ART APPRECIATION

JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

LECTURE 1
CLEARING THE SPACE: THE STUDY OF HUMANITIES

The term humanities generally refer to art, literature, music, architecture, dance and theater - areas in which
human subjectively is emphasized and individual expressiveness is dramatized. (Zulueta, 2006, 2006, p.2)

Humanities comes from the Latin word "humanus" which means human, cultured and refined.

It may refer to those branches of knowledge concerned with man and his culture. The humanities are,
therefore, the records of man's experiences, his/her values, his/her sentiments, and his/her ideals, his/her goals;
the humanities are ultimately the expressions of the man's feelings and thoughts. (Zulueta, 2006, p. 2)

Humanities may also be defined as the study of man's nature, his/her cultures, the evolution of his/her thinking
and ideas, his/her aspirations and ideals, through an examination of his/her works using a certain format of
analysis. (Ferraro, 2008, p.1)

Humanities is defined as a cultural discourse which focuses on the highest dignity of a man/woman or LGBT,
the greatest need to develop his/her full potentials and make his/her a well-balanced individual as a cultured
person.

On the Nature of Humanities

Humanities explore the fields of study of the branches of learning related to cultural achievements of man.
The study of humanities includes history, literature, language, the fine arts and philosophy- the fields
concerned with human relations, and the performing arts, like dance, music, theatre, and films- fields concerned
with human expression.
Humanities is designed to expose man to the fullest and wisest exposure to his physical and social
environments making him/her into a well-informed and culturally sensitive person.

Significance of Humanities

One learns what it is to be human by studying humanity and this depend, to a large extent, on vicarious and
direct experience and the way he/she reaches out to people of different cultures on different places.
The humanities are important in the development of the complete social being, ready to take on his/ her
responsibilities in this rapidly changing world and enjoy life.

Humanities gives us a broad knowledge of our history and cultural traditions. It helps us acquire the values
and wisdom to understand and appreciate the excellence of our people. It inspires us to exert greater efforts and at
the same time refine or taste and preferences.
It helps us develop our sense of pride through our appreciation of the significant achievements of
man/woman during the different stages of development, about their failures and success, that can guide, present
day people into making acts that are dignifying to him/her, his/her country and people.

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 ART APPRECIATION
JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

LECTURE 2
CELEBRATING LIFE: ON ARTS STUDIES

The art constitutes one of the oldest and most important means of expressions developed be man/woman.

Art has been created by people at ace times; it lives because it is liked and enjoyed. Art in values personal
experience of an individual accompanied by some intensity of emotion.

Zulueta (2006, p.2) posits that "art is made by man, no matter how close it is to nature; although each work
of art is evidently the expression of an artist's personal thoughts and feelings, it may be inferred that, like any other
individual, he/she belongs to a nuclear, and he/she cannot free himself/herself from the influence of his/her social,
economic, political, cultural, geographic, scientific and technical environment--these factors undoubtedly affect
his/her creative expression."

Art is a product of man's need to express himself and is not limited to the revelation of emotions alone-the
personal and social values of the artist are also manifested and conveyed through the arts.
Art is man's way of expressing his/her ideas and feelings through his/her creations in non-geographic
expression. (Ferraro, 2008, p. 2).

Ferraro (2008,p. 3) contends that art could be:

1. A creation of man or any non-graphic expression of man that appeals to a man's/ woman's taste or sense
of beauty; The use or employment of things to answer some special need;
2. 2. The special skill required by those who practice fine arts and;
3. 3. A way or means of communicating ideas through sensors mediums.

On classifying art, the following are some ways of classifying art, they are:
1. Visual Arts and Space Arts are similar because both could be seen by our naked eye;
2. The Arts and Auditory Arts are similar in the sense that both require the use of time or duration (i.e.,
reading, dancing and singing)
3. Major Arts. These are fields that have reached their golden years of, development, the highest peak of
development, especially in the employment of high technology (i.e., architecture, painting, sculpture,
literature, and music)
4. Creative Arts. These require man's/woman's creation or invention of objects in two or three-dimensional
medium like painting, sculpture and architecture.
5. Performing Arts. These require man's/woman's way of expression (i.e., dancing, singing and acting).

The Subject of Art: Perspectives

The subject of art is varied; it may refer to any person, object scene or event represented in a work of art.
Arts have subjects; others do not - the arts that have subject are called representational or objective arts;
those that do not have subjects are non-representational or non-objective arts.

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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

Example:

Representative Arts Non-Representational Arts

1. Painting 1. Music
2. Sculpture 2. Architecture Art
3. Graphic Artist Representative Art
4. Literature
5. Theatre Arts

Art operates in certain dimension or space; Artists consider the following dimensions where his art piece
can operate:

1. Social Dimensions (Value to social interaction)

This area of consideration is concerned with communicating a message to focusing on the
relationship of man with his fellowmen and with some institutions in society -the relationship could be
between man and himself, man and his family; and man and his community.
Man as a member of his/her age group, a social group, an ethnic group and a certain race.
The relationship could be objective (for the common good), manipulative (for propaganda
purposes; with hidden agenda) functional (for advisory; offers a way; approach or solution), and personal
for limited goodness (to age group, social group, ethnic group.

2. Economic Dimensions
This area of consideration concerns both the artist and the art collections and art enthusiasts.
To the artist, it means the art is his profession (as such, he/she will try to create a name by way of
style, subject matter and quality of work.
Being his/her profession, he/she always tries to improve his quality of work to attract the interest of
art collectors and art enthusiasts.
To the art collectors, they consider the resale value of the piece of art in the future, and from the
pride of possessing them.

3. Ideological Dimensions
When artists express their feelings, political or ideological commentaries through their work.
Example:
1. Juan Luna's "The SPOLIARIUM"
2. Picasso's "GUERNICA"

4. Psychological Dimension
When the artist tries to express the emotional condition or the state of mind of the model or of the
image or images, through a certain style of presentation.
Example:
1. Edward Munch's "THE SCREAM" (A painting which focus on a woman who saw two shadows
of men behind her one dark night in the middle of a budge.)

On Creation of Art: The Process Lives On

The process of art creation involves the idea, the material and the organization/form.
1. Idea. Before an artist starts creating an art piece, he/she should have an idea or a mental image of
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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor
something that will be given form out of a subject taken from a particular source.
2. Material. It is also called the medium; this is the means by which an artist communicates his/her idea;
this is the stuff out of which the artist creates a work of art. 3

3. Organization/Form. The giving of the idea the form out of the selected material; the art of planning how
a composition is to be done and finished beautifully by following a pre-planned design; it is the orderly
piecing-up of various parts of elements to produce one organic whole.
The basic requirements of organization (art creation):
a. It must make sense.
b. It must be interesting.

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 ART APPRECIATION
JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

LECTURE 3
PHILOSOPHY OF THE BEAUTIFUL: ON ART APPRECIATION

Beauty is within one’s perspective; it is perfection in terms of symmetry and balance; when something is
pleasurable and exudes happiness.
Beauty is being confident with a heart… (Wurtzbach, 2015)
Plato equated beauty with the sublime identity with good while Aristotle considered beauty as symmetry,
proportion and an organic order of parts into a unified whole. (Ferraro, 008, p. 20)
Indeed man/woman aspires for perfection he/she has a natural tendency to contemplate and enjoy perfect
and beautiful things. (Zulueta, 2006, p.4)
Zulueta (2006, p.4) insists that "beautiful things are things in order, things with precision, purpose and
proportion; likewise, there are no mistakes in beautiful things- everything is appropriate, interesting, relevant and
perfect."
In fact, anything that is beautiful is also meaningful and relevant and must be understood by the publics.
Beauty must impress our imagination and affect our lives-in art, things which do not make sense are eliminated.
Men, women and even the LGBT group need the experience of the beautiful to free themselves from their
anxieties, worries, tensions, fatigues, passions, and sorrows; human existence takes on a significant dimension
when it is cleansed of sordid experiences by the influence of the arts.

On the Different Views of Beauty

Ferraro posits (2008, p.21) "The different views on beauty is attributed to the many expectations of man,
including those standards found in herlhis culture and those that must be fulfilled within his culture; others are of the
opinion that this divergence largely depends on the philosophy held by man! womanl LGBT, which shapes their
mental attitude affecting hislher views of life."

Zulueta (2006, p.4) contends that "beauty also increases the love for natural and artificial objects and the
knowledge of our cultural heritage."

On Philosophy of "The Beautiful"

Philosophy refers to system aimed at giving man/woman/LGBT or guiding them the proper ways on how to
conduct his practical affairs in life, especially to those that are ethically acceptable in his society.
Philosophy gives man/woman/LGBT some basic guidelines on how he/she could relate accordingly with his
creator (God), government, environment (nature) and society (community).

PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT MANS’s/WOMEN’s/LGBT’s VIEW OF BEAUTY

 Pragmatism (also called practicalism) 1. A thing or idea is beautiful if it will satisfy his/her
- is a contemporary doctrine that denotes the practical needs in life.
tendency of man/woman to subordinate his/her
logical thinking to ends of practical living. Example: Cellphone

His/her way of testing the truth is through actual

experience.

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 ART APPRECIATION
JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor
 Existentialism 2. As a doctrine, it stresses on man's concrete
- is a term based on a concept that an individual existence, his/ her personal freedom and his/her
is entirely tree/independent to make decisions consequent responsibilities for what he does, for his/her
and accepts commitment of free responsibility life to have meaning is beautiful.
for this decisions and actions in this uncertain
world.
 Realism 1. This theory suggests that things exist, Occur, happen
This philosophical concept has two (2) distinct beyond man's control, but their existence, occurrence,
meanings: or happening has a certain, meaningful purpose,
1. It is a theory that general ideas, the universal, have independent of man's thinking or interpretation.
existence independent of the individual 2. This meaningful, basic purpose of existence,
(man/women/LGBT) and the individual's mind. occurrence, or happening which is beyond man's
2. It is a theory that external objects have an existence control, is always good and therefore beautiful.
independent or any thought about them. 3. This concept stresses that man as a perfect being
can reach perfection only if man well strive to always do
or give his best in everything he does.
4. This concept emphasizes that a thing or idea will
become beautiful only if it is the results of man's best
efforts. If man gives his best efforts in everything he
does, time will come that he will reach perfection.

 Idealism
1. Refers to the concept of the standard of
perfection.
2. The word idealism is made up of three words:
idea, ideal, idealism.
3. Ideal is a concept about standard of perfection;
therefore, it assumes that there is that idea of
what is ideal, and the ideal is the model of
perfection; there is pre-conceived; the idea
serves as the standard of measures of what is
beautiful.
 Naturalism It asserts that a thing or idea becomes
- Refers to a tempter of mind, a confidence good/beautiful only if its truth is established by actual
on the empirical or scientific method as the experience as indeed good, and which conforms to the
only reliable source or method of reaching natural laws of nature of the arts.
the truth.

Various Types of Beauty

1. Ideal beauty. A type of beauty that one finds
from objects, scenes or persons, which
conforms or approximates to man's idea of how
beauty should be.

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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

2. Real Beauty. A type of beauty that conforms to man's

general expectation or belief of what an object, thing
or quality should be as what is acclaimed in man's
own society, personal culture.

3. Natural beauty. A type of beauty as found in nature in

its original form or state.

4. Artificial beauty. It makes some change in nature a what

has been endorsed to nature.

5. Decorative beauty. This type of beauty is realized from the actual

physical or material presence of a physical object.

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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

6. Spiritual beauty. The type of beauty that is discerned from work

of act with subjects that are about or related to religion or
spirituality found in noble and virtuous life and needs.

7. Intellectual beauty. It is the meaningful impression or idea

you get beyond the surface.

Appreciating Beauty through Arts

Appreciating a work of art is the act of estimating or evaluating art pieces and performance of people; this is
done by becoming aware of their aesthetic qualities or values of pieces of act or of the performance of people.
There is appreciation if there is admiration and enjoyment; when one appreciates a thing or a performance
of a person, it is more of having a favorable opinion of a thing or of that person. (Ferraro, 2008, p.20)
Further, appreciation may have a high regard in the importance of the object or its gives emphasis on its
specialness; it may suggest an affectionate regard mixed with pride of possession or affiliation; Thus, art
appreciation starts from observation to synthesis to conclusion.
Lastly, art appreciation is concerned with "beauty," the admiration of art or performance of man/
woman/LGBT because of its beauty.

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 ART APPRECIATION
JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

LECTURE 4
KRITIKA: ART AND STYLE OF CRITICISM

Appreciation and beauty are one of the main concerns of the arts; All the arts some place in our judgement
(Zulueta, 2006, p.3)
The Artist(s) - creator of beauty; the artists are either creators or performers; they are persons who exhibit
exceptional skills in design, drawing, painting or acting; they could be fashion designers, web designers, multi-
media designers, singers, composers, dancers, architects, sculptures, industrial designers, international designers,
performance artists (spoken words).
Artists are special group of people who are more sensitive and more creative than the common/ ordinary
persons in some specific areas. (Ferraro, 2018, p.4)
The artist's creative imagination can reach far beyond the farthest reach of thoughts of ordinary persons;
they possess an unusual degree or knack for interpreting ideas into artistic forms through the use of words,
pigments, stones, whether those are seen out in nature or of those that they feel inside them (Ferraro, 2008, p.4)
The artist's responsibility - every artist should make improvement or help seek improvement for the benefit
of the society; every artist should manifest his desire to help improve the life of the people and society through his/
her art works (Ferraro,2008, p.5)

On Art Criticism: Perspectives, etc.

Art Critics are people who usually watch, monitors and give reviews or opinions to the work of the
artists.
Example:
GAWAD TANGLAW-film critic

The critics will show sympathy to the artist if they see that the artist - tries to wrench himself out of
the resent, common, crowded group, to establish his/her own personality and individuality; and tries to
improve or manifest improvement in style, approach philosophy in his art, as one important act in helping
improve the life of the people and society (Ferraro, 2008, p.5)
Ferraro (2008, p.30), a leading humanities educator asserts that "before any criticism to art can be
made, one should first know the four (4) basic elements to art criticism:

1. The Subject Matter. 1. What is art about?

2. What is it trying to say?
3. What does it depict?
4. What is wanted to be communicated?
5. What seems to be the message?

2. The Artist 1. What sort of a person is he?

2. What does is/her work reveal about him/her?

3. The Audience 1. What is the relevance of the artwork?

2. What are the expressive elements used to convey the
meaning of the artwork?
3. What are the principles integrated in the work to
convey the meaning of the work of art?

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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor

4. The Aesthetic 1. Focus on lines, forms, colors, lights, and shadows

2. To create images

Further, Ferraro (2008, p. 30-32) posits that "one basic problem to art criticism is how to begin; where to
begin" Thus, he suggested the use of the four (4) approaches to art criticism:

1. Subject Approach
This approach to art criticism is also called mimetic approach. It stresses on the importance of the subject
matter or content of the work. In this approach, the merit, the beauty and the significance of the subject matter
are given emphasis. To begin with, the audience may ask? What is the subject matter presented? What aspect
of nature is imitated of depicted? Is it a river? a sea? a sky? a forest? a mountain? Is the subject matter
illustrated realistically? In abstraction? On an impression.

2. Artist Approach
Art being the means the artist uses in expressing himself, art therefore becomes the extension of the artist.
Through his work, we may be able to know objectively some aspects of his person.
In this type of approach, we stress the relationship of the artist to his work. We give major consideration to
the artist himself in appreciating his work, both aesthetic norms and standards the he may suggest in his work.
If we go back to the meaning of arts as man's way of expressing himself.…. we can safely say that we get
some ideas about the feelings, emotions, or some visions of the artist on beauty from his work. Interpreting in
the light of the knowledge we have about the artist has some degree of validity and correctness.
Through the work or the series of works of the artist, he may have revealed his character, traits and
individuality. He may have revealed his philosophy, life story, beliefs, and other circumstance in life which may
have influenced in the creation of the work, such as his background, the era during which lived or place of
origin.
Take for example Picasso's Guernica. We know about Picasso a little from his painting Guernica. If the
artist is bias to the working class, his work will inevitably reflect some sad economic realities of life. Thus, the
interpretation of the artwork must involve the highlighting of the class or economic situation/ structures within
which the art is produced.

3. Audience Approach
The audience to art criticism emphasizes on the value of the piece of art. The function or significance of the
subject to him or society is given importance. The Spoliarium of Juan Luna may be viewed on us value to the
Filipinos during his time. Its essential value may be on it being a propaganda device, one device used the
propagandist (which Juan Luna was) used to influence the thinking of the people (Filipinos).
In this approach, the intrinsic value of the artwork is given emphasis. If it is the didactic value, it will give
emphasis on what is moral, how the work can help improve the moral fiver of society. If it is religious value, the
work of art is supposed to increase awareness of man's relationship with God, or increase awareness of man
with his government, if it is about man's relationship with his government. In this case, it should give emphasis
on the socio-political value of the work.

4. Aesthetic Approach
The beauty of art rests on its form, it is how the subject matter is handled and presented; how it is
composed. Art, being a composition itself, consists of various elements. The selection, organization and
manipulation of the elements are done according to how the artist sees beauty.
His way of the elements are done according to how the artist sees beauty. His way of choosing the
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JOVEN O. GALANTA
Case Instructor
elements, his way of employing certain techniques serve as the components that constitute the form of the
work, which shall be discovered when appreciating the art piece according to form or aesthetic approach. The
audience may start from the size, the shape, and the medium used. He looks for the artistic use of lines,
colors, and shapes in creating images. He explores the quality of work given to the work.
He/she correlates the basic relationships or functional relation- ships of certain factors and how they are
excellently handled. The audience considers how the subject matter presented. Through abstractionism?
expressionism? realism? hyperrealism? impressionism? What mode of presentation is used? What lines are
employed? vertical? diagonal? horizontal? dominant? How do the lines behave? static? restless? How are the
colors handled? What scheme is used? Monochromatic? Analogous? Contrasting? Why? In painting, to
example, what is the role of shading? What is the relation of light and dark areas? Is the transition from dark to
light (as in Spoliarium) gradual or sudden? What is the effect? dramatic?
On the whole, when one tries to appreciate any work of art he can do this only when he has grasp or able
to understand what the artist is trying to say (subject), how the artist is able to say it beautifully the form),
whether the work is influenced by the character traits, de background of the artist (artist), and the value that the
arts has to the audience (audience).

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