Art Appreciation

Prof.Gay Maribel Lynda M.
Mina
© Capital Community College

Concepts
1. Loosely defined. The term humanities

refers to the arts- the visual arts such as
architecture, painting, sculpture, music,
dance, theatre or drama and literature.
They are the branches of learning
concerned with human thoughts, feelings
and relations.
2. Art, as term is taken from Italian word, “artis”
which means craftsmanship, skill mastery of
form, inventiveness and the association that
exist between form and ideas and between
material and techniques. From the Aryan root
“ar” which means to “join” or “put together”;
from the Greek words “artizein,” which means
to “prepare”, and “arkiskein” meaning to put
together.

3. Art, like love, is very important in our lives
as it concerned with the communication of
certain ideas and feelings by means of
sensuous medium- color, sound, bronze,
marble, words, film and literature.

4. The subject of art is varied. Some arts have
subjects called representational arts,
others do not have subjects which are not-
representational art or non- objective arts.

5. All arts have functions for people since
they satisfy a particular need for them.
6. Visual arts or space arts are those that we

perceive with our eye and which occupy
space.

7. Auditory or time arts are those that can be
heard and are expressed in time.
8. Combined arts are those that can be both

seen and heard and these exist in both
space and time.

Nature of Art
• Art is very important in our lives. It
constitute one of the oldest and most
important means of expression developed
by man. Since men live together, art sprung
up. In fact, in nearly every country, art
shows itself in primitive societies. In every
age of country, there is always art. Art have
been created by all people at all time; it has
live because it is liked and enjoyed.
• A true work of art is made by man himself
not imitatively, but creatively. A true artist
does not imitate nature but rather interpret
it in his own way by selecting the essential
features of the subject and rejecting minor
ones.

• Art has been defined in various ways.
Hereunder are some of the definitions
given by various authors.
1. Art is derived from the Latin word “ars”

meaning ability or skill. – F.V Estolas

2. Art is taken from the Italian word “artis”
which means craftsmanship, mastery of
form, inventiveness and the association
that exist between form and ideas and
material and technique.- A.Tan

3. Art is a product of man’s need to express
himself.- F.Zulueta
4. Art is concerned itself with the

communication of certain ideas and
feelings by means of sensuous medium,
color, sound, bronze, marble, words, and
film.- C.Sanchez
5 . Art is that which brings life in harmony
with the beauty of the world.-Plato
6. 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.- John Dewey

7. Art is a skillful arrangement of composition
of some common but significant qualities
of nature such as colors, sounds, lines,
movements, words, stones, wood, etc., to
express human feelings, emotions, or
thoughts in a perfect meaningful and
enjoyable way.- Panizo and Rustia

• Fom the definitions above, there are four (4)
common essentials of art:
1. Art must be man-made.

2. Art must be creative, not imitative
3. Art must benefit and man-man make use of
art in practical life through artistic
principles, taste, and skill
4. Art is expressed through a certain medium
or material by which the artist
communicates himself to his fellows.
Art has a particular importance in our lives.

All the art that we see and hear have a
purpose as well as expression; they occupy
some place in our judgement.
• We can communicate through paintings,
songs, dances and dramatic plays to
highlight and heighten the importance of
certain events and to keep them
memorable and pleasurable. We also build
monuments to remind us of the heroic
deeds of great men.
• Artworks are also a valuable source of
inspiration, and aesthetic and delightful
experience. We are delighted by the books we
read and we are moved by the music we hear.
We also get deep satisfaction from them. We
enjoy a master piece of painting, sculpture, or
a play because they capture our attention. We
are inspired to plan and construct our houses
beautifully when we are stimulated by modern
architectural design

• Through the artist’s work, we get a glimpse of
the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the
people in their time and the faces in their
environment that influence their artwork. We
also value and appreciate beautiful things as
a sequence of our encounter with the arts. Out
of the aesthetic experiences we derived from
the arts, we maybe influence to change our
ways or behavior.

• They may transform us into highly-cultured,
dignified, and respectable human beings. The
arts may beautifully or humanity.
• This explains why the arts are called the

humanities. They bring out the good and noble
for us. Through the arts we come to know the
changing image of man if he journeys across
time, searches for the reality

and strives to achieve the ideals and create
meanings for life.
• Art Appreciation is the ability to interpret or

understand man made arts and enjoy them
either through actual and work experience
with art tools and materials or possession
of this works of arts of ones admiration and
Satisfaction. Art appreciation therefore deals
with learning or understanding and
creating arts and enjoying them.

Subject of Art
• In any art form- be it painting, music,
sculpture, architecture, or the dance- there
is always subject art serves as the
foundation of the creation of the works of
arts. The subject of arts is varied. A subject
of art is usually anything that is presented
in the artworks. It maybe a person, object,
scene ar events.

• Artworks that depict something easily
recognized by most people are called
representational or objective arts. Painting,
sculpture, graphic arts, literature, and
theatre arts are generally classified as
representational, although some paintings
and sculptures are without subjects. Music
and dance may or may not have subjects.

• Artworks that have no resemblance to any
real subjects are called non-
representational or non-objective arts.
They do not represent anything and they
are what they are. They rather appear
directly to the senses primarily because of
the satisfying organization of their
sensuous and expressive elements.

• Some contemporary painters have shifted
their interest to the work of art as an object in
itself, an exiting combination of shapes and
colors that fulfills the aesthetic need without
having to present 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 on the painting or a
statue, one expects to recognize the
subject to know what it is about- a man, a
dog, a landscape.

The Functions of Art
• Every art form has definite functions since it
satisfies particular needs. To the layman, art
may have little function. To find meaning in art,
it must have to serve a utilitarian purpose and
be capable of serving the purpose for which it
was design. Obviously, architecture is directly
and almost entirely functional because
building and other structure are always built
for some special purpose.

• Thus, architecture allows man to express his
yearnings for beauty. In a building, the
purpose are very clear fort its construction is
designed according to the principles of
functionalism. Music and the dance are used
for the ritual and worship of the Gods and for
the social and folks entertainment of the
people as well as for military purposes.
Painting and sculpture maybe used to narrate

Events, to portray people or events, to instruct, to
commemorate individuals or historical events
and to serve as vehicles of personal
expression of a vision of nature and its beauty.
Metal works such as gates, grills, lamps,
Christian religious objects, armor, weapons,
toots, ceramics, glassware, stained glass,
mosaic, tile work textile and furniture are
among the many types of arts or crafts.

• Each of these examples is made for some
definite and specific use.
To sum up, there are four main functions of
art these are.
1. Aesthetic function- through art , men
become conscious of the beauty of nature.
He benefits from his own work and from
those done by his fellow men.
• He learns to use love and preserve them for
his enjoyment and appreciation.
2. Utilitarian Function- with the creation of the

various form of art, man now live in comfort
and happiness. Through art man provided with
shelter, clothing, food, light, medicine,
beautiful surroundings, personal ornaments,
entertainment, language, transfortation,

And other necessities and conveniences of
life. Art not only enriches man’s life but also
improves nature through landscape
gardening, creation of superhighways and
trough propagation and conservation of
natural resources.

3. Cultural Function- through the printed
matter, art transmit and preserve skills and
knowledge from one generation to another.
It burdens cultural background and makes
one more civilized and his life more
enduring and satisfying.

4. Social Function- through civic and graphic
arts, man learns to love and help each
other. International understanding and
cooperation are fostered in and nations
become unfitted, friendly, cooperative,
helpful, and sympathetic.

Scope of Art
• Various authors classify arts in different
ways. According to Manaois, there are two
(2) general dimensions of arts namely, (1)
fine arts or independent arts and (2)
practical arts or useful or utilitarian arts.
• Fine arts are made primarily for aesthetic
enjoyment through the senses, especially
visual and auditory.
• Practical arts are intended for practical use or
utility. It is the development of raw materials
for utilitarian purposes.
• Fine arts or aesthetic arts are music, painting,
sculpture, architecture, literature, dancing,
drama.
• Practical arts or useful arts are industrial arts,
applied or household arts, civic arts
commercial arts, graphic art, agricultural art,

Business art, distributive art and fishery art.
• According to Custodiosa Sanchez, arts consist

of visual arts, literature, drama and theatre,
music and dance. Visual arts are those that we
perceive with our eyes. They may be classified
into (2) groups, namely, (1) graphic arts and (2)
plastic arts. Graphic arts include painting,
drawing, photography graphic processes,

(printing), commercial arts (design of books,
advertisement, sign, poster and other
displays), mechanical processes, in which
portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded
into two- dimensional surface.
• Plastic arts include all fields of visual arts for
which materials are organize into three-
dimensional forms such as structural
architecture, landscape architecture

(gardens, parks, playground, golf course
beautification), city physical planning and
interior arranging (design of wallpaper,
furniture), sculpture, crafts, industrial
design, dress in costume design, and
theater design.

• Josefina Estolas group arts into major and
minor arts. Major arts include painting,
architecture, sculpture, literature, music and
dance. Minor arts include the decorative arts,
popular arts, graphic arts, plastic arts and
industrial arts. She also groups arts into visual
arts (graphic arts, plastic arts); performing
arts, (theatre, play, dance, music) literary arts
(short stories, novels, poetry, dramas);

Popular arts (film, newspaper, magazine,
radio, television); gustatory art of the
cuisine (food preparation, beverage
preparation); and decorative arts or
applied arts (beautiful houses, offices cars
and other structures.

• Panizo and Rustia (1995) classified arts into
two major divisions: (1) according to pupose
and (2) according to media and forms.
• According to purpose, arts are classified into
practical arts or useful arts, liberal arts, fine
arts, major arts and minor arts.
• According to media and forms arts include
plastic arts, phonetic arts, kinetic arts, pure
arts and mixed arts.

• Practical and useful arts are directed to
produce artifacts and utensils for the
satisfaction of human needs. Handicrafts
( basket weaving, mat weaving, etc.),
embroidery, ceramics, iron and metal
crafts, tincan manufacturing.etc. are
examples of these arts.
• Liberal arts are directed toward
intellectual growth, such as in the study of
philosophy, psychology, literature,
mathematics and sciences.
• Fine arts focused towards creative activity
for the contemplation of mind and uplift the
spirit. Painting, sculpture, architecture, are
examples of these arts.
• Major arts are characterize by actual and
potential expensiveness such as music,
poetry and sculpture.
• Plastic arts are developed through space
and perceive by the sense of sight. Such as
include sculpture and decorative materials.
• Kinetic arts involve the element rhythm.
Dance is the type of these art.
• Phonetic art are directed towards sounds and
words as media of expression. Examples are
music drama and literature.
• Pure arts take only one medium of expression
like sounds in music and color in paintings.
• Mixed arts take more than one medium such
as the opera which combines music, poetry
and drama.

Art Appreciation

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Prof.Gay Maribel Lynda M.

© Capital Community College

1. Loosely defined. The term humanities

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

6. Visual arts or space arts are those that we

© Capital Community College

8. Combined arts are those that can be both

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

1. Art is derived from the Latin word “ars”

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

4. Art is concerned itself with the

6. Art is an attitude of spirit, a state of mind-

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

1. Art must be man-made.

Art has a particular importance in our lives.

© Capital Community College

© Capital Community College

• This explains why the arts are called the

© Capital Community College