Glossary
fugitive colors
Short-lived pigments and dyes-- capable of fading or changing, especially with exposure to light, to atmospheric pollution, or when mixed with certain substances; in each case the result of a chemical change. Examples are the colors in magazine photographs and inexpensive construction papers, especially the yellows, and then reds. While student works are generally forgiven the use of such inexpensive poor-quality pigments, professional artists' works are expected to be made with permanent colors. Tubes and other containers of paint are sometimes labeled with a code indicating a color's degree of permanence.
kaolin
a pure clay, sometimes called china clay, used in white clay bodies such as porcelain. It is used as a source of silicon
kelvin
A unit of absolute temperature often used in photography to measure the color temperature of a source of light. Abbreviated K, kelvins can be converted to degrees Celsius by subtracting 273. Certain tungsten lamps are designed to burn at specific absolute temperatures (usually 3200 or 3400 K), guaranteeing that compatible photographic films will render the color they illuminate quite accurately.
key
A small interlocking device in the seam of a mold, enabling the mold to be precisely reassembled. The term may also refer to the slight roughening of a surface which allows a painted finish to adhere effectively. Also, it's a name given to wedges for canvas stretchers. And in architecture, the keystone at the top of an arch.
kickwheel
A potter's wheel which is driven by kicking a revolving cement disk. The major alternative is a wheel driven by an electric motor.
kiln
An special oven or furnace that can reach very high temperatures and is used to bake, or fire clay. Kilns may be electric, gas, or wood-fired. (pr. kiln or kill)
kiln wash
A refractory mixture, usually kaolin or flint, which is mixed with water and painted on kiln shelves to prevent glaze from adhering.
See Also: dry foot
kilogram
A unit of weight measurement equal to 1000 grams. To convert kilograms into pounds (US), multiply them by 2.20462. Abbreviated kg.
kinetic
Expressing movement. In art, kinetic refers to sculpture that moves, such as a mobile or stabile. (pr. ki-ne'tick)
kinetic art
Artwork that includes movement, either mechanical or random. The Constructivists were the first to create kinetic art in the early 20th century, and Alexander Calder worked almost exclusively to make kinetic sculptures.
Example: Alexander Calder's Lobster Trap and Fish Tail, 1939
kitsch
Mass-produced or manufactured art that imitate or make fun of standard aesthetics.
Example: Jeff Koon's Puppy, 1992
kouros
Greek for "young man", kouros figures refer to archaic Greek statuary that are life-size, freestanding figures meant for tomb decoration.
Example: Kouros, from Attica, Greece, c. 600 B.C.
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