What is Art?

INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS

Art is something that is perennially around us.

A bank manager choosing what tie to wear with

his shirt and shoes
 A politician shuffling her music track while
comfortable seated in her car
 A student marvelling at the intricate designs of a
medieval cathedral during a field trip
 A market vendor cheering for her bet in a
dance competition on a noontime TV show
Origins of “Art”

 Art > from the Latin word “ars” which means a “craft
or specialized form of skill, like carpentry, smithying,
or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938).
 Art > suggested the capacity to produce an
intended result from carefully planned steps of
methods.
 Art in the Ancient World meant using the bare
hands to produce something that will be useful to
one’s day-to-day life.
Changing Definition through the Times

 Medieval Latin > any special form of book-

learning
 Early Renaissance > craftsmanship
 17th
Century > aesthetics vs. technical
workmanship
 18th
Century > distinction between the fine arts
and the useful/practical arts
 Humanities > The Fine Arts

 Notdelicate or
highly skilled arts but
“beautiful arts”
The Humanities

 From the Renaissance Latin expression studia

humanitatis or study of humanities which refers to
“culture, refinement, education”
 Constitute
one of the oldest and most important
means of expression developed by man
 Demonstrates how men evolved not just
physically but also culturally
 Evolution of Culture
Galloping Wild Boar in Altamira,
Bob Ross and the Joy of Painting
Spain
Assumptions of Art

 Art
is universal. In every country and in every
generation, there is always art.
 Art
is not nature. Art is man’s expression of his
reception of nature.
 Art
involves experience. If one is to know art, he
must know it not as fact or information but as
experience.
Wrap it Up

 Humanitiesand the art have always been part

of man’s growth and civilization.
 Man has tried to express his inner thoughts and
feelings about reality through creating art.
 Artis universal because it is present in every part
of the globe and in every period time.
 Art
is not being nature but being a creation of
the artist.
 Theartist has to be foremost, a perceiver who is
directly in touch with art.
Creativity, Imagination,
and Expression
 Points to Consider:
It takes an artist to make art but not every
beautiful thing that can be seen or experienced
may truly be called a work of art.
An artwork may be inspired by nature or other
works of art but an artist invents his own forms and
patterns due to what he perceives as beautiful
and incorporates them in creating his
masterpiece.
 Points to Consider:
Not everyone can be considered an artist but
surely, all are spectator of art.
In buying a pair of shoes, we examine all
possible choices within our budget and buy
the one that satisfies our beauty and practical
standards. We distinguish what is fine and
beautiful from what is not, what is good
quality from poor.
Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher

Art is a creative work that

depicts the world in a
completely different light and
perspective, and the source is
due to human freedom.
 Art Appreciation as a Way of Life

In cultivating an appreciation of art, one

should also exercise and develop his taste for
things that are fine and beautiful.
This allows individuals to make intelligent
decisions in acquiring necessities while taking
into consideration the aesthetic and practical
value.
 Which will you buy?
Nike Men’s Air Zoom Pegasus running:
flymesh upper construction, fitsole
sockliner, premium cushion ST foam,
13375 Php
Adidas Men’s Energy Cloud 2 running:
breathable air mesh, Ortholite
sockliner, Cloudfoam midsole, 8822
Php
The Role of Creativity in Art
Making
Creativity requires thinking outside the box.
An artist 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.
Because creativity nowadays can be quite
challenging, it should be backed with careful
research to avoid conflicts.
Fun: 1951 vs. 2011
Art as a Product of Imagination,
Imagination as a Product of Art
“Imagination is more
important than knowledge.
For knowledge is limited to
all we know and understand
while imagination embraces
the entire world, and all
there ever will be to know
and understand.”
 Art as Expression
What an artist does to an emotion is not to
induce it but express it.
Expressing emotions is different from
describing emotions.
Art is not a reflection of what is outside but a
reflection of their inner selves.
Let Us Play this
Game!
 Visual Arts
Those that appeal to the sense of sight and
are mainly visual in nature
Art form that the population is most likely
more exposed to
Mediums: paintings, drawings,
letterings/calligraphy, printing, sculpture,
digital imaging, etc.
 Film
Art of putting together successions of still images in
order to create an illusion of movement
Focuses on aesthetic, cultural, and social value
Considered both an art and an industry
Stimulates experiences or creates one that is
beyond the scope of our imagination
Considerations: lighting, musical score, visual
effects, direction, etc
 Performance Art
Live art with the human body as the medium
Employs other kinds of art such as visual art,
props, or sound
Four elements: time, where the performance
took place, performer’s body, relationship
between the audience and the performer
Cannot be bought or traded as a commodity
 Further Understanding
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiEr1QPShkE
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-YZ3A4mdk
 Poetry Performance
Poetry – an art form where the artist expresses
his emotions through words carefully selected
to exhibit clarity and beauty and to stimulate
strong emotions
Words combined with movement, tone,
volume, and intensity of the delivery
 Further Understanding
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPG6nJRJeWQ
on poetry performance
 Architecture
The art and science of designing and
constructing buildings
Elements: plan, construction, design
Principle: “Form follows function.”
 Dance
Series of movements that follows the rhythm of
the music accompaniment
Creative form that allows people to freely
express themselves
 Further Understanding
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHjnZOuj3t4 on
ballet.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3QA_Dcyw4c
on hiphop.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXrfJ85qeaE on
Philippine folk dance.
 Literary Art
Using words to express an artist’s self and
communicate emotions to the readers.
Goes beyond the usual professional,
academic, journalistic and other technical
forms of writing
Genres: fiction (novels, poems) and non-
fiction (biographies, essays)
 Theater
Uses live performers to present accounts or
imaginary events before a live audience
Elements: acting, gesture, lighting, sound
effects, musical score, scenery, props
Genres: drama, musical, tragedy, comedy,
improvisation
 Further Understanding
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6tOsnbUjI for
tragedy.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLFj9GWLN2w
for musical.
 Applied Arts
Incorporating elements of styles and design
to everyday items with the aim of increasing
their aesthetical value
Forms: industrial design, interior design,
fashion design, graphic design
Functions and Philosophical
Perspectives on Art
Aristotle on Telos
• Every particular substance in the
world has an end—a telos—
which translates into “purpose.”
• Telos is intricately linked with
function. For a thing to reach its
purpose, it has to fulfill its
function.
Telos and Functions of Things
• What makes a table a table is the fact that it does
perform its function and thereby, reaching its telos.
• What makes a human being a human being is his
capacity for thinking.
• In telos, the function and the “whatness” of things
are all interconnected.
Philosophical Questions
• Does art necessarily have an end?
• When an artist creates a work of art, does he have an
end in mind?
• What function does an artwork perform?
• Does the function make an object a work of art?
Functionality
• Looking at an artwork, one may ask, “What is it for?”
 The Oblation
• What is The Oblation for?
• Why is it the symbol of UP?
• Is The Oblation merely for
sentimental value?
• Does The Oblation send a
message?
Functional Art
Architecture Applied Art
Functions of Art
• Personal (public display or expression)
• Social (celebration or to affect collective behavior)
• Physical (utilitarian)
Personal Functions of Art
• Varied and highly
subjective
• Depends on the
person
• May be therapeutic
Social Functions of Art
• Addresses a
particular collective
interest
• Depicts social
conditions, usually
through
photography
Physical Functions of Art
• Serves some physical purpose
Other Functions of Art
• Music: dance, religion, therapy
• Sculpture: religion, commemoration of important
figures in history
• Dance: religion, rituals
• Architecture: most prominent functional art form
Does art always have to be functional?
• The value of a work of art does not depend on
function but on the work itself.
• Poetry (Poe’s Annabel Lee) and plays (Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet) are still examples of great works of
art despite not having a known function.
• However, a functional object cannot claim to be
beautiful unless it can perform its function.
Philosophical Perspectives on Art
• Imitation
• Representation
• Disinterested Judgment
• Communication of Emotion
Art as an Imitation: Plato
• Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for
two reasons: they appeal to the emotion rather than
to the rational faculty of men and they imitate rather
than lead one to reality.
• For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty
replacement for real entities that can only be
attained through reason.
Art as a Representation: Aristotle
• Art allows for the experience of pleasure.
Experiences that are otherwise repugnant can
become entertaining.
• Art has an ability to be instructive and teach its
audience things about life, thus, it is cognitive as
well.
Art as a Disinterested Judgment: Kant
• The judgment of beauty, and therefore art, is innately
autonomous from specific interests and as such, is
subjective.
• However, even subjective judgments are based on
some universal criterion for the said judgment.
Art as a Communication of Emotion: Tolstoy
• Art plays a huge role in communication to its
audience’s emotions that the artist previously
experienced.
• Art serves as a language, a communication device
that articulates feelings and emotions that are
otherwise unavailable to the audience.
Aesthetics
• A branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of
art, beauty, and taste with the creation and
appreciation for beauty
 Elements of Aesthetics
• Vision • Taste
• Hearing • Smell
• Touch
 Vision
• Color • Visual Weight
• Shape • Balance
• Pattern • Scale
• Line • Movement
• Texture
 Hearing
• Loudness • Melody
• Pitch • Pattern
• Beat • Noise
• Repetition
 Touch
• Texture • Temperature
• Shape • Vibration
• Weight • Sharpness
• Gives Comfort • Ease of Use
 Taste
• Strength • Sourness
• Sweetness • Texture
 Smell
• Strength • Pleasantness
• Sweetness
Personal Considerations
• How fashionable is it?
• Is it a novelty or an old favorite?
• Is it a symbol of wealth or love?
• How much danger or risk is involved?
• Does it provide a link with your past?
SUBJECT AND
CONTENT IN ART
 2

Status Quo:

✘ The Philippines is a predominantly non-

museum-going public. For this reason, looking
at art has always been a tricky business.
✘ One of the things that keeps us from having a
sincere engagement with the art is the notion
that in order to appreciate art, one must be able
to extract a specific image, isolate the artist or
maker’s intention, and unearth a particular
meaning.
 3

✘ Failure to do so automatically implies a failure

of comprehension and as such, failure of the
experience. It is as if not being able to
understand what the artist is conveying through
his art means that we do not “get” the art.
Because of this, the engagement and
appreciation of art has been relegated to merely
a handful who have had training and instruction
in producing and in reading art.
 4

At the end of the lesson, you should

have been able to:

✘ Differentiate between representational art and

non-representational art;
✘ Discuss the difference between an artwork’s
subject and its content;
✘ Identify the subject matter and content of
specific examples of art; and,
✘ Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some
of the most recognizable works of art
Activity (In-class)
Let’s get started!
 6

Analysis (In-class)
Let’s think about it!
 7

Abstraction
Let’s explore!
Stages of Engaging with Art

✘ Perception. Looking at art is much like any

instance of taking in information or stimulus
that originates from the world around us. For
most art forms, the moment of engagement
with art begins when we look at the artwork.
The eyes play a big role in making a vision
possible. However, it is just one component of
appreciating art. Our attention has been caught
visually; it is how we respond to it that matters
more
 9

✘ Creating the difference. This happens when we

respond to what we have perceived. What
makes the difference is the awareness in the
process of looking where subjectivity is
essential in navigating through the artwork.
Subjectivity is illustrated in the way that
selective perception renders one or two details
more prominent than others, as in the activity
you had prior.
 10

✘ Contributors to information and understanding.

This includes our mood as the viewer, our
education, our background, our exposure to
varying contexts, among others. A painting
depicting Jesus Christ on the cross, for example,
may be interpreted differently by an atheist or
an agnostic.
 11

Defining Terms

✘ Subject - visual focus or

image that may be
extracted from examining
the artwork. This is the
“what” of the artwork. To
illustrate, the subject of
Leonardo da Vinci’s
painting “La Gioconda” is a
beautiful, mysterious
woman
 12

✘ Content - the meaning that is communicated by

the artist or the artwork. Simply put, this is the
“why” of the artwork. To understand this, we
can either ask the artist, assuming this is
possible, or draw our own conclusions based on
what we see
 13

✘ Form- the development and configuration of the

artwork—how the elements and the medium or
material are put together. This is the “how” of
an artwork. For example, the Mona Lisa was
done by using oil set on poplar canvas.
 14

Why do we need to know these?

✘ In the arts, there are observable qualities in an

artwork that will point to its subject, and
sometimes, even to its content.
✘ To flesh out what the subject of the artwork is,
we need to look at the perceivable figures on
the surface which constitute the entire picture
or even the manner in which the artist chose to
depict those figures. With those as a jump-off
point, the subject can then be inferred.
 15

Types of Subject

✘ Representational Art - those that refer to actual

objects, persons, or events occurring in the real
world; also called “figurative art”
✘ Non-representational art - those that do not
make a reference to the real world and are
stripped down to visual elements such as
shapes, lines, and colors that are employed to
translate a particular feeling, emotion, and even
concept; also called “non-figurative art”
 16

Representational Art

Jan van Eyck, “Portrait of Giovanni

Arnolfini and Wife” (1434). Oil on oak panel.
National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
 17

Non-Representational Art

Jackson Pollock, “No. 5, 1948” (1948). Oil on fiberboard. Private Collection, New York City.
 18

Non-Representational vs. Abstract Art

✘ Non-representational art and abstract art are

not always the exact same thing.
✘ Abstraction in art refers to “having intrinsic form
with little or no attempt at pictorial
representation or narrative content”
 19

✘ Abstraction is used when the artist becomes so

interested in one phase of a situation that he
does not show the subject in its entirety as an
objective reality but only his idea or feeling
about it.
✘ Abstract art moves away from showing things
as they really are. The artist paints the picture
not as it really looks like. It is not “realistic” so to
speak.
 20

Pablo Picasso, “Head of a Woman, Mougins”

(1962). Metal cut-out, folded, and painted.
Musée National Picasso, Paris, France.
 21

Which is which?

✘ As a guide to whether an abstract artwork is

classified as representational art or non-
representational art, think of the artwork as a
scale with “representational art” and “non-
representational art” on either ends of the
spectrum. The amount of distortion on the
abstract work—if figures are recognizable or
not—will place the artwork on either end.
 22

Source: Nature

✘ Always a good starting point

✘ Ranges from plants to animals, the qualities of
bodies of water and the terrain of landmasses,
and the perceivable cycles and changings of
seasons
 23

Nature

Vincent van Gogh, “The Red

Vineyards near Arles”
(1888). Oil on canvas.
Pushkin Museum of Fine
Arts, Moscow, Russia.
 24

Source: Mythology

✘ May be Greek, Roman, Norse, Filipino, etc.

✘ Ripe with references
 25

Mythology

Benvenuto Cellini, “Perseus with the

Head of Medusa” (1554). Bronze.
Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy.
 26

Source: Relationship Between Man and

a Higher Controlling Power

✘ The Judeo-Christian tradition, for instance,

stems from a belief in a lone creator of the
universe or monotheism
✘ This is as opposed to the polytheistic beliefs of
the Romans, Greeks, and Indians
 27

Man and Creator Relationship

Michelangelo, “The Creation of Adam” (1512). Fresco. Sistine Chapel, the Vatican City.
 28

Source: History

✘ Historically significant events particularly in the

affairs of humanity are abundant references for
art production.
✘ History, as a resource for artists in search of
subjects, brings into consideration events that
are familiar and sometimes even common or
shared in world context.
 29

History

Francisco de Goya, “El

Tres de Mayo” *1814). Oil
on canvas. Museo del
Prado, Madrid, Spain
 30

Levels of Meaning

✘ As mentioned in the beginning of this lesson,

the subject may simply be referred to as the
“what” of the artwork. In representational art,
this is readily seen and relates to the artwork,
its inspiration, and the many kinds of
translation. But apart from the explicit, the
viewer may sometimes need to go beyond what
is visible. This means that we often try to
discover the message or meaning behind the
artwork.
 31

Factual Meaning

✘ The easiest level is deciphering the factual

meaning of the work.
✘ This is extracted from the identifiable or
recognizable forms in the artwork.
32
 33

Conventional Meaning

✘ The interpretation is acknowledged through the

use of motifs, signs, symbols, and other
cyphers.
✘ What facilitates understanding of this meaning
is that most symbols used are those that are
commonly used.
 34

Claudio Jimenez Quispe.

Painted plaster sculpture.
 35

Subjective Meaning

✘ Stems from the audience’s circumstances that

come into play when engaging with art.
✘ Often, interpreting the artwork will vary,
depending on the viewer’s mood or state of
mind.
 36

Salvador Dali, “The

Persistence of
Memory” (1931). Oil
on canvas. The
Museum of Modern
Art, New York City.
 37

Application (In-class)
Let’s do it!
 38

Wrap-Up and Preview

At this point, you should have been
able to:

✘ Differentiate between representational art and

non-representational art;
✘ Discuss the difference between an artwork’s
subject and its content;
✘ Identify the subject matter and content of
specific examples of art; and,
✘ Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some
of the most recognizable works of art
 40

✘ By being able to clearly identify the source and

content of artworks, it will now then be easier
for you to understand where an artist is coming
from whenever we look at his or her work.
 41

Coming Up:

✘ In the next lesson, we will get to know more

about the artist himself. What skills do they
need to possess to practice their craft? Are
there any qualifications needed to be an artist?
What honor or recognition do our Philippine
artists receive for their craft?
 42

Burj-al Arab, Dubai, UAE [Tom Wright of WKK Architects]