Types of Visual Art Forms: General Questions
Q. What are genres?
The term “genres” is a fancy name for “types/subjects of paintings”. The main genres are: history painting, portraiture, everyday scenes (confusingly called genre-paintings), landscape and still life.
Q. What is the meaning of “aesthetics”?
Aesthetics (or esthetics) – a term derived from the Greek word aisthesis, meaning “perception” – is the branch of philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty. It seeks to provide answers to questions such as: “what is art?”, “what is the value of painting or sculpture?”, “how to assess a work of art?”, “what is the purpose of art (if any)?” and so on.
Q. Is photography considered to be an art?
Yes, photography is now regarded as a form of visual art, in which images are captured on photographic film as an alternative to the traditional 2-D media of canvas, paper or board. Some of the great pioneers include work by photographers like Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Man Ray, the medium is often employed as part of mixed-media compositions in the area of assemblage, collage, and installation.
Q. What is “animation”?
Animation (derived from the Latin word, “animare”, to breathe life into) is the art of making a film from a series of still drawings.
Source: Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art. Additional information can be found at or http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/art-questions.htm