College

BSCRIM 1
ART
APPRECIATION

Module 2
ITRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 1

 Reading Resources and Instructional Activities
MODULE 2
Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination, and Expression
_____________________________________________________________________
LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. differentiate art from nature;
2. characterize artistic expression based on personal experiences with art;
3. discuss the nature of art's preliminary expression; and
4. categorize works of art by citing personal experiences.
_____________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION

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. Not even photographs or sketches of nature, though
captured or drawn by man, are works of art, but mere recordings of the beauty in nature (Collins
& Riley, 1931). 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.

Perhaps not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are spectators of art. In deciding
what pair of shoes to buy, we carefully examine all possible choices within our budget and
purchase the one that satisfies our beauty and practical standards. We are able to distinguish
what is fine and beautiful from what is not and what is good quality from poor. This gives us a
role in the field of art appreciation.
__________________________________________________________________
Let's Get Started
In one of your encounters with art through museum visits, musicals, and plays, among others,
have you ever felt disconnected from an artwork? Was there a point in time when you did not
understand what message the art was trying to convey? If yes, write the name of the artwork in
the box and attach an image of the artwork, if possible. Explain why you think you did or did not
understand the art using the space provided on the next page.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 2

__________________________________________________________________
Let's Get Down to Business

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 completely different light and perspective, and the source is
due to human freedom (Greene, 1995). Each artwork beholds beauty of its own kind, the kind that
the artist sees and wants the viewers to perceive. More often than not, people are blind to this beauty
and only those who have developed a fine sense of appreciation can experience and see the art the
same way the artist did. Because of this, numerous artworks go unnoticed, artists are not given
enough credit, and they miss opportunities. It sometimes takes a lifetime before their contribution to
the development of art is recognized. Hence, 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.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 3

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).
__________________________________________________________________
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. In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. We say something is done
creatively when we have not yet seen anything like it or when it is out of the ordinary. A creative
artist does not simply copy or imitate another artist's work. He does not imitate the lines, flaws,
colors, and patterns in recreating nature. He embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work,
and calls it his own creative piece.

Figure 6. "It's More Fun in the Philippines" by The Misadventures of Maja

Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. What you thought was your own unique and
creative idea may not what it seems to be after extensive research and that someone else has
coincidentally devised before the idea in another part of the world.

For instance, the campaign ad "It's More Fun in the Philippines" used by the Department of
Tourism (DOT) boomed popularity in 2011, but later on it was found out that it was allegedly
plagiarized from Switzerland's tourism slogan "It's More Fun in Switzerland," back in 1951. In DOT's
defense, former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was "purely coincidental." Thus,
creativity should be backed with careful research on related art to avoid such conflicts.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 4

__________________________________________________________________
Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art

Where do you think famous writers, painters, and musicians get their ideas? Where do ideas in
making creative solutions begin? It all starts in the human mind. It all begins with imagination.

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:

Figure 7. Bob Wierdsma, "Imagination"

"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. Imagine being in an
empty room surrounded by blank, white walls, and floor. Would you be inspired to work in such a
place? Often, you will find coffee shops, restaurants, and libraries with paintings hung or sculptures
and other pieces of art placed around

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 5

the room to add beauty to the surroundings. This craving and desire to be surrounded by beautiful
things dates back to our early ancestors (Collins & Riley, 1931). Cave walls are surrounded by
drawings and paintings of animals they hunted: wild boars, reindeers, and bison (Figure 8). Clays
were molded and stones were carved into forms that resemble men and women; burial jars were
created with intricate designs on them. These creative pieces were made not only because they were
functional to men, but also because beauty gave them joy (Collins & Riley, 1931).

Figure 8. Thomas Quine, "Cave Paintings"

__________________________________________________________________
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). Suppose this feeling is excitement. It is
frustrating to contain such feeling, so you relieve it by expressing through shouting or leaping in
excitement. 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. Collingwood further illustrated that expressing
emotions is something different from describing emotions. In his example, explicitly saying "I am
angry" is not an expression of an emotion, but a mere description.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 6

There is no need in relating or referring to a specific emotion, such as anger, in expressing one's
emotion. Description actually destroys the idea of expression, as it classifies the emotion, making it
ordinary and predictable. Expression, on the other hand, individualizes. An artist has the freedom to
express himself the way he wants to. Hence, there is no specific technique in expression. This makes
people's art not a reflection of what is outside or external to them, but a reflection of their inner
selves.

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

Visual Arts
Creations that fall under this category are those that
appeal to the sense of sight and are mainly visual in
nature. Artists produce visual arts driven by their
desire to reproduce things that they have seen in
the way that they perceived them (Collins & Riley,
1931). We will not be too strict on the definition
since there are other artistic disciplines that also
involve a visual aspect, such as performance arts,
theater, and applied arts, that will be discussed in
detail later on. Visual arts is the kind of art form
that the population is most likely more exposed to,
but its variations are so diverse they range from
sculptures that you see in art galleries to the last
movie you saw.

Some mediums of visual arts include paintings,

drawings, letterings, printing, sculptures, digital
imaging, and more.

Figure 9. John La Farge, "Camellia in Old

Chinese Vase on Black Lacquer Table"
Film

Film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an illusion of
movement. Filmmaking focuses on its aesthetic, cultural, and social value and is considered as both
an art and an industry. Films can be created by using one or a combination of some or all of these
techniques: motion-picture camera (also known as movie camera), animation techniques, Computer-

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 7

Generated Imagery (CGI), and more. Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond
the scope of our imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its viewers.

The art of filmmaking is so complex it has to take into account many important elements such as
lighting, musical score, visual effects, direction, and more. That is why in famous film festivals and
awards such as the Metro Manila Film Festival and Oscars, a long list of categories is considered to
recognize excellence in the art of filmmaking.

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 usually consists
of four important elements: time, where the performance took place, the performer's or performer's
body, and a relationship between the audience and the performer(s) (Moma Learning, n.d.). The fact
that performance art is live makes it intangible, which means it cannot be bought or traded as a
commodity, unlike the previously discussed art expressions.

Figure 10. Performance Art

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 to stimulate strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow, and the list goes on. It uses a word's
emotional, musical, and spatial values that go beyond its literal meaning to narrate, emphasize,
argue, or convince. These words, combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of the
delivery, add to the artistic value of the poem. Some poets even make poems out of their emotions

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 8

picked up from other works of art, which in turn produce another work of art through poetry.

Architecture

As discussed, 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 colors
are not beautifully expressed. Thus,
not all buildings can be considered
architecture. Take, for example, the
Grand Théâ tre de Bordeaux
(Figure 11) where the functionality
of the theater remains, but the
striking balance of the lines, colors,
and shapes completes the
masterpiece. Buildings should
embody these three important
elements-plan, construction, and
design-if they wish to merit the
title architecture (Collins & Riley,
1931).

Figure 11. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux

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. Dancing is a creative form that allows people
to freely express themselves. It has no rules. You may say
that choreography does not allow this, but in art
expression, dancers are not confined to set steps and
rules but are free to create and invent their own
movements as long as they deem them graceful and
beautiful.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 9

 Figure 12. Olga Spessiva in Swan Lake Costume.

Literary Art

Artists who practice literary arts use words-not

paint, musical instruments, or chisels to express
themselves and communicate emotions to the
readers. However, simply becoming a writer
does. not make one a literary artist. Simply
constructing a succession of sentences in a
meaningful manner is not literary art. Literary art
goes beyond the usual professional, academic,
journalistic, and other technical forms of writing.
It focuses on writing using a unique style, not
following a specific format or norm. It may
include both fiction and non-fiction such as
novels, biographies, and poems.

Examples of famous literary artists and their

works include The Little Prince by Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry and Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare.

Figure 13. William Shakespeare

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
filmmaking, theater also considers several elements
such as acting, gesture, lighting, sound effects, musical
score, scenery, and props. The combination of these
elements is what gives the strongest impression on
the audience and the script thus becomes a minor
element. Similar to performance art, since theater is
also a live performance, the participation of the

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 10

viewer is an important element in theater arts. Some genres of theater include drama, musical,
tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.

Figure 14. Macbeth

Applied Arts

Applied arts is incorporating elements of style and design to everyday items with the aim of
increasing their aesthetical value. Artists in this field bring beauty, charm, and comfort into many
things that are useful in everyday life (Collins & Riley, 1931). Industrial design, interior design,
fashion design, and graphic design are considered applied arts. Applied is often compared to fine
arts, where the latter is chiefly concerned on aesthetic value. Through exploration and expression of
ideas, consideration of the needs, and careful choice of materials and techniques, artists are able to
combine functionality and style.

__________________________________________________________________
Let's Wrap It Up

Art is a product of a man's creativity, imagination, and expression. 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. Perhaps not everyone can
be considered an artist, but surely, all are spectators of art, which gives us all a role in the field of art
appreciation. Refining one's ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of
an artwork and recognize the beauty it possesses.

Creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. A creative artist does not simply copy or
imitate another artist's work. He does not imitate the lines, flaws, colors, and patterns in recreating
nature. While through imagination, an artist is able to craft something bold, something new, and
something better in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change. In the same way
that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination. Lastly, through expression, an artist is
able to explore his own emotions while at the same time, create something beautiful out of it.
Expressing emotions is something different from describing emotions. Description actually destroys
the idea of expression, as it classifies the emotion, making it ordinary and predictable. Expression,
on the other hand, individualizes the artist.

Some forms of art expression include visual arts, film, performance art, poetry performance,
architecture, dance, literary arts, theater arts, and applied arts.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 11

__________________________________________________________________
Let's Work On This

Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible.

1. What art field will you explore? Why?

2. How can you utilize the arts to express yourself, your community, and your
relation to others?

__________________________________________________________________

Let's Make It Happen

Using the table below, write down examples of the different art forms studied in this lesson. Provide
ways on how these art forms express and unmask creativity from the artist.

How Does This

Type of Art Example How Does This Unmask the
Expression Express? Artist's
Creativity?

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 12

____________________________________________________________________

References

Collingwood, R.G. (1938). The Principles of Art. Worcestershire: Read Books Ltd.

Collins, M.R. and Riley, O. (1931). Art Appreciation for Junior and Senior High Schools. New York:
Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.

Greene, M. (1995). Art and Imagination: Reclaiming the Sense of Possibility. Indiana, USA: Phi Delta
Kappa International.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 13

 Moma Learning. (n.d.). "Conceptual Art." Accessed October 14, 2017. Retrieved

from https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/conceptual-art/ performance-into-

art.

The Arts Center. (n.d.). "Poetry is Art Form." Accessed October 14, 2017. Retrieved

from http://www.theartscenter.org/art-exhibitions/poetry-art-form.html. Unbound Visual Arts.

(n.d.). "What is Visual Art?" Accessed October 15, 2017.

Book

“ART APPRECIATION” By Bernardo Nicolas Caslib, Jr., Dorothea C. Garing, and

Jezreel Anne R. Casaul – in a Computerized Office, Published and distributed
by REX Book Store, Inc.

INSTRUCTOR: LOVELY P. PANCHACALA, MBM 14