Themes

Themes and
and Subject
Subject Matter
Matter
 Ojectives:

At the end of the session the students are

expected :

•• Define
Define Subject
Subject Matter
Matter and
and Themes
Themes
•• Differentiate
Differentiate between
between Subject
Subject Matter
Matter and
and
Theme
Theme
•• Create
Create an
an integrative
integrative artwork
artwork that
that will
will
demonstrate
demonstrate subject
subject matter
matter and
and theme.
theme.
 Activity : Group Work

Identify
Identify the
the pictures
pictures ifif itit is
is representational
representational
or
or figurative
figurative and
and abstract,
abstract, non- non-
representational
representational or or non-figurative.
non-figurative.
 What is the difference between
subject matter and theme
Subject-
Subject- inin the
the art
art refers
refers to
to what
what they
they are
are
all
all about.
about. IfIf there
there is
is an
an image,
image, we
we identify
identify
that
that image
image and and recognize
recognize howhow itit is
is
presented.
presented. The
The image
image maybe
maybe
representational
representational or or figurative,
figurative, which
which
means
means the
the image
image is is drawn
drawn from
from the
the world
world
around
around us.
us.
 What is the difference between
subject matter and theme
IfIf itit is
is abstract,
abstract, non-representational
non-representational or or
non-figurative,
non-figurative, itit does does not
not have
have aa
recognizable
recognizable subject, subject, such
such as as tree,
tree, or
or face
face
or
or object.
object. Its Its subject
subject is
is its
its form
form and
and
elements-its
elements-its texture, texture, color,
color, composition,
composition,
shape
shape or or movement,
movement, among
among others.
others.
 Kinds of Subject

a.
a. Landscape,
Landscape, seascapes
seascapes and
and sityscapes
sityscapes
b.
b. Still
Still Life
Life
c.
c. Animals
Animals
d.
d. Portraits
Portraits
e.
e. Everyday
Everyday LifeLife
f.f. History
History andand Legend
Legend
g.
g. Figures
Figures
h.
h. History
History andand Mythology
Mythology
i.i. Dreams
Dreams and and Fantasies
Fantasies
This
This figurative
figurative or
or representational
representational work
work
from
from the
the seventeenth
seventeenth century
century depicts
depicts
easily
easily recognizable
recognizable objects–ships,
objects–ships, people,
people,
and
and buildings.
buildings. ButBut artistic
artistic independence
independence
was
was advanced
advanced during
during the
the nineteenth
nineteenth
century,
century, resulting
resulting in
in the
the emergence
emergence ofof
abstract
abstract art.
art.
 What is the difference between
subject matter and theme
Themes-
Themes- are are what
what connect
connect subjects
subjects to to
their
their social
social milieu,
milieu, and
and there
there are
are many
many
ways
ways of of determining
determining the the theme
theme of of an
an
artwork.
artwork. At At the
the most
most obvious
obvious andand surface
surface
level,
level, we
we note
note its
its initial
initial data:
data: title,
title, artist,
artist,
medium,
medium, dimension,
dimension, and and the
the year
year itit was
was
made.
made. Beyond
Beyond this this initial
initial data
data are
are texts,
texts,
images,
images, allusions
allusions andand symbols
symbols thatthat clue
clue
us
us in
in to
to the
the social
social and
and historical
historical contexts
contexts
referred
referred to. to.
 What is the difference between
subject matter and theme
In
In practice,
practice, itit is
is difficult
difficult to
to separate
separate
themes
themes from
from subject
subject matter.
matter. Subject
Subject
matter
matter answers
answers the the question
question “What“What dodo we
we
see,
see, hear,
hear, smell,
smell, taste,
taste, oror touch?
touch? Using
Using
our
our senses
senses is is the
the initial
initial step,
step, asas we
we
learned
learned inin previous
previous lesson,
lesson, this
this requires
requires
keen
keen and
and diligent
diligent observation,
observation, not not just
just of
of
the
the image,
image, but
but how
how itit is
is presented
presented and and ifif
there
there is
is no
no image,
image, how how the
the formal
formal
elements
elements areare deployed.
deployed.
Heroism and Identity
Heroism and Identity