TrilbyWorks In art, theme conveys the message or broad idea of a work or group of works. Themes are often universal ideas; that is, explorations into life, society, or human nature. Themes are usually implied rather than explicitly stated.
If you are trying to create a cohesive body of work, or prepare your artwork for an exhibit, you might find it helpful to choose a theme so that the pieces “hang together” (no pun intended). The list below should help you get started.
List of Art and Exhibit Themes
- 3D Art
- Aboriginal and Native Art
- Abstract
- America
- Anatomy
- Animals
- Apron Strings: Ties to the Past
- Architecture
- The Beauty Myth
- Bizarre and Surreal
- Bring in the Clowns
- C is for Consciousness: Your Rich Inner Life
- Casting Shadows
- Conflict / War
- Creations of the Night: Art Inspired by Dreams
- Creepy / Spooky / Eerie / Strange
- D is for Disrupt; Risky, Rebellious Art
- Decay / Rusty / Grungy
- Distortions
- Dreams
- Drip, Dribble or Splash
- Duality / Yin Yang / Light Dark
- Ecology
- Elements of Design: Line, Color, Texture, Shape, Form, Value, Space
- Emotions: Love, Hate, Desire, Jealousy, Envy, Joy, Compassion, Fear
- Eyes from Above/Below
- Fairy Tales
- Famous Landmarks
- Fantasy
- Fluidity
- Found Objects
- Freedom
- From Natural to Abstraction
- Full Circle
- Gadgets
- Gardens / Flowers / Plants
- Great Outdoors
- Glassy and Glossy
- Head in the Clouds
- Heroes / Heroines / Archetypes / Gods / Goddesses
- Humor / Fun / Silliness
- Inspired by Great Artists
- Interactive Art
- Is Anybody Out There? Artworks About Outer Space
- Kinetic Sculpture
- Landscapes, Real and Imagined
- La Vie Quotidienne: Art of Everyday Life
- Light and Shadow
- Lipstick and Rouge: The Emotions of Red
- Local Inspiration
- Loneliness / Loss / Solitude
- Macabre
- Masks for Full Moons
- Medicine / Anatomy
- Meet the Parents: Art of Moms and Dads
- Memory
- Messy & Sloppy
- Metals / Metallic / Shiny / Lustrous / Golds / Silver
- Minimalism
- Monochromatic
- Monsters
- Mythological Creatures
- National Identity
- Nature & Environment
- Opposites Attract
- Ordinary to Extraordinary
- Out of Place
- Outdoor Art
- Paradise
- Paradox
- Paw Prints: Artworks of Animals
- Personality Through Sculpture
- Perspectives
- Picture books
- Principles of Design: Pattern, Contrast, Emphasis, Harmony, Scale/Proportion, Balance, Rhythm/Movement
- Recycling
- Reflections & Shadows
- Renaissance / Rebirth / New Beginnings
- Romance / Love
- Seasons / Fall / Spring / Winter / Summer
- Seeing Things in a New Light
- Self-portraiture
- Seven Deadly Sins
- Shadows
- Shattered Images
- Slice of Life
- Small Art / Tiny Art / Miniatures
- Souvenirs from the Sun: Vacation Artwork
- Spirituality
- Stages of Life: Growing Up, Boyhood, Manhood, Girlhood, Womanhood, The Crone, The Maiden, The Mother, Children, Fathers, Mothers, Grandparents, Death
- Steampunk
- Stories
- Symbolism
- Take Me Away
- The Gaze of a Woman
- The Great Outdoors: Landscape Art
- The Heat is On: Summer Artworks
- The Way We Were: Art About Nostalgia
- Through a Window
- Time and Space
- Transformation
- Unique Mediums
- Weird & Wacky
- Who’s Your Helga?
- Winter Wonderland
- Zen
What would you add to this list?
