Elements of Art: Texture | KQED Arts

Summary

This script explores the multisensory aspect of art, emphasizing the role of texture as a key element. It distinguishes between actual and implied textures, illustrating how artists like Alberto Giacometti and Chuck Close engage viewers' sense of touch. The script also highlights various techniques artists use to create textures through lines, shapes, and materials, encouraging viewers to consider texture in their own artistic creations to enhance expression and communication.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art is not just visual; it engages multiple senses, including touch.
• 🗿 Sculptors and fabric artists often focus on creating tactile experiences.
• 🖌️ Texture is a fundamental element of art, alongside line, shape, color, form, value, and space.
• ✋ Texture can be actual, where it can be felt, or implied, existing only visually.
• 👀 Implied textures in paintings are suggested through visual cues but cannot be physically felt.
• 🔍 Artists use various techniques to create implied textures, such as different types of lines and shapes.
• 🌟 In Gustav Klimt's work, repeated shapes contribute to the overall texture of the artwork.
• 🖼️ Two-dimensional art can have actual texture when paint is layered thickly or materials are added to the canvas.
• 🧶 Artists often incorporate natural textures of materials or hand-formed textures into their work.
• ✂️ Textures serve as an expressive tool for artists to enhance their artistic messages.
• 💡 Encouragement to use textures in personal artwork to convey meaningful messages.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the script?

The script focuses on the element of texture in art, explaining both real and implied textures and how artists use them to engage the viewer's senses.

What are the seven elements of art mentioned in the script?

The seven elements of art mentioned are line, shape, color, form, value, space, and texture.

What is the difference between actual texture and implied texture?

Actual texture is a texture that can be physically felt, like the roughness of a sculpture, while implied texture is visual and cannot be physically touched, such as the smoothness of paint on a canvas.

How does artist Alberto Giacometti demonstrate actual texture in his sculpture?

Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture has actual texture, where the roughness of the bronze metal can be physically felt if touched.

What are examples of implied textures in Chuck Close's self-portrait?

In Chuck Close's self-portrait, the varied textures of skin and hair appear to have texture, but the actual canvas would feel smooth, as these are implied textures.

How do artists create implied textures through the use of lines, as seen in Roy De Forest’s painting?

In Roy De Forest's painting, artists create implied textures using different lines, such as zigzag lines for hair, cross-hatching for skin, and blurred, smudged colors for other elements.

How are shapes used to create textures in Gustav Klimt's painting?

In Gustav Klimt’s painting, textures are created using repeated shapes, such as triangles and lines on the dress, spirals for the tree, and circles and rectangles in various parts of the artwork.

Can paintings have actual texture, and if so, how?

Yes, paintings can have actual texture when artists layer paint thickly enough to create a three-dimensional surface, turning the paint itself into a sculptural element.

What materials might artists use to build additional textures on a canvas?

Artists might use fabrics, textiles, jewelry, and other objects to build additional textures on a canvas, making the artwork more tactile and three-dimensional.

Why is texture an important tool for artists, according to the script?

Texture is an expressive tool that artists use to reinforce their overall messages and engage viewers by appealing to their sense of touch or the visual suggestion of touch.