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If others can, I don’t care.

TASK 1
Write an essay of 15-20 sentences that synthesizes the different definitions given in the
Stecker article as well as in the other sources you read/watched.

The quest to define art can be traced back to ancient philosophers, Plato and
Aristotle, and the quest goes on until this day. The primary challenge to establishing a
definition is its failure to the inclusion of particular artworks which flags it as
unsatisfactory. Each of these approaches someway fails as a definition that stems from
queries as to how a certain item qualifies to be considered as an art. What sets apart
Richard Gomez’s “OOOOHH” acrylic painting from the “vandalism” on public walls of the
same figure? What is it to be art?
Collingwood (1938) argues that art is an activity made from the expression of the
artist’s mind which evokes an emotion of a certain kind in its audience. This traditional
expression theory, however, is widely rejected primarily because it is narrowly
circumscribed, that is, it is not clearly implied why emotions not felt by the artist during the
creation of the work cannot be evocative in the work itself. The formalistic approach
attempts to define and identify the value of art in terms of significant form, with the line,
color, texture, and shape as the emphasized elements. This rules out the context of the
work since the center of evaluation is directed to a significant form, disregarding audience
perception, thus this definition is deemed to be not satisfactory. An alternative approach to
formalism is the aesthetic approach which fills the hole of the former, encompassing
properties, experience, and interest. As concrete as it seems, this definition left a hole in the
premise that it is not a necessity for artwork to give aesthetic experience or be made to do
so.
Opposingly, famous proponents of the anti-essentialism approach, Morris Weitz and
Paul Ziff, claimed art to be in virtue with family resemblances, by way of explanation is that
art is formed by a network of similarities. This has been challenged by the idea that
everything bears a similarity to everything else, thus if it fails to specify, it will be viewed as
empty. Dickie and Danto developing institutional and historical respectively embrace
similar philosophical motivation, with the key point nothing is an artwork without an
interpretation that constitutes it as such. Notably, the intentional-historical approach of
Levinson, which states that it is an artwork if the thing and the pre-existing likes of it have
been seriously intended to be an artwork, is recognized to be the best worked out and most
carefully defended.
What is it to be art? The quest is still on, but for now, it should be safe to say that this
question will continue to boggle. Furthermore, it could also be true that it is a single
question not requiring a single definitive answer.
TASK 2
A. Create a matrix that illustrates how Guillermo's article expands or amplifies the
previous article "Definition of Art." In other words, in what ways does her essay
advocate a different way of seeing art and, more significantly, a Filipino point of
view?

Stecker’s/Western Scholars’ Guillermo’s Definition

Definition
Activity made from the expression of the Art is a signifying practice which is
artist’s mind (Collingwood, 1938). grounded in society and history.
Art is what has significant form (Bell, Art has elements making up the signs,
1914). material data and concept, which produce
meaning in relation to one another.
Art gives experience and has properties The work of art as sign is viewed in the
(aesthetic definition) dialogic situation of the work and its
viewer, that is, an exchange happens
between the work and the audience.
Art is formed by a network of similarities, The work of art as human construct and
in virtue with family resemblances (Weitz, the result of the process.
1956; Ziff, 1953).
Art has a subject which projects an attitude Art has social import. It is a bearer of
or point of view by means of rhetorical concept, values, worldviews, and
ellipsis which requires audience ideologies, and so it assumes social
participation where both work and functions.
interpretation require an art-historical
context (Danto, 1981).
It is an art if it is an artifact and a set of Each society and community have its own
aspects of which has had conferred upon it aesthetics, so that there is not just one
the status of candidate for appreciation by aesthetics which is that of the Western
some person or persons acting on behalf of tradition, but many different aesthetics all
the Artworld (Dickie, 1974). over the world. (Demystification in art
studies)
It is an artwork if the thing and the pre-
existing likes of it have been seriously
intended to be an artwork (Levinson,
1989).
To be art, it is necessary and sufficient that
it belongs to an artform or art system
(Levinson, 1979; Stecker, 1997).

B. Write an explanation of your matrix.

 The Art and Society by Alice Guillermo presented five major premises. First
premise defines art as a signifying practice which is grounded in society and history.
Similar to formalism approach, this premise highlights elements, form. Moreover,
this constitutes elements of art as having meaning-conveying potential tied up with
the conceptual aspects. The second premise viewed art in the dialogic situation of
the work and the viewer, treating art as an expression. Only, it was specified by
Guillermo that the art is not seen as hermetic in nature, open for exchange between
the work and the audience, and is not self-referential to the artist, unlike
Collingwood’s (1938) expression theory. The third and fourth premise, art as human
construct and the result of the process, and art has social import. Both do not bare
obvious resemblance from the definition of the western scholars in the Stecker
article. Most notable premise in this book is that of the demystification in art studies
which asserts aesthetic has its own history and it varies across the world. This
highlights the marginalized rich folk culture of the Philippines brought about by the
colonial experience. Furthermore, the struggle for self-determination and laying
claim to a socio-historical ground as Filipinos was also mentioned. Assuming
Filipino view point in this artworld, sure is not a walk in the park for our history and
education system is bares baggage of orientality. In pursuit to this matter, it is vital
to give precedence to developing national art and culture consistent with out
interest for it not to be a shadow or mimicry to western culture, but not excluding
foreign influences.