Chapter 1: ART: ITS MEANING

AND IMPORTANCE
 THE NATURE OF ART

Art is Everywhere
The popular feeling about art is that it
exist only in concert halls, museums, and
art galleries in a world by itself, accessible
only to those who can afford to pay for its
enjoyment or to the critics and scholars
who take time to study the art objects.
Art as Expression and Communication
No one can contain an intense emotion
within himself for long. The tension that
result would compel him to unberden
himself or share the feeling with others.
Art as Creation
Man has also been led by an innate
craving for order to create objects that are
delightful to perceive. The word
“creation” in this sense refers to the act of
combining or re-ordering already existing
materials so that a new object is formed.
Art and Experience
At least three major kinds of
experience are involved in the artistic
activity. As we noted earlier, it usually
starts as an experience which the artist
wants to communicate.
Art and Nature
Art is not nature. A distinction must be
made between the two. The colorful sunset
over Manila Bay, the sky full of star on a
summer evening, the sound of mayas
singing in the field these are natural
things. They are not work of art.
Art and beauty
The desire for beauty and order around
us is another basic human need. Somehow
these provide the much needed comfort
and balance to our lives.
 THE SUBJECT OF ART
What Subject Is
The subject of art refers to any person,
object scene, or event described or
presented in a work of art. Some art have
subject, others do not. The arts that have
subject are called representational or
objective arts. Those that do not have
subject are called non-representational or
non objective.
Ways of Representing Subject
The manner of representing subject
matter varies according to the
inventiveness and purpose of each artist.
He may employ realism, abstraction, or
distortion.
The Artist and His Choice of Subject
Practically everything under the sun is
raw materials for the artist to draw his
suject from. Most, if not all, of the visual
arts are representations of what artist
thought and felt about the world they lived
in.
 Kinds of Subject
The subjects depicted in works of art,
particularly the visual arts, can be
grouped into:
1. Landscapes , seascapes, and cityscapes.
Artist have always been fascinated with their
physical environment.
2. Still life. Some artist love to paint groups of
inanimate objects arranged in an indoor
setting.
3. Animals. Another popular subject is
animals.
4. Portraits. People have always been
intrigued by the human face as an index of
the owner’s character.
5. Figures. The sculptor’s chief subject has
tradionally been the human body , nude or
clothed.
6. Everyday life. Artist have always shown a
deep concern about life around them.
7. History and Legend. History consists of
verifiable facts, Legends of unverifiable
ones, although many of them are often
accepted as true because tradition has
held them so.
8. Religion and mythology . Art has always
been a handmaiden of religion.
9. Dreams and fantasies. Dreams ae usually
vague and illogical.
 The Ugly and the Tragic in Art
There is nothing that may be considered an
improper subject for a work of art. The
grotesque, the ugly, and the tragic are all
legitimate subjects as much as the pleasurable
and the beautiful are.
 Subject and Content
Recognizing the subject is not necessarily
grasping the content of a work of art. Subject and
content are two diffirent things. While subject
refers to the objects depicted by the artist,
content referes to what the artist expresses or
communicates on the whole in his work.
 THE FUNCTION OF ART
Function in Art
Compared to other activities of man, art is
generally regarded as impractical, not meant to
meet the requirments of day to day living.
 The Personal Function
We said earlier that the arts are vehicles for
the artist’ expression of their feelings and ideas.
The arts also serve as means of expression for us.
Music, for instance, and literature, at times, have a
way of expressing our emotions for us.
 Social Function of Art
One cannot conceive of a society without art,
for art is closely related to every aspect of a
social life.
Art performs a social function when “(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 situation, and (3) it
expresses or describes social or collective
aspects of existence as opposed to individual
and personal kinds of experiences.”
 Physical Functions of Art
Tools and containers are objects which function
to make our lives physically comfortable.
Functional works of art may be classified as
either tools or containers.
 PURPOSE OF ARTS
Recording Appearances
1. Visual and Tangible presentation of images and ideas that appeals
to the different senses life in Cave painting, Portraits, Realist Painting,
Sculptures, Photographs etc. etc.
Making the Invisible Visible
1. Dreams and visions – Symbolism and Surrealism
2. Images of gods, angel and demons
3. Events from distant past or far-future
Communicating
1. Displays wealth, power and prestige
2. Mass communication of general interest
3. Political point of view: appeal or persuade
4. Education
Delighting
1. Aesthetic purpose of an artwork
2. Categorical purpose of arts
 Anatomy of an Art Work
Art Work – an artwork is considered as one when the following
criterias are met:
1. Authenticity
2. Aesthetic quality
3. Mastery of skill
Subject
1. Generally the subject of an artwork is anything under the sun;
2. A subject could be imaginary like a unicorn or mermaids or real as
the EDSA People Power;
3. It could be divided into different categories and classifications;
4. There are three (3) ways of representation of a subject: abstract,
distorted or realist;
5. The limitations of the subject is the limitations set by their
respective schools, culture or government regulations and
restrictions.
 Artist
1. An artist is an individual trained or with mastery
of a specific or multiple artistic capacities;
2. An artist maybe is acclaimed by connoisseur or
patrons like Da Vinci or Michaelangelo, they could
be acclaimed by their respective groups like the
graffiti artists of Ugat-lahi and Bayan Muna;
3. An artist during the early periods of history
always comes from the elite member of the society
but now it also encourages and is open to the
participation of those who comes from the other
class of society; for example, the famous Juan Luna.
 Emotions or Ideas to be expressed
1. The emotions or ideas expressed by an
artwork could be exaggerated, limited or it
could be imaginary or for realist too real
and grounder on experiences.
 Medium and Technique
1.There are three major categories of an
artwork:
a. visual artworks include paintings,
frescoes, mosaic, prints and photography;
b. Practical(3 dimensional) artworks
include sculpture and architecture;
c. Performing arts (time and mixed arts)
artworks include literature, music dance
theatre plays.
 Purpose
1.There are hundreds of purposes why an
artwork is made but the following are
generally accepted:
A. Recording appearance – The cave
paintings, portrait and landscape are some
example of how artworks could record and
preserve images of man and nature;
 The Viewer, Patron or Critique
A. Elite or the Patron – has more refined
taste and appreciation of artworks, during
the medieval and renaissance period. They
were not just the subject of artwork in their
portrait but they also cause the fall and rise
of an artist;
 Impression of the Viewer, Patron and
Critique
1. There are only two impression of an
artwork it is either to appreciate or critique
it.