The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (139 page)

(1935– ).
American painter, printmaker, experimental artist, and poet. In 1959 he was one of the pioneers of
happenings
and in the early 1960s he became one of the most prominent figures in American
Pop art
(he also made an impact in England, where he lived 1967–71). His Pop canvases were vigorously handled in a manner recalling
Abstract Expressionism
, but he often attached real objects to them—generally everyday items such as clothes and household appliances (including a kitchen sink). Characteristically the objects were Dine's personal possessions and his work often has a strong autobiographical flavour. In addition to such
assemblages
, he also made free-standing works and
environments
, but since the mid-1970s he has concentrated more on traditional two dimensional work, especially drawings (he has written and illustrated several books of poetry).

 
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diorama
.

A large, partially translucent scenic painting, which by means of varied illumination simulates such effects as sunrise, changing weather, etc. The term is applied by extension to the building in which the display is housed. The diorama was invented by
Daguerre
in 1822 and was exhibited in Regent's Park, London, in the following year. Nowadays the term diorama is more usually applied to a certain type of museum display. It consists of a miniature scene, viewed through a window in a screen or cabinet, in which the foreground details, modelled in the round, join imperceptibly with the more distant parts which are painted in perspective on a vertical panel.

 
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dipper
.

A small metal container that clips on to the oil painter's
palette
and holds
medium
or diluent. They are often made in pairs—a ‘double dipper’. The American term is ‘palette cup’.

 
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diptych
.

A picture or other work of art consisting of two parts facing one another like the pages of a book and usually hinged together. The consular diptych is a type of ivory carving characteristic of the late Roman empire. On appointment to office, consuls distributed these panels to friends, relatives, and persons of rank. The earliest one to survive is of 428, and the practice ceased in 541. Because they can be precisely dated by the name of the official they bear, they are important tools in scholarship of the period. Many were later reused for Christian purposes. See also
POLYPTYCH
,
TRIPTYCH
.

 
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Discobolus
.

See
MYRON
.

 
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distemper
.

Type of paint in which the pigment is mixed with water and glue or
size
. Its sprincipal use is in scene-painting, as it is cheap but impermanent. Whitewash is a form of distemper.

 
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