10 BOUNDARIES
HOW ART IS SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD
One of the defining characteristics of artworks is that they are separated from the world by an implied or formal boundary. This is true in all cultures. Tribal artworks are usually physical objects or are confined to the objects or structures on which they are painted. In Western painting, the picture frame formalizes the separation of the artwork from its surroundings. Mural painting is necessarily defined by the wall or ceiling space that it takes up, while manuscript paintings are held within the pages of a book. Western sculpture developed the plinth, essentially a formal stage on which the work could be displayed. Sculpture in architectural settings was often contained within niches or was ...
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