Lesson 1: What is Art: Introduction and  They are the branches of learning concerned with human
Assumptions being and his feelings and how he expresses those feelings
 Humanities
term “humanities” was first applied to the writings of ancient
Latin authors which were read not only for their clarity of
language and forceful literary style, but also, and more
specially, for their moral teaching.
Medieval Age - the humanities dealt with the metaphysics of
the religion philosopher. The goal was the cultivation of the
spiritual life and the preparation for the hereafter.
Renaissance – The word “Humanities” came to refer to the set
of disciplines taught in the universities, which included
grammar, rhetoric, history, literature, music, philosophy, and
theology- a body of knowledge aimed to make man “ human,
cultured, and refined.
At present, the humanities serve to provide the student with
certain skills and values through arts. (Ortiz et al).
HUMANITIES – refers to the arts- the visual arts such as
 Architecture, Painting, Sculpture, Music, Dance, Theater &
Drama, Literature. (AR,PA,SCU,MU,DA,THE,DRA,LIT)
have always been the concern of the humanities (Sanchez,
2001).
ART is the lifeblood of humanities because it conveys one’s
feelings and expressions.
Art is the essential factor which motivates an individual to
create and appreciate “a thing of beauty.”
ETYMOLOGICALLY – origin of word
Etymologically, art is derived from the Latin word “ars”,
meaning craft or a specialized form of skill.
Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary defines art as
“The conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially
in the production of aesthetics objects.”
Art according to Writers and Philosophers:
“Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation
of some mysterious idea of beauty of God: it is not, as the
aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his
excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man’s
emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing
objects, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of unions
among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and
indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of
individuals and humanity.” Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy
“Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.”
American writer Henry Miller
“Art is higher type of knowledge than experience.”
Greek philosopher Aristotle
“The object of art is to give life a shape.” French
dramatist Jean Anouilh
“Art is science in the flesh.” French poet and
playwright Jean Couteau
“All art is social,” because it is the result of a
relationship between an artist and his time.” Historian James
Adams
“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the
world has known.” Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde
“Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles
of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use.”
American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator
Frank Lloyd Wright
3 ASSUMPTIONS OF ART (U&T, NNa, InEx)
 Art is Universal and Timeless
Art has always been timeless and universal; it transcends
cultures, races, and civilization. As long as human beings exist,
art is feasible, alive, and dynamic.
In every country and in every generation, there is always
art. Oftentimes, people feel that what is considered artistic are
only those which have been made long time ago. This is a
misconception. Age is not a factor in determining art.
An “..art is not good because it is old, but old because it is
good” (Dudley et al., 1960).
In the Philippines, the works of Jose Rizal and Francisco
Balagtas are not being read because they are old. Otherwise,
works of other Filipinos who have long died would have been
required in junior high school too. The pieces mentioned are
read in school and have remained to be with us because they
are good.
 Art is not Nature
One important characteristic of art is that it is not
nature. Art is man’s expression of his reception of nature. Art
is man’s way of interpreting nature. Art is not nature, it is
manmade, whereas nature is a given around us. It is in this
juncture that they can be considered opposites. What we find in
nature should not be expected to be present in art too. Movies
are not meant to be direct representations of reality. They may,
according to moviemaker’s perception of reality, be
reinterpretation or even distortion of nature.
 Art Involves Experience
For most people, art does not require full definition. Art
is just experience.
By experience, we mean the “actual doing of something”
(Dudley et al., 1960).
When one says that he has an experience of something, he
often means that he knows what that something is. Knowing a
thing is different from hearing from others what the said thing
is.
Art is always an experience. Unlike fields of knowledge
that involve data, art is known by experiencing. A painter
cannot claim to know how to paint if he has not tried holding a
brush. A sculptor cannot produce a work of art if a chisel is
foreign to him.
Dudley et al. (1960) affirmed that “art depends on
experience, and if one is to know art, he must know it not as
a fact or information but as experience.
Lesson 2: Art Appreciation: Creativity,
Imagination, and Expression
1. Art vs Nature
It takes an artist to make art. One may perceive beauty on
a daily basis. However, not every beautiful thing that can be
seen or experienced may truly be called a work of art.
Art is a product of man’s creativity, imagination, and
expression. No matter how perfectly blended the colors of a
sunset are and no matter how extraordinarily formed mountains
are, nature is not considered art simply because it is not made
by man.
An artwork may be inspired by nature or other works of
art, but an artist invents his own forms and patterns due to what
he perceives as beautiful and incorporates them in creating his
masterpiece.
Not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are
spectators of art.
2. Art Appreciation as a Way of Life
Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous French philosopher of the
twentieth century, described the role of art as a creative work
that depicts the world in a different perspective and source of
human freedom. (Greene, 1995)
Each artwork beholds beauty of its own kind, the
kind that the artist sees and wants the viewers to perceive.
Refining one's ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply
understand the purpose of an artwork and recognize the beauty
it possesses. (Collins & Riley, 1931)
In cultivating an appreciation of art. One should also exercise
and develop his taste for things that are fine and beautiful this
allows individuals to make intelligent choices and decisions in
acquiring necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better
value for time or money while taking into consideration the
aesthetic and practical value (Collins & Riley. 1931). This
continuous demand for aesthetically valuable things influences
the development and evolution of art and its forms.
Frequenting museums, art galleries, performing arts
theaters, concert halls, or even malls that display art exhibitions
that are free in admission during leisure time will not only
develop an understanding of the art. But will also serve as a
rewarding experience learning to appreciate art. No matter
what vocation or profession you have, will lead to a fuller and
more meaningful life (Collins & Riley, 1931).
3. The Role of Creativity in Art making
 Creativity requires thinking outside the box.
 Creativity is what sets apart one artwork from
another.
 A creative artist does not simply copy or imitate
another artist’s work.
 Creativity should be backed with careful research
on related art to avoid such conflicts.
4. Art as a product of imagination, Imagination as a
product of Art
German physicist Albert Einstein who had made
significant and major contributions in science and humanity
demonstrated that knowledge is actually derived from
imagination. He emphasized this idea through his words:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For
knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand,
while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever
will be to know and understand.”
Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm,
but goes beyond that. That is why people rely on curiosity and
imagination for advancement. Through imagination, one is able
to craft something bold, something new and something better
in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change.
Imagination allows endless possibilities.
In an artist’s mind sits a vast gallery of artworks. An
artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can be something
that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938). Take for example a
musician who thinks of a tune in his head. The making of this
tune in his head makes it an imaginary tune, an imaginative
creation, an imaginary art (Collingwood, 1938). It remains
imaginary until he hums, sings, or writes down the notes of the
tune on paper. However, something imaginary does not
necessarily mean it cannot be called art. Artists use their
imagination that gives birth to reality through creation.
In the same way that imagination produces art, art also
inspires imagination.
5. Art as Expression
There may have been times when you felt something is
going on within you, you try to explain it but you do not know
how. You may only be conscious about feeling this sort of
excitement, fear, or agitation, but you know that just one word
is not enough to describe the nature of what you truly feel.
Finally, you try to release yourself from this tormenting and
disabling state by doing something, which is called expressing
oneself (Collingwood, 1938).
An emotion will remain unknown to a man until he
expresses it.
Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who
is best known for his work in aesthetics, explicated in his
publication The Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist
does to an emotion is not to induce it, but express it. Through
expression, he is able to explore his own emotions and at the
same time, create something beautiful out of them.
6. Classifications of Art
According to Webster(1987)
The major arts involve man’s skills to create works of art
that are in form, content, and execution, aesthetically pleasing
and meaning as in music, painting, architecture, and sculpture.
They are called major arts because they appeal to the senses of
sight, hearing, and feeling. They are more notable and
conspicuous in effect.
On the other hand, the aesthetic factor in the minor arts lies in
the “styling”. They are addressed primarily to the sense of sight
and their usefulness. The minor arts are inferior in degree,
especially in the extent of aesthetic quality.
According to Manaois,
2 general dimensions of arts
 fine arts or independent arts made principally for
aesthetic enjoyment through the senses, especially
visual and auditory such as painting, sculpture,
architecture, literature, theater, performing arts
 practical arts or utilitarian arts intended for practical
use or the development of raw materials for functional
purposes such as industrial art, civic art, commercial
art, graphic art, agricultural and fishery art.
Estolas (1995) also grouped arts into:
 Visual Arts. These artworks are perceived by our eyes
which may be classified into graphic arts and plastic arts.
Graphic arts have flat two dimensional surface such as
painting industry. It covers the commercial arts like the
 design of books, advertisements, signs, posters and other
displays for advertisements. Plastic arts are visual arts
which have three dimensional forms. Under this grouping
are: architectural designs and construction of buildings
and other structures; landscape of gardens, parks,
playgrounds, and golf courses with plants ,trees, vines
and ground cover;
 Performing Arts. These include the theater, play, dance,
and music. They involve movement, speaking and
gestures.
 Literary Arts. These include the short stories, novels,
poetry and dramas.
 Popular Arts. These include the film, newspaper,
magazine, radio and television. This group is
characterized as gay and lively.
 Gustatory Art of the Cuisine. This involves skills in food
preparation.
 Decorative Arts. They are visual objects produced for
beautifying houses, offices, cars and other structures.
They are also called applied arts.
Sanchez, Abad, and Jao (2001) grouped arts into:
 Visual arts. These include graphic arts (which include
drawing, painting, photography, etc. or in which
portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded on a two-
dimensional surface) and plastic arts (which comprise all
fields of visual arts for which materials are arranged in
three-dimensional forms namely, structural architecture,
interior arranging, crafts, sculpture, industrial design,
dress and costume design and theatre design.
 Literature. These include drama, essay, prose fiction,
poetry, and miscellaneous (history, biography, journals,
diaries, and other works not formally classed as
literature).
 Music. These include vocal music; instrumental music;
music combined with other music like opera, operetta
and musical comedy, oratorio and cantata; and other
forms like ballet music and background music for
motion pictures.
 Drama and Theater. These include tragedy, melodrama,
and comedy, miscellaneous
 Dance. These include ethnologic, social or ballroom
dances, ballet, modern, musical comedy.
Barrios classified arts into two: according to purpose and
according to media and forms.
1. According to Purpose
Practical or useful arts are those human activities directed to
produce artifacts, tools and utensils used in doing households
and everyday chores.
Examples: basket weaving agriculture, etc.
Liberal Arts involve the development of man’s intellectual
reasoning.
Examples: Mathematics, Astronomy, Grammar
Fine Arts are the products of the human creative activity as
they express beauty in different ways and media for the
satisfaction and relaxation of man’s mind and spirit.
Examples: painting, sculpture, architecture
Major Arts are characterized by their actual and potential
expressiveness and by a purely disinterested purpose.
Examples: music, poetry, sculpture
Minor Arts are works connected with practical uses and
purposes.
Examples: interior decoration, porcelain
2. According to Media and Forms
Plastic Arts are developed through space and perceived by the
sense of sight.
Examples: painting, sculpture, architecture
Phonetic Arts are based on sounds and words as media of
expression.
Examples: music, drama, literature
Kinetic Arts make use of the rhythmic movement as the
elements of expression. Example: dance
Pure Arts utilize only one medium of expression.
Examples: sound in music, color in painting
Mixed Arts use two or more media.
Example: The opera (which is a combination of music,
poetry, and drama)
Lesson 3: Functions of Art
MORE THAN YOU SEE: THE MANY FUNCTIONS OF
ART
By Frederick A. Horowitz
Art has many different functions in human history. Each
society defined its own purposes for art, and produced an art
suited to those purposes. For ancient Romans, art served as a
vehicle of propaganda: their sculptures proclaimed victories,
and their buildings highly praised the power of the State. In
modern societies like our own, art serves different and
sometimes contradictory purposes. One artist paints in order to
communicate a message to his audience, while across the street
another paints in order to please himself. A third artist explores
shapes and colors; a fourth illustrates books.
Art functions as:
o An agent of magic (to ensure a successful hunt,
perpetuate the soul after death, triumph over an enemy,
cure diseases, etc.)
o An aid to meditation
o An agent to ritual
o A record of events, objects, situations
o A substitute for real thing, or a symbol
o A souvenir
o Propaganda to impress, persuade or change thinking or
behavior
o Communication of stories, ideas, events
o An agent of social control
o Amusement or entertainment
o A mean of moral improvement
o Education
o A means of self-expression
o Self-revelation
o Release of emotions
o Exploration of vision
o A reflection and interpretation of life
o An expression of beauty
o Decoration or embellishment
o Monetary investment
o A status symbol