trail, sculpture, coventry, canal

Sculpture month on Acres Wild

I have recently developed an interest in sculpture. I want to spend more time exploring woodturning as a sculptural medium. This desire has already manifested itself in Triplets I.

So this month I plan to explore the web seeking out examples and information about sculpture and sculptors. I will post my findings here at Acres Wild.


Technorati Tags: sculpture, sculptors