Notes 1-23

Wood:

has many purposes ex. fuel, light, shelter

affected by environmental conditions

many ways to turn trees into timber ex. “coppicing”, “pollarding,” etc.

skinny trees produce narrow boards that need to be joined together for greater
mass

cannot glue end grain surface, it expands and contracts across the grain with
humidity

“reaction wood” - if tree grew unevenly, plank might twist when drying

certain species have tensile and compression strengths, specific gravities,

hardness, etc

local vs. imported timbers - local economies depend on wood resources

primary wood = for exterior - figure, color, exotic

secondary wood = hidden in construction - readily available, local

many aspects of knowledge used to work with natural art mediums - cultural,
ecological

work outside of fine arts often dismissed as not art

we first look at framework of canvas, composition of paint used - material history in

fine art pieces may not contribute as much to the meaning

decorative art vs. functional, utilitarian

material affordances

Notes 1-23 1
 access to particular mediums

ex. jade mask - material limits detailed carving

jade is believed to retain water and bring abundance and fertility

copper used to be more in demand than silver and gold

clay color varied naturally around the world

Art is affected by the nature of the mediums used and how particular cultures interact
with and perceive these materials.

Notes 1-23 2