Chapter 8 – The Principles of Design Multiple Choice Questions 1. Hokusai’s The Great Wave makes a statement about scale, in part because a) the print is 86 inches in height. b) any black-and-white art causes scale to feel reduced. c) everyone in Japan knows the scale of Mount Fuji. d) All of the above. Answer: c 2. Chartres Cathedral’s rose window best illustrates a) asymmetrical balance. b) asymmetry. c) radial balance. d) the canonical façade. Answer: c 3. In Enguerrand Quarton’s Coronation of the Virgin, the artist has organized the design of the composition to emphasize the most important part of the composition, which is the a) crucifix. b) virgin. c) crown. d) landscape. Answer: a 4. The Taj Mahal is a perfect example of a) actual texture. b) assymetrical balance. c) symmetry. d) radial balance. Answer: c 5. Where is the focal point in the Baroque painting, Joseph the Carpenter by Georges de La Tour? a) In the child’s (Jesus’s) face b) Joseph’s left foot c) Joseph’s right hand d) the upper-left part of the composition Answer: a 6. Which of these pieces best illustrates the use of “variety” over “unity”? a) Laylah Ali’s Untitled b) Louise Lawler’s Pollock and Tureen c) James Lavadour’s The Seven Valleys and the Five Valleys d) August Rodin’s The Three Shades Answer: b 7. Where does that author say that the focal point in Larry Poons’s Orange Crush is? a) in the exact center b) on the extreme left edge, top to bottom c) in the upper right hand corner d) there is no focal point Answer: d 8. The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan a) for use as a mosque. b) as a museum to house cultural objects of great value. c) as a mausoleum for his favorite wife. d) as a pilgrimage site. Answer: c 9. Jan Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance is a perfect example of ____________. a) a symmetrical composition b) variety over unity c) rhythm and repetition d) an asymmetrically balanced composition Answer: d 10. When an artist deliberately avoids emphasis, we say that the work is a) radially balanced. b) afocal. c) postmodern. d) multi-lateral. Answer: b 11. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Vitruvian Man embodies all of these dualistic relationships except a) the earthly and heavenly worlds. b) mind and matter. c) the material and the transcendental. d) the temporary and the eternal. Answer: d 12. In her painting, Still Life with Lobster, Anna Vallayer-Coster establishes emphasis through a) the manipulation of light and color. b) the use of scale. c) the reliance on asymmetrical balance. d) the strong subject matter. Answer: a 13. What was made famous by the ancient Greeks as a model of architectural proportion? a) canon b) Doryphorus c) mathematical harmony d) golden section Answer: a 14. When dealing with balance in a composition, an artist or designer is actually dealing with a) actual weight. b) visual weight. c) proportion. d) the balance between form and content. Answer: b 15. What is a term that describes an artist’s attempt to draw our eyes to one area of a composition? a) absolute symmetry b) bilateral symmetry c) emphasis d) proportion Answer: c 16. Repetition often implies monotony, yet it also creates a sense of a) rhythm. b) scale. c) imbalance. d) boring disruption. Answer: a 17. When each side of a composition is exactly the same, it shows a) asymmetrical balance. b) absolute symmetry. c) perfect proportion. d) visual weight. Answer: b 18. The dimensions of an object, in relation to some constant, such as the human figure, are known as its a) balance b) scale c) proportions d) key Answer: b 19. Proportion is defined as a) any solid that occupies a three-dimensional volume. b) the comparative size of a thing in relation to another like thing. c) the relationship between the parts to each other and the whole in a composition. d) a flat two-dimensional area. Answer: c 20. Frank Gehry has been called a postmodern architect, primarily because a) he uses architectural elements from different time periods. b) his buildings were created “after modernism”. c) he purposely creates a sense of discontinuity by employing variety over unity. d) he prioritizes unity over variety. Answer: c Short Answer and Essay Questions 21. What did Frank Gehry redesign in 1976 so that it deliberately lacked unity? Answer: Frank Gehry redesigned his own house in 1976 so that it deliberately lacked unity, creating a fragmented and deconstructed appearance. 22. What are the three different types of balance in artistic compositions? Answer: The three different types of balance in artistic compositions are symmetrical balance, asymmetrical balance, and radial balance. 23. According to your text, what is one of the most dominant images of symmetry in Western art? Answer: According to the text, one of the most dominant images of symmetry in Western art is the human face. 24. What term refers to the relationship between the parts of an object and the whole, or the relationship of an object to its surroundings? Answer: The term that refers to the relationship between the parts of an object and the whole, or the relationship of an object to its surroundings, is "proportion." 25. Define the term design. Answer: Design refers to the process of creating visual solutions to communicate a message or fulfill a purpose, often involving the organization of elements such as line, shape, color, and texture to achieve a desired outcome. 26. Discuss how Felix Gonzalez-Torres used scale in his work and explain what his intentions were. Answer: Felix Gonzalez-Torres often used scale to evoke emotional responses and engage viewers physically within the space. His installations, such as piles of candies or stacks of paper, invited interaction and participation, while the scale of the artworks could convey themes of loss, memory, or political commentary. By altering the scale of everyday objects, Gonzalez-Torres aimed to challenge perceptions and create a sense of intimacy and connection with the audience. 27. Use examples from the chapter to define the term Postmodernism. Include a discussion of Robert Venturi and the Las Vegas strip. Answer: Postmodernism is an artistic movement characterized by a rejection of modernist principles and an embrace of eclecticism, irony, and self-reference. An example is Robert Venturi's design for the Learning from Las Vegas project, where he celebrated the kitschy, commercial aesthetics of the Las Vegas strip as a form of architectural expression. Venturi's approach challenged the modernist idea of architectural purity and emphasized the importance of context, function, and symbolism in design. 28. Choose one artwork from this chapter and describe how that artist has used the principles of design. Answer: One artwork from this chapter is Henri Matisse's "The Dance." Matisse used the principles of design such as balance, rhythm, and unity to create a harmonious composition. The repetitive and flowing shapes of the dancers create a sense of rhythm and movement, while the balanced arrangement of figures and colors enhances the overall unity of the composition. 29. In the painting Las Meninas, explain how Diego Velázquez establishes more than one focal point. Answer: In Diego Velázquez's painting Las Meninas, the artist establishes more than one focal point by strategically positioning key figures and elements within the composition. While the central figure of Infanta Margarita is often considered the primary focal point, Velázquez also draws attention to other characters, such as himself and the figures reflected in the mirror, through their placement, size, and gaze direction. This multi-focal approach creates a dynamic and layered composition that encourages viewers to explore the painting's narrative and spatial depth. Test Bank for A World of Art Henry M. Sayre 9780205901340, 9780205887576, 9780134082349, 9780134081809, 9780205898879
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