IMPORTANCE OF ART, MEANING OF ART, &
ASSUMPTIONS OF ART
Importance of Art
 Arts enhance our daily experience
 Arts that we receive from our senses have a
purpose; it is an expression, it occupy some place
in our judgment
 It plays a vital part in developing the intellect of
young generation in building up a positive
character and appreciate natural aesthetics
 In this period of advanced technology, it challenge
us to see things differently that can change our
ways of life
 Develop our skills and express our selves
Meaning of Art
• The word “art” is rooted from the 13th century
French word “art” which means skill as a result of
learning or practice and from the Latin word “ars”
meaning ability or practical skills.
• The word art covers many meanings including
ability, process and product. As ability, art is the
human capacity to make things of beauty and
things that that stirs us, it is creativity. As process,
art encompasses acts such as drawing, painting,
sculpting, designing buildings, singing, dancing and
using the camera to create images or memorable
works. As product, art is the completed work- and
etching, a sculpture, a structure, a musical
composition, choreography or a tapestry.
• According to: Plato, “Art is that which brings life in
harmony with the beauty of the world.
For John Dewey, “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”. To Oscar Wilde, “Art is the most
intense mode of individualism that the world has
known” and for Elbert Hubbard, “Art is not a thing
— it is a way”.
4 Common Essentials of Art
 Art has to be man-made
 Art must be creative not imitative
 Art must benefit and satisfy man
 Art is expressed through a certain medium or
material by which the artist communicates himself
to the audience
Art History – the study of objects or works of art in
their historical development and stylistic contents.
Why do we need to study art history?
o a painting, an architecture, a sculpture & other
work of arts
Creativity – is an artist trait developed in the course of
his life to solve problems and express his feelings. The
method of creativeness composed of the artist, being
the prime mover, his thoughts communicated through
the performer and the audience as his judge. Each
participates dynamically in the artistic
Assumptions of Art
These are the principles and bases of appreciating a
work of art since it is in art that man communicates
one’s individuality and way of life
 Art is Universal
 Art is Not Nature
 Art Involves Experience
Functions of Art
 Personal
 Social
 Cultural
 Aesthetical
 Spiritual
Basic Philosophical Perspective of Art
 Art as Mimesis (Plato) – art is an imitation of the
real that was an imitation of the ideal
 Art as Representation (Aristotle) – aim of art is not
to represent the outward appearance of things but
their inward significance
 Art for Art’s Sake (Immanuel Kant) – art has its
own reason for being and it has an inherent value
 Art as an Escape – it touches the deepest reals of
the mind and the sacred dimension of the artistic
creative process
 Art as Functional – art is meant to be used
Categories/Classifications of Art
1. Visual Arts (2D-Two-Dimensional, 3D-Three
Dimensional)
 Painting – It is the application of pigment (color) on
any flat two-dimensional (2D) surfaces.
 Sculpture – It is the carving, modelling, casting,
constructing and assembling of materials and
objects into primarily three-dimensional works of
art
 Architecture – It is the art and science of planning,
designing and constructing buildings and non-
building structures for human shelter or use (3D).
2. Performing/Combined Arts
 Music- It is an art form and cultural activity whose
medium is sound organized in time.
 Film – It is also called as movie or motion picture,
is a series of still images that, when shown on a
screen create an illusion of moving images.
 Theater – It is a collaborative form of art that uses
live performers, typically actors or actresses
to present the experience of a real or imagined
event before a live audience in a specific place,
often a stage.
 Literary – It is concentrating the writing, study or
content of literature, especially of the kind
valued for quality of form.
 Performance poetry – It is poetry specifically
composed for or during a performance before an
audience rather than on print mostly open to
improvisation
3. Digital Arts – it is the art that is made with the
assistance of electronic devices, or intended to be
displayed on a computer which is the most important
element in digital art
4. Applied Arts – are the applications of design and
decoration to everyday objects to make them
aesthetically pleasing.
 Fashion design – It is the art of applying design,
aesthetics and natural beauty to clothing and its
accessories
 Furniture design – It is a specialized field where
function and fashion collide.
 Interior design– It is enhancing the interior of a
building to achieve a healthier and more
aesthetically pleasing environment for the people
using the space.
 Graphic Design - It is an artistic process of effective
communication. Designers combine words images
and symbols to create visual representation of
ideas.
SUBJECT & CONTENT OF ART
Subject of Art
The subject of art is the matter to be described or to be
portrayed by the artist. The subject of art is varied. This
may refer to any person, object, scene or event and
animal. In general, the subject of art is anything under
the sun, the subject could be make-believe, imaginary
and invented. It can also be real events caused by
calamities and man-made like the deadly covid-19 virus
that becomes a pandemic.
Two Kinds of Art as to Subject
1. Representational or Objective Art
 They are those arts which depict (represent)
objects that are commonly recognized by most
people.
 They attempt to copy, even if in a subjective
manner, something that is real. It uses “form” and
is concerned with “what” is to be depicted in the
artwork.
 They attempt to portray the subject as it is. The
artists would try to be as objective as possible.
a. Still life – this is a work of art depicting mostly
inanimate subject matter, typically
commonplace objects which may be either
natural (food, flowers, plants, rocks, or
shells) or man-made (drinking glasses, books,
vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, and so on) in an
artificial setting
b. Portrait – this is a painting, photograph, figure
or other art forms in which the face and its
expression is predominant. The purpose may
be to show the resemblance, personality or
disposition of the individual.
c. Landscapes, Seascapes, Moonscapes,
Cityscapes – these are extensive view, scenery
or a picture or representation of such a view.
d. Mythology and Religion, Dreams and
Fantasies
2. Non-representational or Non-objective Art
• These are the arts without any reference to
anything outside itself (without representation). It
is non-objective because it has no recognizable
objects. It is abstract in the sense that it doesn’t
represent real objects in our world. It uses
“content” and is concerned with “how” the
artwork is depicted. The artist attempts only to
show his ideas and feelings not as objective
as the realist or representational artist.
• Some contemporary painters have shifted their
interest to the work of art as an object itself, an
exciting combination of shapes and colors that
fulfills the aesthetic needs without having to
represent images or tell a story. Many modern
paintings have a purely visual appeal; so difficult
that literal oriented spectators cannot appreciate
them.
• Traditional sculptures and paintings have subjects.
When looking at a painting or a sculpture, one
expects to recognize the subject to know what it is
about - a man, an animal or a tree.
Sources of the Subject of Art
1. Nature – Next to animals and people and their
activities, nature as landscapes has been the common
subject of the art. It has been the most common
inspiration and subject.
2. History – all art is conditioned by the historical
period in which it is created, rulers like to have
themselves and the great deeds of their time
perpetuated consequently, statues and paintings of
the great are found in each civilization.
3. Greek and Roman Mythology – this has been a very
important source of subjects in the arts. These arts are
so famous that they count as a definite part of our
inheritance. During the Renaissance period, poets,
painters and sculptors drew largely from Greek and
Roman sources for subjects.
4. Religion – it has played an enormous role in inspiring
works of visual arts, music, architecture and literature
through ages. It was during the Renaissance that the
European artisans became “artist” and conscious of
their role in a way that had never been true before.
5. Sacred oriental texts – these are sacred texts of
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism,
Jainism, and Islam.
Content of Art
 The content of art is the meaning, message, and/or
feeling imparted by a work of art. This is not the
same thing as the subject matter the work depicts.
 Content is inextricably linked with form, which
refers to the pictorial aspects of art. Is the mass of
ideas associated with each artwork and
communicated through the following:
 The Art’s imagery
 The symbolic meaning
 Its surroundings where it is used or displayed
 The customs, belief and values of the culture
that uses it
 Writings that help explain the work
• There are three levels of meaning. The most
common is the factual meaning which is the literal
statement or narrative content in the work which
can be directly apprehended because the objects
presented are easily recognized.
• The second is the conventional meaning – which
refers to the special meaning that the certain
object or color has for a particular culture or group
of people when it is shown in an artwork.
• The third is the subjective meaning which refers to
individual meaning deliberately and instinctively
expressed by the artist using a personal symbolism
which stems from his own alliance with certain
objects, actions or colors with past experiences. It
makes fully understandable if the artist give details
on what he really means otherwise it tends to be
interpreted differently by the viewers or would
communicate multiple meanings to its range of
audience.
Keeping Art
A country, society and individual may hold on to art
often beyond its usefulness which may involve various
considerations including its meaning and its economic
value. Public and private institutions like museums and
galleries are also designed for keeping art, and issues
around preserving or restoring it.
1. National Pride and Glory
Nations keep art because it is good for the economy
and for business. The presence of major
archaeological, religious or architectural site stimulates
the entire economy, attracts tourists and generates
thousands of local jobs
2. Museums and Private collections
Museums are the repositories of much of the art in
most countries and make them available for public
viewing through either permanent or temporary
exhibitions. A museum does not sell works of art, but
essentially holds them in public trust, and engages in
varying levels of education and conservation practices.
Private collections are older than museums. Since
earliest times, rulers, nobles and priests have collected
art and kept it in palaces or temples for aesthetic
pleasure, personal or ritual use or the display of power.
Private or known individuals may also keep collection
of artworks for personal, commercial and aesthetic
purposes. Museums often reflect the cultural milieu of
their founding or origin
3. Preservation and Restoration
Because art is valuable, enormous human effort and
financial resources are devoted to preserving art from
the ravages of time, the environment, industrial-by-
products, and even other human being.