MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART

APPRECIATION
Course Title : GE 103 – Art Appreciation
Course Description : Art Appreciation is a three-unit course that develops students’ ability to appreciate,
analyse, and critique works of art. Through interdisciplinary and multimodal approaches, this course equips
students with a broad knowledge of the practical, historical, philosophical, and social relevance of the arts in
order to hone students’ ability to articulate their understanding of the arts. The course also develops
students’ competency in researching and curating art as well as conceptualizing, mounting, and evaluating
art productions. The course aims to develop students’ genuine appreciation for Philippine arts by providing
them opportunities to explore the diversity and richness and their rootedness in Filipino culture.
Course Crédit/Unit : 3 units (3 hours/week)

OVERVIEW:
Art is something that is perennially around us. Some people may deny having to do with the arts but
it is indisputable that life presents us with many forms of and opportunities for communion with the arts. A
bank manager choosing what tie to wear together with his shirt and shoes, a politician shuffling her music
track while comfortably seated on her car looking for her favorite song, a student marveling at the intricate
designs of a medieval cathedral during his field trip, and a market vendor Cheering for her bet in a dance
competition on a noontime TV program all manifest concern for values that are undeniably, despite
tangentially, artistic.

INDICATIVE CONTENT
1. What is Art: Introduction and Assumptions
2. Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination and Expression
3. Functions and Philosophical Perspective of Art
4. Elements and Principles of Art

OBJECTIVES
This module aims to:
 1. Discuss the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at fully realizing his end
 2. Clarify misconceptions of the art
 3. Explain the functions and philosophical perspective of art
 4. Discuss the elements and principles of art
TIME- FRAME
Week 2-3

1
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION

Let’s Get Down to Business

Despite the seemingly overflowing instances of arts around

people, one more, whether consciously or unconsciously.
One whose exposure to music is only limited to one genre
finds it lacking not to have been exposed to more. One,
whose idea of a cathedral is limited to the locally available
ones, finds enormous joy in seeing other prototypes in
Europe. Plato had the sharpest foresight when he discussed
in the Symposium that beauty, the object of any love, truly
progresses. As one moves through life, one locates better,
more beautiful objects of desire (Scott,2000). One can
never be Totally content with what is just before him.
Human beings are drawn toward what is good and
ultimately, beautiful.
Figure 1. A Medieval Cathedral

Why Study the Humanities?

For as long as man existed in this planet, he has cultivated the land altered the conditions of the fauna and
the flora, in order to survive. Alongside these necessities man also marked his place in the world through his
works. Though his bare hands, man constructed infrastructures that tended to his need, like his house He
sharpened swords and spears. He employed fire in order to melt gold. The initial meaning of the word “art"
has something to do with all these craft.
The word “art” comes from ancient Latin, ars which means a “craft or specialized form of skill, like
carpentry or smithying or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938). Art then suggested the capacity to produce an
intended result from carefully planned steps or method. When a man wants to build a house, he plans
meticulously to get to what the prototype promises and he executes the steps to produce the said structure,
then he is engaged in art. The Ancient World did not have any conceived notion of art in the same way that
we do now. To them, art only meant using the bare hands to produce something that will be useful to one's
day-to-day life.
Ars in Medieval Latin came to mean something different. It meant “any special form of book-
learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology"(Collingwood,1938). It was only during the
Renaissance Period that the word reacquired a meaning that was inherent in its ancient form of craft. Early
Renaissance artists saw their activities merely as craftsmanship, devoid of a whole lot of intonations that are
attached to the word now. It was during the seventeenth century when the problem and idea of aesthetics, the
study of beauty, began to unfold distinctly from the notion of technical workmanship, which was the original
conception of the word "art." It was finally in the eighteenth century when the word has evolved to
distinguish between the fine arts and the useful arts. The fine arts would come to mean "not delicate or
highly skilled arts, but 'beautiful' arts" (Collingwood, 1938). This is something more to what is now
considered art.

2
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
"The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most
important means of expression developed by man" (Dudley et
al., 1960). Human history has witnessed how man evolved
not just physically but also culturally, from cave painters to
men of exquisite paintbrush users of the present. Even if one
goes back to the time before written records of man's
civilization has appeared, he can find cases of man's attempts
of not just crafting tools to live and survive but also
expressing his feelings and thoughts. The Galloping Wild
Boar found in the cave of Altamira, Spain is one such
example. In 1879, a Spaniard and his daughter were
exploring a cave when they saw pictures of a wild boar, hind,
and bison. According to experts, these paintings were purported to belong to Upper Paleolithic Age, several
thousands of years before the current era. Pre-historic men, with their crude instruments, already showcased
and manifested earliest attempts at recording man's innermost interests, preoccupations, and thoughts. The
humanities, then, ironically, have started even before the term has been coined. Human persons have long
been exercising what it means to be a human long before he was even aware of his being one. The
humanities stand tall in bearing witness to this magnificent phenomenon. Any human person, then, is tasked
to participate, if not, totally partake in this long tradition of humanizing himself.

ASSUMPTION OF ART
Art in universal
Literature has provided key works of art. Among the most
popular ones being taught in school are the two Greek epics, the lliad
and the Odyssey. The Sanskrit pieces Mahabharata and Ramayana
are also staples in this field. These works, purportedly written before
the beginning of recorded history, are believed to be man's attempt at
recording stories and tales that have been passed on, known, and sung
throughout the years. Art has always been timeless and universal,
spanning generations and continents through and through.
In every country and in every generation, there is always art.
Oftentimes, people feel that what is considered artistic are only those
which have been made long time ago. This is a misconception. Age is not a factor in determining art. An
"...art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good” (Dudley et al., 1960). In the Philippines, the
works of Jose Rizal and Francisco Balagtas are not being read because they are old. Otherwise, works of
other Filipinos who have long died would have been required in junior high school too. The pieces
mentioned are read in school and have remained to be with us because they are good. They are liked and
adored because they meet our needs and desires. Florante at Laura never fails to teach high school students
the beauty of love, one that is universal and pure. Ibong Adarna, another Filipino masterpiece, has always
captured the imagination of the young with its timeless lessons. When we recite the Psalms, we feel in
communion with King David as we feel one with him in his conversation with God. When we listen to a
kundiman or perform folk dances, we still enjoy the way our Filipino ancestors whiled away their lime in the
past We do not necessarily like a kundiman for its original meaning. We just like it We enjoy it. Or just as
one of the characters in the movie Bar Boys thought, kundiman makes one concentrate better.

3
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
The first assumption then about the humanities is that art has been crafted by all people regardless of
origin, time, place, and that it stayed on because it is liked and enjoyed by people continuously. A great
piece of work will never be obsolete. Some people say that art is art for its intrinsic worth. In John Stuart
Mill's Utilitarianism (1879), enjoyment in the arts belongs to a higher good, one that lies at the opposite end
of base pleasures, Art will always be present because human beings will always express themselves and
delight in these expressions, Men will continue to use art while art persists and never gets depleted.

Art Is not nature.

In the Philippines, it is not entirely novel to hear some
consumers of local movies remark that these movies produced
locally are unrealistic. They contend that local movies work
around certain formula to the detriment of substance and
faithfulness to reality of the movies. These critical minds argue
that a good movie must reflect reality as closely as possible.
One important characteristic of art is that it is not nature. Art is
man's expression of his reception of nature. Art is man's way of
interpreting nature. Art is not nature. Art is made by man,
whereas nature is a given around us. It is in this juncture that
they can be considered opposites. What we find in nature should not be expected to be present in art too.
Movies are not meant to be direct representation of reality. They may, according to the moviemaker's
perception of reality, be a reinterpretation or even distortion of nature.
This distinction assumes that all of us see nature, perceive its elements in myriad, different, yet
ultimately valid ways. One can only imagine the story of the five blind men who one day argue against each
other on what an elephant looks like. Each of the five blind men was holding a different part of the elephant.
The first was touching the body and thus, thought the elephant was like a wall. Another was touching the
beast's ear and was convinced that the elephant was like a fan. The rest were touching other different parts of
the elephant and concluded differently based on their perceptions. Art is like each of these men's view of the
elephant. It is based on an individual's subjective experience of nature. It is not meant, after all, to accurately
define what the elephant is really like in nature. Artists are not expected to duplicate nature just as even
scientists with their elaborate laboratories cannot make nature.

Art involves experience.

Art is just experience. By experience, we mean the “actual doing of
something” (Dudley et al., 1960). Art is always an experience. Unlike fields
of knowledge that involve data, art is known by experiencing. A painter
cannot claim to know how to paint if he has not tried holding a brush. A
sculptor cannot produce a work of art if a chisel is foreign to him. Dudley et
al. (1960) affirmed that " art depends on experience, and if one is to know
art, he must know it not as fact or information but as experience."
A work of art then cannot be abstracted from actual doing. In order
to know what an artwork is, we have to sense it, see or hear it, and see AND
hear it. To fully appreciate our national hero's monument, one must go to
Rizal Park and see the actual sculpture. In order to know Beyoncé's music,
one must listen to it to actually experience them. A famous story about someone who adores Picasso goes

4
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
something like this: “Years ago, Gertrude Stein was asked why she bought the pictures of the then unknown
artist Picasso. 'I like to look at them,' said Miss Stein” (Dudley et al.,1960). At the end of the day, one fully
gets acquainted with art if one immerses himself into it. In the case of Picasso, one only learns about
Picasso's work by looking at it. That is precisely what Miss Stein did.

Art Appreciation: Creativity,

Imagination, and Expression
The Role of Creativity in Art Making
Creativity requires thinking outside the box. It is often used to
solve problems that have never occurred before, conflate function
and style, and simply make life a more unique and enjoyable
experience. In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from
another. We say something is done creatively when we have not yet
seen anything like it or when it is out of the ordinary. A creative artist
does not simply copy or imitate another artist's work. He does not
imitate the lines, flaws, colors, and patterns in recreating nature. He
embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work, and calls it
his own creative piece.
Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. What you thought was your own unique and
creative idea may not what it seems to be after extensive research and that someone else has coincidentally
devised before the idea in another part of the world. For instance, the campaign ad “It's More Fun in the
Philippines" used by the Department of Tourism (DOT) boomed popularity in 2011, but later on it was
found out that it was allegedly plagiarized from Switzerland's tourism slogan “It's More Fun in Switzerland,"
back in 1951. In DOT's defense, former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was “purely
coincidental.” Thus, creativity should be backed with careful research on related art to avoid such conflicts.

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

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

German physicist Albert Einstein who had made significant and major
contributions in science and humanity demonstrated that knowledge is actually
derived from imagination. He emphasized this idea through his words:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to
all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire
world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."
Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm, but goes beyond that.
That is why people rely on curiosity and imagination for advancement.
Through imagination, one is able to craft something bold, something new, and something better in the hopes
of creating something that will stimulate change. Imagination allows endless possibilities.
In an artist's mind sits a vast gallery of artworks. An artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can
be something that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938). Take for example a musician who thinks of a tune in
his head. The making of this tune in his head makes it an imaginary tune, an imaginative creation, an

5
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
imaginary art (Collingwood, 1938). It remains imaginary until he hums, sings, or writes down the notes of
the tune on paper. However, something imaginary does not necessarily mean it cannot be called art. Artists
use their imagination that gives birth to reality through creation.

In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires
imagination. Imagine being in an empty room surrounded by blank,
white walls, and floor. Would you be inspired to work in such a
place? Often, you will find coffee shops, restaurants, and libraries
with paintings hung or sculptures and other pieces of art placed
around the room to add beauty to the surroundings. This craving
and desire to be surrounded by beautiful things dates back to our
early ancestors (Collins & Riley, 1931). Cave walls are surrounded
Thomas Quine, “Cave Paintings” by drawings and paintings of animals they hunted: wild boars,
reindeers, and bison. Clays were molded and stones were carved
into forms that resemble men and women; burial jars were created with intricate designs on them. These
creative pieces were made not only because they were functional to men, but also because beauty gave them
joy (Collins & Riley, 1931).

Art as Expression
Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for his work in aesthetics,
explicated in his publication The Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist does to an emotion is not to
induce it, but express it. Through expression, he is able to explore his own emotions and at the same time,
create something beautiful out of them. Collingwood further illustrated that expressing emotions is
something different from describing emotions. In his example, explicitly saying “I am angry “is not an
expression of an emotion, but a mere description. There is no need in relating or referring to a specific
emotion, such as anger, in expressing one's emotion. Description actually destroys the idea of expression, as
it classifies the emotion, making it ordinary and predictable. Expression, on the other hand, individualizes.
An artist has the freedom to express himself the way he wants to. Hence, there is no specific technique in
expression. This makes people's art not a reflection of what is outside or external to them, but a reflection of
their inner selves.

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

6
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
Film
Film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images
in order to create an illusion of movement. Filmmaking focuses on its
aesthetic, cultural, and social value and is considered as both an art and an
industry. Films can be created by using one or a combination of some or all
of these techniques: motion-picture camera (also known as movie camera),
animation techniques, Computer- Generated Imagery (CGI), and more.
Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond the scope
of our imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its
viewers. The art of filmmaking is so complex it has to take into account
many important elements such as lighting, musical score, visual effects,
direction, and more. That is why in famous film festivals and awards such
as the Metro Manila Film Festival and Oscars, a long list of categories is considered to recognize excellence
in the art of filmmaking.

Performance Art
Performance art is a live art and the artist's medium is mainly
the human body which he or she uses to perform, but also employs
other kind of art such as visual art, props, or sound. It usually consists
of four important elements: time, where the performance took place,
the performer's or performer's body, and a relationship between the
audience and the performer(s) (Moma Learning, n.d.). The fact that
performance art is live makes it intangible, which means it cannot be
bought or traded as a commodity, unlike the previously discussed art
expressions.

Poetry Performance
Poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions not by
using paint, charcoal, or camera, but expresses them through words. These
words are carefully selected to exhibit clarity and beauty and to stimulate
strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow, and the list goes on. It uses a
word's emotional, musical, and spatial values that go beyond its literal
meaning to narrate, emphasize, argue, or convince. These words,
combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of the delivery,
add to the artistic value of the poem. Some poets even make poems out of
their emotions picked up from other works of art, which in turn produce
another work of art through poetry.

Architecture
As discussed, art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things
while architecture is the making of beautiful buildings. However, not all
buildings are beautiful. Some buildings only embody the functionality
they need, but the structure, lines, forms and colors are not beautifully
expressed. Thus, not all buildings can be considered architecture. Take,
for example, the Grand Theater de Bordeaux where the functionality of
the theater remains, but the striking balance of the lines, colors, and
shapes completes the masterpiece, Buildings should embody these three
important elements-plan, construction, and design-if they wish to merit
the title architecture (Collins & Riley,1931).
7
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
Dance
Dance is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the
music accompaniment. It has
been an age-old debate whether dance can really be considered an art
form, but here we primarily describe dance as a form of expression.
Dancing is a creative form that allows people to freely express
themselves. It has no rules. You may say that choreography does not
allow this, but in art expression, dancers are not confined to set steps
and rules but are free to create and invent their own movements as
long as they deem them graceful and beautiful.

Literary Art
Artists who practice literary arts use words-not paint, musical
instruments, or chisels-to express themselves and communicate emotions
to the readers. However, simply becoming a writer does not make one a
literary artist. Simply constructing a succession of sentences in a
meaningful manner is not literary art. Literary art goes beyond the usual
professional, academic, journalistic, and other technical forms of writing. It
focuses on writing using a unique style, not following a specific format or
norm. It may include both fiction and non-fiction such as novels,
biographies, and poems. Examples of famous literary artists and their
works include The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Romeo
and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare.

Theater
Theater uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary
events before a live audience. Theater art performances usually follow
a script, though they should not be confused with literary arts. Much
like in filmmaking, theater also considers several elements such as
acting, gesture, lighting, sound effects, musical score, scenery, and
props. The combination of these elements is what gives the strongest
impression on the audience and the script thus becomes a minor
element. Similar to performance art, since theater is also a live
performance, the participation of the viewer is an important element
in theater arts. Some genres of theater include drama, musical,
tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.

Applied Arts

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

8
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION

Let’s Work on This!!

Name: __________________________________Course & Year: ___________ Score: ________

1. In the first column of the table below, list down your most striking encounters with arts. On the
second column, explain why you think each encounter is an experience with art.
My Encounters with Arts Why?

2. Choose one artwork under each given category that you are familiar with. This can be the last
artwork that you have come across with or the one that made the most impact to you. Criticize each
using the guide question provided.
Categories:
1. Movie
2. Novel
3. Poem
4. Music
5. An architectural structure
6. A piece of clothing

Category: ______________________
Artwork___________________
1. What is it about? What is it for?

9
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION
Category: ______________________
Artwork___________________
2. What is it made of?

3. what is it style

4. How good is it?

Reference:
Nicolas, B.C, Garing D.R., Casaul J.R. (2018). Art Appreciation, ISBN 978-971-23-8669-5
Collingwood, R.G. (1938). The principles of art. Worcestershire: Read books Ltd.
Dudley, L., Faricy, A., and McGraw-Hill Book Company. (1960). The humanities. New York: McGraw-
Hill.

10
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION

1.
EVALUATE  Let the learners answer
the fill in the blanks
below.

Name: __________________________________Course & Year: ___________ Score: ________

Fill in the blanks.

1. Art comes from the ancient Latin word_________________

2. Constitute of the oldest and most important means of expression developed by man is called
_____________.

3. Literature has provided key works of art. Among the most popular ones being taught in school are
the two Greek epics, the _____________and the _______________.

4. Andress Bonifacio write what novel ______________________________________?

5. “Degusibus non dispuntadum est” means____________________________.

6. ________________requires thinking outside the box.

7. German physicist ___________________who had made significant and major contributions in

science and humanity demonstrated knowledge is actually derived from imagination.

8. __________refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an
illusion of movement.

9. __________focuses on its aesthetic, cultural and social value and is considered as both an art and an
industry.

10. ______________is the famous Literary artist and the writer of Romeo and Juliet literary art.

11
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART
APPRECIATION

12