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SOK Art module 2

What Is Culture?

Culture is the production and consumption of signs - Jean Baudillard (1929-2007)

Culture is like a set of distinctive spiritual, material intellectual and emotional of society
and social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles,
ways of living together, value systems, traditions and believes .

Examples of cultures: Marriage, dance, religion ,Yoga, Christianity, Islam… can be passed
on from 1 generation to the next.

Values - Values are a part of culture, they are the beliefs, standards and morals of a
person which they nd very important to have for them in life. After these values are set
they could become set goals and principles. Also they can be a constant reminder of how
their behaviour, choices or opinions should be. Values can be in uenced by the norms of
where a person is brought up such as (in uenced by religion, norms of the country or
family rituals)

Art- How we communicate non-verbally, the arrangement of sounds, colours, shapes,

letters and other put together “ars”. Often appreciated due to the feelings, messages and
communication art, music, drama or drawings could convey. Ex: Shakespeare is long
gone since the 1600’s but his plays, poems, dramas and tragedies are all very
appreciated till this day. Beethoven and Mozart have been gone since the 1800’s but their
music and symphonies are very much appreciated to this day, 2020.

Fine Art- art that is appreciated for its beauty and appearance but has no practical or
useful use but convey a message, feeling or emotion such as paintings, music or drama…

Applied Art- form and function; aesthetically pleasing, attractive but can be useful in
many ways such as cars, boats, buildings…

Democracy- What we think we should or shouldn’t do by enacting laws (going by the

rules and laws). Only system where the society by which people decide what they should
or shouldn’t do without violence and coercion . American Civil War was about deciding
about slavery. Democracy started after the: FRENCH REVOLUTION STARTED in 1789

Science- What we think is true (about the world)- Both are methods by which questions
can be answered. Science cannot answer some questions democracy can. Science and
democracy answer questions that are mutually exclusive. What we think is true- President
of North Korea - KIM JONG UN
Epistemology- study of knowledge

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Environment- Our conscience about the natural world. Anywhere in the world primitive
societies had some form of nature worship. Including tribes and ourselves- people we
used to live in prehistory in Malta. Il-mara il-hoxna : She was a God of fertility- not for
humans but for the nature; animals and crops. First came nature worship then later,
comes the (2) Mass religions (christianity, buddhism, islam) than later, comes (3) Science.
Started by Galileo Galilei. (4) Revolution. Before science people thought they were at the
mercy of God , weather, Natural disasters such as earthquakes.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: 1750

Harming of nature starts after the industrial revolution and the environmental movements
start in the 1970’s

Creativity- de ned as the imagination on the individual, when she\he can make up or
create something with a clever new way, unique, original and have rare ideas.

1. It can manifest in ingenuity (writing); choice of words and sentences and phrases
maybe use of metaphors, similes and adjectives to lure a reader.

2. An other aspect is usefulness, that through bad times such as death or inconvenience,
creativity was used to nd a way to prevent or reduce ine ciency. Such as the invention
of penicillin in the 1900’s and invention of trains, vehicles and planes which help
transportation be much easier.

UNESCO: de nes culture being a set of distinctive spiritual, material (being able to go
out of space, building skyscrapers and houses) and emotional features of society.

2 types of Culture
High culture : Manuel theatre, Mdina , The Colosseum, L-ipogew

Low culture: internet, TV, social media

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Art and Aesthetics

Creative, visual, technical, imagination, skill, emotions, philosophy

Aesthetics-> a sense of perception that generates some kind of emotional expression

especially in an artistic way

Forms of visual aesthetic experiences:

1. immitationalism - aesthetic appearance/as it is/ looks

2. Formalism - renaissance/Baroque

3. Emotionalism - mood\feelings

4. Instrumentalism - adverts/propaganda (politics)

5. Religions

Cave Paintings and Prehistoric Art

5,000 BC - 40,500 BC

First known Civilisation Meso Potamia

middle rivers

The Parthenon a Tragedy

- is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess

Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447
BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power

Greek tragedy

• Tragedy - bad ending (death)

• Comedy happy end

• Satyr farce

Religions

- Hubris

Pride, insensitive to feelings and respect towards other humans or Gods

- Hamartia

Misjudgment , wrong decision, Karma

- Catharsis

R O M E

700bc - 7kings

509bc - roman republic SPQR

27bc - 1st emperor Augustus Caesar

475bc -

Art and communication

“Art is communication”

• Religion

• Politics

• Adverts