How to Talk About Art in English
Of course, these are stereotypes. The best way to feel confident discussing art in English is to
learn the words and phrases commonly used in the art world – and that’s exactly what this
article will help you to do.
outrageou very unusual and intended to shock people
s
statement large jewellery that is designed to attract attention
jewellery
the art the area of activity that involves making, buying, selling,
world displaying, promoting and writing about art
Going to a gallery
Most cities and large towns have a public gallery that is funded by the government. Public
galleries generally have a permanent collection (which may be free) and also stage
temporary exhibitions (which usually have an entrance fee). Large public galleries, such as
the Tate Modern in London, hold at least one blockbuster exhibition each year. If you are a
member of the gallery, you may be invited to attend an opening. You might also hear about
new acquisitions before anyone else.
As well as public galleries, there are commercial galleries at which the artworks are on sale.
Especially in small towns, they tend to show pieces by local artists.
permanent the works of art which are always on display in a
collection gallery
temporary a group of artworks shown together for a fixed
exhibition period
stage/hold an display a group of artworks to the public
exhibition
blockbuster a very popular exhibition of work by a well-known
artist or artists
opening an event at which people can see an exhibition for
the first time
new acquisition a work of art that the gallery has bought recently
pieces works of art
artist or artists
opening an event at which people can see an exhibition for
the first time
new acquisition a work of art that the gallery has bought recently
pieces works of art
Categorising works of art
Though lots of artists would like to believe their work defies categorisation, in reality we
tend to discuss art based on the medium used. Well-known categories of artwork include
drawing, painting, sculpture and photography, but today all kinds of novel forms can be
found both inside and outside of galleries. These include video and new media pieces;
performance pieces; conceptual pieces; and installations. Other popular media include
textiles, ceramics and printmaking, while works in mixed media combine different
materials and techniques.
defy be difficult to clearly describe as one thing or another
categorisati
on
medium the material/technique used to create a work of art
(plural:
media)
new media materials/techniques that are modern and technological
performanc the artist uses bodies, voices and/or movement to make
e the artwork
conceptual the idea is the most important thing about the artwork
installation the artist puts objects into an existing space, e.g. the
room of a gallery
textiles materials such as cotton, silk and wool
ceramics clay objects which are made hard by baking at high
temperatures
printmaking creating images by preparing a block of (e.g.) wood,
applying ink to it, then printing onto (e.g.) paper
textiles materials such as cotton, silk and wool
ceramics clay objects which are made hard by baking at high
temperatures
printmaking creating images by preparing a block of (e.g.) wood,
applying ink to it, then printing onto (e.g.) paper
Special notes on drawing and painting
Drawing and painting are the oldest of the visual arts, so they have lots of specific vocabulary
of their own.
Drawing is typically done in graphite (i.e. pencil), charcoal, pastel or ink. A quick drawing,
especially one in which the artist tries to copy something in the real world, is known as a
sketch; the art of sketching naked human models is called life drawing, while an artwork
that shows a naked person is called a nude. Important skills for drawing include composition
and perspective.
Paintings are commonly created with oil, watercolour or acrylic on a surface of paper or
canvas. Traditional types of paintings include portrait, landscape and still life, though
abstract works have also been popular since the 20th century.
compositi the skill of arranging multiple elements in a pleasing way
on
oil thick, slow-drying paint that contains oil
watercolo thin, quick-drying paint that contains water
ur
acrylic quick-drying paint that contains man-made ingredients
canvas strong cloth that is used to make tents and boat sails
still life a picture of a group of objects, such as flowers or food
abstract communicating with colour and shape instead of with
realistic images
Working in the art world
As well as artists themselves, lots of different people keep the art world moving including
agents, dealers and critics. Within a gallery setting, you might also expect to find a director
who is in charge overall, curators, handlers and assistants (also called attendants).
agent someone who represents and promotes artists
dealer someone who buys and sells works of art
critic someone who writes about art, especially reviews of
exhibitions
curator someone who selects and presents artworks for
exhibitions
handler someone who carefully packs and unpacks works of
art
gallery someone who greets visitors and answers questions
assistant
Discussing works of art
If you fancy yourself as a critic, there are certain words and phrases that occur frequently in
writing and discussions about art. A selection of them is given below, but the best way to
develop this kind of vocabulary is to read reviews and art books as often as you can.
Positive descriptions
Her work . . .
• is moving – it is effective at making people feel sadness or sympathy
• is evocative – it brings strong images or memories to mind
• is visionary – it considers the future in an intelligent way
• really spoke to me – it connected with my own life experiences
Neutral descriptions
Their work . . .
• is bold/delicate – it gives the impression of being physically strong/weak
• is controversial – it divides public opinion
• is Instagrammable – people love to take photos of and with it
• is a bit out there – it is weird and/or hard to understand, but not necessarily in a bad
way
Negative descriptions
His work . . .
• is disturbing – it is likely to cause someone to be offended or upset
• is derivative – it seems to copy existing works of art
• is amateurish – it does not show a high level of skill
• left me cold – I had no emotional or intellectual response to it
Yes, but is it art . . . ?
Painting and sculpture are obvious examples of fine arts – but what about other visual forms
such as architecture, graphic design, video games and graffiti? Does it make sense to
separate the fine and applied arts? Who decides the meaning of art, anyway?
fine activity that produces objects with no practical function
arts
graphic combining images and texts to make (e.g.) magazines and
design adverts
applied activity that produces functional objects whose appearance is
arts also important, such as furniture or jewellery
What a load of rubbish
Not everyone likes art, of course. Some people find modern art, in particular, inaccessible
and pretentious. A number of clichés can often be heard in response to pieces of
contemporary art – most of which would cause artists and art-lovers to roll their eyes.
• My five-year-old could have done that! – it looks like a child made it
• Look at the state of that! – it looks messy, as though no skill was needed to make it
• Money for old rope! – there is nothing new, special or interesting about this
• What a load of rubbish! – said in response to any art that the speaker does not like
inacces difficult for ordinary people to understand
sible
pretenti trying to be more serious or important than it really is
ous
cliché a phrase that is used often and shows a lack of original
thought
roll your move your eyeballs upwards or in a circle to show you think
eyes something is boring or annoying
ous
cliché a phrase that is used often and shows a lack of original
thought
roll your move your eyeballs upwards or in a circle to show you think
eyes something is boring or annoying
The art world is a strange place, but the surest way to fit in – apart from wearing all-black
outfits and rings as big as your hands – is to practice speaking like the arty types hanging
around galleries. So ciao for now, darling, and see you at tomorrow’s opening!
arty people who dress and/or behave in a way that shows a strong
types interest in the arts
