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Key Terms
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abstraction  the process by which subject matter is pared down or simplified in order to capture intrinsic or essential qualities; also, any work of art that reflects this process
assemblage  an artwork composed of three-dimensional objects, either natural or manufactured; the sculptural counterpart of collage
atonality  in music, the absence of a tonal center or definite key
avant-garde (French, "vanguard")  those who create or produce styles and ideas ahead of their time; also, an unconventional movement or style
collage (French, coller, "to paste")  a composition created by pasting materials such as newspaper, wallpaper, photographs, or cloth on a flat surface or canvas
ferroconcrete  a cement building material reinforced by embedding wire or iron rods; also called "reinforced concrete"
haiku  a Japanese light verse form consisting of seventeen syllables (three lines of five, seven, and five)
nonobjective art  art that lacks recognizable subject matter; also called "nonrepresentational art"
polyrhythm  in music, the device of using two or more different rhythms at the same time; also known as "polymeter"
polytonality  in music, the simultaneous use of multiple tonal centers or keys; for compositions using only two tonal centers, the word "bitonality" applies
serial technique  in music, a technique that involves the use of a particular series of notes, rhythms, and other elements that are repeated over and over throughout the piece
twelve-tone system  a kind of serial music that demands the use of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale (all twelve half-tones in an octave) in a particular order or series; no one note can be used again until all eleven have appeared







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