Test Guide

Creating

1.1 Generate and Conceptualize Artistic Ideas and Work

1. Which of the following materials is essential in the creation of a traditional montage?

1. India ink
2. fabric
3. sepia toner
4. adhesive

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. A traditional montage is an assembly of images that is usually based on a theme. They are made by affixing various media to a support using adhesive.

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1.1 Generate and Conceptualize Artistic Ideas and Work

2. Which of the following techniques is characteristic of intaglio printmaking?

1. using a stone slab onto which lines have been drawn
2. using a screen onto which images have been painted
3. using a metal plate into which lines have been etched
4. using a woodblock from which areas have been cut away

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C. Intaglio printmaking is a type of printmaking in which ink fills in recessed areas of the printing plate. When paper is pressed against the plate, the recessed design is printed onto the paper. Etching is a type of intaglio printmaking in which lines are etched or incised into a metal plate with acid.

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1.1 Generate and Conceptualize Artistic Ideas and Work

3. An artist is in the initial stages of planning a work of performance art. Which of the following statements best explains why the artist should consider documentation strategies and techniques at this point in the process?

1. Resolving trivial issues quickly allows the artist to move on to the more important realm of aesthetic considerations.
2. Documentation should constitute a significant portion of any project budget.
3. Addressing this issue early allows the artist to stage the project for maximum visual impact in the documentation.
4. Documentation is the first step in any production schedule because of the technical training required.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C. Performance art is a type of art that draws on numerous art types, such as painting, acting, and music. Documentation is typically used in performance art because it is an ephemeral art form, a live performance. Documenting a work of performance art in its initial stages is important because it allows the artist to plan for documenting the essence of the work and capturing its maximum visual impact.

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1.2 Develop Artistic Investigations

4. Use the reproduction below of Haboku Landscape by Sesshu to answer the question that follows.

The work is a vertically oriented and rectangularly shaped scroll painting. It is bordered by floral patterns. The landscape referred to in the title is entirely in the bottom half of the composition. The top half of the composition is blank, which suggests the sky. Brushstrokes that depict the landscape elements are wispy and light. They appear to be washes of neutral color. Though the work is abstract, suggestions of trees can be seen.

When Sesshu placed the image entirely within the bottom half of the scroll, he was primarily exploring which of the following principles of design?

1. subordination
2. movement
3. variation
4. balance

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. Balance is a principle of design that refers to how works of art are visually balanced. With most of the visual weight in the bottom half of the composition, the work is striking for its asymmetrical balance.

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1.2 Develop Artistic Investigations

5. Impasto would be the most appropriate technique to choose in order to create:

1. glazes on a surface.
2. paintings on wet plaster.
3. dyed fabrics in a batik.
4. textures on a canvas.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. Impasto is a painting technique in which paint is applied thickly to the canvas. Because of its heavy application, impasto paintings have a highly textured, three-dimensional appearance.

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1.2 Develop Artistic Investigations

6. Which of the following practices would pose the greatest health or safety hazard when working in ceramics?

1. using a wooden knife to remove a clay pot from a potter's wheel
2. sanding a clay sculpture before it has been fired
3. applying iron oxide to leather-hard clay
4. cutting a block of wedged clay with a cutting wire

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B. Sanding a clay body before firing can release clay dust particles into the air that are harmful if inhaled because clay contains crystalline silica, a toxic mineral.

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1.3 Reflect on and Refine Works of Art

7. Use the reproductions below of two versions of Sleeping Muse (1906) [left] and (1909–1911) [right] by Constantin Brancusi to answer the question that follows.

The work on the left is a high relief sculpture of a human head. The orientation of the work is such that the head appears to be laid down, as if in sleep. Its eyes are closed. The hair is curly. Effort was taken to realistically depict the contours, shapes, and dimensions of a human head. About three quarters of the head has been carved out of the stone. The rest of the work is stone with a rough textural quality. The work on the right has a smooth surface texture. It also depicts a human head as if asleep but its contours, shapes, and dimensions aren’t realistic. For example, while a nose is clearly discernible, it is much longer and thinner than a realistic human nose. A forehead and eye sockets are also easily discernible and also not realistically depicted. Subtle carvings on the top of the head suggest hair.

Reproduction, including downloading, of Brancusi works is prohibited by copyright laws and international conventions without the express written permission of Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Three years after carving his first Sleeping Muse in marble, Brancusi executed another version in the same material. Brancusi's reworking of his subject suggests that, in the second version, he was especially interested in:

1. representing context and character.
2. exploring marble as a medium.
3. revealing essential forms.
4. eliminating figural references.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C. The first version of the sculpture is representational in its attempt to realistically depict a human head. The second version is abstract. It distills the human head into simplified, essential forms.

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1.3 Reflect on and Refine Works of Art

8. The term "pentimento" refers to:

1. a depiction of a subject in a painting so realistic as to fool the eye.
2. an area of a painting that is negative space.
3. an imaginary light source shining on the subject of a painting.
4. a change made during the process of painting.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. Pentimento refers to a portion of a painting that the artist has changed by painting over it. If the paint layer above becomes transparent over time, the changes beneath can become visible.

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Presenting

2.1 Select, Analyze, and Interpret Works of Art for Presentation

9. Which of the following statements describes the greatest benefit of using a laser, as opposed to solvent, to remove varnish from the surface of an oil painting?

1. The procedure does not require pre-analysis work by art restorers.
2. Mold will be removed and cracking will be repaired.
3. It is easier to correct any mistakes made while restoring the work.
4. The chemical makeup of the paint is less likely to be altered.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. Lasers used in restoration of paintings are beneficial because the conservator does not have to touch the painting, they are precise, and they do not alter the chemical makeup of the paint.

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2.1 Select, Analyze, and Interpret Works of Art for Presentation

10. A candidate for an undergraduate program in art is required to submit a personal portfolio as part of the application process. The primary purpose of the portfolio is typically to allow the candidate to demonstrate their:

1. mastery of working in at least two art media.
2. suitability and passion for a career path in the arts.
3. ability to select and categorize their art based on criteria.
4. potential for growth and success in being an artist.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. A personal portfolio submitted as part of the application for acceptance into an undergraduate art program should above all else indicate the artist’s potential. Showcasing technical, creative, and conceptual abilities give admissions personnel a sense of potential.

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2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence.

11. Gesso is used in traditional forms of painting for primarily which of the following reasons?

1. providing a smooth texture to paint on
2. creating a background layer of color for the painting
3. protecting the canvas from the paint
4. enhancing the luminosity of the paint's colors

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C. Gesso is a paint-like substance traditionally made of glue binder, chalk, and white pigment. It is used to prepare the canvas so paint adheres to it and to protect the canvas.

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2.2 Develop and Refine Techniques for Presentation and Exhibit

12. Planning for which of the following types of events is most likely to require collaborating with multiple business owners?

1. public art–unveiling ceremony
2. urban art walk
3. juried group art show opening
4. private art auction

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B. Urban art walks are public art displays that are often sponsored in part by local business owners, who may collaborate with art walk organizers to produce the event.

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2.2 Develop and Refine Techniques for Presentation and Exhibit

13. Which of the following practices is most frequently used by art galleries to communicate an art show's narrative to viewers?

1. posting an exhibition description
2. holding a pre-opening lecture
3. distributing printed programs
4. providing prerecorded audio guides

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A. Posting an exhibition description is a common way for galleries to briefly inform viewers about an exhibit. Exhibition descriptions generally include information about the artist or artists and the theme or narrative content of the works in the exhibition.

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2.3 Communicate Meaning Through the Presentation of Works of Art

14. Which of the following artist's works best demonstrate how social and political developments can be reflected in art?

1. Henri Matisse's paper cutouts
2. Georgia O'Keeffe's close-up images
3. Romare Bearden's figurative collages
4. Ad Reinhardt's black paintings

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C. Romare Bearden was an artist who worked with many types of media. He is most famous for his figurative collages that celebrated the African American experience and often called attention to contemporary issues, such as the civil rights movement.

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2.3 Communicate Meaning Through the Presentation of Works of Art

15. A preparator's responsibilities include which of the following sets of activities?

1. building sets, painting backdrops, and making props for theatrical productions
2. collecting objects, arranging them for presentation, and directing the lighting operator for an advertising photoshoot
3. cleaning, repairing, retouching, and documenting artwork in a museum
4. constructing walls and pedestals, handling artwork, and changing the lighting for a new exhibition in an art gallery

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D. Art preparators work in museums and galleries. They are tasked with installing exhibitions and making sure art works are safely handled when they are moved.

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