[di-vizh-uh-niz-uh
m] 
| di·vi·sion·ism (də-vĭzh'ə-nĭz'əm) n. A branch of neoimpressionism in which colors are divided into their components and mechanically arranged so that the eye organizes the shape. di·vi'sion·ist n. |
divisionism
in painting, the practice of separating colour into individual dots or strokes of pigment. It formed the technical basis for Neo-Impressionism. Following the rules of contemporary colour theory, Neo-Impressionist artists such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac applied contrasting dots of colour side by side so that, when seen from a distance, these dots would blend and be perceived by the retina as a luminous whole. Whereas the term divisionism refers to this separation of colour and its optical effects, the term pointillism refers specifically to the technique of applying dots
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