Module 1: The Nature, Importance, and Meaning of 3. Art involves experience.

By experience, we mean
Art the “actual doing of something” (Dudley et. al. 1960)
and it also affirmed that art depends on experience,
Nature of Art and if one is to know art, he must know it not as fact
or information but as an experience.
 Art is very important in our lives. It plays a large
part in making our lives infinitely rich. Understanding Art
o It constitutes one of the oldest and most
important means of expression developed  According to Van de Bogart, a work of art is a
by man. record of a particular artist’s view.
 In every age or country, there is always art. Art o It shows something that he has seen, felt
has been created by all people at all times; it has and thought of and recorded it as an
lived because it is liked and enjoyed. arrangement of designs, colors, lines and
 A true artist does not imitate nature but rather tones or words which satisfy his aesthetic
interpret it in his own way by selecting the purpose.
essential features of the subject and rejecting the  A work of art is the product of the artist’s unique
minor ones. personality influenced consciously or
 Art, as a term is taken from the Italian word, unconsciously by factors such as:
“artis,” which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery o environment
of form, inventiveness and the association that o traditions
exist between form and ideas and between o national traits
material and techniques. o religious beliefs
 From the Aryan root “ar” which means to “join” o economic conditions
or “put together”; from the Greek words o ideals
“artizein,” which means to prepare, and o climate and geography
“arkiskein,” meaning to put together.  A work of art represents or reflects the individual,
 Art is derived from the Latin word “ars”, meaning the character of the period and the place where it
ability or skill. Art is taken from the Italian word was produced.
“artis,” which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery  In understanding arts, the following are
of form, inventiveness, and the associations that enumerated:
exist between form and ideas, between material
and technique. 1. Art as a skill or Mastery. The term art is used to
simply refer to skill or mastery that is manifested in the
Humanities and Art outstanding product of an endeavor.

 The word humanities come from the Latin 2. Art as a process or a product of a creative skill. Art
humanus, which means human, cultured and is a process because it involves arranging the aesthetic
refined. elements in an artistically interesting and appealing
 It is based on the philosophical view of humanism manner. Art is a product because it includes human
which stresses the dictum of Protagoras, a Greek creations, different activities and manners of
philosopher, that “man is the measure of all expression.
things,” implying that the humanities emphasize
the dignity and worthiness of man and recognizes 3. Art as a universal language. The language of art is
creative expressions. (Estolas, Josefina V. et. al. diverse. Each art form has its own artistic elements
2008). such as literature, music and theatre. Art expresses
feelings and ideas shared by all individuals regardless
Assumptions of Art of culture.

Assumptions on something means to put it to a test as 4. Art as a representation of reality. Art is a reflection
to think whether it is true or not. Some experts or a mirror of reality.
enumerate three basic assumptions of art as follows:
5. Art reflects the characteristics of a period. During
1. Art is universal. In every country and in every medieval period, the dominance of the church
generation, there is always art. initiated the expression of spiritual truths.

2. Art is not nature. Art is made by man, whereas 6. Art shows the manner of existence of the people of
nature is given around us, God’s creation. Art long ago. We gain awareness that the people during
therefore, is man’s way of interpreting nature. the Old Stone Age lived in caves and that they
manifested their artistry by drawings and sketching.
Classification of Art  To find meaning in art, it must have or serve a
utilitarian purpose and be capable of serving the
 The arts are usually considered as part of the purpose for which it was designed.
humanities.  Art has a great number of different functions
 These include: throughout its history, making its purpose difficult
o visual art (painting, sculpture and to abstract or quantify to a single concept.
architecture)  The different purposes of art may be grouped
o auditory arts (music and literature) according to those that are non-motivated and
o performing arts (drama and dance) those that are motivated.

 Two general dimensions of arts: A. Non-motivated Functions of Art

1. Fine arts or independent arts – made
primarily for aesthetic enjoyment through  The non-motivated purposes of art are those that
the senses, especially visual and auditory. are integral to being human, transcend the
2. Practical arts or utilitarian arts – is the individual, or do not fulfill a specific external
development of raw materials for utilitarian purpose.
purposes.  In this sense, art, as creativity, is something
o Fine arts or aesthetic arts are music, humans must do by their very nature (i.e. no other
painting, sculpture, architecture, species creates art), and is therefore beyond
literature, dancing and drama. utility.
o Practical arts or useful arts are industrial
art, applied or household art, civic art, 1. Basic human instinct for harmony, balance,
commercial art, graphic art, agricultural rhythm. Art at this level is not an action or an object,
art, business art, distributive art, and but an internal appreciation of balance and harmony
fishery art. and therefore an aspect of being human beyond
utility.
 Two classifications of visual arts:
1. Graphic arts – arts include painting, drawing, 2. Experience the mysterious. Art provides a way to
photography, graphic process (printing), experience one’s self in relation to the universe. This
commercial art (designing of books, experience may often come unmotivated as one
advertisements, signs, posters and other appreciates art, music and poetry.
displays), mechanical process, in which
portrayals of forms and symbols are 3. Expression of the imagination. Art provides a means
recorded on a two-dimensional surface. to express the imagination in non-grammatic ways
2. Plastic arts – include all fields of visual arts that are not tied to the formality of spoken or written
for which materials are organized into three- language. Unlike words, which come in sequences and
dimensional forms such as structured each of which have a definite meaning, art provides a
architecture, landscape architecture, range of forms, symbols and ideas in with meanings
(gardens, parks, playgrounds, golf course that are malleable.
beautification), city physical planning and
interior arranging (design of wallpaper, 4. Ritualistic and symbolic functions. In many cultures,
furniture), sculpture, crafts, industrial design, art us used in rituals, performances and dances as a
dress and costume design, and theatre decoration or symbol. This meaning is not furnished
design. by any individual but is often the result of many
generations of change, and of cosmological
 Major arts include painting, architecture, relationship within the culture.
sculpture, literature, music and dance.
 Minor arts include the decorative arts, popular B. Motivated Functions of Art
arts, graphic arts, plastic arts, and industrial arts.
 Motivated purposes of art refer to intentional,
 Popular arts include film, newspaper, magazine, conscious actions on the part of the artists or
radio, and television. Decorative arts or applied creator.
arts refers to beautify houses, offices, cars and  These may be to bring about political change, to
other structure. comment on an aspect of society, to convey a
specific emotion or mood, to address personal
The Functions of Art psychology, to illustrate another discipline, to sell
a product, or simply as a form of communication.
 Every art form has definite functions since it
satisfies particular needs. 1. Communication. Art, at its simplest, is a form of
communication. As most forms of communication
have an intent or goal directed toward another 1. Representational or objective art. These are the
individual, this is a motivated purpose. Illustrative arts, arts that have subject. Painting, sculpture, the graphic
such as scientific illustration, are a form of art as arts, literature, and other theatre arts are generally
communication. Emotions, moods and feeling are also classified as representational
communicated through art.
2. Non-representational or non-objective arts are the
2. Art as entertainment. Art may seek to bring about a arts that do not have subject. The non-objective arts
particular emotion or mood, for the purpose of do not present descriptions, stories, or references to
relaxing or entertaining the viewer. identifiable objects or symbols. Rather they appeal
directly to the senses primarily because of the
3. The Avant-Garde. Art for political change. One of satisfying organization of their sensuous and
the defining functions of early twentieth-century art expressive elements.
has been to use visual images to bring about political
change. Art movements that had this goal- Dadaism, The Content of Art
Surrealism, Constructivism, Abstract Expressionism,
and among others are collectively referred to as the  The content of art includes the connotative,
avant-garde arts. symbolic, and suggestive aspects of the image.
 Content is the communication of ideas, feelings
4. Art as a “free zone” removed from action of the and reactions connected to the subject.
social censure. Unlike the avant-garde movements,
which wanted to erase cultural differences in order to  The factual meaning is the literal statement or the
produce new universal values, contemporary art has narrative content in the work which can be
enhanced its tolerance towards cultural differences as directly apprehended because the objects
well as its critical and liberating functions (social presented are easily recognized.
inquiry, activism, subversion, deconstruction etc.)  The conventional meaning refers to the special
becoming a more open place for research and meaning that a certain object or color has for a
experimentation. particular culture or group of people.
 The subjective meaning is any personal meaning
5. Art for social inquiry, subversion, and/or anarchy. consciously or unconsciously conveyed by the
While similar to art for political change, subversive or artist using a private symbolism which stems from
deconstructivist art may seek to question aspects of his own association of certain objects, actions, or
society without any specific political goal. colors with past experiences.

6. Art for social causes. Art can be used to raise Sources and Kinds of Subject
awareness for a large variety of causes.
The subjects depicted in works of art, particularly, the
7. Art for psychological and healing purposes. Art is visual arts, can be classified into:
also used by art therapists, psychotherapists, and
clinical psychologists as art therapy. 1. Landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes.

8. Art for propaganda or commercialism. Art is often 2. Still life. Some artists love to paint inanimate objects
utilized as a form of propaganda, and thus can be used arranged in an indoor setting, flower and fruit
to subtly influence popular conceptions or mood. arrangements, dishes of food pats and pans, musical
instruments and music sheets. The arrangement
9. Art as a fitness indicator. It has been argued that shows particularly human interest and activities.
the ability of the human brain by far exceeds what was
needed for survival in the ancestral environment. 3. Animals. They have been represented by artists
from almost every age and place. In fact, the earliest
Module 2: Subject and Content of Art known paintings are representation of animals on the
walls of waves. Animals have been used as symbols in
The Subject of Art conventional religious art.

The subject of art refers to any person, object, scene, 4. Portraits. People have always been intrigued by the
or event described or represented in a work of art. It is human face as an index of the owner’s character. As
the literal, visible image in a work. an instrument of expression, it is capable of showing a
variety of moods and feelings. It is a realistic likeness
Types of Subject of a person in sculpture, painting, drawing or print but
it needs to be a photogenic likeness. A great portrait
Some arts have subject, others do not have. There are is a product of a selective process, the artist
two types of subject in arts: highlighting certain features and de-emphasizing
others. It does not have to be beautiful but it has to be
truthful.  Baumgarten who coined the term aesthetics,
claimed that humans experience the world in two
5. Figures. The sculptor’s chief subject has traditionally fundamentally ways—logically and aesthetically.
been the human body, nude or clothed. Logically—that is a thorn, it will hurt if it pricks me.
Aesthetically—enjoying a sunset, looking at
6. Everyday Life. Artists have always shown a deep seashells, enjoying a work of art. These things are
concern about life around them. Many of them have beautiful because you are looking at them
recorded in paintings their observation of people aesthetically.
going about their usual ways and performing their
usual tasks. Main points of modernist aesthetics:

7. History and Legend. History consists of verifiable 1. Aesthetic experience is non-utilitarian

facts, legends of unverifiable ones, although many of
them are often accepted as true because tradition has 2. AE is detached from ordinary self-interested
held them so far. Insofar as ancient past is concerned, pursuits (is disinterested)
it is difficult to tell how much of what we know now is
history and how much is legend. History and Legend 3. Works of art are made to be viewed aesthetically—
are popular subjects of art. and so just to be enjoyed (For no other purpose)

8. Religion and Mythology. Art has always been a 4. Everyone can appreciate art just by adopting the
handmaiden of religion. Most of the world’s religions aesthetic point of view
have used the arts to aid in worship, to instruct, to
inspire feelings of devotion and to impress and convert 5. Artists see things in a unique way and creatively find
non-believers. innovative ways of communicating that vision to us

9. Dreams and Fantasies. Dreams are usually vague 6. Artists show us how to look at the world, how to
and illogical. Artists especially the surrealists have understand ourselves, who we are
tried to depict dreams as well as the grotesque terrors
and apprehensions that lurk in the depths of the 7. Works of art express these unusual ideas of artists
subconscious.
8. Great works of art must be innovative and creative,
Module 3: Theories of Art and Beauty expressing new ideas in new ways

Here are the three broad movements in philosophy 9. The history of art is the history of these great
that are important to remember when we reflect upon innovations by these great artists
questions concerning art:
10. Art is not hard to understand—it just requires that
1. Deep suspicion that we cannot hope to fix any single we adopt the aesthetic point of view
ontology, any universally adequate unchanging
account of human cognition or human interests or Historical Introduction to Aesthetics
human concerns.
 Thomas Hobbes
2. We must reflect upon the contingent and tacit o self-interest in art
practices of human life. These are central to  Earl of Shaftesbury
philosophical reflection o said we can love things for themselves
o deciding what we should love and appreciate
3. There cannot be any canon or principles or in this way is a matter of taste, a kind of inner
conceptual priorities in accord with which sensation, or feeling
philosophical theories may be shown to be o it is not something you can learn from a book
approaching systematic closure on any questions.  Alexander Baumgarten
o logic and aesthetics
 Aesthetics (as the study of art and beauty),  Immanuel Kant
aesthetic experience (the proper way of approach o attempts to define the aesthetic as
and experience art and beauty), and modern art differentiated from the logical, and Kant’s
(art for art’s sake) all arose together at approx. efforts pretty well defined and stabilized the
 Aesthetics is the name of the philosophical study tradition of the aesthetic attitude
of art and natural beauty.  Plato
 Aesthetics is closely related to the concept of o Plato’s understanding of beauty can be found
aesthetic experience. in the Symposium
 o this dialogue devoted to praising and knowledge which will show why judgments
exploring love, ultimately gives us a of beauty are universal and necessary
definition of beauty as understood by Plato o all aesthetic judgments focus on pleasure,
o explains that it is the Form of Beauty that is which is a property of the experiencing rather
the object of love than of the objective world
o beauty transcends the world of sense
experience Kant’s theory of beauty can be summarized in a
 which means that the experience of sentence: A judgment of beauty is a disinterested,
beauty is different from what would be universal, and necessary judgment concerning the
described as aesthetic experience today pleasure which everyone ought to derive from the
 Plotinus experience of form.
o thought that the experience of beauty itself
is not a sensuous experience but an
intellectual one The significance of the 18th century for aesthetics can
 St. Thomas Aquinas be summarized in the following way: Before the 18th
o Aquinas’ understanding of beauty is not an century, beauty was a central concept; during the
unworldly one century it was replaced by the concept of taste and
o he defines beauty as that which pleases finally by the end of the century we open onto a
when seen concept of the aesthetics.
 David Hume
o denies rationality intuit beauty or the rules Theories of Beauty and Art
that governs it
o the foundation of our understanding of taste  Aesthetics concerns the nature or essence of
is to be found in experience beauty.
o concludes that beauty is not in objects but is  To say that beauty is absolute means that
a feeling something is beautiful by virtue of itself; a thing
o claims that standards of taste vary according has its own way of being beautiful regardless of
to age and temperament the judgment of people.
o argues that no rules can be drawn up about  On the other hand, the view that beauty is relative
what is a tasteful object means that something is beautiful due to the
perception and conception of people; so it is said
Views on Aesthetics that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

 Alexander Baumgarten Six Theories of Beauty with their corresponding

o Baumgarten appropriated the word Theories of Art
aesthetics which had always meant
“sensation”, to mean taste or “sense” of
beauty.
o In his Metaphysics, Baumgarten defined
taste, in its wider meaning, as the ability to
judge according to the senses, instead of
according to the intellect.
o Such a judgment of taste he saw as based on
feelings of pleasure or displeasure.
o A science of aesthetics would be, for
Baumgarten, a deduction of the rules or
principles of artistic or natural beauty from
individual “taste”.

 Kant
o tried to show how it is possible for us to have  Aesthetic Idealism
some knowledge which is certain unlike o The reality are the transcendental forms or
Hume who thought that since knowledge universal ideas existing in the metaphysical
derives from experience we cannot be world of being.
certain of anything o What we perceive in our physical world of
o differences between Hume and Kant show becoming are appearances, shadows, images
up in their different philosophies of taste or reflections of reality.
o conceives of the philosophy of taste as an o The real beauty, then, is not a physical thing,
inquiry into the priori foundations of but the idea of beauty.
 o To experience the reality of beauty is for the o Fundamentally, there are two formal
philosophers to know its idea in their minds, principles of beauty: order and structure.
and not simply to perceive its reflection in o The two specific principles are
this world. proportionality and integrity.
 Aesthetic Functionalism  Simplicity is the principle of individuation
o people are defined by their actions based on of beauty.
the dictate of the mind  The coordination of all these principles
o Interpreting this view in aesthetics, the determine the beauty or ugliness of a
essence of beauty is what things are thing.
supposed to do that is, their function, use or o “beauty is the harmony of proper
utility. proportion”
o An object is ugly if it is defective and useless  This means that the parts of a thing must
for its purpose. In this sense, you become a be properly coordinated in shapes, sizes,
beautiful student because you study well and colors and other elements, so that it may
you learn, not because of the whiteness of look beautiful
your skin or the designer jeans you wear.
 Aesthetic Hedonism Module 4: Elements and Principle of Art
o They believed that whatever is good is what
brings pleasurable experience to the  Elements of visual arts:
individual person. o shape or form
o Relating this insight to aesthetics, “pleasure o texture
and pain, therefore,” in the words of David o space
Hume, “are not only necessary attendants of o lines
beauty and deformity, but constitute their
very essence.” ELEMENTS OF ARTS
 Aesthetic Conventionalism
o This basic notion of Conventionalism may be 1. Line is a continuous mark made on a surface by a
interpreted based on the ethical theory by moving point, it may be flat or three-dimensional. Line
Thomas Hobbes. may be explicit, a line painted along the edge of the
 claimed that the moral values of good and road or implied by the edge of a shape or form. Lines
bad depend on social agreement are used to outline, create shading and show form,
o contends that the concepts and facts of decorate and express emotion, and direct the viewer’s
beauty are inventions of people eye.
o As members of society, we collectively create
standards and rules for how the artistic
values of things are measured based on our
shared tradition and culture.
o There is no universal norm of beauty. Each
society creates its standard.
 Aesthetic Psychoanalytic Theory
o The unconscious defines the conditions of
our human personality.
o within the unconscious lurks collective
standards which we share as members of the 2. Color is the visible spectrum of radiation reflected
human species, and which serve as from an object.
archetypes or models of how we perceive
things to be beautiful or ugly
o The perception of ugliness may be due to
childhood trauma which lies dormant within
our subconscious, but when triggered by a
certain stimulus revives our conscious
memory of an ugly object or experience.
o As a theory of art, psychoanalysis is
employed to uncover the artist’s desires,
urges inhibitions, depressions or wishes
which lie hidden in the artwork.
 Aesthetic Formalism
o The form of a beautiful thing makes up the
essence of its beauty.
o Anything ugly is “deformed”.
 6. Form is a three-dimensional object, a defined
volume of space. Shapes are two-dimensional (flat:
circle, square, triangle etc.). In everyday usage, the
word “shape” is also used to talk about three-
dimensional form.

3. Texture denotes the tactile sensation or feel of a

surface or how something appears to feel.

7. Volume

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
4. Perspective
 Design is the overall visual structure of a work of
art.
 It is a means by which the artists makes
comprehensible the ideas wishes to express and
communicate.

5. Space is the distance or area around or between

elements of an artwork. This refers to the illusion of 1. Harmony. Harmonious elements have a logical
depth created on a flat surface through the use of relationship or progression, in some way they work
perspective, overlapping elements, size level of detail, together and complement each other.
color and value.
 parties and society as a whole. The artist provides the
2. Balance is the distribution of interest or visual vision, the creativity, the heart and meaning, while the
weight in a work. brand provides the production, infrastructure, scale
and marketing channels.

2. Overlapping is a way artists create the illusion of

depth. When one object covers part of another object,
the object in front looks closer to the viewer. Pattern
is created through any repeated element of art.
Perspective is a technique used by artists to create the
appearance of depth on a flat surface.

3. Transcreation is much more than translation. It

takes the original message and conveys it in another
language, making sure that the text in the target
language keeps the original style, vocal tone, intent,
and emotional salience. It is a combination of
discipline and art, translation and interpretation. It is
the process that re-evaluates the marketing material
3. Proportion is the relationship of sizes between
produced for a local market and re-configures it in
different parts of a work.
order to appeal to an audience with a very different
culture.

The process of Transcreation involves understanding

the target market and carefully tailoring the message
using suitable language, style imagery and tone for
optimal appeal and effective messaging. This is the
main reason why the process requires not only a good
4. Rhythm. Repeating art elements in regular or translator with linguistic skills but a translator with
cyclical fashion to create interest, movement, and/or expertise in marketing and a firm grasp of the target
harmony and unity. Rhythms can be random, regular, audience’s culture.
alternating, flowing, and progressive.

5. Emphasis is created by visually reinforcing

something we want the viewer to pay attention to.
Focal points are areas of interest the viewer’s eyes skip
to. The strongest focal point with the greatest visual
weight is the dominant element of the work.

1. Art Fusion. Art fusion occurs when an artist from any

art field like music, literature, architecture, fine art,
design, graffiti collaborates with any brand (of any
kind-product, service, fashion, charity) to create a
product, concept or “piece” for the benefit of both