visual communication

In art, the communication of artistic intention, ideas, or information through the use of the formal art elements, design principles, visual characteristics, and various subjects in a work of art. In visual communication, artistic intention and the subsequent creation of art is paired with the response the work elicits. Visual communication is influenced by choice of medium, visual characteristics, cultural issues, and time and place of both creation and a viewer's encounter with the work.

As a consequence of the relationship between the creation of the work of art and the potential public response, artists are aware that choice of medium and cultural issues, among other factors, have a tremendous influence not only on the original intention, but also on the viewer's response. For example, an artist attempting, through sculpture, to communicate the atrocities of war would not use a medium that could potentially be viewed as whimsical or happy, such as a puppy or kitten. A work of art intending to express shock in respect to an event by an artist of one culture, such as the slaughtering of an animal, may be viewed by other cultures as a painting of an everyday occurrence, the artist's original intention being lost. Visual communication also relies on the effective use and knowledge of all the art elements, and on the capability of the artist to skilfully employ personal subject matter and symbols within the work.