Word art or text art is a form of art that includes text, forming words or phrases, as its main component; it is a combination of language and visual imagery. The style has been used since the 1950s by artists classified as postmodern, partly as a reaction to abstract art of the time. Word art has been used in painting, sculpture, lithography, screen-printing and projection mapping, and applied to T-shirts and other practical items. Artists often use words from sources such as advertising, political slogans and graphic design, and use them for various effects from serious to comical.