THREE KEY

ELEMENTS
 FORM
is the surface
feature of an
artwork.
 FORM
does not have
anything to do with
the art’s in-depth
meaning.
“What you see is
what you get”
It’s just what it is –
nothing else.
1. The material or
medium used to
construct the work
Example:
marble, bronze, found
objects, oil paint, video,
wood, steel, mixed media,
photography, etc
2. The color of the work and the
way color has been used in
terms of tonal variation,
contrast, harmony, coolness,
warmth, opacity, translucence,
etc
3. The use of line in the
work and whether or not
it is curved, angular,
directional, repetitive,
flowing, irregular, etc
4. The texture or surface
of the work and whether
it is rough, smooth,
tactile, repellent, viscous,
fluid, etc
5. The composition of the
work is the way the space
is organized or how the
elements are put together
 6. The scale or
dimensions of a work
and whether it is
monumental, miniature,
intimate, imposing etc
7. The duration of a work and
the length of time the viewer is
expected to engage with it -
particularly significant for
timed-based work such as video
and performance.
In visual arts, form can either
be two-dimentional such as
drawings and paintings; or
three-dimentional similar to
sculpture, and architecture.
Form also exists in
literature, ranging
from prose, drama,
to poetry.
 Theater has four
basic forms; tradegy,
comedy, drama, and
melodrama.
 CONTENT
It is what the
artwork is about.
 CONTENT
contains the subject
matter that carries
the message of the
work.
 If FORM is the
EMBODIMENT of the
work, then CONTENT
is its SUBSTANCE.
 CONTEXT
helps us to
understand the
meaning of a work
of art
 CONTEXT
In the arts, refers to the
varied situations in
which the works have
been produced or
interpreted.
2 kinds of context in the
arts:

1. Primary
2. Secondary
PRIMARY CONTEXT
is the personal type, for it
concerns the sentiments
of the artist – his beliefs,
values, interests,
attitudes, and emotions.
SECONDARY CONTEXT
refers to the place or
period in which the artist
has made his work:
SECONDARY CONTEXT
the social, political, and
economic environment he is
in; his or his society’s
religious and philosophical
convictions;
SECONDARY CONTEXT
the climate and geography of
the area in which the work is
made; and his purpose in
creating the artwork.
ELEMENTS OF ART