Helpful Terms
Christine Perri, Prairie Boat, 2006. Beaubien Woods, Chicago, Illinois. Photograph by Christine Perri, 2023.
The "Helpful Terms" tab provides information for students looking for definitions, the general public unsure of visual language of sculpture and monuments, and educators and museum professionals seeking more expansive and precise vocabulary.
On the "Helpful Terms" tab, you can access:
- definitions of monument, memorial, sites of slavery, commemorative works, and public art;
- a list of sculpture terms;
- a DavidsonArtOnline video that explains the difference between modeling, carving, casting, and assembling;
- a photographic diagram of the parts of a monument with definitions;
- a short essay that compares the difference between figurative and abstract sculpture;
- a short essay that unpacks the concept of "representation" and its relationship to three-dimensional sculpture; and
- two terminology lists related to the language of slavery and enslavement: a list from 2019 and one from 2022.
Updated January 26, 2026