By Akima McPherson
Thus far in this series, I have discussed the question of what is art, two (2) elements of art, and some principles of design. Fundamental to all this, however, must be an understanding of the three (3) basic ingredients of art. For a thing, object, or gesture to gain the status of art it must possess a subject, content, and form. While these words are common, they refer to very specific things in art that are not immediately recognised. In fact, it is often the case that the words ‘subject’ and ‘content’ are used interchangeably, while form is used to mean type. The subject of a work of art is the person, object, or theme about which the work is made. Content refers to the message or ideas the artist is conveying about the person, object, or theme. Form, on the other hand, refers to the work’s total appearance.
