(noun) the outline of something
(verb) to shape into a specific form
(root) The Italian word contourno means “to draw a line.”
The following videos show how the artists Ana Mendieta (1948–1985) and Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) use contour in their artworks. Ana Mendieta was a Cuban American photographer known for marking the contours of her body in the Earth. Pablo Picasso was a Spanish-born French painter who used contour to simplify and deconstruct his subjects.
WATCH: Ana Mendieta au Jeu de Paume/Trailer (from Jeu de Paume / magazine); 00:38
WATCH: Picasso the Line from Houston Public Media on Youtube (~4 min)
To see artworks and learn more about these artists, click the following links: