BaSIC ART AppReCIaTION

and the
HUMaNITIeS

Writers/Editors

Anita U. Illenberger
Herly Fie U. Cervera
Josephine C. Madlangbayan
Sheila T. Salazar
 PREFACE

The study of the Humanities is wide in scope as it embraces the

understanding of human beings as the greatest creation in the universe and the
appreciation of their creative expressions.

This book , Basic Art Appreciation and the Humanities aims to make the
students acquire knowledge of the different art forms, help them build good
foundation in improving their aesthetic life and develop their spiritual, socio-cultural
values that will enable them to find significant meaning in life and enhance their
ability to form sound judgment.

Divided into six chapters, the book gives a thorough discussion of the
meaning and importance of the Humanities, the essential principles of arts, the
different methods of presenting art, the elements of different art forms and the art of
being human which includes topics on basic etiquette and social graces as well as
brief notes on urban living and environmental care. Also, the book is designed to
underscore the importance of aesthetic and spiritual values in human development.
Integrated in this lesson is the relationship between arts and human development.
The sustainable development of human resource in the global society highlights the
fact that culture and the arts play a vital role in social transformation , economic
progress, and national identity. Understanding the creative expressions of people is
basic to the learning of the Humanities not only as a discipline but also a means to
human development and recognition of the worth of every human being in a global
community.

Study notes and short exercises are provided for after each lesson to help
students in their learning assessment and self evaluation. Furthermore, the writers
hope that the book will afford classroom teachers the opportunity to discover the
creative personality of their students and thereby, be a great help in the development
of their students’ creativity.

The authors
 Table of Contents

Page
Preface............................................................................................................... i
Chapter 1 Meaning and Importance of Art and the Humanities........ 1
The Humanities.......................................................................... 1
Definitions of Art....................................................................... 2
Truths About Art........................................................................ 3
Creativity and Artistry in Global Society................................... 4
The Role of the Artist................................................................ 5
Developing Appreciation of an Artwork.................................... 5
Aesthetic Judgment.................................................................. 6
Medicine and the Humanities.................................................... 11

Chapter 2 Essential Principles of Art............................................................. 17

Background................................................................................ 17
Medium...................................................................................... 18
Composition or Organization..................................................... 18
Style........................................................................................... 19

Chapter 3 Methods of Presenting Art............................................................ 33

Realism...................................................................................... 33
Abstraction................................................................................. 35
Symbolism................................................................................. 38
Dadaism..................................................................................... 39
Fauvism...................................................................................... 40
Surrealism.................................................................................. 41
Futurism..................................................................................... 42
Impressionism............................................................................ 43
Expressionism............................................................................ 44

Chapter 4 Elements of Visual Arts................................................................. 49

Line............................................................................................ 49
Color.......................................................................................... 51
Texture....................................................................................... 56
Shape.......................................................................................... 57
Space.......................................................................................... 57
Perspective................................................................................. 58
Principles of Design................................................................... 61
Balance...................................................................................... 61
Proportion.................................................................................. 63
Harmony.................................................................................... 64
Rhythm...................................................................................... 65
Emphasis.................................................................................... 66
Chapter 5 Literature, Music, Architecture, Cinema, and Dance................ 71
Drama........................................................................................ 71
Fiction........................................................................................ 83
Poetry......................................................................................... 83
Essay.......................................................................................... 87
Music......................................................................................... 87
Architecture............................................................................... 97
Cinema or Films........................................................................ 99
Dance......................................................................................... 103

Chapter 6 The Art of Being Human............................................................... 113

Up-to-Date Manners.................................................................. 114
At Home..................................................................................... 114
In a Restaurant........................................................................... 115
In the Office............................................................................... 115
In a Dormitory............................................................................ 116
In Church................................................................................... 117
In a Concert................................................................................ 117
In a Hospital............................................................................... 118
Introducing People..................................................................... 119
Urban Lifestyle.......................................................................... 123
Environmental Care System...................................................... 127
Earth Savers’ Ten Commandments............................................ 127
Tips of Caring for the Environment........................................... 128
Global Warming......................................................................... 130
Natural Calamities: Earthquake, Tsunamis and Floods............. 134
The Importance of Aesthetic and Spiritual Values..................... 139
Guidelines for a Healthy Self-Image......................................... 140

References.......................................................................................................... 145
 Chapter 1
MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF ART
AND THE HUMANITIES

The Humanities

The term humanities comes from the Latin word humanus which means
civilized, refined, cultured or disciplined. It refers to a group of cultural subjects
presenting the total experiences of man as expressed in his arts such as architecture,
painting, sculpture, literature, dance, music, cinema, etc. using a particular material
called medium.
Painting - creating meaningful images on flat surfaces using colored
pigments (solid material) mixed with vehicle (liquid material)
Architecture - designing and constructing buildings for a particular function
using single or mixed materials
Sculpture - forming objects out of tangible materials such as stone, metal,
wood, etc.
Literature - recording experiences in life using words in any language
Music - using sound of varying pitch to compose songs
Dance - communicating ideas using parts or the whole body
Cinema - producing moving three-dimensional images on the screen
involving complex technical process and acting crew completely
controlled by a director

The subject humanities or sometimes called the arts includes areas in which
human subjectivity is emphasized and individual expressiveness is celebrated and
given importance. It brings to enlightenment man’s search for identity and
significance specially his thoughts and feelings and how he communicates them. It
stresses the worthiness of man and recognizes his creative expressions.

As stated by Zulueta (1994), the humanities or the arts are records of man’s
experiences, his values, his sentiments, his ideals, and his goals. They are ultimately
the channeling of man’s feelings and thoughts using a concrete medium such as
stone, words, parts of the body, sound, etc. Exposure to the arts provides enjoyment
when a person understands and appreciates what is being communicated specially if
that person is much familiar with the idea showcased by the artist.

According to Andres (1980), if a man is to live like a human being, his heart
and mind must be nourished, and the best spiritual nourishment comes from the
humanities. It is in the humanities course where the creative expressions of the heart
and mind of man are analyzed and given value in order for him to understand what it
means to be human. Exposure to the humanities makes the person eventually
appreciate humanity and the arts as record or man’s experiences and how he reacts to
these experiences. Man has always been questioning the meaning of his existence

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specially that in the modern times when man’s traditional functions seem to be
replaced by machines. By studying our humanity we will realize what it means to be
human as we compare ourselves with machines. Another reason why we have to
study the humanities is to be able to appreciate artists whose role is to record and
preserve their personal point of view towards life experiences and the cultural
heritage at a particular place and time when they flourished as artists.

With the knowledge of the humanities, persons would be able to bridge the
gap and break the fences that may exist between peoples of the world. Individuals at
different places, cultures and times could reach out to one another in common bond
of compassion and understanding. This understanding will reinforce a deep sense of
recognition for human creativity and resourcefulness as innate in the human
personality. This learning can be achieved by direct experiences as different
cultures, forms, and styles of art are studied. Humanities or the arts are important in
preparing man in assuming his responsibilities and enjoying life specially in this fast
changing world as he also recognizes his self worth.

The humanities and the sciences do not have the same emphasis. The
sciences are focused on the outside or external world of man which can be
experimented, measured, and manipulated. On the other hand, subjects in the
humanities deal with man’s inner or internal world that cannot exactly be observed,
dissected, and experimented. For instance, a mother’s love and a child’s hatred
could not precisely be fathomed or measured using a thermometer. The approach in
studying the humanities is subjective since it is more concerned with perceptions,
feelings, and intuitions while that of the sciences is concrete and objective. Salvador
Gonzales claims that science educates our minds and hearts while the humanities
educate our feelings and sensitivities so that we may use our minds without
forgetting that we are human beings.
However in these modern times, both the sciences and the humanities are
much essential for the development of the complete man as he takes his position in
this puzzling and changing world.

Art
The word art is derived from the Latin word ars meaning ability or skill. It
deals with areas of creativity that seek to communicate beauty specially derived
through the senses. Art creation is an activity involving skill and imagination. Form
which is the visible and content, the invisible component, are the two interlocking
aspects of art as the inner man tries to find an avenue of expression.
Bogart (1978) says that a work of art is a record of a particular artist’s view of
the time and place where it was produced. It is a concrete embodiment of an idea or
feeling resulting from an unusual experience using a sensuous medium such as
sound, stone, words, etc. It is a channel of a personal interpretation of life and
nature. It is intuition and an evidence of man’s impressions towards anything in a
mysterious world.

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 The world’s arts are considered treasury of humanity’s past and are regarded
as “humanity’s footprints in the sands of time” because they are tangible proofs of
man’s expression of his thoughts and feelings as he resides anywhere and anytime.
Arts constitute one of the oldest and most important means of man’s expression as he
discovers realities in his environment. They convey the artist’s personal,
psychological, and social insights. To an artist, art is a vision and an inspiration. To
the onlooker or audience, art is a revelation of the soul of the artist. The work of art is
the link between the artist and the onlooker at a certain place and era.

Other definitions of art:

Art is that which brings life in harmony with the beauty of the world. -Plato

Art is an attitude of spirit, a state of mind - one which demands for its own
satisfaction and fulfilling, a shaping of matter to new and more significant form.
-John Dewey

Art is a product of man’s need to express himself. -F. Zulueta

Generally, arts may be grouped into major or minor. Major arts are those that
appeal more to the senses of sight, hearing, and touch and they have great appeal
because of their effect and dignity. Major arts include music, sculpture, painting,
literature, and architecture. On the other hand, minor arts are those that are less
meaningful and pleasing to the senses but more functional or useful such as industrial
arts, decorative arts, graphic and popular arts.

Whether major or minor, arts are valuable in people’s lives because of their
practical purposes and as a source of aesthetic experience which may transform their
lives and make them highly cultured and noble human beings.

Truths About Art

1. Art is made by man.

Art has been created by all people at all times. It can be found everywhere as
long as there are people. It is never exhausted as long as humanity exists. As people
travel and reside in a place, they deposit behind a particular culture after leaving the
place. This culture is evidenced in their artworks such as literature, architecture,
sculpture. etc. At the same time, these people learn other cultures. When we see the
artworks later, we want to know the people and period of their existence.
Artworks are showcases of the past places, times, and cultures. They are
tangible creations of man.

2. Art is not nature.

Nature is made by God while art is made by man, and no matter how close
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the replication of nature is, there are always modifications in the art forms. Art and
nature are opposites and that is why viewers should not always insist and expect to
find in art exactly what they see in nature. Nature is decaying and fleeting,
undergoing stages of development, and always recreating itself. On the other hand,
art is unchanging, not submitting to the law of decay, and having only one form.
However in some ways, art is used to improve nature. Example of such art is
landscaping.

3. Art creation and appreciation involve experience.

Experience is the actual doing of something which involves sensory,

emotional, and intellectual aspects of man. Without experience, there could be no
meaningful creation and appreciation of art because experience is the basis of
creation. A familiar experience shared by both artist and onlooker facilitates better
appreciation by onlookers. If a person has not ridden a carabao, for instance, he does
not appreciate the riding experience which ought to be personal. The pleasure in
listening to a concert could not be derived from other people’s description but from
personally attending or involving in the concert. The viewer’s perception may kindle
an experience similar to that which the artist tried to convey in his artwork. The
impact of that familiar experience may become a source of another aesthetic
experience. Therefore, both creating and appreciating of art involve experience.

Creativity and Artistry in the Global Society

Global society is characterized by multi-culturalism. It is a society of people
with diverse sets of lifestyle, language, traditions and beliefs. These people live in a
time where it is natural for foreign influences to permeate a nation’s culture. Living
in a global society means adapting to other people’s way of life while preserving and
protecting one’s own culture and identity. Significantly, the artists in a global society
keep the vision of the individual’s uniqueness. This vision is realized through art and
art itself is vision fulfilled. This desire to be unique is part of man’s creative nature.
Man is a creative being. To create means to generate something voluntarily
from imagination which manifests itself in the projection of images. Man possesses
creative powers as he conceives an appropriate image from nothingness to
something concrete and meaningful such as a poem, painting, a piece of music,
sculpture, dance, etc. which is termed as artwork. This artwork is generally meant to
be contemplated. The art creation is the language in images by which man
transparently conveys his perception about himself, his fellow men, his
environment, and the world as a whole.

Art creation is a process involving three phases as stated by Sanchez (2002).

1. Creation starts with something abstract or invisible such as thoughts and

feelings resulting from an extraordinary or unusual experience through
any of the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch).

4
 2. Then, the artist uses medium which is the material in order to make the
invisible concrete or visible as he applies a personal technique of
manipulating the medium.

3. Finally, form results from the creative process. The artwork is the thing to
behold. It may be a movie, building, essay, novel, painting, song , etc.

Global artists are more conscious of their social and moral obligations. Their
arts are more functional to serve the ever-changing needs of the society. Global
people recognize that it is vital to the society that the artistic, cultural, social and even
economic goals must have a high degree of compatibility. A multi-cultural society
understands that this compatibility will allow people to survive and grow creatively.
The arts can build this understanding (Scotese, 1985).

The Role of an Artist

An artist is a gifted individual who exhibits an exceptional skill in any of the

arts. His task is to preserve thoughts and feelings through his art and open people’s
eyes and ears to new visions of life so that they could see and hear nature clearly and
distinctly. The discovery of realities around him is the focal point of interest that an
artist communicates in his art.

Sanchez (2002) categorizes artists into two groups. They could be creators or
performers. The creator directly handles his medium to concretize his own concepts.
Examples are painters, sculptors or architects. The performer interprets another
artist’s work. Examples are dancers, actors or singers. However, some artists could
be both creators and performers.

By nature, an artist is different from other people because of his creativity,

sensitivity, and temperament. Because he is keen to harmony of sounds, shapes,
colors, ideas, he is more alert and observant and can detect special values in the
ordinary everyday world which have little appeal to non-artists. Using nature as
storehouse of ideas and hard work as a tool, an artist builds for himself a significant
accomplishment through his artwork.

The greatness of an artist is determined not by the monetary value spent for
creating his art but by his grip upon truth and by the quality of effort which reveals his
technical skill, personal worth, and unique personal vision that could stand the test
of time.

Developing Appreciation of an Artwork

Whether onlookers like a work of art or not, they tend to evaluate or judge
that work. Art viewers express why they like or do not like a particular artwork.
Each viewer has personal reasons why he considers an artwork beautiful or
unappealing. Appreciating involves giving comments on how the artist considers in
5
his work the elements of line, color, texture or shapes. The viewers point out the
merits of the artwork giving comments on the magnitude or impact of the work of
art to them.

The following are what to be considered in appreciating or evaluating an

artwork:
1. Discovering the space or time used by the artist
2. Considering the medium or materials used
3. Deciding what the subject is and how it is presented
4. Identifying the elements and how they are organized
5. Evaluating the artist’s sincerity, universality, and craftsmanship

Aesthetic Judgment
Aesthetics is the study of beauty although beauty is a relative and subjective
thing and is not always essential in art. What may be beautiful to one person may not
be pleasing to others. Objects of beauty give pleasure when perceived. This
experience is called aesthetic pleasure.

To judge a work of art, one must consider both its objective and subjective
aspects. The judgment is justified or unjustified and never true or false. In order to
judge the artwork objectively, one must first get rid of prejudices and personal
sentiments that may have been caused by ignorance, race, environment, religion,
traditions or taboos. There are three basic factors in judgment- making in art
appreciation:

1. objective merits of the work;

2. skill, techniques, and originality of the artist; and
3. personal interpretation of the evaluator.

One can verify the intrinsic value and the objective merits of an artwork
through considering the following:

1. a critical study of the properties of beauty (order, proportion, unity,

balance, clarity, harmony, emphasis);

2. the general agreement of the art experts and other recognized authorities
in aesthetics;

3. time factor which is the arbiter in telling whether a work of art is good or
bad, or can stand the test of time in the case of classical arts.

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 To make art evaluation simpler, Estolas (1995) gives some guidelines in
understanding a work of art. Here are questions to answer to aid a viewer’s
understanding of an artwork specially visual arts:

1. What did the artist make? What is it about?

2. What is the function of the artwork?
3. What is the artwork made of?
4. How is the material organized or put together?
5. What is the personality , mood or style of the artwork?
6. What is your judgment of the artwork? How good is it?
7. How does the artwork make life more meaningful?

Study Notes:

1. How are the sciences different from the humanities?

2. Why is the study of the humanities important?
3. What are some basic truths about art?
4. Why is art called “humanity’s footprints in the sands of time”?
5. How is art created? Explain the process.
6. What is an artist? What is the role of artists in our society?
7. Read the following paper of Dr. Herrera and explain the difference
between the sciences and the humanities.

7
8
 MEDICINE AND THE HUMANITIES
By Dr. Florentino Herrera

I am to talk about the value of the study of the humanities in the study of
medicine. I am qualified to talk about medicine (after all, I am a dean of a medical
college). I cannot claim competence to talk about the humanities. You are the
teachers in this area. I beg your indulgence should I fumble about establishing the
connection between the study of the humanities and the study and practice of
medicine.

Allow me then to first read a letter I received from a beautiful friend who was
dying of cancer.

My dear Dean:
In two months, I am going to die. Perhaps earlier; perhaps later. No
matter now. The cold objective fact is that my blood will cease to function –
my eyes shall no longer see a smile, my ears no longer hear laughter, my
heart no longer love. When my last breath will leave my body, I shall be
covered with a white sheet and taken away to where the ritual of death will be
replayed amid a thousand candles. In this hospital where I lie dying, I will
have become another chart filed away. What symbol is it that marks
cessation of life and the end of the usefulness of a chart?
Cold indeed is the fact of death. And to you I must sound now as cold
and objective and hard. If so, I am now what I have been exposed to these
long months. I mirror those who have ministered to me, cold, objective and
hard. I cannot seem to help myself. How could I, to them because they are
men of science and my body is matter. Again and again, my flesh has been
stabbed by countless needles, my limbs cut up for another blood vessel – all
accomplished within a given time by skillful hands – yes, hands rather
faceless hands. After that first surgery, when I complained that pain was
unbearably intense, while shapes criss-crossed from every side of my bed,
arms and hands lifted my gown, probed into my wounds, thrust cold
instruments into my chest, and jabbed more needles into my already tired
body. The pains increased until they further jabbed me every four hours.
Could they not have known what I needed was the feel of the human in their
hands, not that of the cold stethoscope? Did they not know how much a warm
smile, a hand squeeze, a caring sympathetic look, a human presence there
might have alleviated the misery or dispelled the fears? But everyone was so
cold, so impersonal, so professional. To them, my pain, my discomfort, was
just a consequence in the known formula of cause and effect. It could
therefore be easily handled by the application of pharmacological
knowledge. A problem concerning matter could be resolved by the intake of
another matter.
To many, too, I have even ceased to be a system of ailing parts, each
part to be diagnosed or treated in accordance with concept of all the parts
being equal to the whole, for they could not lick that part, which once was

11
only a lump, and which will soon vanquish the whole of me.
And so they look at me not with concern but with curiosity. For I have
become a textbook. The learner enters my room, with clockwork precision,
together with avid learners.
Today, I am another section, or a new chapter, or an illustration in a
medical course. With their hands clasped behind their back, they nod, look
at my chart, talk in whispers, and then ask the perfunctory the inevitable
question, “How are you?” What is a textbook – treated patient supposed to
say, Dean? Must it not then be stay a while. But they have gone after two
minutes to visit the next case. Another group will visit me after one hour.
From another department, they will this time examine my gums. There is a
connection, isn’t there between the cause of my dying and the color of my
gums? Why couldn’t they stay a little longer to understand me who has
become their textbook? They want to learn more about the nature of the
disease, don’t they? Are they therefore interested in what else the patient
feels — this human patient dying of a malady that has its unique
manifestations because of my being me? Are they not curious about my
aches, my apprehensions, my fears, my angers? They seem to leave their
humanity behind when they go their rounds to study their patients. They are
so cold, so impersonal, so professional!
Because my doctors have been so, they have, in one sense, tutored me.
Their detachment from pain, their direct confrontation of disease, their
resolve to vanquish death – these have, gradually, over these months,
changed my perception. Death and illness are natural phenomena with
which knowledge and skills must cope. I have, therefore, in this sense,
become like them. The death I face now is only physical death, and it is
therefore not to be regretted or feared. Why do I say this, Dean? And what
do I mean? I say this because there has been a gradual dying too of the
human in me; whenever there was no response to my human need for human
warmth and human concern, to that degree did the human in me atrophy. The
human heart, I discover, can go into a state of paralysis even as it beats.
I do not cry for the death that will surely come. I cry for the slow
death of the human me that defined my own uniqueness as a human being.
And this anguish reaches out to the rest who might have this misfortune
without their even knowing about it. Theirs is perhaps a worse fate.
For this reason, I write to you, Dean. My son is entering medical
school. Furthermore, you will be in touch with my doctors. Is there some
way of letting them know that doctors, are first of all and basically, human
beings who must respond to the humanity of their patients? When they treat
an infection, it is not the infection alone they are treating. It is the patient’s
fears, his insecurities, his other pains. When they are confronted with an
incurable or malignant disease, should they not consider the patient’s
qualities – his strengths and his frailties – in their approach to treatment?
Above all, shouldn’t they be instilled with conviction that because science of
healing is life-giving, it is therefore also an art? That art is an art of love, and
to give love is to give of one’s self. It is the art and not the science that
12
 possesses the magical powers of healing. It is the time taken, the honest
concern, the warm approach, the human touch - - whether in the hospital or
in the clinic - - which injects life – bring cheer and sunshine into the patient’s
solitary moments. Thus, each moment of his life is recharged and therefore
lived, instead of ticked away by human indifference. Shouldn’t there be left a
devotion to that art so that, in the words of the wise, “the daily effort comes
from no deliberate intention or program but straight from the heart?
Approaching death has not robbed me of my sense of gratitude. To
many doctors who have healed both body and spirit, some of them have
eschewed wealth and comfort it brings and have, like you, committed
themselves to the art of healing in the depressed areas of our country. This
too is reaching out – selfless, noble, very human. The example fills my
dwindling months with a new faith in our rediscovered capacity to be deeply
concerned and to respond to this concern. You might say then, that though I
am dying, I am fully alive.
Goodbye, Dean, and thank you for reading this letter.
Yours,
Ester C.

What and how am I going to teach my friend’s son?

This letter, from a dying patient, has seized upon the truth which is also very
much like a paradox, that in our desire to save life, we have forgotten the meaning of
life. We have overlooked the most glaring truth about man: that man more than
being a piece of matter, is human.

Perhaps there is something deeply wrong with the way we teach our students.
The ideal is to teach them not only to cure but also to heal — and healing is an art – an
art of love. It is both a commitment and an expression of our humanity without
wishing to get you to share the blame, you in College of Arts and Sciences and we in
the medical school must come together and think very seriously of how we can get
that sense of humanity to take deep roots in our students.

We in the medical college could very easily plead guilty to what we make of
our students. Perhaps our unwavering commitment to scientism, to excellence,
very quickly disfigures them. But why so very quickly? Or did they have that sense
of humanity in the first place?

I would like to think that if this humanity we are talking about is deeply
rooted in their being, in their world view, in their attitudes and beliefs, it would take
more effort to uproot it.

If a doctor looks at his patient and sees only a body and not a man, he sees
only a part and not a whole. To be sure, one may argue that a doctor who sees not just
a body but a man may work with a serious handicap, for a doctor who shares the pain
of his patient may hesitate. This hesitation can be fatal. At times perhaps it is
13
important that a doctor becomes objective and detached. But this demand for
objectivity and detachment does not equate with the demand for insensitivity and
blindness to the fact that at the bottom, this patient is human. It would seem that this
aching for humanity reduces to a plea that all of us —doctors, lawyers, engineers,
teachers, managers, should never lose sight of the whole. If our students emerge
from their studies with fragmented vision, that we have failed.

In the College of Medicine we are trying our best to get our students to focus
both on the parts and the whole. But we certainly need help in this enterprise. And I
honestly think our colleagues in the college of Arts and Sciences, more particularly
in the Division of Humanities, can provide the help we badly need; as that division is
to highlight the human element in practically all of man’s enterprise. The material
that you concern yourself with — the colors on a canvas, the sequence of sounds, the
string of words, the movement of a body, the mathematical formula, the scientific
prediction – all represent the creative achievement of man It is not just a blend of
colors. It is painting. It is not just a string of words. It is poetry. It is not just the
movement of the body. It is dance. In being painting, music, poetry, dance, it
expresses what is human or the truth that we are human.

Or are we all getting lost in the form and forgetting the content? Are we
getting too involved with questions of technique – with the balance of colors, the
architecture of sounds, with the logic of metaphors and images, or as they will say
with matters quantifiable? If so, then we have all become technicians. We too have
become blind. And how could we transfer to our students that which we do not
initially have?

You can help us by sowing the seeds of humanity in our young people by
developing that whole vision of man — and we in the College of Medicine shall try
to nurture it and make it grow.

But all these are abstract. Perhaps instead of talking about the recognition of
man’s essential humanity we could more fruitfully talk about the attitudes and
behavior of the medical professional, the doctor on whom the ailing man pins his
hopes. We expect the doctor not only to display his diagnostic acumen, his unerring
surgical skills at cutting through the flesh to get at the tumor but also his capacity to
recognize that this body that he treats is that of a man, a human being, whoever much
like him, is visited by anxiety, by fear of death, and who has a family who loves him
and whom he loves. A human being who aches in loneliness, one who probably feels
very guilty at the thought that in seeking medical attention he is trading off the little
that his family has reserved. We expect this doctor to stay a while with his patient and
be concerned about the latter’s physical and spiritual anguish.

Perhaps the study of humanities can help bring all this about, or at least
provide the initial condition that would make this possible. For in the study of
literature and the other arts, man stands in the center. Man, as it were, becomes the
measure of all things.
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 But then perhaps we really expect more from this doctor: for beyond
recognizing and responding to the essential humanity of his patient, he is also
supposed to give part of his life to a group, to a community, to a nation. We now
expect him to turn to the countryside, to the depressed rural communities. We expect
him to live with and learn from and serve his people. His vision, therefore, must go
beyond one to the many.

The question is: how do we give him this vision? At this point, I grope for an
answer. I suppose that this vision is a function to understanding: and understanding
is grasping the whole not just the parts. If the goal of humanistic studies is to get our
young people to appreciate the true, the good and the beautiful, then I am afraid we
shall only be giving them a part of the reality. In addition to the true, the good and the
beautiful, we must also get them to see the false, the bad and the ugly. Apart from the
colorful and impressive achievements of man in the arts and sciences, there are
inequities and oppression, there is widespread poverty, there are people deprived of
opportunities to better themselves, children denied of hope. There are many people
in the countryside who live in ignorance of things that can harm them. Perhaps the
recognition of the whole can bring forth the desired vision from whence shall spring
the commitment to serve the people. I think you would agree with me that there is no
greater commitment to humanity than to give part of oneself to the people.

When our doctors, someday, could go to the countryside to apply their

knowledge and skills in the service of the people without the force of legislation, we
may then perhaps glory in the thought that we have taught them well. We have struck
the delicate balance between scientism and humanism. Then perhaps the Dean of the
College of Medicine would receive no more letters such as the one I read to you. I
thank you.

Note: This paper was read by Dr. Herrera at the Seminar-Workshop of the
Division of Humanities, September 9, 1977, UP, Manila.

15
 Chapter 2
ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF ART

Certain principles underlie all the arts. These principles are the characteristic
features and are true of every art. They are the bases when one evaluates or judges an
artwork.

1. Background (Where is the artwork from?)

There is no art without background. All art is created by man resulting from
man’s thoughts and feelings. So, the origin of every artwork is always the inner man
trying to find an avenue for expression. When we see an artwork, we usually ask what
it is all about, what it is for and we want to discover the place of origin and the person
or group of people who created it with the influences that helped to shape it. We also
would like to know what other works and events are contemporary with it because
works of art can help us know and understand the people and life of other times and
places.

Some arts are representational which means they depict or describe a person,
object, scene or situation. These are arts with subject. Examples are painting,
sculpture, literature and theater arts. Other arts are without subject and they are
called non-representational. Examples are architecture and some musical pieces.
They do not present identifiable objects or symbols.

Subject is the term used for whatever is represented in a work of art. It is not
always essential to art. Subject could be a person, thing, event or situation depicted
by the artist. Painting, sculpture, literature, and the theater arts are generally
classified as representational although there are paintings and sculptures without
subjects. Music, architecture, and many of the function arts are generally non-
representational because they do not present stories or references of identifiable
objects or symbols. Rather, they appeal directly to the senses through their sensuous
and expressive elements.

Subject has three levels of meaning interpretation:

a. factual - literal presentation
b. conventional - special meaning related to a culture or religion
c. subjective - personal intention of the artist understood only through his
interpretation

Also, artworks have practical usefulness. Arts of this nature are called
functional or applied arts because they are designed to directly affect people.
Examples are architecture, weaving, furniture-making, textile, and a few crafts. On
the other hand, art which is concerned with the creation of objects of imagination for
its own sake without relation to function or utility is called non-functional or fine arts.
17
Examples are painting, music, sculpture, literature and theater arts which seem more
to amuse people. Whatever function art has, the function influences and determines
the form. However, art demands something beyond functions as it reaches out to the
human spirit.

2. Medium (What is it made of?)

A work of art can exist only through a medium. Therefore, there is no art
without medium because it is the material the artist uses in creating his art. Medium
is the vehicle by which an artist externalizes and communicates his thoughts and
feelings. It is essential to all art because the names designated to artists are derived
from the medium used. The artist’s selection of medium is part of his artistic
inspiration.

The nature of each medium determines the way it can be worked and turned
into an artwork.

The mediums are:

colored pigments - in painting

any tangible thing such as stone, wood, metal, etc. - in sculpture
various building materials - in architecture
sound - in music
words - in literature
parts of the body - in dance

According to medium, art can be classified into three groups:

a. Visual or Space Arts - occupy space and can be seen

b. Tonal or Time Arts - expressed in time and can be heard
c. Combined Arts - can both be seen and heard

3. Composition or Organization (How are the elements put together?)

All art is composed of certain raw materials or elements (shapes, tones,

words or colors of which a particular art is organized) that are arranged according to
some pattern to express meaning. The elements also serve as the bases in evaluating
or judging the artwork.

The two interlocking compositions of art are form and content. Form refers
to the visual aspect which provides a sensuous delight to the eyes of the viewer. It has
to do with colors, sound or words. Content is the intended meaning or message
underlying the form which is described as insight or lesson learned from the artwork.
A message is to be discovered and rediscovered by onlookers of an artwork as they
perceive and appreciate what lies beneath sounds, words, texture, and colors.
18
4. Style (What is the nature of the artwork?)

All art has style which is defined as the nature of the finished form resulting
from the artist’s training, temperament and outlook in life. It is generally a reflection of
the artist’s personality as he applies a special technique in creating his art. It is the
distinctive quality of a work of art which relates it to other artworks. Style refers to the
development of peculiar forms in art that are related to particular historical periods, but
applies also to individual works of a single artist. It is the unique way an artist does a
particular thing by which he is known. It is style that makes the difference in artworks
among artists of the same medium and subject in their artwork.

Styles are certain common denominators of treatment and emphasis in artworks

appearing consistently in a given age or period. However, they change just as the
fashion in clothes changes with the passing of years. It is style that makes the difference
in artworks among artists of the same medium and subject in their artwork.

The development of art styles can be traced back from the past to the present
through different periods. Each period or era has distinctive characteristic features
of artworks reflecting the state or condition of humanity that created them. They
reveal the basic urges and aspirations of people in different places and periods of
time. Prehistoric artworks were created before man knew how to read and write.
Primitive arts are those which are not affected by modernization and are usually
inspired by superstitious beliefs and magic.

The following are the major stylistic periods, their approximate dates, and
general characteristics:

Greek Golden Age 500 B.C.- 410 B.C. Classicism, Humanism

Medieval 320 A.D.- 1400 A.D. Holiness, Godliness,
Sacredness
Renaissance 1300 - 1590 Secularism, Worldliness,
Exploration
Baroque 1600 - 1750 Extravagance,
Ostentation, Grandeur
Neo-classic 1700 - 1800 Elegance, Orderliness,
Formality
Romantic 1775 - 1890 Sentimentalism,
Individualism, Rebellion
Modern 1900 - to the present Abstraction, Scientism,
Expressionism

19
 Comparative Characteristics of Art Styles
Modern or
Archaic or Primitive Classical Romantic Contemporary
Daring Calm Restless Confusing
Original Ideal Sentimental Distorted
Sacred Traditional Revolutionary Wild
Symbolic Natural Experimental Eclectic
A Mental Image A Visual Image A Multiple Image A Fragmental Image

The artistic history of Greece began in the Minoan pre-historical civilization

and later gave birth to Western classical art styles in the ancient Hellenistic Period.
Greek art exhibits classicism and humanism and is seen and felt mainly in their
architecture, sculpture, painted potery, and literature. Man was put on a pedestal and
became the center of all things. Their architecture in the form of Doric, Ionic and
Corinthian columns seen in temples were dedicated to mythical gods and goddesses.

Medieval art spans over one thousand years of art history in Europe including
Early Christian Art, Byzantine Art, Romanesque Art, and Gothic Art. Its distinctive
style was more focused on spiritual expression rather than physical beauty. The
Medieval man was generally sober, religious, and concerned more of his soul’s
salvation.

The Renaissance meaning “rebirth” was more of a cultural and political

movement that began in Florence, Italy in the late Middle Ages. It encompasses
many secular, intellectual, and worldly pursuits based on classical sources. Painting
was at its peak in the hands of many-talented great masters such as Da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Raphael, etc. Painters formulated the laws of linear and aerial
perspectives and the mathematics of representing three-dimensional reality on flat
surfaces. Sculptors became interested in the human body and represented it
realistically. The “universal man” was the Renaissance ideal being trained in body,
mind and spirit for his exalted position in society.

Baroque which means “rough pearl” was Western cultural style exemplified
by grandeur, drama, opulence, lavish ornamentation and an over-all sense of awe to
generally express triumphant power and control.

Neo-classic style of the 18th century emphasized formal pattern and discipline
and simply a nostalgia for classical ideals. It was the pursuit of perfection by means of
rules and order which appealed to the sophisticated courtly taste. Rococo was the
prominent decoration style which tended toward gracefulness and charm.

20
 Romanticism is a complex, literary, and intellectual movement that
originated in the middle of the 18th century in Western Europe. It was partly a revolt
against aristocratic social norms, stressing strong emotion as a source of aesthetic
experience. It legitimized the individual imagination as a critical authority which
permitted freedom from classical notions of form in art.

Modern or contemporary art refers to artistic works of the 19th century up to

the present. Past traditions are thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation with new
ways of seeing with the characteristics style of abstraction.

Activity:
Pick out seven (7) from the photos of artworks in the succeeding pages,
representing the seven (7) styles. Research and find out about the following:

a. background

b. medium

c. stylistic period they represent

21
 Parthenon

Statue of Athena Statue of Zeus

22
 Castle of the Middle Ages

Mona Lisa
painting of da Vinci

Westminster Abbey St. Francis of Assisi

23
 Pieta (Left) & Statue of David (Right) by Michelangelo

Facade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Rheims Cathedral in France

Birth of Venus by Botticelli

24
 Sistine Ceiling Painting
(The Last Judgment by Michelangelo)

25
Painting of Delacroix Kandinsky, The Black Art

USE

STUDENT
CPU Painting of Goya

Spoliarium by Juan Luna

26
 Sunflower by Van Gogh Abstract painting

Empire State Building in New York Fernande by Picasso

Rice by Fernando Amorsolo Cultural Center of the Philippines

27
28
 Chapter 3
METHODS OF PRESENTING ART

Subject, as defined in the previous chapter, is the term used for whatever is
represented in a work of art. It could be a person, thing, event or situation depicted by
the artist. It answers the question “what is the artwork about?”.

Kinds or sources of art subjects:

1. portraits 7. history
2. everyday life 8. legend
3. still life 9. religion
4. animals 10. mythology
5. figures 11. dreams
6. scapes 12. fantasy

Artists have choices as to what ways or methods to use to present their

subjects or to express their ideas. These methods have their own background stories
as well as characteristic ways of being presented which are recognizable to most art
enthusiasts or easily understood by would-be art enthusiasts.

The following are the most common ways of presenting art subjects:

1. Realism

Realism is a way of presenting a subject the way it looks in everyday life, the
way as seen by the naked eye. The artist tries to approximate on canvas or in any
medium how something or someone authentically appears without any addition,
embellishment or interpretation by the artist. If a tree is colored brown, the artist
colors it brown. If a flower is red, the artist colors it as red. If someone is beautiful or
ugly, he is drawn as such. This method is sometimes disturbing or offending for if
something looks or sounds gory, gross or shocking, it is depicted also as such.

Generally, realism portrays the objective truth about people, life or

situations, whether good or bad, pleasant or harsh, ugly or beautiful. It favors the
portrayal of actual life in real settings, no matter how disturbing or offending, and
tries to send out socio-political or moral messages of the harsh realities of living a life
under industrialism and capitalism. In the visual arts, the subject is presented in “true-
to-life” manner; in theater, people are presented as impotent or struggling subjects
who are burdened in a troubled world; in literature, characters have flaws in an
imperfect life where the author injects commentaries about social, political or
religious issues. It also avoids the use of exaggerated heroes in favor of ordinary
people.

33
 Below are examples of realism paintings by Fernando Amorsolo, the “Grand
Old Man of Philippine Art”, Philippine’s National Artist in Painting, and Philippines’
foremost portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes.

Landscape Painting Countryside Scene in Oil

Detail from Fernando Amorsolo’s

1945 Defense of a Filipina Woman’s Honor,
which is representative of Amorsolo’s
World War II-era paintings UP Oblation by Guillermo E. Tolentino,
National Artist in Sculpture

34
2. Abstraction

The word abstract means to “move away” or “to separate from”. It is a way of
moving away from reality or separating oneself from the objective truth; it is the
opposite of realism or the objective representation of art. In abstraction, the artist
does not present his subject the way it is found in the actual setting. The artist uses his
ideas to reflect things or images in a highly personal interpretation. He depicts his
subject the way he thinks or feels about it; he tries to represent his subject (either
visually or verbally) in a manner that eliminates some measure of physical details
and retains, in his mind, only the essential characteristics. It is subjective, highly
personal, opinionated, and extra-challenging for it constantly asks the viewer to
discover its meaning.

Abstraction can be used through:

a. Distortion. In distortion, the artist bends, twists or misshapes the image

to achieve an unnatural deviation of shape or position of any part of the subject’s
body producing visible deformity. What appears is a subject, misshapen or twisted,
totally unlike as it appears in reality.

b. Cubism. In this method, the artist uses geometrical shapes to represent his
subjects. The subjects are presented as a series of cubes, cones, or spherical shapes
which can be seen from different angles or viewpoints all together at the same time.
According to Wikipedia, “in cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-
assembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint,
the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in
a greater context… the surfaces intersect at seemingly random angles, removing a
coherent sense of depth. The background and object planes interpenetrate one
another to create the shallow ambiguous space, one of cubism’s distinct
characteristics.”

Spanish painter Pablo Picasso is often credited as the first Abstract artist who
co-developed with Georges Braque the Cubist method between 1908 and 1912.

35
 Guernica by Pablo Picasso Prayer Before Meals
by Vicente Manansala

Ang Kiukok
Fisherman, 1995, oil on canvas,
House of the Black Madonna, 24 x 48 inches
first example of Cubist architecture
in Prague

c. Elongation. This is a method used by the artist when he intentionally lengthens or

elongates the figure of his subject to achieve a desired effect. This method shows a
subject or a part of the subject as irregularly proportional to other parts of the subject
like the very long neck of the Madonna or the unusual length of the child and the long
arms of David as seen in the pictures below.

Madonna of the Long Neck

in Prague David by Michaelangelo

36
d. Mangling. This is an uncommon way used by the artist to present his subject. He
achieves the effect by cutting, chopping, mutilating, lacerating, or hacking the
image.

e. Abstract Expressionism

Abstract expressionism is a movement of painting which began in New York

City that tried to declare its independence from European styles. It is, according to
www.answers.com , “a school of painting that flourished after World War II until the
early 1960s, characterized by the view that art is nonrepresentational and chiefly
improvisational…. The movement comprised many styles but shared several
characteristics. The works were usually abstract (i.e., they depicted forms not found
in the natural world); they emphasized freedom of emotional expression, technique,
and execution; they displayed a single unified, undifferentiated field, network, or
other image in unstructured space; and the canvases were large, to enhance the visual
effect and project monumentality and power.”

In this method, the act of painting becomes an art itself as the process of
painting becomes a drama of its own. The artist becomes the star as he unleashes his
ideas on canvas, showing the glorification of the act of painting as a means of visual
communication. This method is also called “action painting”. The following
pictures are of Jackson Pollock, the quintessential action painter executing his craft
by interlacing lines of dripped and poured paint on a very large canvas.

37
Other abstract expressionist works:

Peculiar Velocity, Jackson Pollock Vessel by Jose Joya

Mark di Suvero, Aurora, 1992-1993 Forearmed,1967

by Alfonso Ossorio

3. Symbolism

Symbolism is the artist’s way of presenting his idea or feeling using a

representation or sign to stand for something other than itself. . Some of the symbols
used are globally known like # for number, % for percentage, $ for dollars, white for
purity, red for war, a dove for peace or a snake for a traitor. An artist uses these signs
to stand for things which he wants to be represented, and these are oftentimes
universally understood because of conventional usage, connection or general
relationship.

Symbolism in literature can be achieved by representing the story’s theme on

a physical level. An example might be the occurrence of a storm at a critical point of
the story when there is conflict or high emotions. Similarly, a transition from day to
night or spring to winter could mean a move from goodness to evil, or hope to
despair. A river could represent the flow of life, from birth to death and flowers can
symbolize youth or beauty.

38
 The play MacBeth by William Shakespeare uses blood, both real and
imagined, as a symbol of guilt of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth. Another symbol used
in the play is a raven, which usually represents bad fortune.

The movie series Star Wars symbolizes faith and religion in a world
overcoming evil. The design of some buildings is also meant to be symbolic. Below
is a picture of the Canadian War Museum building. Its facade represents the bow of
the ship, symbolizing the navy and the role it played in wartime.

The UP Oblation, the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines, is a

3.5 meter concrete sculpture painted to look like bronze, symbolizing the 350 years
of Spanish rule in the Philippines. It represents selfless dedication and service to the
nation, and as Guillermo E. Tolentino, the sculptor himself, describes it as a:

“… completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched arms and open
hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted lips murmuring a prayer, with breast
forward in the act of offering himself…”

Canadian War Museum UP Oblation

4. Dadaism

Dadaism is a short-lived art movement which began in Switzerland in 1916

and ended in 1922. It got its name from the French word dada which means “hobby
horse”. According to www.historymania.com, the basis of Dada is nonsense. It
began as a protest movement against World War I for it sees war as an absurd and
barbaric exercise. It sought to ruin art for a world which did not deserve it. It attacked
the bourgeois (capitalists) for allowing war to happen and this movement became
known as an anti-art association. With the order of the world destroyed by World War
I, Dada was a way to express the confusion felt by many people as their world turned
upside down. There was no attempt to find meaning in disorder, but rather to accept
disorder as the nature of the world.

This movement rejects the traditional way of art appreciation and how art is
defined in contemporary art scenes. Dadaists produced art works that showed the sad
and sorry state of the world which the capitalists did not like and opined as

39
“ridiculous and irrelevant and therefore should be destroyed.” This movement
attacks the reason and logic of the capitalist society by producing works of art which
uses chaos and irrationality. This method ignores aesthetics and intends to offend
man’s sensibilities. If art was to have at least an implicit or latent message, Dada
strove to have no meaning — interpretation of Dada is dependent entirely on the
viewer. Dada became a commentary on art and the world, thus becoming art itself. It
rejects traditional culture and aesthetics which hoped to reach a personal
understanding of the true nature of the world.

This method then uses chaos, irrationality, and nonsense as a way of

presenting its subject.

Mona Lisa Fountain After Us Motherhood

painting of da Vinci by Marcel Duchamp

5. Fauvism

Fauvism is rooted in the French word “fauve” which means “wild beast”.
This is an early-20th-century movement (1898 -1906) in painting begun by a group
of French artists and marked by the use of bold, often distorted forms and vivid
colors. The movement’s name is derived from the judgment of a critic who visited the
Fauvists’ first exhibit in Paris (1905) and referred to the artists disparagingly as “les
fauves” (“wild beasts”).

Painters who use this method use bold colors, oftentimes unmixed and
straight from commercially-produced tubes, spontaneous and rough execution
(oftentimes referred to as abnormal painting techniques) coupled with turbulent
emotionalism. The dominant figure of the group was Henri Matisse; others were
André Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, Raoul Dufy, Georges Braque, and Georges
Rouault.

40
 Woman with a Hat, 1905 The Dance
by Henri Matisse by Henri Matisse

6. Surrealism

Surrealism is a combination of two words, super and realism. Surrealism

developed out of the Dada activities of World War I and the most important center of
the movement was Paris. Like the Dadaists, Surrealists believe that excessive
rational and bourgeois thinking brought about World War I. Its leader, Andre Breton,
a medical/psychiatric doctor who treated shell-shocked army soldiers using
psychoanalysis, believed that Freud’s work with free association, dream analysis and
the hidden unconscious was of great importance in developing methods to liberate
imagination. It aimed to revolutionize human experience, including its personal,
cultural, social, and political aspects, by freeing people from what they saw as false
rationality, and restrictive customs and traditions.
In literature, surrealists believe in “automatic writing”, spontaneously
writing without censoring one’s thoughts. It values the significance of dreams and
disdains literal interpretations of objects, It gives more significance to poetic
undercurrents as well as to connotations and overtones. Although automatic writing
may appear to be spontaneous and totally unplanned, “it is actually edited and well
thought of”, according to Breton.

In music, several works by musicians like Edgard Varese’s Arkana was

inspired by a dream sequence. Surrealism is also found in the improvisation in jazz
and blues music (http.en.wikipedia.org).
Politically, surrealism is leftist, anarchist or communist, believing in man’s
freedom and in anti-colonial revolution.
In the visual arts, it is a method which is a combination of the depictive, the
abstract, and the psychological— to stand for the alienation which many people felt
in the modern period, combined with the sense of reaching more deeply into the
psyche, to be “made whole with one’s individuality”(http.en.wikipedia.org).
In theater, Antonin Artaud tried to create a new theatrical form which would
be “immediate and direct, linking the unconscious minds of performers and

41
spectators,…. where emotions, feelings, and the metaphysical were expressed not
through text or dialogue but physically, creating a mythological, typical, symbolic
vision, closely related to the world of dreams.” This was called the Theater of
Cruelty, the predecessor of the theater of the absurd.

The Persistence of Memory Indecision Renewal

by Salvador Dali by Jon Jaylo by Danny Sillada

7. Futurism

In this method, the artist draws, paints or chooses subjects borne out of
modern technology or products of modern living and tries to capture the essence and
vitality of modern life. The Futurists admire speed, technology, youth and violence,
the car, the airplane and the industrial city, all that represented the technological
triumph of humanity over nature, and they are passionate nationalists. Suffice to say,
they do not like the past and abhor tradition. They often painted modern urban
scenes and vehicles in motion while futurist music rejected tradition and introduced
experimental sounds inspired by machinery. In literature, it can be characterized by
its “unexpected combinations of images and hyper-conciseness (not to be confused
with the actual length of the poem). The Futurists called their style of poetry parole in
libertà (word autonomy) in which all ideas of meter were rejected and the word
became the main unit of concern. In this way, the Futurists managed to create a new
language free of syntax punctuation, and metrics that allowed for free expression.”
(http.en.wikipedia.org)
In theater, futuristic works are characterized by scenes that are of few
sentences long, have an emphasis on nonsensical humor, and attempt to discredit the
deep rooted traditions via parody and other devaluation techniques.

Umberto Boccioni, 1913 Dancing House

’Unique Forms Of Continuity In Space’ in Prague
42
8. Impressionism

Impressionism as an art movement and method began in Paris during the late
1860’s and early 1870’s. French impressionism was spontaneous, colour-sensitive
style of painting. It rejected the conventions of the academic art and gave way to
naturalistic and down to earth treatment of subject matter. Impressionist artists
sought to capture fleeting moments and use natural colour schemes offering a whole
new pictorial language. Impressionistic painting includes visible brush strokes, light
colors with emphasis on light in its changing qualities to accentuate the effects of
passage of time and unusual visual angles. The movement indirectly paved the way
for the artistic style of the 20th century. Famous artists of the Impressionist
movement included Claude Monet (1840-1926), Camille Pisarro (1803), Pierre
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), Edgar Degas (1834-1917),
Edouard Manet (1832-83), Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), Berthe Morisot (1841-95)
and Mary Cassatt (1845-1926)

In literature, impressionism presents a subject through the prism of the

artist’s sensibility and thru the creative process to bring about aesthetic awareness.
Impressionistic writing seeks not to convey a message but rather to evoke a mood or
an atmosphere where both artist and reader find significant meaning. Notable
writers like Emil Zola claimed to have applied impressionistic techniques in his
literary works and praised Monet’s Naturalism; Stephane Mallarme’ called by
Victor Hugo “Cher Poete Impressioniste” and novelists James Joyce in his novels
“Ulysses” and his semi-autobiographical work “A Portriat of the Artist as a Young
Man” as well as Virginia Woolf in her novel “The Lighthouse” and “Mrs. Dalloway”.
used literary techniques called “Stream of Consciousness” where character unfolds
by means of the ebb and flow of personal impressions, feelings and thoughts.
Impressionistic literature attempts to represent through syntactic variation the
fragmentary and discontinuous nature of the sensations of modern men in urban
civilization.

Rouen Cathedral Landscape at Chaponval Peonies in a Vase

West Portal Dull Weather by Camille Pissarro by Edouard Manet
by Claude Monet

43
9. Expressionism

Expressionism refers to “art that expresses intense emotion”. The artists

work is an expression of his inner experience rather than solely realistic portrayal.

According to www.artmovements.co.uk, expressionism is “an artistic style in

which the artist attempts to depict not objective reality but rather the subjective
emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in him. He accomplishes his aim
through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and fantasy and through the vivid,
jarring, violent, or dynamic application of formal elements. In a broader sense
Expressionism is one of the main currents of art in the later 19th and the 20th centuries,
and its qualities of highly subjective, personal, spontaneous self-expression are typical
of a wide range of modern artists and art movements. The expressionist artist substitutes
to the visual object reality his own image of this object, which he feels as an accurate
representation of its real meaning. The search of harmony and forms is not as important
as trying to achieve the highest expression intensity, both from the aesthetic point of
view and according to idea and human critics.

In literature, the writer uses expressionism through disturbing incidents,

tense dialogue, exaggerations and distortions characterized by chaotic, frenzied
imagery and vehement tone.

In music, expressionism puts the emotional expression above everything else.

Expressionistic music is often dissonant, fragmented, and densely written, portraying
what is going on inside the composer’s mind; it is an expression of what is felt.

In theater, expressionist plays often dramatize the spiritual awakening and

sufferings of their protagonists, The protagonists in a typical expressionist play
journey through a series of incidents that are often not causally related, often
dramatizing the struggle against bourgeois values and established authority. The
speech is heightened, either expansive and rhapsodic, or clipped and telegraphic;
most speeches consist of one or two lines, though these sections of short speeches
alternate with long lyrical passages. Expressionist plays are often highly subjective:
the dramatic action is seen through the eyes of the protagonist which seems distorted
or dreamlike. Expressionist drama is often opposed to society and the family.

In architecture, expressionism refers to architecture of any date or location

that exhibits some of the qualities of the original movement such as distortion,
fragmentation or the communication of violent or overstressed emotion.

44
 Starry Starry Night
by Vincent Van Gogh

Expressionist Sculpture

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Einstein Tower, Berlin by Erich Mendelsohn

Black Bouquet by Juvenal Sanso

45
Study Notes:
1. What are the different kinds or sources of art subjects?
2. How does a realist tackle objectivity in his art work?
3. What are the different methods of abstraction?
4. In what way does dadaism reject the traditional way of art presentation?
5. How does modern technology influence futuristic artists?
6. Discuss subjectivity in the following art methods:
a. symbolism
b. impressionism
c. expressionism

46
 Chapter 4
ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS

Elements of the visual arts are the basic “building blocks” that are used in
producing a work of art. They are the things or raw materials that are used by the
visual artist to come up with a drawing, painting, design, or sculpture. They are also
referred to as Elements of Design which are used as a basis for judging or evaluating
an artwork. Without these elements, no art work would result.

There are seven elements of the visual arts, but the artist may or may not use
all of them in a particular work. The artist chooses only the elements which he will
manipulate until he feels these will effectively put across his ideas or feelings. These
seven elements include the following:

1. Line

A line is a series of points which moves to a certain direction and also defines
the shape of an object. A line always moves and so, it is sometimes called the
“moving point”. It is also equally important as a concept to depict objects and
symbols, and in defining shapes.

Lines have direction and meaning and they could either be straight or curved.
Straight lines are often associated with energy, firmness, strength or vitality; it
connotes strength, rigidity or stability. Curved lines suggest grace and are softer than
straight lines. They sweep and turn gracefully between end points. They are less
definite and predictable than straight lines. They bend, they change direction. Curved
lines also express fluid movement. They can be calm or dynamic depending on how
much they curve. The less active the curve, the calmer the feeling.

The emotional state of a person is also evident in the way he holds himself as
defined by his posture or position. A confident and strong man will walk straight and
tall while a sickly or shy person will slouch or stoop. On the other hand, a tired or
sleepy person will assume a reclining or sleeping position.

Straight lines move in one direction only. They could either be horizontal,
vertical or diagonal.

horizontal line

diagonal line

curve line vertical line

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 Horizontal lines are always associated with peace, serenity and calmness;
they lend a lazy, quiet feeling to a photograph or a painting. They may bring to mind
how it feels to lie down and be relaxed. Some examples of using horizontal lines to
create a calming mood are long, rolling waves on a shoreline, the solid line of a fallen
tree; and capturing the peaceful line of an ocean horizon. The calm, relaxed feeling
created in all of these scenes can be further enhanced by using a horizontal format.
In the first picture below, we get a calm and peaceful effect. The horizon line
is horizontal as are the lines on the water reflected from the moon. The same effect is
achieved in the second picture.

Horizontal lines and Landscape layout

Vertical lines are the most powerful lines in visual art. They are associated
with a feeling of strength, height, integrity, solidity, dominance and power such as
when viewing a tree, skyscraper, flagpole or anything else standing tall and sturdy.

Solid vertical lines are attention-getters and can be used to create tension, to
act as direct guides and paths, and to act as dividers and natural frames. They are
powerful composition elements and as such, should be used with care.

Vertical lines and Portrait layout

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 Diagonal lines are lines of action. They have no equal in visual intensity;
they suggest dynamism and life and are often considered the most interesting. They
represent movement and animation and they can lead you into the frame of the
picture and to the center of interest.

Diagonal Lines

2. Color

Color is the most appealing element of the arts because it is the most
attractive and aesthetic. Color is produced by the action of waves of light upon the
human eye. Color then, is a property of light; naturally, without light, no color would
exist. When light strikes a surface, some of the color rays are reflected, some are
absorbed, and others pass through. Most surfaces absorb the color rays and that
which is reflected appears to be the color that we see. A green leaf is green because it
is the light ray that is reflected back to the eyes of the beholder. Black is black because
all the light rays are absorbed and do not reflect any and white is white because it
reflects back all the color rays.

Color has three attributes: hue, value and intensity. Knowledge of these
attributes will make color more understandable and be used effectively.

Hue is another word for color. The hues of the rainbow are the colors which
we call them: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These hues are
either primary, secondary or tertiary.

Primary Colors - red, blue, yellow. These colors are not results of mixing
any other colors and are the starting point for every other color.

Red

Blue

Yellow

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 Secondary Colors - This is the term used to describe colors that are created
by mixing two primary colors. There are three secondary colors: green (made up of
blue + yellow); Violet (made up of red + blue); and orange (made up of blue + yellow)
Red Blue Red Yellow Yellow Blue

Violet Orange Green

Tertiary Colors - These colors are created by mixing primary and secondary
colors. There are six of these: red-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet, red-violet,
yellow-orange, and blue-green. Three examples follow.
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet

Red-Orange Yellow-Green Blue-Violet

Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color. It is an

important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that it defines form and creates
spatial illusions. Value changes are obtained by adding black or white to a color.
Adding white to a hue produces a high-value color, often called a tint. Adding black
to a hue produces a low-value color, often called a shade. Shades are the relative
darkness of a color and tints are the relative lightness of a color. Maroon is a shade of
red while pink is a tint of red; sky blue is a tint of blue and midnight blue is a shade of
blue. These are created by darkening or lightening the pure hue.

Here is an example of a value scale that has values ranging from the darkest
dark, to the whitest white.

Shade Tint
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 Tints (adding white to a pure hue) Shades (adding black to a pure hue)

This painting by Vincent Van Gogh, Fields in a Rising Storm,

has tints and shades of blue in the sky, and tints and shades of green in the fields.

Intensity is the brightness or darkness of a color; it is also referred to as

saturation. If the color is very bright, then it has a high intensity; if it is dull, then it has
a low intensity. A brilliant yellow, a very vibrant red, and a strong, rich blue – these
are said to be intense, or saturated. Duller versions of these colors then, are lacking in
intensity.
The contrast of intensity can affect how easily a color is seen, its position in
space, or even what hue it is perceived as being. When colors of the same hue but
different intensity are seen together, the more intense color will be perceived as being
more intense. This is due to color relativity. In the example below, the middle color
will appear more intense next to the lower intensity color on the right.

A more intense color will attract the eye and be seen first and more
prominently. Such a color will have more visual weight than a less intense one.
A lower intensity color will also be seen as receding or being farther than a
more intense color of the same hue.
The green color bar on the left will appear to be closer than the green bar on
the right.

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 Color: Its Psychology and Meaning
Colors have varied effects and meanings to people. They also have a
subconscious effect on people’s mood, emotions and behavior. They can cast a
powerful impact on the minds of men and can also influence the behavior of people to
some extent. Some of them also have a soothing effect, whereas some of them can
stimulate or energize.

Colors can either be warm or cool. Red, yellow and orange are considered as
warm colors while blue, green and violet are considered as cool colors. These colors
have varied effects on the viewer.

Warm colors affect the viewer physiologically; he sees warm colors as

brighter, lighter and more forward while cool colors are more somber, relaxing and
distant. Warm colors are advancing colors for they make objects appear larger and
nearer whereas cool colors are known as receding colors for they make objects
appear smaller and farther than they seem to be. Physically, warm colors cause body
temperatures to rise while cool colors are have the opposite effect of lowering
respiration rates (www. art.unomaha.edu.). Psychologically, warm colors can make
the viewer feel hot and agitated while cool colors calm them down.

Colors also have universal or dual symbolisms to people of various cultures.

Black means death or grief to others but elegance to some. Red is associated with
love but to war as well.

The following colors have the following symbolisms attached to them:

Red. Red is the most emotionally intense color. It stimulates a faster heartbeat and
breathing; it is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer
appear heavier. Red clothes might not also help people in negotiations or
confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually
used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract
attention. In literature, colors are also used to make language more graphic and vivid.
Below are some expressions using the color red and their corresponding meaning:

in the red: in debt

caught red-handed: caught in the act
see red: become angry
red-letter day: special occasion
paint the town red: go out and have fun

Orange. Orange is vibrant, the combination of red and yellow. It denotes energy,
warmth, and the sun. Orange has lesser intensity or aggression than red, calmed by
the cheerfulness of yellow.

As a warm color, orange is a stimulant — stimulating the emotions and even

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the appetite. Orange is found in nature in the changing leaves of fall, the setting sun,
and the skin and meat of citrus fruit.

Yellow. Yellow is a warm color; it is the color of sunshine. It connotes happiness and
joy but is also the color of cowardice and deceit. Cheerful sunny yellow is an
attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers
more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for
the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances
concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Yellow-dog contract: “an employment contract in which a worker disavows

membership in and agrees not to join a labor union in order to get a job”
(www.phrases.org.uk)

Yellow journalism: Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the

news to create sensations and attract readers. (www.answers.com)

Green. Green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve
vision. It is a calming, refreshing color and is the most popular color used in decorating
rooms. People waiting to appear on TV sit in “green rooms” to relax. Hospitals often use
green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize
fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However,
seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will
bring bad luck. Green also symbolizes freshness or being new.

Green-horn: beginner; an inexperienced person

Green with envy: full of desire for someone else’s possessions or
advantages
Green-eyed monster: jealousy

Blue. Blue is the color of the sky and the ocean and is one of the most popular colors.
It symbolizes peace and calmness. Blue is said to cause the body to produce calming
chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Fashion consultants recommend wearing
blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are also more productive
in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue
gyms. Blue can also be cold and depressing.

Have the blues: being sad or melancholy

Black and blue: bruised
Blues: music by African-Americans characterized by raw emotion and
suffering.

Indigo. The color of indigo is a deep, rich dark blue It is sometimes referred to as
royal blue since during the Elizabethan times, only privileged people could wear this
color. The symbolic meaning of the color indigo was power, importance and wealth.
Indigo with the color blue has a Biblical meaning symbolizing heavenly grace.
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Violet. The color violet is closely associated with thoughts of royalty and
spirituality. Because it’s a mixture of two colors, violet containing more red will be
warmer, brighter and more intense. It will tend to create color meanings more closely
associated with red; violet containing more blue will naturally have more of the cool,
calming color symbolism of blue.

White. White is purity, cleanliness, and innocence; white is a brilliant color that can
cause headaches for some. Too much bright white can also be blinding. In most
Western countries, white is the color for brides. In the East, it’s the color for
mourning and funerals. White is often associated with hospitals, especially doctors,
nurses, and dentists. Some cultures view white as the color of royalty or of deities.
Angels are typically depicted as wearing white. In early Westerns, the good guy wore
white while the bad guy wore black.

White lie: a lie told to avoid the painful implications of a truth

White elephant: a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose
and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its
usefulness or worth. (www.en.wikipedia.org)

Black. Black can represent mystery, secrecy, or doom. It is often regarded as

representing evil. In the Western world, many people wear black to funerals to show
mourning. Black is the absence of color. In clothing, black is visually slimming.
Among young people, black is often seen as a color of rebellion. Black is both
positive and negative. It is the color for little boys in China. Black, like other dark
colors, can make a room appear to shrink in size and even a well-lit room looks dark
with a lot of black. Black can make other colors appear brighter.

Black market: The illegal business of buying or selling goods or currency in

violation of restrictions such as price controls or rationing.
(www.answers.com)

Black list: list of persons or things considered undesirable or deserving

punishment.

Little black book: an address book, especially one kept by a man, with the
names of women considered available for dating

3. Texture

Texture is an element of the visual arts which is closely related to the sense of
touch. It is the way a surface feels to the touch; it may be rough, smooth, fine, coarse,
grainy or sharp. It is experienced when something is stroked or when the hand glides
over a surface. The texture of the material is real if it can be felt like when one
touches a piece of sculpture or architecture. In paintings and in drawings, it is
sometimes implied or suggested with the clever use of lines, lights or shadows.
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Texture can also be created through illusion. The painter tries to make an illusion
when he makes an object look the way it would feel when it is touched like when he
uses lumpy paints or mixed media (stones, metals or realia) on flat surfaces like the
canvas or paper.

4. Shape

Shape is the element of art which refers to the form made when a line or lines
enclose an area. Three straight lines can become a triangle while four straight lines
can be formed into a square or rectangle. Thus, when lines form together, they
become shapes.

There are three basic shapes: circle, triangle, and rectangle but a shape has
two dimensions only: a length and a width. Painters can turn circles to coins, faces or
balls while rectangular shapes can become tables, buildings, windows or beds.
Triangles can be formed into mountains, ice cream cones or skirts while squares can
become boxes, gifts or notebooks.

Closely related to shape is form. If shape has two dimensions, form has three:
length, width and height. It gives depth to shapes like cones, cubes, or spheres. Form
gives visual weight to shapes…and every kind of form has its own aesthetic effect
(Ariola, 2008).

5. Space

Space is the area occupied by the subject in an artwork. Painting does not deal
with space directly for it is represented in a 2-dimensional surface. Oftentimes, it is a
created illusion in a drawing or painting. In architecture however, it is an important
consideration both in the interior and exterior parts of the building or house. A
structure and its purpose will be dictated by the amount of space one has. If one has
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limited space but needs to house a lot of people in a congested area, a high-rise
building is more practical than a two-storey structure.

Space could either be positive or negative. Positive space refers to the area
occupied by the subject while negative space is the area not covered by the subject.

6. Perspective

Perspective is the element of art which is directly influenced by distance. It is

the effect of distance, position or height on the appearance of objects. Perspective
could either be linear or aerial. Linear perspective is how objects look like when
lines seemingly converge in the distance. It gives the illusion of depth and distance.
Aerial perspective is how things appear when seen from a distance as affected by
diffusion of light in the atmosphere. It makes far objects look hazier and lighter in
tone while near objects appear clearer and have more intense colors. It is also called
atmospheric perspective.

Linear Perspective Aerial Perspective

7. Value is the element of art which is directly associated with light. It deals with the
darkness (shades) or lightness (tints) of a color and is key to the illusion that light
gives. The combination of light and dark values contributes
to the beauty of any artwork especially used in an art
technique called chiaroscuro, which, according to
Wikipedia, is a “contrast in illumination between light and
dark areas”. The term chiaroscuro comes from the words
chiaro which means “light” and scuro, “dark”. This
technique has been widely used since the Greek times for it
gives volume to any three-dimensional form or figure and
helps heighten emotional tensions.

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 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

The different elements of the arts have to be organized well so that their
combinations will produce pleasing, beautiful and interesting artworks. As such,
following several principles in organizing these elements is needed. These
guideposts are called the principles of design.
Principles of design are the beliefs on how to work with and arrange the
different elements of the arts. They are the beliefs or guidelines used for putting
elements together to create effective communication of the artist’s feelings or ideas.
If the elements are the “what” of a design, the principles are the “how”. Using the
recipe metaphor, the elements are the ingredients and the principles are the directions
in cooking these ingredients.
These principles can also be thought of as what are done to the different
elements of design. The use of these principles allows the artist to create more
interesting and beautiful combinations of lines, shapes or colors. How these
principles are applied determines the success of creating a work of art. The principles
of design, then, perhaps even more than the elements, are difficult to separate from
one another for it is only when they are working together that an effective design is
created.

1. Balance
In the visual arts, balance refers to the “visual weight” of lines, forms,
textures or colors. It is the power of attraction of each element, the quality which
gains and holds the attention (Ariola, 2008) of the viewer. Large, dense elements
appear to be heavier while smaller elements appear to be lighter; bigger and more
colorful objects get more attention than smaller and darker ones. To achieve a
balance, the artist has to distribute the attraction of each element to achieve a
sensation of equilibrium. This principle, when applied effectively, gives a feeling of
stability and rest.
In interior decoration, careful consideration is given to the placement of
objects within a room according to their visual weight. Line, form, color and texture
all help to determine their visual weight, which refers to how much space objects take
up within a room. Distribute various objects throughout a room to maintain balance.
Balance can either be symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial.
Symmetrical balance is also known as formal balance or bilateral
symmetry. It is a condition wherein the visual weights on both sides are exactly alike;
the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side. This
is seen in objects of the same size and shape when arranged on two sides of a center
and is easiest to see in perfectly centered compositions or those with mirror images.
The normal human body is a very good example of formal balance wherein half of
the body looks like the other half. When the elements evenly divide the page such as a
centered alignment or in equal segments (halves, quarters, etc.)., a formal balance is
achieved. It achieves its balance through repetition which creates a feeling of
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stability, formality, orderliness and peacefulness. Careful consideration is needed in
using this kind of balance for it could become monotonous or boring.

Asymmetrical balance or informal balance is a kind of balance wherein

objects of unequal weights or attraction are placed at correct distances from the
center. The sides are different but still look balanced for the weights are equal but the
elements are not the same. It is used to attract viewer’s attention and allows them to
think about what they see. To achieve this, a large shape can be balanced by a small
shape close to the edge or a light colored shape will be balanced by a small dark
colored shape. This kind of balance is more casual and spontaneous, thus the term
informal. To others, It is also more interesting than formal balance.

Tersiisky 2008 states that visual weight is influenced by the following:

»Position - the farther an element is from the center, the heavier it will feel; a
large object placed near the center can be balanced by a smaller object
placed near the edge
»Size - larger feels heavier
»Texture - an element with more complex texture is heavier visually than one
with a simple texture or no texture at all
»Isolation - an isolated element has more visual weight
»Value - darker feels heavier
»Value contrast - the higher the value-contrast, the heavier the weight
»Quantity - multiple small objects can balance one larger object
»Orientation - a diagonal orientation carries more visual weight than a
horizontal or vertical one
»Shape - elements that have more complex shapes feel heavier than those with
simple shapes
»Color - the brighter and more intense its color, the heavier the element will feel

Samples of pictures with asymmetrical balance

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 Radial balance is a kind of balance wherein the elements are arranged from a
central point or radiate from the center or swirl around in a circular or spiral path. Its
balance is based on a circle with its design extending from the center. A star, the iris
around each pupil of the eyes, a wheel with spokes, and a sunflower (as well as other
flowers and other plant forms) are examples of radial balance.

2. Proportion
Proportion is the relative size of an object in relation to other objects in the
design. This is the pleasing effect that is achieved when a whole and its parts and
between parts themselves are not too big nor too small for one another. If they are,
they are “out of proportion” and are not pleasing to the eyes. This is why people who
have longer torsos than their limbs or bigger heads compared to other parts of their
bodies appear less attractive. In interior designing, large furniture for big spaces is
fine but smaller spaces also call for smaller furniture. In sculpture, the size of a statue
or any sculptural work must not be too big nor too small for its background or
surroundings. In painting, too much use of one color or use of equal amounts of
various colors in a combination produces monotony. As such, using one color more
than the others will produce a more pleasing effect.

In each of the two paintings, experience the

majesty of the mountain cliffs in the painting
on the left or the towering height
of the trees in the painting on the right
with the effective use of proportion.
(Source: www.images.search.yahoo.com)

In the pictures, proportion emphasizes the distance

of the ship and the relative size of the fish.
(Source: www.bluemoonwebdesign.com)

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3. Harmony

Harmony is the governing principle that one achieves when a pleasing

relationship exists among the various elements of the artwork. It is the visually
satisfying effect of combining similar or related elements; it unifies every part of the
arrangement or design and is achieved when all the elements seem to “belong”
together. It is achieved when all the elements of the design complement one another
and not compete with each other.
According to www.bluemoonwebdesign, there are easy ways to achieve
unity in your compositions:

a. Similarity: Try repeating colors, shapes, values, textures, or lines to create

a visual relationship between the elements. Repetition works to unify all
parts of a design because it creates a sense of consistency and
completeness.
b. Continuity: Treat different elements in the same manner. Continuity helps
to create “family resemblances” between different forms. This helps to tie
them together by creating an uninterrupted connection or union.
c. Alignment: Arranging shapes so that the line or edge of one shape leads
into another helps creates unity in your design. When an element is placed
in a composition, it creates an implied horizontal and vertical axis at its
top, bottom, center and sides. Aligning other elements to these axes creates
a visual relationship which unifies them.

d. Proximity: Group related items together so that these related items are
seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated elements.
Elements that are positioned close to one another are perceived as being
related while elements that are farther apart are considered less related.
How close together or far apart elements are placed in a composition
suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise disparate parts.
Using a “third element” such as a road to connect near-by elements with
distant ones also helps to create a sense of relationship between the forms
which are not grouped together.

In the pictures above, the colors of the couch, cushions and the rug are similar in the first picture
while in the second, the dominant color black of the sofa is repeated in the rug
and the pictures on the wall; these colors bind them together.

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 Notice how the individual wedges “fit” the orange in
the picture above while in the coat of arms above, observe how the different
elements “fit” together perfectly inside each other to create harmony.

The first painting on the left creates a sense of unity by the effective use of repetition through
repeated similar forms (ducks) and color(brown) throughout the composition and grouping of
similar objects (proximity) was used to create unity within the second painting.

4. Rhythm
In the visual arts, rhythm is a beat, a repetition or an organized movement
with the recurrence of a line, shape or color. When lines, shapes or colors are
repeated, a pattern is produced which the eyes follow form left to right, producing a
rhythm.

Rhythm controls the eyes as they move around a room. Rhythm allows the
eyes to move around from one object to another and creates a harmonious
atmosphere in a room. Rhythm is created through repetition of line, form, texture and
color. It can also be created by progression which is simply a gradual increasing or
decreasing in size, direction or color.
In interior design, rhythm is achieved in a room where the floor tiles are
colored dark green and the walls are painted in light green while the bed is covered
with a printed green bed sheet and the plain curtains are in a shade of green. One can
also establish a rhythm by using a color in the pillows, picking it up in a painting, and
echoing it again in a rug. These repetitions will help carry your eye around the room.

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The eyes shift from one object to another, it establishes a certain rhythm in the room
and creates harmony among the various elements.

Rhythm is much more evident in music as well as in dance through the use of
repetition or variety with alternation and contrast.

Bridge of 33 Arches Holy Chapel of Vincennes sculpture

5. Emphasis
Emphasis is the principle of creating a focal point, center of attention or a
point of interest in a design. It is bringing attention to what is most important,
catching the eye of the viewer and making him stop and look at the image. In
decorating a room, the focal point is an obvious feature in a room to which the eye is
attracted and could be anything from a fireplace, a piece of artwork, or a window
treatment featuring a beautiful view. The focal point of a room should be emphasized
with the use of line, form, color and texture.

In painting or drawing, it is achieved in many ways like making an element

the biggest, the most colorful, the brightest or darkest, the most complex, or in the
most prominent position. It could also be achieved by contrast, isolation or
placement of object wherein all implied lines are directed towards a certain place or
element. In The Last Supper painting below, notice how the lines of perspective all
lead towards the head of the central character, Jesus.

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 The Last Supper

However, it must be remembered that not all elements should be emphasized

(e.g. all text is large and bold, all images are animated or flashing, everything is in
bright colors) or else nothing would stand out and nothing is emphasized at all.

As a whole, applying almost all of these principles in every assignment is

needed but it is recommended not to apply them all equally because one may be more
important than another depending on the mood and purpose of the design. One
design may be strong in balance, another in proportion, another in rhythm and so on.
Lastly, the personality of the designer should never be left out and must be included
in the design. It is also all right to violate any of the principles of design to promote
the growth of one’s creativity.

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Activity: Draw on a piece of bond paper.
Evaluate your own drawing by answering the following guide questions:

1. What is your drawing about? Put a caption below it.

Are there levels of subject interpretation? (literal, conventional,
subjective)
2. How is your subject presented? (realism, distortion, abstraction, etc.)
3. What kind of subject do you have? (portrait, animal, scape, etc.)
4. What is your medium?
5. Explain how you used certain principles of design.
6. What elements of visual arts have you considered in your artwork?
Explain.

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 Chapter 5
LITERATURE, MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE, CINEMA, AND DANCE

Literature

Literature is life. It presents human experience. But, unlike the great news
photo, literature presents life and experience not by telling you what they think but by
showing them to you through a medium called language.

Literature presents experience in various forms, i.e., sensations, feelings,

moods, attitudes, thoughts, and events in an interrelated series. In presenting all
these varied human experiences, the writer of literature chooses a specific vehicle or
artistic structure to convey his meaning or value of the experience. Then, he selects a
particular angle of vision to present this human experience to his reader in such a way
that his readers become truly and personally involved in the experience, for, when
they assume this angle of vision, they actually feel that they are the people
performing the experience being shown to them.

Of all the arts, literature is considered the noblest and the most concrete
because it is man’s expression of his rationality in an organized language. The
purpose of literature is to raise the reader’s level of humanity making him a better
human being with a high sense of values needed in life as he learns lessons from what
he reads.

According to Sanchez (2002) there are three general elements of literature:

1. intellectual appeal - adds knowledge and reminds the reader of certain truth
2. emotional appeal - moves the reader to sympathize
3. humanistic value - improves the reader’s outlook in life making him a
better person

Manner of Presentation via Literature Genre

Literary genres include drama, fiction (short story and the novel), poetry, and
essay. Whatever the literary genre, each is characterized by a particular manner of
presentation wherein seen clearly is the relationship existing among the author, the
audience, and the art work itself.

A. Drama

In this literary genre, the artistic work is performed as an objective

occurrence witnessed by an audience. Since drama is generally performed on stage
before an audience, it involves the presence of the audience and the work but the
artist, the author himself, is absent. Usually, the author of drama stands concealed in

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the wings of the theater wringing his hands until the final applause tells him that his
work has succeeded. Drama is a narrative and therefore has plot, characters, setting,
and theme. The plot is told by a narrator or through the dialogues of actors who move
on stage before an audience.

The following are the elements of drama which the audience needs to
understand in order to fully comprehend and appreciate this literary genre. A
playwright might not give equal attention or weight to all the elements and give one
or several aspects more attention as needed or as he wished. However, understanding
all the elements involved in the play will give the reader a more comprehensive and
deeper perception as well as appreciation of the art.

1. Characters are the people in the play that are involved in the story. Each
character has a distinct personality, age, appearance, beliefs, socio
economic background and language which the actor can “bring to life”.
Thus, the way an actor plays a role, using his/her acting skills to create a
character in a drama, is known as characterization.
2. Plot refers to the series of events in a play. It is usually made up of acts
and scenes and the action and movement in the play begins from the
initial entanglement, through rising action, climax, and falling action to
resolution.
3. Theme refers to what the play means or it refers to the main idea/
thought/theme within the play. Sometimes the theme is clearly stated in
the title or it may be stated through dialogue by a character acting as the
playwright’s voice. It may be less obvious or implied and emerges only
after some study or thought.
4. Dialogues refer to the word choices made by the playwright and the
enunciation of the actors delivering the lines. Language and dialogues
delivered by the characters moves the plot and action along, provides
exposition, and defines the distinct characters. Thus, the dialogues also
provide the substance of a play.
5. Music means the sound, rhythm and melody of the speeches. Music can
encompass the rhythm of dialogue and speeches in a play or can also
mean the melody and musical compositions of a musical drama. Each
theatrical presentation delivers music, rhythm and melody in its own
distinctive manner but, music can be included to mean all sounds in a
production. Music can expand to all sound effects, the actor‘s voices,
songs, and instrumental music played as underscore in a play.
6. Spectacle
The spectacle in theatre involves all the visual elements of the
production of a play. It includes the scenery, costumes, and special effects
in a production. It also refers to the dramatic materials, setting, or
costumes of a specific play. Each play will have its own unique and
distinctive behaviors, dress, and language of the characters. The style of a
playwright is shown in his choices made in the world of the play: the
kinds of characters, time periods, settings, language, methods of
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 characterization, use of symbols, and themes.
7. Symbols
Dramas are produced to a great extent through the use of symbols
representing an idea or feeling. The following can be understood as
symbols: a character, event, props, gestures, expressions, costume,
lighting or setting.

THE DRAMA
“All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.”
-William Shakespeare

Drama has always been a natural activity of man for it has been closely
related to life; man has always imitated situations, clarified his experiences, and
made sense of it. The word drama means to do or to act and refers to any performing
art meant to be acted out before an audience by characters who act or pretend that
they are someone else.

Drama started out in the form of dances and rituals by people who ask their
gods to bring them good luck before hunting, planting and fighting or telling stories
about their gods. When it evolved into a presentation which people came to watch,
the first stirrings of drama came to life. What follows next is a brief history of drama
as it evolved through time and although it takes many different forms in different
cultures, its history stretches back to some of mankind's earliest civilizations. Its
glorious past has molded to what contemporary drama is.

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1. Ancient Drama
Ancient Greek drama masks

a. Greek Drama

Drama started back in ancient Greece. The Greeks,

in honor of their god Dionysus, held the City of Dionysia
every March or April. The City of Dionysia was a 4-day
festival of plays, a competition in search of the best
playwright. Performances were held during daytime in
open-air arenas or amphitheaters on hillside slopes which
could seat from 14,000 to 20,000 people. Its all-male cast
of 15 chorus members wore masks and stilts and used Ancient Greek theater
broad gestures and movements so they could be seen and
heard as they sang, danced and chanted in the large venue
The plays were based on myths or history and dealt with
characters' search for the meaning of life, were tragic in
nature and showed man's tragic fall when they offended
the gods. Most comedies involved mistaken identity such
as gods disguised as humans. Important playwrights of
this time included Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Thespis.

b. Roman Drama

Roman drama borrowed ideas from Greek drama. Its all male cast also wore
masks but Romans preferred action than listening to dialogues onstage. Although
Roman dramas have been famous for their fondness for oration and debate, they
considered Greek drama as too uninteresting and tame; they wanted entertainment
and less of tragic histrionics. Likewise, Roman theatre was less influenced by
religion. Roman theater was also more for aesthetic appeal, a reflection of Roman
culture and habits. Plays lasted for two hours, and were usually comedies.

The Romans enjoyed spectacle and shocking entertainment. As such, chariot

racing, gladiator fights, acrobatics and actual killings (criminals against animals) or
war onstage are very much common and well-applauded. The Roman Coliseum is
one of the most famous and largest venues for such entertainment. Famous Roman
playwrights included Plautus, Terence and Seneca.

Roman theater façade Roman theater interior Roman mask

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2. Medieval Drama

Following the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity during the

medieval ages, serious drama ceased to exist because Roman Christian leaders
considered plays as shocking, evil and corrupt. However, in 900 AD, the same people
who outlawed dramatic presentations were the same people who brought them back.
Theatre was reborn as liturgical dramas performed by priests or church members.
Enthusiastic priests started also to produce religious plays to interest people in the
Bible and to Christianize them. They presented plays inside churches during church
festivals like Christmas or Lent. A German nun, Hrotswitha, is considered as the first
female playwright of this time.

Three types of religious dramas dominated this time: the mystery, miracle and
morality plays. Mystery plays were short dramas based on the Old and New
Testaments and organized into historical cycles. Miracle plays dealt with the lives of
saints while morality plays taught lessons through allegorical characters representing
virtues or faults. Secular dramas are about ordinary domestic themes or subjects were
also performed outside of churches, oftentimes in market places next to churches.

Medieval actor Medieval stage Hellmouth

Source: http://images.search.yahoo.com

3. Renaissance Drama

Renaissance drama is drama in the age of recovery or rebirth, a rebirth of

learning stimulated by classical forms and ideas. During the beginning of the
Renaissance and lasting into the eighteenth century, traveling actors performed the
commedia dell' arte, the unscripted and impromptu Italian pantomime comedy
which has a basic storyline and situations with set characters which are familiar to the
audience. The cast members wear colorful costumes.

Commedia dell arte characters

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4. Elizabethan Drama

This drama flourished during the reign of Elizabeth I, Queen of England. Its
greatest product was William Shakespeare, one of the world's most renowned
playwrights who wrote and produced many plays that are still performed regularly
even today. His plays, like the Greeks, had all male actors who played female roles.
The plays had no unities of time, place or action with complex plots and subplots but
most of the Shakespearean works were serious comments on life and human
condition. Actors with noble roles speak in poetry while servants speak in prose. The
actors had no masks, wore costumes, wigs and make ups. The absence of props and
scenery onstage set the scene with words alone, inspiring the best poetry in the
English language.

Elizabethan drama costumes

Two conventions of Elizabethan drama were popular during this time: the
soliloquy, a dramatic monologue which reveals the actor's feelings or thoughts and
the aside, a remark which the audience hears but other actors do not.

Another popular dramatic form during the Elizabethan times was the
masque, a pleasant and entertaining story in verse, with mythological or allegorical
characters. It is presented by a group of masked dancers after a huge, lavish banquet
which included a tableau, music, ballet, elaborate settings, gorgeous costumes and
scenery, stage props, and mechanical effects. The actors were members of the
aristocracy, sometimes of the royal family. They wore masks and not much acting
was demanded from them except to look stately and beautiful. They did not speak nor
sing, nor make difficult figures, poses, or dances. Their function is to create an
“imposing show" by their gorgeous costumes and fine presence.

Masques

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5. Neoclassical Drama

Neoclassical drama moved the theaters indoors and the dramas produced this
time were less violent and more refined as a reflection of the values and issues of the
time. The dramas were more realistic and used language which was less complex
than the poetry of Shakespeare. The characters spoke in couplets and because public
display of emotion was unacceptable, characters talked about their feelings than
showed them. Tragedy and comedy were popular and reflected concerns for manners
and good taste. It employed music as part of its production and for the first time,
female actors were allowed onstage.

6. Victorian Drama

This type of drama saw the rise of the middle class who crowded the theaters.
Drama was presented in an era of verisimilitude which means like the real world and
used prose language. No music was used but sound effects were used extensively.
The director became a major figure who supervised movement and interpretation of
lines. It is a drama which tried to mirror life in the most realistic way.

Victorian drama costumes

7. Modern Drama

This drama has sets which are either realistic or symbolic and the stage bare
with no scenery to encourage imagination. It also experimented on stage designs and
plot construction like theater in the round which allowed the audiences to feel closer
to the actors. The lighted/darkened parts of the stage were also used to show different
movements in different time frames. Other innovations included the “freezing” of the
actors, musicals, music-dramas and operas reflecting the modern times and issues.
The dialogues are more natural and avoided stylized and poetic language. Other
characteristics of this drama were moments of silence, stories in reverse order,
flashback, 2 or 3 actors playing different roles, unconventional staging, cross-
gendering, audience participation and mingling.

Drama has indeed gone a long way since its birth and its continuous evolution
brought along innovations and changes. Contemporary drama has also incorporated

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the use of multi-media for its presentations producing spectacular entertainment for a
fickle and demanding world.

Philippine drama known as dula in Filipino, is also as varied and as colorful as

its Western counterparts. Most of Philippine dramas are also influenced by its colonial
masters who have successfully entered and influenced the Filipino psyche and spirit.

According to www.philippinesdula.com, Philippine drama could be divided

into the following groups: ethnic plays, plays from the Spanish Era and plays from
the American Era.

Ethnic plays are plays based on old Filipino folklore and old traditions. They
show the country's indigenous culture and traditions. The play, Pamanhikan
(Courtship), for example, focuses on the courtship rituals in the pre-colonial times.
Another play which has ethnic roots, is the Ati-atihan, a cultural street drama which
dramatizes the barter of Panay. It depicts how Panay, owned by the lowland Atis, was
exchanged for a golden salakot and necklace, thus driving the Atis to the mountains.
With the coming of the Spaniards, it evolved into a religious-cultural drama detailing
the Christianization of the Panayanons.

Ati warriors in their costumes

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 Plays from the Spanish Era are influences of Spanish colonizers revolving
around Catholic festivities like the Cenaculo, Flores de Mayo (May Procession) and
Moriones. Some plays also portray the strain between the Catholics and the Muslims,
like the play Moro-Moro (The Moors). It is a cloak-and- dagger play showing the
wars between Christians and Muslims which the Christians always win.

Scenes from a Cenaculo

Flores de Mayo procession pictures

Moriones Festival

Plays from the American Era are courtesy of the American colonizers. They
ushered in the zarzuelas or 3-act plays with singing and dancing. The zarzuelas in this
era were mostly used as subversive propaganda and had themes about patriotism and
revolution. The most famous of these zarzuelas are those made by Severino Reyes,
also known as “Ama ng Dulang Pilipino” or “Father of Philippine Drama”. His most
popular works are: Walang Sugat (Not Wounded, 1902), Paglipas ng Dilim (After the
Darkness, 1920) and Bungangang Pating (At the Mercy of the Sharks, 1921). He is
also known for zarzuelas about love like Anak ng Dagat (Child of the Sea, 1921) and
Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden, 1919).

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80
B. Fiction (Novel and Short Story)

In fiction (novel and short story), the audience or the readers are present.
Usually, the reader of the novel or the short story holds the literary work in his hand.
He experiences the novel or the short story as events and emotions that he
participates in himself. The difference between fiction and drama is that in drama,
the events are experienced as they are observed by the audience. The reader-audience
participates vicariously in fiction in a way that he does not in drama.

In a novel or a short story, the audience or the reader is private, the work is
read, and the author is concealed. Primarily, fiction tells a story, therefore it has the
following elements:

1. Plot - arrangement of events or happenings that make up a story which has

exposition, development, turning point, climax and denouement.
2. Characters - persons who act and talk to realize the plot.
3. Setting - place or time of the story.
4. Theme - fundamental idea or meaning behind the story.
5. Point of view - from what or whose view or angle the story is told.

C. Poetry

Poetry is a literary work that requires careful use and manipulation of

language as a tool for expressing or evoking emotions or ideas. It is usually arranged
in lines and stanzas which may or may not rhyme but written in rhythmic and
imaginative language.

In poetry, the poet does not address an audience but he speaks spontaneously
to himself or to the universe, or, perhaps, to an absent lover. In this sense, the
audience-reader (of whose presence the poet is aware when he recites) is presumed
not to be around at all. Thus, the audience-reader may be considered to overhear the
poem, rather than to be addressed by it, as in the epic. This is the reason why one is
urged to read aloud the poem so that he may assume the role of poet or be the
spokesman of the poet and one recites orally in a song-like manner the feelings and
beliefs to an audience-reader who is ignored. This outpouring of the feelings and
beliefs of the poet to an audience-reader whose presence he is aware but he ignores is
the basic quality of lyric poetry, not its versification (rhyme, meter, stanza). The fact
that poetry is presented on the printed pages does not make its typical form any less
oral, just as the printing or recording of a play does not make it any less a typically
dramatic, presented, and enacted form. The poem itself is allegedly the outpouring
of the artist’s feelings and beliefs.

There are three major classes of poetry:

1. lyric poetry - pure expressions of emotions in the form of ode, elegy or
sonnet

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2. narrative poetry - a story in compact poetic structure in the form of
ballad, metrical tale or epic
3. dramatic poetry - story that unfolds through dialogues in poetic lines
The elements of poetry are:
1. Imagery - pictures or images which the poet makes the readers see or
imagine through the use of figurative language
2. Figurative language - words that mean something other than what they
denote. Examples are simile, metaphor, etc.
3. Connotation - the attitudinal meanings of words which have special
meaning and emotional significances
4. Rhythm - musical quality as words are stressed and unstressed in a poetic
line
5. Meter - patterned arrangement of syllables according to stress and length
6. Theme - sense of meaning or subject matter of the poem

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D. Essay
As a literary genre, the essay is a communication from the individual author,
as a person, to the reader. It is prose writing which expresses the writer’s opinions,
attitudes, feelings, or observations about a topic or subject that interests him. The
essayist expects that the reader will sympathize or react to his ideas. The elements of
the essay are: topic, the essayist’s stand on the topic, and the relevance of the topic to
the lives of the readers.
Moreover, the essay as a form stands astride the line dividing literature as a
tool and literature as an interpretive art. The essayist is chiefly interested in the
interpretation of facts, report them, explain them, correct a previous
misinterpretation of facts, or merely express an opinion concerning a fact. To further
his effects, the essayist may use at will the devices and techniques associated with,
biography, fiction, poetry or drama.

Of all the forms of literature the essay is in its method the least complex. To
clarify his point of view, an essayist may use either the serious or light approach. In
the serious approach, the essayist is formal, purposive and direct in tone while in the
light approach, the essayist is conversational, familiar and fanciful in tone.

MUSIC
Music is the art of arranging and regulating sounds in rhythmic succession
and generally in combination. It is regarded as the universal language of the soul
since it appeals to almost all people.
Singing is produced by air making the vocal cords vibrate as the singer
breaths out. The higher, louder and longer the note being sung, the more breath is
needed. The pitch of the voice is varied by tensing and relaxing muscles in the throat.

Musical compositions fall into three groups:

1. Vocal Music- is composed primarily to be sung. The voice or voices are generally
accompanied by one or more instruments.
2. Instrumental Music- music of this kind is written for instruments of four general
types-keyboard (piano, organ, etc.); stringed (violin, cello, guitar, etc.); wind
(flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxo-phone, etc); and percussion (drums, xylophone).

Stringed Wind Percussion

Keyboard

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Four Groups of Musical Instruments

1. STRINGED - has a hollow sound box with nylon wire or stretched gut strings that
are strummed, plucked or made to vibrate by means of horsehair bow rubbed over
them. Examples are guitar, violin, viola, cello, harp, banjo, mandolin, ukulele,
double bass, lute, etc.

Cello as a stringed instrument uses low notes which are made by bowing on long
strings that vibrate slowly. On the other hand, when playing a guitar, the player
plucks the string with one hand, causing them to vibrate and create notes. The
player ‘stops’ the string with the other hand, which shortens the string and creates
higher notes. The guitar is a commonly-used stringed instrument in almost all
regions in the Philippines.

2. WIND – consists of cylindrical tubes or pipes made of wood or brass which have
holes on the sides and are sounded by blowing air inside the tube. Examples are
flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, tuba, bugle,
saxophone, etc.

A French horn is used when an air is blown into the brass tube which vibrates to
create a sound. High and low notes are produced by opening and closing valves to
make the tube longer or shorter. Moreover, a clarinet is a woodwind instrument
similar to an oboe that has a reed in the mouthpiece. When blown, the reed vibrates
to make a musical sound.

3. PERCUSSION – sounded by striking, shaking or scratching with the hands or

with another object. Examples are drums, chimes, glockenspiel, xylophone,
cymbals, triangle, gong, tympani, marimba, tambourine, maracas, castanets, etc.

In percussion instruments, the drum skins and metal cymbals vibrate to

create different textures (patterns) of sound.

4. KEYBOARD – consists of bars placed over resonators struck by hammers and

controlled by a keyboard. Examples are piano, harpsichord, celesta, concertina,
accordion, organ, etc.

All musical sound, whether from string, reed or cymbal, is created by

vibrations. These travel as pressure waves in the air. Fast vibrations produce high-
pitched notes; slower vibrations produce low-pitched notes. Furthermore, when
the rate of vibration changes, so does its notes. Different instruments create
vibrations in different ways to produce a different range of notes.

3. Music Combined with Other Arts

a. Opera- is a drama set to music. It is mostly or entirely sung with orchestral

accompaniment. It is spectacularly staged with accomplished singers,
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 elaborate scenery and costumes.
b.Operetta and Musical Comedy- This is also a drama set to music, but is
light, popular, romantic and often humorous or comic. Operettas are
spoken dialogue instead of recitative.

c. Oratorio and Cantata- are sacred musical drama in concert form. These
are made up of recited parts (recitative), arias and choruses with orchestral
accompaniment. No action, sets and costumes are used. Oratories are
usually based on biblical themes.

Elements of Music

1. Rhythm- refers to the swing, sway, the beat, the rocking or dance motion.
Americans and Europeans quickly identify 2- beat and 3- beat rhythms.

Rhythm is related to the human heartbeat and to activities such as

walking. A fast rhythm suggests excitement because it reminds us of a
racing heart or a running pace. Dance music played in clubs is generally
produced at 120 beats per minute, roughly double the rate of the normal
heartbeat.

Ex. Dance music- a fast rhythm makes people want to dance.

2. Melody- is the orderly succession of sounds beginning as phrase units and

expanding into motifs or themes. Musical phrases end half or full cadences.
3. Dynamics- is the interplay of softness or loudness.
4. Harmony- is the simultaneous sounding of melodies or chord. Harmony is
created when people sing at the same time on different notes.
5. Texture- is the quality of tones heard and produced, whether this is thin or
thick or when many or few instruments are sounded together.
6. Color- is defined as differences in timbre or qualities reminiscent of
emotions represented by playing or singing of notes and the kinds of
instruments used.

Music in the Philippines is a mixture of European, American and

indigenous sounds. It has been influenced by the 377 year-long colonial legacies of
Spain, Western rock and roll, hip-hop and pop music from the United States, the
indigenous Austronesian population and Indo-Malayan Gamelan music.

Added to this, music may sound sad because it is slow, and recalls the slow
heartbeat and movements of someone who is depressed. The pattern of notes can also
suggest sorrow. A chord is a group of three or more notes played together, and a major
chord yields a simple, pleasant sound. In a minor chord, the pitch of one note is
lowered, which produces a sad effect.
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Indigenous Musical Styles

The Philippines, being a large archipelago, has musical styles that vary from
region to region. Traditional Filipino music typically employs a combination of
musical instruments belonging to the percussion, wind, and string families. These
instruments are usually made of bronze, wood, or bamboo.

Northern Styles

Among the indigenous peoples of the Central Cordilleras of the northern

island of Luzon, music is also played with gongs, but unlike those of southern
repertoires, these gongs, called gangsa, are unbossed and have their origins in
mainland Asia. Music is usually played to accompany dance, and because of this it is
mostly percussion based. Gong ensembles are normally accompanied by drums. The
music is polyphonic, and uses highly-interlocking repeated patterns.

Southern Styles

Among the various groups of the island of Mindanao and the Sulu
Archipelago, a highly sophisticated musical repertoire called kulintang exists in
which the main instruments used are bossed gongs not dissimilar to gongs used in
Indonesia.

Generally, kulintang ensembles among the Maguindanao, Maranao, the

Tausug and other lesser known groups, are composed of five pieces of
instrumentation. Among the Maguindanao, this includes: the kulintang (strung
stand, serving as the main melody instrument of the ensemble), the agung (the
largest gongs of the ensemble providing much of the lower beats, either coming in a
pair of two or just one alone), the gandingan (four large vertical gongs aligned front
to back, used as a secondary melodic instrument), the dabakan (an hour-glass
shaped drum covered in goat/lizard skin) and the babendil (a singular gong used as
the timekeeper of the entire ensemble). The Maranao have similar instrumentation
with the exception of the gandingan which they do not have an equivalent of.

Spanish Influence

Spanish and Mexican colonizers left their musical mark on the Philippines,
introducing a rich culture, Christianity and its attendant religious music. The guitar
and other instruments, as well as zarzuela (a form of operetta) were popular and soon
became an important part of the customs and traditional elements of the culture of the
Philippines.

Harana

The Harana first gained popularity in the early part of the Spanish Period. It’s
influence comes from folk Music of Spain and the Mariachi sounds of Mexico. It is a
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traditional form of courtship music in which a man woos a woman by singing
underneath her window at night. It is widely practiced in many parts of the
Philippines with a set of protocols, a code of conduct, and a specific style of music.
Harana itself uses mainly Hispanic protocols in music, although its origins lie in the
old pre-colonial Philippine musical styles which still practiced around the country
(See Also Kapanirong style of the Maguindanao of Mindanao). The main instrument
used for Harana is the Guitar, played by the courter, although other string instruments
such as the Ukulele and less frequently, the Violin and Trumpets are also used.

Kundiman

The Kundiman is a lyrical song made popular in the Philippines in the early
19th century, but having origins in older pre-colonial indigenous styles. Composed
in the Western idiom, the song is characterized by a minor key at the beginning and
shifts to a major key in the second half. Its lyrics depict a romantic love, usually
portraying the forlorn pleadings of a lover willing to sacrifice everything on behalf of
his beloved. In many others, it is a plaintive call of the rejected lover or the broken-
hearted. In others, it is a story of unrequited love. Almost all traditional Filipino love
songs in this genre are heavy with poetic emotion. One such Kundiman that tells
about unrequited love is the Visayan song Matud Nila. In the 1920s Kundiman
became a much more mainstream musical style, with many popular performers
including Diomedes Maturan and Ruben Tagalog.

Rondalla

Spain brought the rondalla to the Philippines in the 1800s. An ensemble of

plectrum instruments, the early Philippine rondalla repertoire consisted primarily of
Western European symphonic overtures and arias from operas. Its compatibility with
native Philippine music allowed the rondalla to figure prominently in Filipino rural
community life, providing accompaniment to folk dancing and singing as well as the
featured ensemble.

Philippine Choral Music

The Philippine choral music scene has been developed and popularized by
the Philippine Madrigal Singers. This choir is the country’s premier chorale and has
been an award-winning chorale through its existence. Also from the same homefront,
i.e. the University of the Philippines, are the University of the Philippines Singing
Ambassadors (or UPSA) and the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (or
UPCC), two of the most sought-after and multi-awarded groups in the country. Also,
Kundirana, a high-school choral group from La Salle Green Hills, became popular as
well.

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Philippine Popular Music ( North American Influences )

There has always been popular music. But until the 20th century, people
could only hear popular tunes when musicians sang or played them 'live.' Sound
recording, invented in 1878, changed the way people listened to music.

Moreover, the first records, made from wax or plastic, let people hear their
favorite music at home and in clubs and bars.

Three of the most popular styles of 20th century music was created by
African-Americans in southern USA. Jazz music, played on brass and wind
instruments, accompanied dancing and street processions. Soulfoul blues music told
of love and suffering. Gospel music, performed by church choirs, combined hymn
tunes with jazz and blues.

Blues and gospel music, originally sung by African slaves, became popular
with church choirs. Its energetic sound influenced rock and pop. Blues and jazz
merged into R & B. (rhythm and blues).

In the 1950s, young musicians in the USA mixed White American country-
and western music with African-American rhythm and blues to create an exciting
new sound- rock ‘n’ roll. Played on guitars backed by drums, rock ‘n’ roll’s pounding
beat made it great for dancing. Rock ‘n’ roll songs also put in words how many
teenagers were feeling- they were bold, defiant, angry, sexy, anxious, happy and sad-
sometimes all at the same time.

In the late 1960s, bands started to mix rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and blues, amplified it
electronically and created the style now known as ‘rock.’

Radio stations and record shops compiled charts of the most popular songs.
Selling records became competitive between pop performers as they tried to get
more publicity and enter the charts with best-selling records.

In the 1990s, record producers created a new phenomenon-girl band boy

bands, advised by marketing experts. Some band members were not necessarily
good musicians but the band's image was the main factor in selling records.

The world's most successful recording group of the 1960s was the British
band, the Beatles. The 'Fab Four' were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George
Harrison and Ringo Starr.
By the late 20th century, CDs, pop videos, personal music players and the
internet had made popular music a multi-million dollar industry.
By the year 2000, popular music had 'gone global'. “World music” from
developing countries, especially Africa and the Carribean, became popular with
Western listeners.
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 The United States occupied the Islands in 1898 until 1935 and introduced
American blues, folk, R&B and rock and roll became popular. For many years, even
after the Republic of Philippines became an independent nation, most popular
Filipino musicians recorded “covers” of American hit songs. However, this
American influence taught the Filipinos how to create and market their own
performers, and led to the emergence of superstars such as Martin Nievera, Sharon
Cuneta, Gary Valenciano, Lea Salonga and Regine Velasquez.

Filipino Rock - In the late 1950s, native performers wrote Tagalog lyrics for North
American rock n’roll music, resulting in the beginnings of Filipino rock.The most
notable achievement in Filipino rock of the 1960s was the hit song “Killer Joe,”
which propelled the group “Rocky Fellers” to #16 on the American radio charts.
However, despite the Fellers family (father and four sons) being of Manila origin, the
song itself was written by US musicians Bert Russell (Bert Berns), Bob Elgin, and
Phil Medley, so some critics contend that it wasn’t truly Filipino rock.

In the early 1970s, Tagalog and English lyrics were both used, within the
same song, in songs like “Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko,” which helped innovate
the Manila sound. The mixing of the two languages (known as “Taglish”), while
common in casual speech in the Philippines, was seen as a bold move, but the success
of Taglish in popular songs, including Sharon Cuneta’s first hit, “Mr DJ,” broke the
barrier forevermore. Soon, Filipino rock musicians added folk music and other
influences, helping to lead to the 1978 breakthrough success of Freddie Aguilar.
Aguilar’s “Anak”, his debut recording, is the most commercially-successful Filipino
recording in history, and was popular throughout Asia and Europe, and has been
translated into numerous language by singers worldwide. Asin also broke into the
music scene at the same time and were very popular.

Rock music became the music of Filipino protesters in the 1980s, and
Aguilar’s “Bayan Ko” became especially popular as an anthem during the 1986
revolution. At the same time, a subculture rejected the rise of socially-aware lyrics. In
Manila, a Punk Rock scene developed, led by bands like Betrayed, The Jerks and
Urban Bandits. The influence of New Wave was also felt during these years,
spearheaded by The Dawn. Later Filipino rock stars include Yano, Eraserheads,
Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, Cocojam, and Grace Nono, each of which adopts a
variety of rock subgenres into their style.

OPM (Original Pilipino Music)

Original Pilipino Music, now more commonly termed Original Pinoy Music,
(frequently abbreviated to OPM) originally referred only to Filipino pop songs,
especially those in ballad form popularized in the 1970s through the mid-1990s by
major commercial Filipino pop artists like Ryan Cayabyab, Sharon Cuneta, Kuh
Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Basil Valdez, Rey
Valera, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Jaya, Lani Misalucha, Lea Salonga, Janno
Gibbs and the APO Hiking Society. In the passage of time as well as the development
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of many diverse and alternative musical styles in the Philippines, however, the term
OPM now refers to any type of Original Philippine Music created in the Philippines
or composed by individuals of Philippine extraction, regardless of location at the
time when composed. The lyrics, in fact, may be in any language (although most of it
are written either in Tagalog, English or Taglish).

Filipino Hip-Hop and R&B

Hip-hop music originated among the Black Americans during the 1970s,
with a deep influence from the Jamaican music. Hip-hop employs bass as the main
instrument and includes rapping and audio mixing. Bob Marley and Roberts Nesta
Marley were the pioneers in popularizing hip-hop music. By 2000, hip-hop made its
way to the world music charts, and now with the success of hip-hop artists like
Eminem, 50 Cents, Usher and Akon, hip-hop is going places around the globe.

The Philippines is said to have developed the first hip-hop scene in all of Asia
and the Pacific islands. The birth of Filipino hip-hop music (sometimes referred to as
“Pinoy Rap” or “FlipHop”), occurred in the early 1980s with songs by Dyords Javier
(“Na Onseng Delight”) and Vincent Dafalong (“Nunal”). The genre developed
slowly during the 1980s but soon hit the mainstream with Francis Magalona’s debut
album, Yo! which included the nationalistic hit “Mga Kababayan” (My
Countrymen) and the rap-ballad “Cold Summer Nights”. Magalona, who rapped in
both English and Tagalog became a pioneer in the genre and a superstar as a result.
The 1990s were known as the “Golden Age” of Pinoy rap and saw the beginning of
rapid stylistic innovation with Francis M.’s second album released in 1992. Rap is
Francis M. is considered to be one of the greatest Pinoy rap albums. In 1994, Death
Threat released the first Filipino gangsta rap album titled Gusto Kong Bumaet (I
Want to be Good). Another associate of Magalona who emerged as a leading pioneer
of the hip hop scene is DJ MOD a.k.a as Noel Macanaya.

Another Filipino hip-hop artist who achieved promence in the 1990s was
formerly Los Angeles based-Andrew E. who went on to found his own record label,
Dongalo Wreckords as well as the successful rap group Salbakuta.

The millennium saw Pinoy rap’s popularity transform from being considered
a fad or novelty into a fully blown musical enterprise. Rap artists such as Salbakuta,
Knife, Krook and J.O.L.O., Mike aka Jempot, Rap2 along with his brother Gloc-9
continue to top music charts.

Other Types of Music

1. Folk Music or traditional music mirrors the needs, desire, likes, dislikes and life of
the local people. Folk music mostly depicts the struggle for survival and culture of
the people. Country music is a genre that has evolved out of folk music. Bob Dylan's
songs have become anthems for people fighting against social injustice.

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2. Techno, also known as fusion, is an electronic dance music influenced from the
African American styles like funk, electro and electric jazz. It was developed by a
group known as “The Belleville Three”, initiated by Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson
and Juan Atkins in the suburbs of Detroit. Among the various styles of techno that
exists today, Detroit Techno is considered to be the base for all others. Techno music
is mainly an instrumental genre that uses instruments like synthesizers, drum
machines, multi-tracking and hardware sequencers for creating harmony.

3. Classical Music is the main form of music, and refers mainly to the music which
prevailed in the world before the 20th century. Classical music is a complex form of
music and requires intensive training and knowledge. Classical music may also refer
to the local and folk music of any particular country or region. In the world of Western
music, the works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven are defined as classical music.

4. Heavy Metal music, also known as 'information music', started off after the Second
World War. It includes various sub-genres, such as thrash metal, death metal, black
metal and so on. The most important requirement of a heavy metal band is the
presence of at least one electronic guitarist. There may be a few soft and subtle pieces,
but most of the songs are loud, fast and aggressive with some heavy use of the guitar
and drums, and lot of screaming, mostly in death metal. Led Zeppelin and Black
Sabbath were some of the famous bands of this genre.

5. Jazz music owes its origin to the African American communities in the Southern
United States. Cornet, trumpet, saxophone, piano and violin are the main instruments
used in jazz music. Jazz music carries a strong and intricate rhythm and is a lot
influenced by the blues in terms of using components like blue notes and phrasing of
melodies. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Freddie Hubbard were some of the
most famous jazz artists.

6. Trance music is characterized by fast beats, short melodic synthesizer phrases, and
a musical form that varies up and down throughout a track.. Trance music is mostly
played in clubs and discotheques, for listeners to groove and dance. The name trance
suggests the hypnotic effect of this type of music, and quite often gets associated with
the use of drugs. Trance music is a combination of various forms of music such as
industrial, techno, and house.

(from: http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/types-of-music-10640.html)

Staff - A musical staff represents the time line of musical sound events. It is
generally made up of five lines and four spaces. Notes are place on these line and
spaces to inform which pitch should sound. Notes placed on the top or each other
would sound in harmony. Notes placed side by side of each other would sound as
melody.

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Pitches are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet (A B C D E F G).

A clef is a musical symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that determines
the letter names of the lines and spaces.

The two main clefs are the treble and the bass:

f g
d e
b c
a
g
e f
d

a b
g
e f
c d
b
g a
f
Notes Values. Each note has a specific duration.

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 ARCHITECTURE

Architecture is both an art and a science—the art and science of constructing

buildings. Rulers and religions are responsible for putting up some of the most
impressive buildings in the world. Rulers built magnificent palaces to display their
wealth and power. Religions need churches, mosques, temples, and other structures
as places of worship. Religious buildings also celebrate the mysteries of religion.

Organization in Architecture

1. Egyptian- a type of architecture where there is a close connection between

religious rites and architecture as manifested everywhere. The religious rites of the
Egyptians were traditional, virtually unchangeable and mysterious. These can be
seen in both their tombs and temples.
The art is columnar in style which is expressed mainly in pyramids and
temples. Popular examples of these styles are: impressive avenues of sphinxes,
mythical monster, each with the body of the lion and
the head of a man, hawk, ram or woman possessed in
their massive pylons, great courts, inner sanctuaries
and secret rooms. Egyptian architecture persistently
maintained its traditions. It is impressive by its
solemnity and gloom as well as its solidity which
suggests that the buildings were intended to last
eternally. This is because the purpose of the
Pyramid pyramids was not only to preserve the mummy of the
pharaoh for the return of the soul in the infinite
hereafter, but also to be the center of the cult of the royal dead.

2. Mesopotamian- this kind of architecture is

evident in its palaces and temples. The distinguishing
characteristic is the ziggurat or tower built at
successive levels with ramps leading from one
platform to the next. In many respects, the ziggurat is
like the modern building with setbacks. Shaped value
was destined to be among the most important and
influential devices in the history of architecture. Ziggurat

3. Greek- this kind of architecture form is

Greek Parthenon
found in the temple, a low building of post-and-
lintel construction. In this type of construction, two
upright pieces or posts are surmounted by a
horizontal piece, the lintel, long enough to reach
from one to the other. This is the simplest and
earliest types of construction and is more
commonly used than other architecture. The post-
and-lintel construction is well adapted to wood because wooden beams are strong
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and are able to uphold the weight of a roof, at the same time they are long so that a
large building may be erected. Wooden beams however are not permanent. Stone
lintels are enduring but they cannot be obtained in its great lengths and they stand
much less weight than wood.

4. Baroque- this kind of architecture

flourished in the 17th century and in the opening years Miag-ao Church, Iloilo
of the 18th century. The architectural framework
remained close to that of the Renaissance although it
was often far more spacious but had a profusion of
carved decoration. Columns were decorated with
garlands of flowers and fruits, shells and waves. Often
alcoves were built into the wall to receive statues thus,
making a pattern of light and dark. Surfaces were
frequently carved. The Baroque style is usually seen in
the massed columns which are doubled for the sake of ornament, the decorative
pediments, the pilasters and the heavy stringcourse.

5. Roman- this kind of architecture adapted the

Coliseum
columnar styles of the Greeks and developed also the
arch and vault from the beginning. The combined use
of column, beam and arch is the keynote of the Roman
style in the earliest stages. Another characteristics of
Roman architecture is the flat round dome that covers
an entire building as seen in the Pantheon of Rome. The
Roman domes are always saucer-shaped outside,
through hemispherical within. Roman architecture is
still evident in the ruins of the Coliseum.

6. Byzantine- this kind of architecture

takes its name from Byzantium later called
Hagia Sophia
Constantinople and now called Istanbul. This
architecture is characterized by a great central
dome which had always been a traditional feature
in the east. The common features include the forms
of the vaults and the domes were visible externally,
in that the exterior closely corresponds with the
interior.

7. Romanesque- this kind of architecture is an extension and development

of early Christian Basilica exemplified by S. Apollinare in Classe. In the
Romanesque cathedral, several small windows were combined in a compound arch;
in the Gothic, this process was continued until the arches appeared only as a stone
tracery. Eventually, the windows became so large that the walls ceased to have any
function as walls; the roof was supported by the huge buttresses and the entire wall
space was filled with stained-glass windows. The decorations were also much more
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elaborate. There were relatively simple moldings with or without carvings of
conventional designs, figures, animals or fruit.

8. . Renaissance - in this kind

of architecture, the cathedral or temple is no
longer the typical building; secular architecture
comes to the fore, as in Roman times. The
designers got their ideas from Greece and Rome,
but they used these ideas freely, according to
their own tastes in
a way that was original. Parliament House
London, England
9. The Nineteenth Century - this is known as the period of
eclecticism. This implies freedom on the part of the architect or
client to choose among the styles of the past that which seems to
him most appropriate. Beginning about 1890, eclecticism changed
its flavor. The modern eclecticism was not only purer in style; it
understood something of the flavor of the past as its forms. At best,
modern eclecticism was marked by scholarship, taste and sympathy
for the forms of the past and remarkable ingenuity in adapting
Hongkong
Skyscraper central heating, plumbing and electric lighting to those forms.

10. Modern - this kind of architecture is an

attempt to interpret man’s purpose through his
building in a style free in relation to change and
independent of fixed symmetries. New materials
came to be utilized like the pre-stressed steel in
tension, high-pressured concrete, glass block,
wood, metal, plastics, copper, cork, steel, lumber,
artificial stones and versatile ply woods. Sidney Opera House, Australia

CINEMA OR FILMS

Films are one of the world’s youngest and profitable art forms. The first film
was shown to the public in 1895. By the 1930s, millions of people in England and
North America were visiting the cinema every week. Today, videos, DVDs (Digital
Versatile Disks) and other electronic media mean that people around the world can
watch movies whenever they like, at home.

 The oldest surviving photograph was taken in 1827. It was produced after
spreading a mixture of chemicals on a glass plate, reflecting an image into
them, then exposing the plate to light.

Early photographers discovered that by shining a light through finished glass

plate photographs, images could be projected into another surface. They gave magic
lantern shows in which the audience sat in a darkened room and watched photos
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projected into a wall.

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  Eadweard Muybridge(1830-1904). In the 1880s an American who set up
groups of cameras with threads attached to the shutters so that dozens of
photos could be taken in quick succession. Muybridge’s aim was to study
movement, but he realized that by showing his photos one after the other
very fast could produced pictures that appeared to move. He then invented
a machine called “zoopraxiscope” to show his moving pictures.

 Charlie Chaplin was one of the first and most famous movie stars. He
began his career as a comedian in English music halls, but moved to
America, where he soon became a great success in early silent films. A
brilliant mime, with great comic timing, he developed an instinctively
recognizable image popular with fans all around the world. Dressed in a
baggy suit and a bowler hat, with a toothbrush mustache, he made fun of
cruel, silly or pompous people and stood up for the powerless ‘ordinary
little man’.

Philippine film includes films made by Filipino people exhibited in this

country and possibly in other countries from the 1930s to the 1990s. The films may be
silent pictures or talkies, black and white or color. They also include films such as
documentaries, animation, experimental or alternative films and other types of films.

Early Philippine Films

Filipinos started making movies in 1919. However, it would be important to
know that the film industry in the Philippines began through the initiative of foreign
entrepreneurs. Two Swiss entrepreneurs introduced film shows in Manila as early as
1897, regaling audiences with documentary films lips showing recent events and
natural calamities in Europe. Not only that but the arrival of the silent films, along
with American colonialism, in 1903 created a movie market. But these film clips
were still novelties. They failed to hold the audiences’ attention because of their
novelty and the fact that they were about foreigners.

When two American entrepreneurs made a film in 1912 about Jose Rizal’s
execution, the sensation they made it clear that the Filipino’s need for material close
to their hearts. This heralded the making of the first Filipino film.

The credit of being the first Filipino to make a film goes to Jose Nepumuceno,
whom historians dub as the “Father of Philippine Movies”. Nepumuceno’s first film
was based on a highly-acclaimed musical play of that day, Dalagang Bukid (Country
Maiden) by Hemogenes Ilagan and Leon Ignacio.

In those early years of filmmaking, enormous capital was needed to keep up

with the Hollywood industry. Despite its weak points, Hollywood provided the
Philippine film industry with examples that the early filmmakers followed. It is not
surprising that many of those same genres set so many years ago still appear in
contemporary Philippine films. But it was difficult to match Hollywood style in those
days with the meager capital set aside for the developing film industry. Ironically, the
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same people who helped the film industry develop as a form of expression were the
same ones who suppressed this expression.

Elements of Cinema or Film

1. A story is one of the most interesting and profitable forms of literature. It

may center on an old man, a princess, a kingdom or stories about love, hate, struggle
or success.

Stories reveal lives of men- poor, rich, beloved, unwanted, fortunate, blessed
or unholy. Many human stories can be inspirational sources of revived lives for other
living individuals.
2. Characters are persons, animals or objects which may be involved in the
story and perform in the play of incidents in the story.
There are five types of characters:

1) Protagonist - is one person, animal or object which consequently the story

is made and meant for; also called as the hero
2) Antagonist, which is the villain, the one contrasting the protagonists
3) Background - performers in the more scenic acts and presentation of the
segments in film
4) Confidant - one that supports the protagonist.
5) Foil - neither/either adheres to the antagonists or the protagonist.

3. Setting is the locale and period in which a story occurs. A story must take
place in time and space and therefore must have some setting. But the importance of
setting must vary from story to story. In many stories, the setting is more important-
sometimes as important as the characters with the following functions:

Functions of Setting

»It can give immediacy to the story. Ex. If the setting is recognizably
credible, the actions that would take place in it may absorb some of its visibility, as
what is done in semi-documentary films

»It can lend atmosphere to a story and thus contribute to the emotional effect.
An appropriate background is necessary in order to incite the capacity and power of
the audience- minds to anticipate, feel and react.
4. Plot is the sequence of the actions and events in a story whether true or
fictional. It portrays human beings engaged in actions and participating in events. A
plot is no substitute for a story itself but each collection of plots would make up a
story. Nevertheless, plots like skeletons and blueprints are important.

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 Essentials of Plot
»Introduction - exposition, and background of characters.
»Conflict - complications of the story or beginning of actions.
»Mid-action - continuation of all the other actions.
»Resolution - the end of actions or the denouement, where the most
possible outcome of all actions may arise.
»Conclusion - the aftermath, which rounds off the actions underlining its points.

5. Theme is a generalization about life of human individual characters that

the story explicitly or implicitly embodies. Without a theme, a story is not a literature.

Common misconceptions about theme:

1. it is the same as moral message;
2. it is always made explicit at some points in the story; and
3. it must embody some startling new realities.

6. Point of view is the narrator’s relation to the characters in the story. There are
ways by which he/she may relate to, in the second person; also called the “you syndrome”,
where the narrator speaks closely to his audience as if he/she relates to them personally.
Technical Elements of Films
1. Time - the most important element since the images of moving pictures
move in periods through the manipulation of the director
2. Space - three-dimensional illusion on the flat screen achieved through
scaling, shooting angle, and lighting
3. Cutting or Montage - joining one shot of a scene to another shot
4. Editing - logically connecting and showing only the scenes required in a
story
5. Camera movement - a change of view or angle made by continuous
movement of cameras
6. Framing - showing in a fixed rectangle only the fragments significant for
the film
7. Sound - heightens and fortifies action

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Activity:
Mechanics: Song Interpretation/Presentation
By Group activity
Each group must:
1. Choose the type of song from different genres for interpretation
2. Provide the background of the song (i.e. artist, year, etc.)
3. Interpret through singing with accompaniment of any musical instrument
or the Present through any form of interpretative style using the lyrics
4. Provide the lyrics for class critiquing

Mechanics: Film Analysis

Class Film Showing
The teacher may:
1. Show a film of any genre for critiquing
2. Allow the class to identify the types of characters and essentials of plot
3. . Allow st udent s to compose a short essay based on
t heir interpretation/appreciation of the film using the technical aspects
in film making

DANCE

Dancing is the art of communicating ideas using parts or the whole body. It is
bodily motion rhythmically performed and timed to music. A dance may set a mood,
tell a story, externalize an emotion or could be a form of recreation for people to enjoy
themselves.
Why do people dance? In the olden times, dancing has been used in religious
worship. Some primitive folks think that their dancing could bring them magic powers.
Social dancing is usually done to find new acquaintances and to entertain others.
Custodiosa A. Sanchez (2002) gives eight elements of dancing.
1. theme - the main ingredient, content, or message of the dance
2. design- the planned organization or pattern of movement in time and space
3. movement - the action of the dances as they use their bodies
4. technique - the skill in executing movements
5. music - the accompaniment that motivates and synchronizes the
movements of the dancers
6. costume and properties - the visual elements that enhance the effect of
dance as it relates to the customs, beliefs, and environment of the people
7. choreography - the arrangement or hoe to go about doing the dance
8. scenery - the setting or background establishing the place of action of the
dance

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Kinds of Dances

1. Ethnologic Dances
These dances are associated with national and cultural groups. They include
folk dancing which is a form of social dancing that has become part of customs and
traditions of people passed or from generation to generation. Tinikling, Itik-itik, and
Singkil are examples. Folk dancing characterizes a particular place reflecting the
lifestyle of its people.

Singkil
Tinikling Itik-itik

2. Ballroom Dances
These are social dances performed by pairs doing specific steps or movements
for fun, hence it is termed popular dancing. Examples are boogie, cha-cha, tango,
waltz, fox trot, swing and some latest rock dances. These dances are sources of public
entertainment and are also considered exercise for people who have sedentary work.
boogie tango

Cha-Cha

3. Theatrical Dances
These spectacular dances are performed for the entertainment of audiences
as dancers interpret and create beautiful movements. Examples are ballet, top dance,
musical comedy, etc.
ballet

fox trot musical comedy

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Study Guide:

1. What is literature and why is it considered as the noblest and most concrete
expression of man’s rationality?
2. What are the different literature genres? Explain each.
3. What are the different elements of fiction? Drama? Poetry?
4. What are the different groups of musical instruments? Give three examples of
each.
5. Why do people love listening to music? Cite three reasons.
6. Explain the different styles of music in the Philippines.
7. How is religion and architecture connected?
8. Identify the different organizations in architecture and explain each.
9. What makes a film interesting? What particular element/s make/s it worthwhile
to watch?
10. What is dance and why do people dance? Explain.

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