PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG PASIG

Alcalde Jose Street, Barangay Kapasigan, Pasig City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EDAR 201: Teaching Arts in the Elementary Grades

Module 3 and Activity Sheets

Module 3:Concept and History of Art

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Evaluate the frameworks we can use to analyze and discuss works of art
2. To differentiate the genres or types of art for children.

Topic 1: Concept of Art

a. Definition of Art. This section is derived from Lumen Learning.

What is Art?Art is a highly diverse range of human activities engaged in

creating visual, auditory, or performed artifacts— artworks—that express
the author’s imaginative or technical skill and are intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.

The oldest documented forms of art are visual arts, which include images
or objects in fields like painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and
other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts;
however, like the decorative arts, it involves the creation of objects where
the practical considerations of use are essential, in a way that they usually
are not in another visual art, like a painting.

Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality),

expression, communication of emotion, or other qualities. Though the
definition of what constitutes art is disputed and has changed over time,
general descriptions center on the idea of imaginative or technical skill
stemming from human agency and creation. When it comes to visually
identifying a work of art, there is no single set of values or aesthetic traits. A
 Baroque painting will not necessarily share much with a contemporary
performance piece, but they are both considered art.

Despite the seemingly indefinable nature of art, there have always existed
certain formal guidelines for its aesthetic judgment and analysis.
Formalism is a concept in art theory in which an artwork’s artistic value is
determined solely by its form, or how it is made. Formalism evaluates works
on a purely visual level, considering medium and compositional elements
as opposed to any reference to realism, context, or content.

Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and

elements of art. The principles of art include movement, unity, harmony,
variety, balance, contrast, proportion, and pattern. The elements include
texture, form, space, shape, color, value, and line. The various interactions
between the elements and principles of art help artists to organize
sensorially pleasing works of art while also giving viewers a framework
within which to analyze and discuss aesthetic ideas.

b. Objectives of Teaching Art.

What Does Art Do?A fundamental purpose inherent to most artistic

disciplines is the underlying intention to appeal to, and connect with,
human emotion.A fundamental purpose common to most art forms is the
underlying intention to appeal to, and connect with, human emotion.
However, the term is incredibly broad and is broken up into numerous sub-
categories that lead to utilitarian, decorative, therapeutic,
communicative, and intellectual ends. In its broadest form, art may be
considered an exploration of the human condition, or a product of the
human experience.

The decorative arts add aesthetic and design values to everyday objects,
such as a glass or a chair, transforming them from a mere utilitarian object
to something aesthetically beautiful. Entire schools of thought exist based
on the concepts of design theory intended for the physical world.

Art can function therapeutically as well, an idea that is explored in art

therapy. While definitions and practices vary, art therapy is generally
understood as a form of therapy that uses art media as its primary mode
of communication. It is a relatively young discipline, first introduced
around the mid-20th century.
Historically, the fine arts were meant to appeal to the human intellect,
though currently there are no true boundaries. Typically, fine art
movements have reacted to each other both intellectually and
aesthetically throughout the ages. With the introduction of conceptual art
and postmodern theory, practically anything can be termed art. In
general terms, the fine arts represent an exploration of the human
condition and the attempt to experience a deeper understanding of life.

What Does Art Mean?The meaning of art is shaped by the intentions of the
artist as well as the feelings and ideas it engenders in the viewer.
The meaning of art is often culturally specific, shared among the members
of a given society and dependent upon cultural context. The purpose of
works of art may be to communicate political, spiritual, or philosophical
ideas, to create a sense of beauty (see aesthetics), to explore the nature
of perception, for pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Its purpose
may also be seemingly nonexistent.

The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as

“one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.” It
has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of
emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal
elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation. More
recently, thinkers influenced by Martin Heidegger have interpreted art as
the means by which a community develops for itself a medium for self-
expression and interpretation.

What Makes Art Beautiful?.Beauty in terms of art refers to an interaction

between line, color, texture, sound, shape, motion, and size that is
pleasing to the senses.

What makes art beautiful is a complicated concept, since beauty is

subjective and can change based on context. However, there is a basic
human instinct, or internal appreciation, for harmony, balance, and
rhythm which can be defined as beauty. Beauty in terms of art usually
refers to an interaction between line, color, texture, sound, shape, motion,
and size that is pleasing to the senses.

Aesthetic Art – Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the
nature and appreciation of art, beauty, and taste. Aesthetics is central to
 any exploration of art. The word “aesthetic” is derived from the Greek
“aisthetikos,” meaning “esthetic, sensitive, or sentient. ” In practice,
aesthetic judgment refers to the sensory contemplation or appreciation of
an object (not necessarily a work of art), while artistic judgment refers to
the recognition, appreciation, or criticism of a work of art.Numerous
philosophers have attempted to tackle the concept of beauty and art.
For Immanuel Kant, the aesthetic experience of beauty is a judgment of a
subjective, but common, human truth. He argued that all people should
agree that a rose is beautiful if it indeed is. There are many common
conceptions of beauty; for example, Michelangelo’s paintings in the
Sistine Chapel are widely recognized as beautiful works of art. However,
Kant believes beauty cannot be reduced to any basic set of
characteristics or features.For Arthur Schopenhauer, aesthetic
contemplation of beauty is the freest and most pure that intellect can be.
He believes that only in terms of aesthetics do we contemplate perfection
of form without any kind of worldly agenda.Beauty in art can be difficult
to put into words due to a seeming lack of accurate language. An
aesthetic judgment cannot be an empirical judgment but must instead
be processed on a more intuitive level.
Art and Human Emotion – Sometimes beauty is not the artist’s ultimate
goal. Art is often intended to appeal to, and connect with, human
emotion. Artists may express something so that their audience is
stimulated in some way—creating feelings, religious faith, curiosity,
interest, identification with a group, memories, thoughts, or creativity. For
example, performance art often does not aim to please the audience but
instead evokes feelings, reactions, conversations, or questions from the
viewer. In these cases, aesthetics may be an irrelevant measure of
“beautiful” art.

c. Genres or types of art for children.This course will focus on visual arts such as
drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, filmmaking, computer art, and
sculpture.

Drawing, the art or technique of producing images on a surface, usually

paper, by means of marks, usually of ink, graphite, chalk, charcoal, or
crayon.

Painting, the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of

certain aesthetic qualities, in a two-dimensional visual language. The
elements of this language—its shapes, lines, colors, tones, and textures—
are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space,
movement, and light on a flat surface. These elements are combined into
expressive patterns in order to represent real or supernatural phenomena,
to interpret a narrative theme, or to create wholly abstract visual
relationships. An artist’s decision to use a particular medium, such as
tempera, fresco, oil, acrylic, watercolor or other water-based paints, ink,
gouache, encaustic, or casein, as well as the choice of a particular form,
such as mural, easel, panel, miniature, manuscript illumination, scroll,
screen or fan, panorama, or any of a variety of modern forms, is based on
the sensuous qualities and the expressive possibilities and limitations of
those options.

Printmaking, an art form consisting of the production of images, usually on

paper but occasionally on fabric, parchment, plastic, or other support, by
various techniques of multiplication, under the direct supervision of or by
the hand of the artist. Such fine prints, as they are known collectively, are
considered original works of art, even though they can exist in multiples.

Photography, a method of recording the image of an object through the

action of light, or related radiation, on a light-sensitive material. The word,
derived from the Greek photos (“light”) and graphein (“to draw”), was first
used in the 1830s.

Filmmaking.

Computer Art, manipulation of computer-generated images (pictures,

designs, scenery, portraits, etc.) as part of a purposeful creative process.
Specialized software is used together with interactive devices such as
digital cameras, optical scanners, styli, and electronic tablets. Because
graphic images require large programs, the computers used in such work
are generally among the fastest and most powerful available. Computer
art has wide applications in advertising, publishing, and film.

Sculpture, an artistic form in which hard or plastic materials are worked

into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in
freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments ranging from
tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator. An enormous variety of
media may be used, including clay, wax, stone, metal, fabric, glass,
wood, plaster, rubber, and random “found” objects. Materials may be
carved, modeled, molded, cast, wrought, welded, sewn, assembled, or
otherwise shaped and combined.

Visual Arts in Early Childhood. Accomplished early childhood teachers

sensitively interpret the ways young children use symbols and patterns of
artistic expression to communicate their ideas and feelings. They promote
children’s awareness and creation of the visual arts in ways that are
developmentally and culturally appropriate. Teachers have a broad
background in the arts which allows them to make visual arts an integral
part of the early childhood curriculum; they are familiar with the unifying
concepts of the visual arts, which include color, texture, line, symmetry,
light, and shape. They are also familiar with various visual media, including
drawing, painting, sculpture, and film, and they know some of the history
of art in cultures throughout the world.

Accomplished early childhood teachers understand that creativity is at

the heart of children’s artistic expression. They provide opportunities for
each young child to experiment with various tools, processes, and media,
and they mirror children’s joy and excitement as children share their
resulting artwork with others. Teachers use artmaterials, media, and
concrete props with children as catalysts for talking and thinking about
compelling design questions. They support artistic investigation and
provide opportunities for children to observe, reflect, explore, and create
using the visual arts. Accomplished teachers understand the ways in
which eye-hand coordination and body-brain development are
enhanced when children explore the visual world, and they can explain
the many benefits of the visual arts to colleagues and families.

Accomplished early childhood teachers help children look at art, talk

about art, create art, and develop an awareness of the visual arts in their
everyday lives. They create environments in which play, both natural and
virtual, serves as a context for engaging in artistic activities. Teachers help
children analyze and evaluate the visual arts. For example, accomplished
teachers of younger children might have them peruse multiple books by a
single illustrator to highlight the use of color or line, whereas teachers of
older children might engage them in comparing styles among multiple
illustrators.
Accomplished early childhood teachers help children understand that
there are many valid aesthetic approaches and responses to the visual
arts. Whereas some children may consider a particular work of art
 appealing, others may find it unsettling. Teachers use examples from a
variety of cultures to expand children’s understanding of different
approaches to beauty and aesthetic expression. They also help children
appreciate beauty in the world around them and begin to manipulate
their own aesthetic environments. For example, children may be
encouraged to select and display their work throughout the community.
Accomplished teachers value each child’s developing appreciation of
the visual arts and incorporate children’s artwork in the classroom.

Accomplished early childhood teachers use the visual arts to extend other
aspects of children’s learning. They seek opportunities to creatively
integrate visual arts content and skills in children’s daily activities and
learning. For example, in mathematics, teachers may have children draw
or paint patterns. In social studies, children might design a flag or
represent an aspect of their culture through various artistic media.

Topic 2: History of Art

Art has existed almost as long as humankind itself and serves as a vehicle
for the expression and communication of ideas and emotions. The canon
of art history, however, has historically conveyed the political, religious,
and philosophical ideals of the dominant power. Art history categorizes
artworks and theories with a heavy reliance on the context or
environment that the artwork was created in (i.e., its political, social,
cultural, and economic settings).

Art history is the academic study of art objects in their historical

development and stylistic contexts (i.e., genre, design, form, and style). A
work of art from a particular historical period can be treated as an original
source of information that was created at the time under study and
provides information about that time. Art historians study the contextual
forces that shaped artists and their oeuvres, including their teachers and
the influences of preceding styles; their patrons and their demands; their
audiences; and their general socioeconomic, political, and cultural
climate. These factors produce and influence different artistic styles and
iconography, which are characteristic of their age and geographical
location with reference to visual appearance, technique, and form.
 In many ways, the historical backbone of art history is a celebratory
chronology of beautiful creations of art commissioned by religious or civic
institutions or wealthy individuals. Patronage of the arts has been used
throughout history to endorse the ambitions and agenda of these
institutions and individuals, and has been particularly important in the
creation of religious art. For example, the Roman Catholic Church was an
enthusiastic sponsor of the arts that resulted in a tremendous outpouring
of architecture, painting, sculpture, and decorative crafts in medieval
and Renaissance Europe.

Philippine Context. Read attached file about the history and current
situation of modern art in the Philippines.

References:

Definition of drawing,painting,printmaking, photography,computer art,

andsculpture. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.britannica.com

Guillermo, A. (n.d.). The history and current situation of modern art in the
philippines. Retrieved from
https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/publish/asia_exhibition_history/pdf/15_Symposium-
1994_Potential_ENG_Handout_2.pdf

Visual Arts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wctp.olemiss.edu/wp-

content/uploads/sites/6/2016/02/Visual-Arts-Music-and-Drama.pdf

What is Art?.Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless

arthistory/chapter/what-is-art/