Vicente, Prince T.

ARTAPP – A
March 15, 2020
Final Exam
The appreciation of art is an innate capability that every individual has. It is something that
can be expressed in both the simplest of words and the most intricate poems, a duality that makes
it necessary to explore the relationship between art and how our appreciation of it is shaped. Of
three topics that have been discussed along with the plethora of different artforms in the duration
of the ARTAPP lectures, perhaps the most striking for me would be those of film, painting, and
architecture – and the accompanying pieces for them, both recommended and mandatory. This
synthesis essay will discuss the three topics, explorations of related pieces, along with facts and
points that were particularly striking, backed up literature to elucidate said points. The culmination
of said endeavors are insights gathered from these materials, and recommendations pertaining to
the further appreciation and comprehension of art. What art truly is, which will be further discussed
in this synthesis essay, is human culture and the passing down of it.
Perhaps the most emotionally invocative topic in the lectures was film, more specifically
regarding the film Life is Beautiful. The film explores the strength of the human spirit – a
particularly recurring theme of discussion in this synthesis – and how people can adapt and
persevere through even the greatest of despair. In these regards a point struck me concerning how
films convey such emotions as familial love, doing so in ways that resonate with the viewer. Silvia,
Paul. (2005) in their book, Emotional Responses to Art: From Collation and Arousal to Cognition
and Emotion, explain how our experiences allow us to relate and understand the emotions
presented to us through recognition and familiarity, particularly those relating to relationships and
social interactions, and in this case the film perfectly conveys how love makes one smile through
even the greatest of challenges – a sentiment that many are capable of relating to. The film does
this through amazing cinematography, the second point that struck me in regards to the topic of
cinematography, utilizing camera angles and shots to emphasize scenes and the characters in both
overt and subtle ways, as the slides and lessons regarding cinematography state, all of these
different angles and camera work function to convey particular impressions; a close up shot that
emphasizes expressions of characters, long shots that frame an environment – especially the way
in which the camp is shot, making it feel like it’s own imposing and uncaring character. All of
these shots are discussed in length not only in the lecture and slide, but also in a bevy of other
works, such as A Philosophy of Cinematic Art, by Berys Gaut (2010) that details the relationship
of how these angles can affect how we perceive films in their entirety by manipulating the
atmosphere and tone based on what it shown and how it is shown.
The second notable topic is about painting, a broad spectrum of art that utilizes a variety
of methods to create an illustration on a surface – and in doing so is the most ubiquitous image
invoked in the mention of art. A point I found striking is the plethora of styles there are in painting,
each one unique and representative of their times and culture. Gardner's Art Through the Ages
Textbook by Helen Gardner explores the progression of painting and art as through different time
periods. Each of these styles is unique and varied, facilitating different artist’s thoughts and
emotions through unique combinations of shapes, lines, and colors. A second point would be the
themes and subjects of painting through the ages, once again in reference to Gardner’s work, the
contents of ancient often involved the mythologies prevalent during the times, and later on
transitioning to religious figures and subjects before becoming more focused on the human
condition – all these subjects very much exist simultaneously, starting due to the influence of the
culture of the time they originate from. It points to how the most prominent subjects at a given
time are depicted by artists in their own unique ways and interpretation, of how people view the
world around them, and how they convey these views.
The third topic of note in this synthesis concerns architecture. The meaning behind any
piece of architecture, the story behind it. The material to reference by for this point is not literature,
but instead the TED Talk by Ole Scheeren. Architecture that considers the human life and
habitation, not merely business and function – one that encourages human experience,
relationships, and narratives. Architecture should never be geared towards function alone, it must
consider those that dwell in it and how they themselves interact with one another in collaboration.
The second point in this topic similarly utilizes a video, particularly the one concerned with
dynamic architecture; the point being that architecture must continuously advance and change with
time. Buildings are what facilitate our day to day lives, we work in them, learn in them, and live
our lives in these shelters and as such they must be advanced in their construction and concept
beyond just movement, taking into account the integrity to structure and the safety of those that
dwell in it. As the space age advances further with the impending colonization of Mars,
architecture will be faced with new problems and issues with the appropriate logistics of building
structures in a different planet being faced by architects – necessitating advancements in
architecture and engineering.
All these points aid in the understanding of what I believe art truly is; art is humanity
encapsulated. Humans are the only sentient lifeforms capable of appreciating and producing art.
Using the basis of Richard Dawkin’s The Selfish Gene (1976), art is analogous to memes, a unit
of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation and replication in the form of artistic and
architectural works. We pass down the different methods of how to point, how to construct
buildings – we pass down culture through art and in doing so act as the inheritance for future
generations that themselves will do the same. All of the points mentioned from the topics have a
human element; the emotions invoked from Life is Beautiful are indicative of values that we
possess and resonate with us as we see the character of Roberto Benigni and the strength of his
spirit and love for his family, the themes of paintings are reflective of how our cognition of the
world and times around us shape our creativity in how we interpret them through paintings as well
as how we create new styles to convey our own unique views, and finally how architecture should
take into account human experience and relationships instead of merely function, telling a story of
the people that work in it. Through all these points, I believe that art is the culmination of human
culture and expression – each piece of art I see and experience be it directly or indirectly comes
with the realization that it is the culmination of generations of human knowledge and expression,
of different styles and methods that invoke human feelings and emotions all the while weaving a
narrative not just concerning its context but also the story of how it was made and conceived.
 To conclude, art is something that, like many other subjects, is built from the knowledge
and efforts of artists and visionaries from long ago providing the theories and knowledge on
different styles and methods – it is then up to the artist of the future to create their own works that
express their own ideas and thoughts, and perhaps eventually make something new that will
contribute to art as whole and be used for future generations in their own artistic endeavors.
Through understanding of the cultural and human element of art we can begin the endeavor of its
advancement as students by realizing that all the knowledge we have now, not just in relation to
art, were built by the past and was passed down to us. We therefore have no excuse; we must use
the knowledge of the past to build the future. Art is guided forward merely by us showcasing our
own understanding of it, encouraging the others to find their own unique understanding and
appreciation of arts.

Criteria for grading:

1. Responsiveness to the Tasks (1-5 guides above) asked: -28/30

2. Organization - 5/5
3. Topic Development - 5/5
4. Good Use of Language Conventions - 4/5
5. Effective Use of Mechanics - 4/5
6. Coherence - 5/5
7. Unity of Thoughts - 5/5
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Total - 56/60