Unlike outer space, the concept of space as it relates to art is well-trod territory. Journey to the center of the composition with us in this #arttermtuesday!
Art Term Tuesday: Space
Art Interpreting Science: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission
Today marks the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing team returning to Earth. Wait, what does that have to do with art? Find out as Alyssa Dumire take us through some of her favorite pieces of space art that help us interpret these significant historical moments, even years after they've happened.
Art Term Tuesday: Horror Vacui
I first encountered the Latin-derived term horror vacui several years ago while researching outsider art from the first half of the twentieth century. Simply put, horror vacui is the fear, or abhorrence, of empty space. In the past hundred years, this term has been used in discussions of interior design (for instance, Mario Praz's critique of Victorian-era design) and artwork in which a two- or three-dimensional space is filled with detail or objects. The presence of horror vacui in visual art can stem from an artist's overwhelming compulsion (perhaps related to mental illness) to leave no space vacant or from a conscious aesthetic decision to forgo negative space.