Module GE5: ART APPRECIATION

Professor: LARENA O. REINGEN

Second Semester 2021

Module 1, Lesson 1

What is Art: Introduction and Assumption

Introduction

Art is something that is perennially around us. Some people may deny having to do with
the arts but it is indisputable that life presents us with many forms of and opportunities for
communion with the arts. A students marveling at the intricate designs of a medieval cathedral
during his field trip.

Appreciating art is as easy as making a trip to your local museum where you can
compare notes and make your own judgment about whether a work is any good or not. Art
recognized as great works today were produced by the up-and-coming artists of yesteryear, so
it pays to keep an eye on today’s future classics.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this module you are expected be able to:

1. Understand the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at fully realizing his
end;
2. Clarify misconceptions the art;
3. Characterize the assumptions of arts; and
4. Engage better with personal experiences of and in art.

Learning content

Despite the seemingly overflowing instances of arts around people, one still finds the
need to see more and experience more, whether consciously or unconsciously. One whose
exposure to music is only limited to one genre finds it lacking not to have been exposed to
more. Plato had the sharpest foresight when he discussed in the Symposium that beauty, the
object of any love, truly progresses. As one moves through life, one locates better, more
beautiful objects of desire (Scott, 2000). One can never be totally content with what is just
before him. Human beings are drawn toward what is good and ultimately beautiful.

Why Study the Humanities?

For as long as men existed in this planet, he has cultivated the land, altered the
conditions of fauna and flora, in order to survive. Alongside these necessities, man also marked
his place in the world through his works. Through his hands, man constructed infrastructures
that tended to his needs, like his house. He sharpened swords and spears, he employed fire in
order to melt gold. The initial meaning of the word “art” has something to do with all these
craft.

The word “art” comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a “craft or specialize
form of skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938). Art then suggested
the capacity to produce an intended result from carefully planned steps or method. When a
man wants to build a house, he plans meticulously to get to what the prototype promises and
he executes the step to produce the said structure, then he is engaged in art. The ancient world
did not have any conceived notion of art and the same way that we do now. To them, art only
meant using the bare hands to produce something that will be useful to one’s day-to-day life.

Ars in Medieval Latin came to mean something deferent. It meant “any special form of
book-learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology” (Collingwood, 1938). It was only
during the Renaissance that the word reacquired a meaning that was inherent in its ancient
form of craft. Early renaissance artists saw their activities merely as craftsmanship, devoid of a
whole lot of intonations that are attached to the word now. It was during seventeenth century
when the problem and idea of aesthetics, the study of beauty, began to unfold distinctly from
the notion of technical workmanship, which was the original conception of the word “art”. It
was finally in the eighteenth century when word was evolved to distinguish between the fine
arts and the useful arts. The fine arts would come to mean “not delicate or highly skilled arts,
but ‘beautiful’ arts” (Collingwood, 1938).

“The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most important means of expression
developed by man” (Dudley et al., 1960). Human history has witnessed how men evolved not
just physically but also culturally, from cave painters to men of exquisite paintbrush user of the
present. Even if one goes back to the time before written records of man’s civilization has
appeared, he can find cases of man’s attempts of not just crafting tools to live and survive but
also expressing his feelings and thoughts. The Galloping Wild Boar found in the cave of
Altamira, Spain is one such example. In 1879, a Spaniard and his daughter were exploring a cave
when they saw pictures of a wild boar, hind and bison. According to expert, these paintings
were purported to belong to upper Paleolithic Age, several thousands of years before the
current era. Pre-historic men, with their crude instruments, already showcased and manifested
earliest attempts at recording man’s innermost interests, preoccupations, thoughts. The
humanities, then, ironically, have started even before the term has been coined.

Assumptions of Art

Art is universal.

Literature has provided key works of art. Among the most popular ones being taught in
school are the two Greek epics, the Iliad and Odyssey. The Sanskrit pieces Mahabharata and
Ramayana are also staples in this field. These works, purportedly written before the beginning
of recorded history, are believed to be men’s attempt at recording stories and tales that have
been passed on, known, and sung throughout the years. Art is always been timeless and
universal, spanning generations and continent through and through.

In every country and in every generation, there is always art. Often times, people feel
that what is considered artistic are only those which have been made long time ago. This is a
misconception. Age is not a factor in determining art. An “…art is not good because it is old but
old because it is good” (Dudley et al., 1960). In the Philippines, the works of Jose Rizal and
Francisco Balagtas are not being read because they are old. Otherwise, works of other Filipinos
who have long died would have been required in junior high school too. The pieces mentioned
are read in school and have remained to be with us because they are good. They are liked and
adored because they meet are needs and desires. Florante at Laura never fails to teach high
school students the beauty of love, one that is universal and pure. Ibong Adarna , another
Filipino masterpiece, always captured the imagination of the young with its timeless lessons.

The first assumption then about the humanities is that art has been crafted by all
people regardless of origin, time, place, and that it stayed on because it is liked and enjoyed by
people continuously. A great piece of work will never be obsolete. Some people say that art is
art for its intrinsic worth.

Art is not nature.

In the Philippines it is not entirely novel to hear some consumers of local movies remark
that this movies produced locally are an realistic. They contend that local movies work around
certain formula detriment of substance and faithfulness to reality of the movies. These critical
minds argue that a good movie must reflect reality as closely as possible. Is that so?
 One important characteristic of art is that it is not nature. Art is man’s expression of his
reception of nature. Art is man’s way of interpreting nature. Art is not nature. Art is made by
man, whereas nature is given around as. It is in this juncture that they can be considered
opposite. What is find in nature should not be expected to be present in art too. Movies are not
meant to be direct representation of reality. They may, according to the moviemaker’s
perception of reality, be a reinterpretation or even distortion of nature.

This distinction assumes that all of us see nature, perceive its elements in myriad,
different yet, ultimately valid ways. One can only imagine the story of the five blind men who
one day argue against each other on what an elephant looks like. The first was touching the
body and thus, thought the elephant was like a wall. Another one was touching the beast’s ear
and was convinced that the elephant was like a fan. The rest were touching other different
parts of the elephant and concluded differently based on their perceptions. Art is like each of
these men’s view of the elephant.

Art involves experience.

Getting this far without a satisfactory definition of art can be quite weird for some. For
most people, art does not require a full definition. Art is just experience. By experience, we
mean the “actual doing of something” (Dudley et al., 1960). When one says that he has an
experience of something, he often means that he knows what that something is about. When
one claims that he has experienced falling in love, getting hurt, and bouncing back, he in effect
claims that he knows the (sometimes) endless cycle of loving. When one asserts having
experienced preparing a particular recipe, he in fact asserts knowing how the recipe is made.

A work of art then cannot be abstracted from actual doing. In order to know what an
artwork is, we have to sense it, see or hear it, and see and hear it, to fully appreciate our
national hero’s monument, one must go to Rizal Park and see the actual sculpture. In order to
know Beyonce’s music, one must listen to it to actually experience them.

Finally, one should also underscore that every experience with art is accompanied by
some emotion. One either likes or dislikes, agrees or disagrees that a work of art is beautiful. A
stage play or motion picture is particularly one of those art forms that evoke strong emotions
from its audience. With experience comes emotions and feelings, after all. Feelings and
emotions are concrete proofs that the artwork has been experiences.
Assessment:

Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible (10 points
each).

1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist would you be?

If I were an artist, I will become a famous paintor. I want to amaze my fellow citizens by posting
my paintings on social media or in a youtube. And I want to inspire all of youth around the
world by my paintings and to become successful someday.
2. Why is art not nature?
Nature is real. Birth, life, death is the cycle. Nature is beautiful and close to perfect since it was
designed by God.
Art is a perceived, conceived idea on many items designed by man. Therefore, art can be
beautiful and it can be horrible. Generally, what man has touched results in anxiety and pain for
others. These items man has created regarding art could be perceived ideas of nature, of birth,
of death, of emotions, of artificial intelligence, of hunger, of war but generally artists are
communicators
3. Why is art ageless and timeless?
Agelessness and timelessness can refer to a classical style of art that will never go out of
fashion, in that it does not utilize any wonky trends that will only be popular for a short and
specific period of time. Remember big hair and leg warmers from the 80s? Many people from
that time period look back and inwardly cringe at this style that is neither ageless or timeless.
4. Why does art involve experience?

All life is experience; everything you have been through up to now colors what you look at, how
you see it, what details you focus as opposed to someone else and how they look at the same
things. No two people are the same so your expriences shape all your art and anyone elses is
shaped by theirs.

References

Collingwood, R.G. (1938). The Principles of Art. Worcestershire: Read Books Ltd.
Dudley, L., Faricy, A., and McGraw-Hill Book Company. (1960). The Humanities. New York:
McGraw-hill.

Module 1, Lesson 2

Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination, and Expression

Introduction

One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. However, not every beautiful thing that can
be seen or experienced may truly be called a work of art. Art is a product of man’s creativity,
imagination, and expression. No matter how perfectly blended the colors of a sunset are and no
matter how extraordinarily formed mountains are, nature is not considered art simply because
it is not made by man. Not even photographs or sketches of nature, though captured or drawn
by man, are works of art, but mere recordings of the beauty in nature (Collins & Riley, 1931). An
artwork may be inspired by nature or other works of art, but an artist invents his own forms
and patterns due to what he perceives as beautiful and incorporates them in creating his
masterpiece.

Perhaps not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are spectators of art. In
deciding what pair of shoes to buy, we carefully examine all possible choices within our budget
and purchase the one that satisfies our beauty and practical standards. We are able to
distinguish what is fine and beautiful from what is not and what is good quality from poor. This
gives us a role in the field of art appreciation.

Learning Objectives: at the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to

1. Differentiate art from nature;

2. Characterize artistic expression based on personal experiences with art;
3. Discuss the nature of art’s preliminary expression; and
4. Categorize works of art by citing personal experiences.

Art Appreciation as a Way of Life

Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous French philosopher of the twentieth century, describe the
role of art as a creative work that depicts the world in a completely different light and
perspective, and the source is due to human freedom (Greene, 1995). Each artwork beholds
beauty of its own kind, the kind that the artist sees and wants the viewers to perceive. More
often than not, people our blind to this beauty and only those who have developed a fine sense
of appreciation can experience and see the art the same way the artist did. Because of this,
numerous artworks go unnoticed, artists are not given enough credit, and they miss
opportunities. Each sometimes takes a lifetime before their contribution to the development of
art is recognized. Hence, refining one’s ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply
understand the purpose of an artwork and recognize the beauty it possesses (Collins & Riley,
1931).

In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his state for
things that are fine and beautiful. This allows individuals to make intelligent choices and
decisions in acquiring necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better value for time or
money while taking into consideration aesthetic and practical value (Collins & Riley, 1931). This
continuous demand for aesthetical valuable things influences the development and evolution of
art and its forms.

Frequenting museums, art galleries, performing art theaters, concert halls, or even malls
that display art exhibitions that are free in admission during leisure time will not only develop
an understanding of the art, but will also serve as a rewarding experience. Learning to
appreciate art, no matter what vocation or profession you have, will lead to a fuller and more
meaningful life (Collins & Riley, 1931).
The Role of Creativity in Art Making

Creativity requires thinking outside the box. It is often used to solve problems that have
never occurred before, conflate function and style, and simply make life a more unique and
enjoyable experience. In art, creativity what sets apart one artwork from another. We say
something is done creatively when we have not yet seen anything like it or when it is out of the
ordinary a creative artist does not simply copy or imitate another artist’s work. He does not
imitate the lines, flaws, colors, and patterns in creating nature. He embraces originality, puts his
own flavor into his work, and calls it his own creative piece.

Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. What you though was your own
unique and creative idea may not what it seems to be after extensive research and that
someone else coincidentally devised before the idea in another part of the world. For instance,
the “campaign ad “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” used by the Department of Tourism (DOT)
boomed popularity in 2011, but later on it was found out that it was allegedly plagiarized from
Switzerland’s tourism slogan “Its More Fun in Switzerland,” back in 1951. In DOT’s defense,
former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was “purely coincidental.” Thus,
creativity should be backed with careful research on related art to avoid such conflicts.

Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination is a Product of Art

Where do you think famous writers, painters, and musicians get their ideas? Where do
ideas in making creative solution begin? It all starts in the human mind. It all begins with
imagination.

German physicist Albert Einstein who had made significant and major contributions in
science and humanity demonstrated that knowledge is actually derived from imagination. He
emphasized this idea through his words:

“imagination is more important then knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now
know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all their ever will be to
know and understand.”

Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm, but goes beyond that. That is
why people rely on curiosity and imagination for advancement. Through imagination, one is
able to craft something bold, something new, and something better in the hopes of creating
something that will stimulate change. Imagination allows endless possibilities.

In an artist’s mind sits a vast gallery of artworks. An artwork does not need to be a real
thing, but can be something that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938). Take for example a musician
who thinks of a tune in his head. The making of this tune in his head makes it an imaginary
tune, an imaginative creation, an imaginary art (Collingwood, 1938). It remains imaginary until
he hums, sings or writes down the notes of the tune on paper. However, something imaginary
does not necessarily mean it cannot be called art. Artist use their imagination that gives birth to
reality through creation.

In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination. Imagine
being in an empty room surrounded by blank, white walls, and floor. Would you be inspired to
work in such a place? Often, you will find coffee shops, restaurants, and libraries with paintings
hung or sculptures and other pieces of art placed around the room to add beauty to the
surroundings. This craving and desires to be surrounded by beautiful things dates back to our
early ancestors (Collins & Riley, 1931). Cave walls are surrounded by drawings and paintings of
animals they hunted: wild boars, reindeers, and bison. Clays were molded and stones were
carved into forms and resemble men and women; burial jars were created with intricate
designs on them. This creative pieces were made not only because they were functional to
men, but also because beauty gave them joy (Collins & Riley, 1931).

Art as Expression

There may have been times when you felt something is going on within you, you try to
explain it but you do not know how. You may only be conscious about feeling this sort of
excitement, fear, or agitation, but you know that just one word is not enough to describe the
nature of what you truly feel. Finally, you try to release yourself from this tormenting and
disabling state by doing something, which is called expressing oneself (Collingwood, 1938).
Suppose this feeling is excitement. It is frustrating to contain such feeling, so you relieve it by
expressing through shouting of leaping in excitement. An emotion will remain unknown to a
man until he expresses it.

Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for his work in
aesthetics, explicated in his publication The Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist does to
an emotion is not to induce it, but express it. Through expression, he is able to explore his own
emotions and at the same time, create something beautiful out of them. Collingwood further
illustrated that expressing emotions is something different from describing emotions. In his
example, explicitly saying “I am angry” is not an expression of an emotion, but a mere
description. There is no need in relating or referring to a specific emotion, such as anger, in
expressing one’s emotion. Description actually destroys the idea of expression, as it classifies
the emotion, making it ordinary and predictable. Expression, on how the other hand,
individualizes. An artist has the freedom to express himself the way he wants to. Hence, there is
no specific technique in expression. This makes people’s art not a reflection of what is outside
or external to them, but a reflection of their inner selves.

There are countless ways of expressing oneself through art. The following list includes,
but is not limited to, popular art expressions.

Visual Arts

Creations that fall under this category are those that appeal to the sense of sight and
are mainly visual in nature. Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire to reproduce things
that they have seen in the way that they perceived them (Collins & Riley, 1931). Visual arts is
the kind of art form that the population is most likely more expose to, but its variations are so
diverse- they range from sculptures that you see in art galleries to last movie you saw.

Some mediums of visual arts include paintings, drawings, letterings, printing, sculptures,
digital imaging, and more.

Film

Film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an
illusion. Filmmaking focuses aesthetic, cultural, and social value and is considered as both an art
in an industry. Films can be created by using one or a combination of some or all of these
technics: motion-picture camera ( also known as movie camera), animation technics,
Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), and more. Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates
one that is beyond the scope of our imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty
to its viewers. The art of filmmaking is so complex it has to take into account many important
elements such as lighting, musical score, visual effects, direction, and more. That is why in
famous film festivals and awards such as the Metro Manila Film Festival and Oscars a long list of
categories is considered to recognize excellence in the art of filmmaking.

Performance Art

Performance art is alive art and the artist’s medium is mainly the human body which he
or she uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual art, props, or sound. It
usually consists of four important elements: time, where the performance to place, the
performer’s or performer’s body, and a relationship between the audience and the
performer(s) (Mona Learning, n.d.) the fact that performance art is live makes it intangible,
which means it cannot be bought or traded as a commodity, unlike the previously discuss art
expressions.

Poetry Performance

Poetry is an form where the artist expresses his emotions not by using paint, charcoal,
or camera, but expresses them through words. These words are carefully selected to exhibit
clarity and beauty to stimulate strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow, and the list goes on.
It uses a word’s emotional, musical, and spatial values that go beyond its literal meaning to
narrate emphasize, argue, or convince. These words, combined with movements, tone, volume,
and intensity of the delivery, add to the artistic value of the poem. Some poets even make
poems out of their emotions picked up from other works of art, which in turn produce another
work of art through poetry.

Architecture

As discussed, art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the
making of beautiful buildings. However, not all buildings are beautiful. Some buildings only
embody the functionality they need, but the structure, lines, forms, and colors are not
beautifully expressed. Thus, not all buildings can be considered architecture. Take for example,
the grand theatre de Bordeaux where the functionality of the theater remains, but the striking
balance of the lines, colors, and shapes completes the masterpiece. Buildings should embody
these three important elements-plan, construction, and design-if they wish to merit the title
architecture (Collins & Riley, 1931).

Dance

Dance is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music accompaniment. It
has been an age-old debate whether dance can really be considered an art form, but here we
primarily describe dance is a form of expression. Dancing is a creative form that allows people
to freely express themselves. It has no rules. You may say that choreography does not allow
this, but in art expression, dancers are not confined to set steps and rules but are free to create
and invent their own movements as long as they deem them graceful and beautiful.
Literary Art

Artists who practice literary arts used worlds-not paint, musical instruments, or chisels-
to express themselves and communicate emotions to the readers. However, simply becoming a
writer does not make one a literary artist. Simply constructing a succession of sentences in a
meaningful manner is not literary art. Literary art goes beyond the usual professional, academic
journalistic, and other technical forms of writing. It focuses on writing using a unique style, not
following a specific format or norm. it may include both fiction and non-fiction such as novels,
biographies, and poems. Examples of famous literary artist and their works include The Little
Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Theater

Theater uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary events before a live
audience. Theater art performances visually follow a script, though they should not be confused
with literary arts. Much like in filmmaking, theater also considers several elements such as
acting, gesture, lighting, sound effects, musical score, scenery, props. The combination of these
elements is what gives the strongest impression on the audience and the script thus becomes a
minor element. Similar to performance art, since theater is also a live performance, the
participation of the viewer is an important element in the theater arts. Some genres of theater
include drama, musical, tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.

Applied Arts

Applied arts is incorporating elements of style and design to everyday items with the
aim of increasing their aesthetic value. Artists in this field bring beauty, charm, and comfort into
many things that are useful in everyday life (Collins & Riley, 1931). Industrial design, interior
design, fashion design, and graphic design are considered applied arts. Applied is often
compared to fine arts, where the latter is chiefly concerned in aesthetic value. Through
exploration and expression of ideas, consideration of the needs, and careful choice of materials
and techniques, artists are able to combine functionality and style.
Assessment

Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible.

1. What art field will you explore? Why?

Paintmaking is an art form that I'd like to explore more about because it's a soothing art form
with a wide range of color combinations. Painting enhances one's capacity to think critically and
creatively. However, if you like your drawing, you can feel better.

2. How can you utilize the arts to express yourself, your community, and your relation to
others?

By expressing myself, my community, and my relationship to others and the environment

through my chosen arts, I can use the arts to express myself, my culture, and my relationship to
others and the environment. Feelings, ideas, or even the faces of people you care for may be
drawn or painted.

References

Collingwood, R.G. (1938). The Principle of Art. Worcestershire: Read Books LTd.

Collins, M.R. and Riley, O. (1931). Art Appreciation for Junior and senior High Schools. New York:
Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.

Greene, M. (1995). Art and imagination: Reclaiming the Sense of Possibility. Indiana, USA: Phi
delta Kappa International.

Moma Learning. (n.d.). “Conceptual Art.” Accessed October 14, 2017. Retrieved from
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/conceptual-art/performance-into-art.

The Arts Center. (n.d). “Poetry is Art Form.” Accessed October 14, 2017. Retrieved from
http://www.theaterscenter.org/art-exhibitions/poetry-art-form.html.

Unbound Visual Arts. (n.d.). “what is Visual Art?” Accessed October 15, 2017. Retrieved from
http://www.unboundvisualarts.org/what-is-visual-art/.