Definitions
PAINTING
The expression of ideas and emotions, with certain aesthetic qualities, in a two-dimensional visual language. Paintings can be on a wide variety of substrates including canvas, board or paper, or on less common materials as in Bill Mack’s Hollywood Sign paintings on the metal from the façade of the original Hollywood Sign.
DRAWING
A precise or complete two-dimensional rendering done in a medium or a combination of media such as oil, ink, chalk, watercolor and others, on various substrates.
SKETCH
Typically a simple drawing done without considerable detail but catching the chief features and a general impression of a figure, object or scene. Sketches and drawings are often studies for paintings and sculptures.
MOTION PAINTING, MOVEMENT PAINTING
Often referred to as kinaesthetic art art, it is art in any medium that contains movement perceivable by the viewer or that depends on motion for its effects. Gary Welton depicts movement in his art using visual techniques, such as color, line, shape and composition, to create an illusion of motion or dynamism in his two-dimensional artworks.
COLLAGE
A work of art created by gluing bits of paper, fabric, scraps, photographs or other materials to a flat surface. Artists working in this art form are referred to as “collagers”. Deb Mack uses this art form to visually communicate a story about the iconic subjects that are the focus of her collages.
MIXED MEDIA
A work of art formed from a combination of more than one medium, often in an unusual combination of unrelated materials such as wood, clay, paint and fabric.
SCULPTURE
A three-dimensional art form that is modeled, carved, or assembled. Sometimes sculpture is used as a component of the definition of Relief, as in Relief Sculpture.
RELIEF
In this art form, figures are modeled and raised to some degree above the surface or background that is flat or has hollowed out parts. The main types of relief are low, medium, high (alto) and sunken relief. Reliefs are generally considered a type of sculpture. However, the word sculpture implies “full-round” or “three-dimensional” artwork. Reliefs are clearly not two-dimensional, and not typically three-dimensional, they are simply dimensional. According to artist Bill Mack, reliefs should thus be considered a third art form.
ALTO RELIEF
A sculptural relief in which forms extend out from a background. In Alto-relievo (high relief) the forms project at least half or more of their natural circumference from the background and may in part be completely disengaged from the ground, thus approximating sculpture in the round.
MEDIUM RELIEF
Middle relief, or mezzo-relievo, falls roughly between the high and low forms.
BAS RELIEF
Bas relief is low relief. The coin in your pocket is bas relief. These reliefs often are created at least in part by incising lines in a background, thus, at times making them more similar to a two-dimensional artwork.
SUNKEN RELIEF
This is the least common technique of relief in which figures or images are carved in low relief, but set within a sunken area, so the relief never rises beyond the original surface of the artwork.
RELIEF MATERIALS CREATED EXCLUSIVELY BY BILL MACK
FOR ERIN TAYLOR EDITIONS
BONDED BRONZE (BB)
Bonded Bronze typically refers to an artwork that’s surface has been coated with a mixture of granular bronze, with lacquer, epoxy or other resin used as a “bonder”. Cold Cast Bronze is also made of granular bronze mixed with a resin bonder that is poured or painted into a rubber mold. This is typically backed with a rigid fiberglass shell to support the contours of the artwork that has been molded.
BONDED STAINLESS STEEL (SS)
This material is technically a mixture of granular aluminum and granular brass that together have the appearance of stainless steel. The mixture is cast or bonded as above.
BONDED MIXED METALS (MM)
This material is a combination of Bonded or Cold Cast Bronze with a selected portion of the artwork cast or coated with Bonded Stainless.
BONDED SAND (BS)
This material has changed from its original composition. The first version was made from a white resin that once cast was coated with a fine white granular sand. Primarily for the purpose of potential restoration, the delicate white sand surface coating was eliminated. Bonded Sand currently is made from a off-white resin supported with a fiberglass backing and has essentially the same aesthetic appearance as the earlier version of Bonded Sand but is more durable.
NATURAL SAND (NS)
Natural Sand is produced in a manner similar to the cold cast bronze. With Natural Sand however, a fine mix of granular stone is blended with a semi-transparent resin and spread directly into the mold.
