Glossary
A Book from the Sky
A large-scale installation by Xu Bing featuring hand-printed books and scrolls filled with invented, meaningless Chinese characters, questioning the nature of communication and language.
Example:
Despite its beautiful and traditional appearance, A Book from the Sky deliberately frustrates attempts at literal translation, forcing viewers to confront the limits of understanding.
Chromogenic color print
A photographic print made from a color negative or transparency using a chemical process where dyes are formed in the paper during development, known for its vibrant colors and smooth finish.
Example:
The rich hues and sharp detail of a chromogenic color print make it a popular medium for contemporary photographers seeking high-quality reproductions.
Cindy Sherman
An American artist renowned for her conceptual portraits, in which she photographs herself in various guises and roles, exploring themes of identity, gender, and the gaze.
Example:
Cindy Sherman's extensive body of work consistently questions the authenticity of images and the roles women play in media and society.
Contemporary Painting and Abstraction
A broad category encompassing painting practices from the late 20th century to the present, often exploring non-representational forms, experimental techniques, and diverse cultural influences.
Example:
Artists working in Contemporary Painting and Abstraction might blend traditional brushwork with digital processes, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.
Global Contemporary
An art historical period spanning from approximately 1980 to the present, characterized by diverse artistic practices, global interconnectedness, and a focus on contemporary social, political, and cultural issues.
Example:
The Global Contemporary period includes a vast array of artworks, from large-scale installations addressing environmental concerns to intimate digital art pieces exploring personal identity.
History Portraits
A series by Cindy Sherman where she photographs herself dressed as figures from historical paintings, often reinterpreting or subverting traditional representations of women in art history.
Example:
Through her History Portraits, Cindy Sherman critiques the idealized and often objectified portrayals of women in classical art, offering a contemporary, often unsettling, perspective.
Identity and Representation
A key theme in contemporary art that explores how individuals and groups are portrayed, perceived, and define themselves, often addressing issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality.
Example:
Artists grappling with Identity and Representation often use self-portraiture or photographic series to question societal stereotypes and construct new narratives.
Invented Chinese characters
Characters created by an artist that resemble traditional Chinese script but carry no actual meaning, used to critique or explore the function and power of language.
Example:
The use of invented Chinese characters in 'A Book from the Sky' highlights how visual form can mimic authenticity even when content is absent.
Korean abstract expressionism
An art movement in Korea that emerged in the mid-20th century, characterized by spontaneous, gestural brushwork and a focus on emotional expression, often incorporating traditional East Asian artistic elements.
Example:
The vibrant energy and fluid lines seen in Korean abstract expressionism often reflect a dialogue between traditional aesthetics and global artistic trends.
Language and Meaning in Art
A thematic approach in art that explores how language functions, its limitations, its power, and how meaning is constructed or deconstructed through visual and textual elements.
Example:
Many conceptual artists engage with Language and Meaning in Art by using text directly in their works to challenge viewer interpretations or societal norms.
Maya Lin
An American architect and artist, best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, whose work often explores themes of memory, nature, and public space.
Example:
Maya Lin's design for the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, similarly uses water and inscribed text to create a contemplative experience.
Memorials and Public Art
A category of art designed for public spaces, often commemorating events, individuals, or groups, and intended to engage with a broad audience.
Example:
The creation of new Memorials and Public Art pieces often involves community input to ensure they resonate with the local population and serve their intended commemorative purpose.
Minimalist design
An art style characterized by extreme simplicity of form and a reduction to essential elements, often emphasizing geometric shapes, monochromatic palettes, and industrial materials.
Example:
The stark, unadorned lines of a Minimalist design sculpture can draw attention to the viewer's perception and the surrounding space, rather than elaborate detail.
Personal and reflective memorials
A type of memorial that encourages individual contemplation and emotional engagement, often through design choices that foster introspection rather than heroic celebration.
Example:
Unlike older, more triumphal monuments, the shift towards personal and reflective memorials allows for a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of historical events.
Self-portrait in character
A photographic or painted self-portrait where the artist assumes a specific role, costume, or persona, rather than depicting themselves as they typically appear, often to explore constructed identities.
Example:
Frida Kahlo's many works are often self-portraits in character, where she uses symbolic clothing and settings to convey aspects of her pain, heritage, and resilience.
Song Su-Nam
A Korean artist known for his abstract ink paintings, who played a significant role in developing the 'Sumukhwa' movement, blending traditional East Asian ink wash painting with modern abstraction.
Example:
Song Su-Nam's work often explores the expressive potential of ink, creating textures and forms that feel both ancient and contemporary.
Summer Trees
An ink on paper artwork by Song Su-Nam, representative of Korean abstract expressionism, which blends traditional Asian ink painting techniques with Western abstract principles.
Example:
The dynamic brushstrokes in Summer Trees evoke the natural energy of a forest, even without depicting specific trees.
Traditional notions of writing
The conventional understanding of writing as a system for conveying specific, decipherable meaning through established characters and grammar.
Example:
By creating characters that look authentic but are unreadable, Xu Bing directly challenges traditional notions of writing and its assumed communicative function.
Untitled #228
A chromogenic color print by Cindy Sherman, part of her 'History Portraits' series, featuring the artist in a self-portrait as a fashionable woman, exploring constructed identities and historical archetypes.
Example:
In Untitled #228, Cindy Sherman's neutral expression invites viewers to project their own interpretations onto the character she embodies, highlighting the fluidity of identity.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
A national memorial in Washington, D.C., designed by Maya Lin, known for its minimalist design and its profound impact in commemorating fallen soldiers.
Example:
The reflective surface of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial allows visitors to see their own reflection alongside the names, fostering a deeply personal connection to the loss.
Xu Bing
A Chinese artist known for his installations and printmaking that often explore the relationship between language, culture, and meaning, frequently using invented or deconstructed characters.
Example:
Xu Bing's 'Tobacco Project' similarly examines cultural exchange and commodity through the lens of a specific material, demonstrating his broad thematic interests.