ART APPRECIATION

Lesson 1: UNDERSTANDING THE ARTS

 ART: ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE

Art is EVERYWHERE- Things are part of man’s effort to lessen the drabness and tedium of everyday living
to transform his environment into a more interesting place to live in. Art exists in all forms of human society
and in every generation because it serves some fundamental needs.
Art as EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION- No one can contain an intense emotion within himself for
long. The tension that results would compel him to unburden himself or share the feeling with others.
We express our emotional state by some visible signs and activities.As in other systems of communication,
the artist uses symbols which he organizes into some comprehensible equivalent of the experience that he
trying to convey.
Art as CREATION- ART= latin ars, which means “skill”
It is equivalent to the Greek techne, “technology”
Art as creative activity, art involves skills or expertness in handling materials and organizing them into new,
structurally pleasing, and significant units. This skill does not just happen. It is acquired through long
training and constant practice.
Art and EXPERIENCE- 3 major kinds of experience: what the artists want to communicate, the act of
expressing this experience and, gratifying of having accomplished something significant.
 Our reaction to art is personal and individual
 Appreciating a work of art does not just mean responding emotionally to it.
 Our appreciation of art may be blocked by our inability to understand the language used by
the artist.
Art and NATURE- Art is not nature. A work of art is man-made.
Art and BEAUTY- We expect every work of art to be beautiful. But it may not always be so. If we look
around us, we will find many works of art which we would not exactly regard as delightful to perceive. It is
not always an artist’s intention to present a beautiful subject or to evoke a pleasant sensation in the viewer.

 THE SUBJECT OF ART

The subject of art refers to any person, object, scene or event described or represented in a work of
art. Some arts have subject, others do not.
Representational art- arts that have subject, also referred to as objective arts
Non-representational art- arts that do not have subject, also referred to as non-objective arts

Subject and Content.

Subject refers to the object depicted by the artist.
Content refers to what the artist expresses or communicates on the whole of his work.
Sometimes it is spoken of as the “meaning” of the work.
WAYS OF REPRESENTING SUBJECT:
 REALISM- The accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life.
Realism rejects imaginative idealization in favor of a close observation of outward
appearances.
 ABSTRACTION- It uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a
composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the
world. Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. This
departure from accurate representation can be slight, partial, or complete.
 DISTORTION- Distortion (or warping) is the alteration of the original shape (or other
characteristic) of something, such as an object or image. In the art world, a distortion is
any change made by an artist to the size, shape or visual character of a form to express an idea,
convey a feeling or enhance visual impact.
Kinds of Subjects
 Landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes- these a artworks that show the physical environment.
 Still life- groups of inanimate objects arranged in an indoor setting sch as object as dishes of
food on a dining table, pots and pans on a kitchen table, etc.
  Animals- the earliest known paintings are representation of animals.
 Portrait- a realistic likeness of a person in sculpture, painting, drawing, or print.
 Figures- the traditional chief subject of artists showing the human body, nude or clothed.
 Everyday life- this is the artist’s observation of people going about their usual ways,
performing their usual tasks
 History and legend- shows a significant scene in the past; legend pictures the mysteries
behind the folk stories.
 Religion and Mythology- arts are used to instruct, to inspire feelings of devotion and to
convert non-believers; many artists have been inspired by the beauty and magic of
mythological characters.
 Dreams and Fantasies- a dream may be of lifelike situations; it may be realistically
represented, but if the figure suggest the strange, and the absurd, we would right away
classify it a dream picture.
Different levels of subjects matter:
1. Factual meaning- literal statement or the narrative content. example:stones, rivers, houses, etc
2. Conventional meaning- special meaning that a certain object or color has. example: cross for
christianity, flag symbol of a nation.
3. Subjective meaning- any personal meaning consciously or unconsciously conveyed by the artist.
example: objects and colors with past experience.

 FUNCTIONS OF ART

PERSONAL FUNCTION- Works of art make us aware of other ways of thinking, feeling, and imagining that
have never occurred to us before.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
1. It seeks or tends to influence the collective behavior of a people
2. It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situations
3. Expresses or describes social or collective aspects of existence as opposed to individual and
personal kinds of experiences.
PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS
Form and Function. The function of an object generally determines the basic form that it takes.
Example: a chair is so designed as to allow the seated body to rest comfortably in it. Its different parts
(back, arms, legs, and seat) are harmoniously related to one another and integrated into an object that
fulfills its particular purpose.
Architecture. Determined primarily by its operational function such as buildings and houses
Community planning. A community is rather a group of individuals and families living in a
particular locality because of common interests and needs. Buildings only serve the lives of these people.
Community planning involves the efficient organization of buildings, roads, and spaces so that they meet
the physical and aesthetic needs of the community.

Community planning takes into consideration the assignment of areas for proper land use. These areas
are:
1. Residential districts. These are designed with such personal and social needs in mind as comfort,
health, and facilities for recreation.
2. Industrial and commercial areas. These areas are usually located near the source of raw materials
such as factories.
3. Civic Centers. The functions of the government can be efficiently carried out, and which would, in
appearance, be symbolic of community dignity and pride. In modern cities, these public buildings are
grouped as civic centers in the middle of the community.
4. Parks, plazas, and malls. The need for a balance between man-made structures and natural areas is
answered in the design of plazas and malls.
 ART APPRECIATION
Lesson 2: THE MEDIUMS OF THE ARTS

MEDIUM in arts refers to the material or TECHNIQUE refers to an artist’s

means which the artist uses to objectify his knowledge of his medium and his skill in
feeling or thought. making it achieve what he wants it to.

According to medium, the arts are classified into :

 THE VISUAL or SPACE ARTS- those mediums can be seen and which occupy space.
2 categories:
 Two-dimensional- such as painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography
 Three-dimensional- such as sculpture, architecture, landscaping, community planning, industrial
design, and the crafts like ceramics and furniture-making
 THE AUDITORY or TIME ARTS- those whose mediums can be heard and which are expressed in
time.
 THE COMBINED ARTS- those whose mediums can be both seen and heard, and which exist in both
space and time.

MEDIUMS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

 PAINTING- The process of applying pigment on a smooth surface. Pigment, the part of the paint which
supplies the color is a fine powder.
PAINTING MEDIUMS:
ENCAUSTIC application of a mixture of hot beeswax, resin, and ground pigment to any
porous surface, followed by the application of heat to set the colors and bind
them to the ground.
TEMPERA earth or mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk and egg white
FRESCO application of earth pigments mixed with water on a plaster wall while the
plaster is damp.
WATERCOLOR tempered paint made of pure ground pigment bound with gum Arabic.
ACRYLIC they combine the transparency and quick-drying characteristics of
 watercolor and the flexibility of oil.
DRAWING- It is the most fundamental of all skills needed in the arts.

 P SILVERPOINT
R I N Drawn
T over a Msheet ofApaper prepared
K Ibeforehand
N withGzinc white - A
PASTELAND CHALK Dry pigment held together with a gum binder and compressed into
sticks.
PEN AND INK Drawings are characterized by precisely controlled and uniformly wide
lines.
CRAYONS Pigment bound by wax and compressed into sticks
INK Ink is an ancient writing and drawing medium in liquid or paste form,
traditionally black or brown in color – though it can also contain colored
dyes or pigments.
CHARCOAL Useful in representing broad masses of light and shadow
involves the preparation of a master image on a plate
4 major processes:
1. RELIEF PRINTING- involves cutting away from a block of wood or linoleum the
portions of the design that the artist does not want to show, leaving the design to stand out
on the block.
2. INTAGLIO PRINTING- the design is scratched, engraved, or etched into a metal plate.
3. THE PLANOGRAPHIC PROCESS- done from almost smooth surface which has been
treated chemically or mechanically so that some areas will print and others will not.
4. THE STENCIL PROCESS- done by cutting designs out of special paper, cardboard, or
metal sheet in which such a way that when ink is rubbed over it, the design is reproduced on
the surface beneath.
 PHOTOGRAPHY- The actual likeness, the production of which may not actually involve an artist’s
creativity. It is literally a drawing or writing with light.
Steps: CHOOSING THE SUBJECT- requires the wise judgment and artistic sense of
photographer
MECHANICAL PROCESS- a light-sensitized film contained in a darkened box
(camera) is exposed to the light from the object being photographed.
CHEMICAL PROCESS- it is treated with a series of chemical solutions to “develop”
the film and to produce a permanent negative.
 SCULPTURE- A three-dimensional form constructed to represent a natural or imaginary shape. It can
be free-standing, carved in relief, or kinetic
CARVING- a subtractive process; that is, it involves removing unwanted portions of the raw
material to reveal the form that the artist has visualized
MODELING- an additive process. It means building from the form, using highly plastic material
such as clay or wax.
CASTING- it begins with the production of a negative mold. The artist covers the original model
with a mold, usually of ceramic material.
FABRICATION- an additive process, but it has its own characteristics which differentiate it from
modeling. It employs any method of joining or fastening, such as nailing, stapling,
soldering, and welding,
 ARCHITECTURE- The art of designing and constructing a building which will serve a definite function,
ranging from providing the simplest shelter to meeting the technological demands of our modern cities.
INTERIOR DESIGN- -concerned with the selection of space and furnishings to transform
an empty shell of a building into a livable area.
LANDSCAPING-the artificial arrangement of outdoor areas to achieve a purely aesthetic
effect.

THE MEDIUM OF MUSIC: The Musical Instruments

The material of music is sound.

Musical sounds – tones – are produced by man-made instruments and by the human voice. We thus have
two mediums of music: the instrumental medium and the vocal medium.
Groups of musical instruments:
1. The stringed instruments;
2. The wind instruments, which are grouped into 2:
a. The woodwinds, so-called because they were originally made of wood, and
b. The brasses, which are usually made of brass or some other metals;
3. The percussion choir, which may be grouped into 2 types:
a. Those that produce musical tones and have definite pitch, and
b. The noisemakers, which do not have definite pitch, and
4. The keyboard instruments

THE MEDIUMS OF LITERATURE AND THE COMBINED ARTS

LITERATURE: The medium of literature is language; that is, the writer uses words with which to
“build” his composition.
THE COMBINED ARTS
The dancer uses his body to communicate an idea or feeling to his audience.
Theatrical productions, such as the drama and the opera, combine several mediums. The plot is
rendered by actors and actresses emoting and speaking or singing their parts as demanded by their roles.
Television can transmit almost instantaneously these performances and other forms of entertainment into
the viewers’ homes by electronic methods.
The cinema – motion pictures – is an extension of photography. It makes use of combination of several
“shots”, each shot made up of a series of pictorial units, or “frames”, taken from one point of view.