AP Art History Unit 4: Structural Innovation and New Media (1750–1980 CE)

Industrial Revolution

A period of significant industrial growth that altered architecture by introducing mass-produced materials like iron and steel.

Skyscraper

A tall, continuously habitable building with multiple floors, made possible by modern materials.

Open Floor Plan

An interior layout that minimizes the use of walls and promotes an open, flowing space.

Form follows function

An architectural principle stating that the shape of a building should be based on its intended use.

Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building

Designed by Louis Sullivan, this building exemplifies early modern skyscraper design using iron, steel, glass, and terra cotta.

Tripartite Division

Architectural design that mimics a classical column, divided into three sections: base, shaft, and capital.

Chicago Window

A type of window featuring a large fixed center pane flanked by two smaller movable side panes.

International Style

A modern architectural style characterized by minimalism, volume over mass, and lack of applied decoration.

Le Corbusier

A Swiss-French architect known for his contributions to modern architecture and his concept of 'Machine for Living'.

Villa Savoye

Designed by Le Corbusier, this building illustrates fundamental architectural principles of the International Style.

Pilotis

Slender columns that elevate a building above the ground, freeing up the space below.

Roof Gardens

Green spaces created on the tops of buildings, promoting the integration of nature into urban architecture.

Free Plan

A design principle allowing structural columns to be independent of the interior walls for flexible layouts.

Ribbon Windows

Long, horizontal windows that provide even, natural light while maintaining the building’s aesthetics.

Seagram Building

Designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, this iconic structure exemplifies high International Style.

Entropy

The principle that systems naturally move towards disorder, reflected in the changing appearance of site-specific art.

Organic Architecture

An architectural philosophy by Frank Lloyd Wright that emphasizes harmony between buildings and their environment.

Fallingwater

A key work by Frank Lloyd Wright that integrates architecture with the natural landscape, featuring cantilevers.

Pictorialism

A photographic movement that sought to make photographs look more like paintings through manipulation.

Straight Photography

A style emphasizing clarity, sharp focus, and unaltered images, highlighting the camera's technical capabilities.

Photomontage

A technique involving the combination of multiple photographs into a single composite image.

Constructivism

An artistic and architectural movement that sought to use art as a means to promote social change.

Readymade

An ordinary manufactured object that is designated as art by an artist, challenging traditional notions of art.

Spiral Jetty

An earthwork created by Robert Smithson, illustrating the concept of site-specific art that interacts with its environment.

Narcissus Garden

A performance art piece by Yayoi Kusama, critiquing commercialization in art through her mirrored balls.

Dada

An art movement that emerged as a reaction to World War I, emphasizing nonsense and anti-art.

Contemporary Art

Art produced in the late 20th century to present, distinct from modern art which refers to earlier periods.

Site-Specificity

An art piece designed for a specific location, emphasizing the relationship between the artwork and its environment.