Language, Concepts, Materials, and Techniques in Arts

Art Research Paper
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ART RESEARCH PAPER
1 Language and Concepts
The 1960s saw the use of language as a necessary tool among conceptual artists. Language in arts increased emphasis on visual forms. Texts had been incorporated in arts since long ago, but at the time, words were given a very central role. At the time, a language in arts was used by conceptual artists in providing instructions on how the piece was developed. Among the first originators of this strategy was Sollewitt, whose work was positively received by other artists. According to him, mere ideas are also a form of art. Therefore, he generated ideas for artworks and wrote instruction on how to make it which were executed by other artists.
One art that involved the use of language is the Mary Kelly Post-partum Document: 1974. The American artist created artworks using the liners of his son’s used nappies. According to Warriner (2020), she made print copies of them and indicated the details of his diet and then displayed them. The post-partum document involves several materials that show the development of his son since he was born to about five years. She writes on artefacts associated that belonged to the child, for instance, his clothes, the first child’s effort to write, and the items he collects among others. The artefacts contain detailed analytical texts that appear parallel to the object. The art was in response to the rise of the second wave of feminism regarding how women work at home. Her focus in this was on the invisible daily activities of women as they engage in domestic labor.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1Mary Kelly Post-partum Document: 1974.
Language, therefore, is used in art to communicate effectively and draw out emotions. Using texts as the prerequisite form of communication in the expression of art pushes words, numbers, and even letters to easily convey messages. The power of the written word forces the viewer to reflect. Therefore, artists have used the method in political activism and even advertising. Barbara Kruger, for instance, is a conceptual artist who uses phrases on images to pass across ideas of sexuality, power and identity (Stewart, 2020). Another artist like Jenny Holzer in the 1980s used texts to express the themes of religion, gender and modern life. As a result, the public gained the courage to confront societal issues.
The artworld is an increasingly evolving and dynamic aspect. The aesthetic value, significance and emotional efficacy of art objects are subject to change through time and space. The use of language in arts was, therefore, use to question the traditional craft by the intensity of the message shared and the engagement of people. The use of text resulted in high engagement hence resulting in high incorporation of the art in advocacy and empowerment (Harshav, 1994). It also created a high intensification of networks of social relations between systems and individuals. Texts in artwork challenged the traditional art by creating a more engaging visual representation.
Traditionally, art was understood to be a form of high culture that was expressed through individual expression and norms. Objects and images were merely things to be viewed and preserved in galleries and museums. With the incorporation of texts, such notions have changed since art can be of more use. Art is no longer perceived as images and objects but rather an indication of people’s actions, their participation and engagement. Most artistic devices are fashioned in a manner meant to create a robust aesthetic impression on its viewers. When a text is included, a more understanding of the piece of art is created. Therefore, art today is past the aesthetic purposes, and the use of texts in them are meant to induce more emotions from the audience hence acts as a form of teaching to the society in passing a specific message.
2 Materials and techniques.
There is use of unique materials and techniques in the ancient drawings. The use of pencil drawing was common in some artists. It was an improved way of drawing instead of using charcoal. In the drawing of Adrian Piper “self-portrait exaggerating my Negroid features” he has dew with 100% use of pencil with only the background coloration being the only different color apart from black. The pencil drawing is slightly light and not deep. The hairs look well shaded with a faint pencil bringing up a real image of the color. Pressing of the pencil is the main difference that seems to come out as it either deepens the color or gives a faint black color. There is a difference in the pressing of the pencil between the eyes and the hair. The eyes are relatively a little bit pressed and the repeated multiple times which opposite to the hairs. The sharpness of the pencil is also another technique used by Adrian in his drawing. Sharper pointed pencils are likely to give a darker color compared to blunt pencils. The smart use of pencil material, and use of pressing intensity combined with the sharpness of the pencil are the techniques used.
Jim Dine in his drawing “the car crush” he has used most of chalk and blackboard as materials. The chalk used was made up of refined clay which is a sedimental material that was mined. Chalk could be modelled ...