Handouts in Art Appreciation

History - the human events happening in the world

Language - written and oral forms of human communication

Philosophy - Human reason concerning reality

Art - Human appreciation of beautiful objects and human creativity by which these objects are made

Art is something that is perennial around us. Some people may deny having to with the arts but it is
indisputable that like presents us with many forms and opportunities for communion with the arts.

Art - comes from the ancient Latin, “ars” which means a craft or specialized form of skill.

Ars - Medieval Latin came to mean "something different"

- it meant “any special form of book learning such as grammar or logic"

The Seven Major Arts

1. Visual - painting

Painting - Art of the beauty of color

2. Sculpture

Ø Sculpture - Art of the beauty of shape

3. Architecture

Ø Architecture - Art of the beauty of space

4. Performing - Music

Ø Music - art of the beauty of sound

5. Dance

Ø Dance - Art of the beauty of motion

6. Drama

Ø Drama - Art of the beauty of performance

7. Linguistic - Literature

Literature - Art of the beauty of writing

Humanities

Humanities - came from Latin word “humanus” which means “quality of being human”

Human - a person, people, woman/man

The historical root of humanistic studies is the philosophy of humanism which had its root on the
ancient belief that , as Protagoras said “Man is the measure of all things.”

During Renaissance, people as part of humanity (anthropocentric), not as part of nature (cosmocentric)
nor a part of divine authority (theocentric).

The Three Human Faculty

1. Mind (will) - Senses such eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and imagination

2. Reason (Emotion) - perception such sensation

3. Thinking (Feeling) - sensing such as seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and imagining

Components of Art based on Three Human Faculty

1. Perceptual Elements

Sense Data : Lines, color, shapes, etc. , Representation of things

2. Emotional suggestions : happy, sad, Afraid etc.

3. Intellectual meaning : ideas, concepts, symbolism

Perceptual or Visual Elements

- Yous see colors such as red, yellow and blue. You see rectilinear shapes, and straight lines.

Representation

- You see things, nature, people, and objects such as woman, tree, sky, rice field and others.

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CHAPTER 1

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Art Appreciation

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Art Appreciation

Assumption of Art
1. Art is universal. Literature has provided key works of art. Art has always been timeless and universal,
spanning generations and continents through and through. In every country and in every generation,
there is always art.

2. 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 a man’s way of interpreting nature. Art is not nature. Art is made by man,
whereas nature is 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.

3. Art involves experience. Getting this far without a satisfactory definition of art can be quite weird for
some. For most people, art does not require full definition. Art is just experience. By experience, we
mean the “actual doing of something, he often means that he knows what that something is about.

Aesthetics - from the Greek word “aethesis”

- the Philosophy of beauty and art

- the word “aesthetics” was first employed by Baumgarten to mean “the science of sensory perception.”

Division of Aesthetics

Theory of beauty - nature of beautiful things

Theory of Art - essence of art

Theory of art Criticism - evaluation of the merit or demerit of works of art

GEC 6 BSEDIA First Sem 2020-2021 Art Appreciation 36

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CHAPTER 1

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Art Appreciation

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Art Appreciation

The Process of Art Appreciation

Art appreciation

Positive - wow!

Perceptual - Sense data and representation

Emotional - feelings

Intellectual - meaning

Response - communication and reaction

Beauty - value that delights

Artworks - painting, musics etc.

Art is reality. Art is talent, skill, passion, emotion, idea, truth, reality, goodness, beauty, form, expression,
representation, power
Lesson 2.

The Role of Creativity in Art Making

Creativity requires thinking outside the box. It is often used to solve problems that have never occurred
before, conflate function and style, and simply make life a more unique and enjoyable experience.

Creativity sets apart one artwork from another.

1. Art as a product of Imagination, imagination as a product of art.

- “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and
understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever be to know and
understand.”

2. Art as expression

- There may have been many times when you felt something is going on with 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.

There are countless ways of expressing oneself through art. The following list includes but is not limited
to popular art expression.

Visual Art - creations that fall under this category are those that appeal to the sense of sight and are
mainly visual in nature.

Film - film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an illusion of
movement.

Performance art - performance art is a live art and the artist’s medium is mainly the human body which
he or she uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual art, props, or sound. It
consists of four important elements: time, where performance took place, the performer’s or
performer’s body, and relationship between the audience and the performer(s).

Poetry Performance - poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions not by using paint,
charcoal, or camera but expresses them through words. These words are carefully selected to exhibit
clarity and beauty and beauty and to stimulate strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow, and the list
goes on.

Architecture - art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the making of
beautiful buildings. However, not all buildings are beautiful. Some buildings only embody the
functionality they need, but the structure, lines, forms and color are not beautifully expressed.

Dance - dance is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music accompaniment. It has
been an age-old debate whether dance can really be considered an art form but here we primarily
describe dance as a form of expression.
Literary Art - artists who practice literary arts use words not paint, musical instruments, or chisels to
express themselves and communicate emotions to the readers. Literary art goes beyond the usual
professional, academic, journalistic and other technical forms of writing.

Theater - theater uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary events before a live audience.
Theater art performances usually follow a script, though they should not be confused with literary arts.
Much like in film-making, the theater also considers several elements such as acting, gesture, lighting,
sound effects, musical score, scenery, and props.

Function of Art - different art forms come with distinctive functions. There is no one to one
correspondence between an art and its function. Some art forms are more functional than others. The
functions of art are classified into three: personal (public or expression), social (celebration to affect
collective behavior) and physical (utilitarian).

Personal Functions of Art - the personal functions of art are varied and highly subjective. These means
that the functions depend on the person - the artist who created the art. An artist may create an art out
of the need for self expression. This is the case for an artist who needs to communicate an idea to his
audience. An art may also be therapeutic.

Social Functions of Art - art is considered to have a social function if and when it addresses a particular
collective interest as opposed to personal interest. Art may convey message of protest, contestation, or
whatever message the art intends his work to carry. Often, art can depict social conditions.

Physical Function of Art - the physical functions of art are the easiest to spot and understand. The
physical functions of art can be found in artworks that are crafted in order to serve some physical
purpose.

Lesson 3. Elements and Principle of Art and Principles of Design

Elements and Principles of Art

Elements of Art: Visual

Taking off from the scientific reference, elements of art are akin to the atoms that are defined as the
"units or building blocks" of matter. Together in a variety of combinations and formations, they have
the ability to create molecules such as water, or the more complex sucrose.

These formulations are almost the same line of reasoning, the elements of art are the aspects of an
artwork that can be isolated from each other.
These elements of art are generally produced when something is done to the medium after the
technique is carried out. Some art forms also necessitate some of the elements as they are inherent in
the very nature of them. For example', sculptures automatically have the following elements with or
without the decision of the artist to include them: shape, form and space. Without these elements,
these elements, there is no sculpture to begin with. Elements are the necessary pre conditions for the
creation of art.

The elements of art are generally produced when something is done to the medium after a technique is
carried out. Some art forms also necessitate some of the elements as they are inherent in the very
nature of them.

For example, in sculptures automatically have the following elements with or without the decision of the
artist to include them: shape, form and space. Without these elements, there is no sculpture to begin
with. Elements are necessary preconditions for the creation of art.

1. Line - refers to a point moving at an identifiable path - it has length and direction. It also has width. It
is one dimensional, however it has the capacity to either define the perimeters of the artwork (edges)
and/or become a substantial component of the composition.

A. Horizontal and vertical lines - refers to the orientation of the line. Horizontal lines are normally
associated with rest or calm. Landscapes often contain these elements as work like these often connote
a visual sense of being parallel to the ground.
B. Diagonal and crooked lines - diagonal lines convey movement and instability, although the
progression can be seen. Crooked or jagged lines and on the other hand, are remiscent of violence,
violence, conflict or struggles.

C. Curved lines - these are lines that bend or coil. They allude to softness, grace, flexibility or even
sensuality.

2. Shape - refers to two dimensions: height and width, while form refers to the three dimensions:
height, width, and depth. Even if shapes are part of a bigger picture, each can be identified by breaking
the visual components apart and making distinctions based on what we know and what we have seen.

A. Geometric - these shapes find origin in mathematical propositions. As such, its translation and use are
often man made. These include shapes such as squares, triangles, cubes, circles, spheres and corners
among others.

B. Organic - organic shapes are those readily occurring in nature, often irregular and asymmetrical.

3. Space - it is usually inferred from a sense of depth, whether it is real stimulated. Real space is three-
dimensional.
4. Color - is one of the elements that enhances the appeal of an artwork. Its effect has range, allowing
the viewer to make responses bases on memory, emotion, and instinct, among others. This element of
light as it is reflected off the object. Color is not intrinsic to an object and without light, one cannot
perceive color.

The color wheel corresponds to the first property of color, hue.

A. Hue - this dimension of color gives its name. It can be subdivided into:

Primary colors - red, yellow, and blue

Secondary colors - green, orange and violet

Tertiary colors - six in total, these hues are achieved when primary and secondary colors are mixed.

B. Value - this refers to the brightness or darkness of color. Often, this is used by artists to create the
illusion of depth and solidity, a particular mood, communicate a feeling, or in establishing scene

(e.g. dark and night)

Light colors - taken as the source of light in the composition.

Dark colors - the lack or even absence of light.

Tint - this a lighter color than the normal value (e.g pink and red)

Shade - this is a dark color than the normal value (e. g. maroon for red)

Intensity - the color’s brightness and dullness. It is identified as the strength of color, whether it is vivid
or muted.

Bright or warm color - positive energy

Dull or cool colors - sedate/soothing, seriousness or calm

Texture - Like space, texture can either be real or implied. This element in an artwork is experienced
through the sense of touch and sight. This element renders the art object tactile.

Chiaroscuro - technique for applying values in painting. The word is from Italian that means light and
dark.

Sfumato - smokey effect in painting that creates blurry image and conveys a sense of mystery.

Saturation - concerned with intensity or brightness and dullness of color. Intensity ranges from black
which is the dullest and yellow which is brightest. Dull colors tend to advance while bright colors tends
to recede.

Lesson 4. Theories of Beauty

1. Aesthetic Idealism - theory of beauty which asserts that real beauty is an idea that exist in the world
of being. Things in this world are beautiful as appearances of the idea of beauty. Art is beautiful as
imitation of things in this world.

A. Relative Beauty. Consideration of beauty is subjective and depends on the person looking at the
thing. In this way it is said that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
B. Absolutely Beauty. It considers the view that a thing is beautiful by virtue of itself. Beauty is objective,
and resides in the thing regardless of the people looking at it.

Plato - an Ancient Greek philosopher (348-267 BC) who formulated an idealist and metaphysical theory
of beauty.

- Plato’s theory of beauty is metaphysical. The existence of beauty is like the existence of number, truth
or justice. Since the individual beautiful things in this world change and pass away, they are not in
reality, beautiful; they are beautiful only as appearances of the universal form of beauty, like the
reflection in a mirror. Plato would like to expel the mimetic artists from the state because they make
people ignorant by bringing them two times farther away from reality.