Genre

A genre is a division of a particular form of art according to criteria particular to that form. In all art forms, genres are vague categories with no fixed boundaries. Genres are formed by sets of conventions, and many works cross into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions.

Generic conventions

In every field of art there are conventions that may simply be expectations (paintings are rectangular) and stock devices (a comedy ends with a marriage, but a western can end with the hero riding off into the sunset). These are generic conventions which are very closely tied to a particular artistic genre, and help to define what that genre is. Some of these conventions may develop into clichés.

Related Topics:
Art - Convention - Expectation - Painting - Comedy - Western - Hero - Cliché

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~