Cape Shore Nov. 1961.
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Glossary of Terms:
[ A to M | N to Z ]


abstract
: any art in which the depiction of realism has been discarded and whose aesthetic expression is conveyed through a formal series of lines, shapes and colours.

artist's proof
: a print pulled prior to, and outside of, the numbered edition, for the artist's use as a standard which the final edition must meet.

block
: a device used in silkscreen printing which prevents certain areas of the paper or other material from being printed on. A block can be applied directly to the paper, as in the case of certain types of gums, in between the paper and the screen, as in the case of paper or cardboard blocks, or to the screen itself, as in the case of glue, gum or acrylic spray.

cancellation proof: the last print pulled, outside the numbered edition, after the plate has been defaced; used to verify the limited edition by the fact that no more prints can be pulled from that plate.

canvas: a heavy woven fabric used as a support surface for oil or acrylic painting.

catalogue raisonnée;: a catalogue including every work the artist has completed up to the time of publication. For example, the catalogue raisonnée; for Pratt's 1992 print exhibition contained every print he had made up to A Boat and the Moon in 1991.

collage: a picture of 2 dimensions of very low relief made by gluing fabric, paper, pictures or almost any other material to a surface, usually made of canvas or board.

composition: the constitution of a work of art.

concept: the idea behind a work of art.

design: the selection and arrangement of formal elements in a work of art; the expression of the artist's concept in terms of the composition of these elements.

edition: the series of images following the standard set by the artist's and the printer's proofs, pulled from the plate and numbered consecutively. For example, in an edition of 25 prints, the first print pulled would be numbered 1/25, and so on. "Limited edition" refers to the total finite number of prints in a specific series or edition.

figure: an artistic representation of the human body.

geometry: the science of properties of lines, shapes and surfaces.

gesso: a white fluid or plastic coating made by mixing chalk or whiting with a glue solution.

golden section rectangle: a rectangle which has been divided into two unequal parts so that the ratio of the smaller part to the large part is equal to the ratio of the larger part to the whole (that is, there is a 1:2:4 ratio for the portions of the rectangle).


gouache: pigment that has been ground in water and thickened with gum or honey.

graphite: a soft form of carbon used as pencil leads; pencils made with this type of lead.

grid: a system of numbered or lettered lines which make a pattern of squares.

grid technique: a technique using a grid to reproduce a drawing on a new surface. A grid is laid on top of the original drawing. A scaled grid (bigger or smaller but with the same ratio) is laid on top of the new surface. Each square of the old surface is now copied into the corresponding square on the new one.

gum arabic: the hardened sap from certain types of trees grown in Africa, Asia and Australia. This gum is water soluble and can be used, for example, to make a block for silkscreens.

lacquer: a natural or synthetic resin which dries to a hard, glossy finish. Lacquers may be used to paint with if they are pigmented, or may be applied to a silkscreen for use as a stencil.

linocut: a print made with a technique similar to that of a woodcut. A linocut however, is made by cutting a plastic-like substance called linoleum.

lithograph: a print made through the process of lithography. In lithography, a stone plate, usually limestone, is treated so that ink will only adhere to certain areas of the stone. A piece of paper or other suitable material is then placed on top of the stone and both are fed through a press, with the result that the ink image is transferred to the paper.

masonite: a type of fiberboard usually for insulation, panelling, or partitions.

media: the types of materials used in a piece of artwork.

mixed media: a work of art that uses more than one media type, such as a lithograph printed on a silkscreen print.

monochromatic: using only one colour in addition to that of the printing or painting surface.

[ N to Z ]

Sources:

1. Allen, R.E., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of Concise English. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 1984

2. Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Squish 2000-2001 Children's Exhibit. Anchorage, Alaska: 2000

3. Mayer, Ralph, ed. The Harper Collins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Second Edition. Harper Perennial. New York, NewYork: 1991.

4. Memorial University Art Gallery. St. Michael's Printshop: 1972-1987. St. John's, NL: 1988.

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