Prepared by Shoji Aritcheta

Lesson 1

Introduction and Assumption

Introduction
The Word “art” comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a
craft or specialized form of skill, like carpentry or smithying or
surgery.
Art then suggested the capacity to produce an intended result from
carefully planned steps or method.

The Ancient world did not have any conceived notion of art in 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 different. It meant

“any special form of book learning, such as grammar or logic,
magic or astrology”.
It was only during the renaissance Period that the word reacquired a
meaning that was inherent in its ancient form of craft. Early
renaissance artist saw their activities merely as craftsmanship, devoid
of a whole lot of intonations that are attached to the word now.

It was during the seventeenth century when the problem and idea of
aesthetic, 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 the word has evolved to
distinguish between the fine arts and the useful arts. The fine art would
come to mean “not delicate or highly skilled arts, but ‘beautiful’ arts”.
This is something more akin to what is now considered art.

Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human

society and culture.
Assumptions of Art
Art is Universal
Art has always been timeless and universal, spanning
generations and continent through and through, In every
country and in every generation there is art. Often times,
people feel that what is considered artistic are only those
which have been made long time ago. This is misconception.
Age is not a factor in determining art. An “…art is not good
because it is old, but old because it is good” A great piece of
work will never be obsolete. Art will always be present
because human being will always express themselves and
delight in these expressions. Men will continue to use art
while art persists and never gets depleted.
Art is not Nature
Paul Cezanne, a French painter, painted a scene from
reality entitled Well and Grinding Wheel in the Forest
of the Chateau Noir. The said Scene is inspired by a real
scene in a forest around the Chateau Noir area near in
Cezanne’s native Provence. Comparing in two one can see
that Cezanne’s landscape is quite different from the
original scene. Cezanne has changed some pattern and
details from the way they were actually in photograph.
What he did is not nature. It is art.

One important characteristic of art 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 made
by men, whereas nature is a given around us. What we find
in nature should not be expected to be present in art too.
Movies are not direct representation of reality.
Art involves Experience
For most people, art does not require a full definition.
Art is just experience. By experience, we mean the
“actual doing of something”. When one says that he
has an experience of something, he mean often means
that he knows what that something is all about. Art is
always an experience. Unlike field of knowledge that
involves data, art is known by experiencing. A painter
cannot claim to know how to paint if he has not tried
holding a brush. Dudley et al. (1960) affirmed that “all
art depends on experience, and if one is to know art,
he must know it not as fact or information but as
experience
 Lesson 2

Creativity, Imagination and

Expression
 Introduction

“Art is a product of man’s creativity,

imagination, and expression.”
 No matter how perfectly the colors of a sunset are blended
and no matter how extraordinary mountains are formed,
nature is not considered art simply because it is not made
by man.
 Even photographs or sketches of nature is not considered
as an art though it is captured or drawn by man are called
works of art but by mere recordings of the beauty in nature
(Collins & Rilley, 1931).
 “It takes an artist to make art.”
 An artwork may be inspired by nature or other works of art.
 But an artist invents his own forms and patterns by what he
see/perceives as beautiful and incorporates them in
creating his masterpiece.
“Not everyone can be considered as an artist but
all are spectators of art.”

 DISCUSSION:
 For example in deciding what pair of
shoes to buy, we carefully examine all possible
choices within our budget and pick the one
that satisfies our beauty and practical
standard.
 We are able to distinguish what is beautiful
from what is not, and from good quality vs.
poor quality. This gives us role in the field of
art appreciation.
 I. ART APPRECIATION AS A WAY OF LIFE

The role of art is a creative work depicts the world in a

completely different light & perspective due to human
freedom.
(Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous philosopher)
 Each artwork beholds beauty of its own kind, the kind that the
artist sees and wants the viewers to perceive.
 More often, people are 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.
 The main reason that numerous artworks go unnoticed, artists
are not given enough credit, and they miss opportunities.
 In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and
develop his taste for things that are fine and beautiful. This also
allows individuals to make intelligent choices and decisions in
acquiring necessities and luxuries, knowing how to give better
value for time or money while taking into consideration the
aesthetic and practical value.
 Learning to appreciate art, no matter what vocation or profession
you have will lead to a fuller and more meaningful life.
 II. 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, bring together function & style, and
simply make life a more unique and enjoyable
experience.
In art “Creativity is 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.
 Yet being creative now a day can be quite challenging.
 What you thought was your own unique and creative idea may
not what it seems to be after extensive research and found out
that someone else in another part of the world has coincidentally
devised your idea first.
 For example, 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 “It’s More fun in Switzerland.”
Back in 1951 but it was claimed to be purely coincidental.
 Thus creativity should be backed with careful research on related
art to avoid such conflicts.
III. ART AS AN PRODUCT OF IMAGINATION,
IMAGINATION AS A PRODUCT OF ART

 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For

knowledge is limited to all we now know and
understand, while imagination embraces the entire
world, and all there ever will be to know and
understand.”
 -Albert Einstein
 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 mind sits a vast gallery of artworks.
 An artwork does not need to be a real thing but can be
something that is imaginary.
 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
imaginative art.
 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.
IV. ART AS EXPRESSION
 “What an artist does to an emotion is not to induce
(bring/create) it, but express it.”
(Collingwood, The Principles of Art 1938)

 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. Releasing yourself from this tormenting and
disabling state by doing something is called expressing
oneself.
DISCUSSION:
 Through expression, all are able to explore his own
emotions and at the same time, create something
beautiful out of them.
 LIST OF EXPRESSING ONESELF THROUGH ART

 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.
 FILM – refers to the art of putting together successions of
still images in order to create an illusion of movement.
Film making focuses on its aesthetic, cultural and social
value and is considered as both an art and an industry.
Films can be created by using one or a combination of
some or all of these techniques: motion-picture camera,
animation techniques, and computer generated imagery.
 PERFORMANCE ART – a live 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.
 POETRY PERFOMANCE – is an art form where the artist
expresses his emotions not by using paint, charcoal, or
camera but expresses them through words.
 ARCHITECTURE – as discussed art is the pursuit and
creation of beautiful things while architecture is the
making of beautiful buildings. Buildings should embody
these three important elements-plan, construction and
design – if they wish to merit the title architecture.
 DANCE – 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 as a form of expression.
 LITERARY ART – artist who practice literary arts use words -not
paint, musical instruments or chisels- to express themselves and
communicate emotions to the readers
 THEATER – theater uses live performers to present accounts or
imaginary events before a live audience.
 APPLIED ARTS – is an incorporating element of style and design
to everyday items with the aim of increasing their aesthetical
value. It is often compared to fine arts. Artist in this field bring
beauty, charm and comfort into many things that are useful in
everyday life. Industrial design, interior design, fashion design,
and graphic design are considered applied arts.
Lesson 3
Greek Philosopher Aristotle claimed that every
particular substance in the world has an end, or telos
in Greek, which translate to “purpose”
Man, in Aristotle’s view of reality, is bound to acheive a
life of fulfillment and happiness, or in Greek,
eudaimonia
The telos and function of a thing are related to a thing’s
identity.
What makes a table a table is the fact that it does
perform its function and thereby, reaching its telos. If
a table does not have a surface on which we can put on
our books or our plates and glasses, then it ceases to be
a table.
Ex. Rizal monument
What is it for?
Why was it erected I Rizal Park?
Is it for pure sentimental value?
Is it for aesthetic value?
Or Does it send a message to those who witness it?

In this string of question the inquirer is hoping to get

the function of the piece of art in Rizal Park
Functions of Art
 When one speaks of function, one practically talking
about the use of the object whose function is in
question. An inquiry on the function of art is an
inquiry on what art is for.
 Alternatively, the answer to the question “what is it
for” is the function of whatever “it” in the question
refered to.
Functions of Arts
Personal Function of Art
Social Function of Art
Physical Function of Art
Other Function of Art
Functions of Arts
Personal Function of Art – art are varied and highly
subjective. This means that its functions depend on
the persons-the artist who created the art. An artist
may create an art out of the need for self expression.
An art may also be therapeutic.

Social Function of Art – Art is considered to have social

function if and when it addresses a particular
collective interest as opposed to personal interest,
political is a very common example of an art with a
social function.
Physical Function of Art – The physical function of art is
the easiest to spot and understand. The physical
function of art can be found in artworks that are
crafted in order to serve some physical purpose.

Other Function of Art – Music as an art is also

interesting to talk about, in relation to function. Music
in its original form was principally functional. Music
was used for dance and religion. The ancient world saw
music only as an instrument to facilitate worship and
invocation to gods.
Sculpture – is another functional art that has long
existed, for various purpose. Just like music sculptures
have been made by man most particularly for religion.
Sculpture were also made in order to commemorate
important figures in history. Ex. Rizal’s monument in
Rizal Park.
Architecture – another art form that lends itself to
multiple functions is architecture. In fact architecture
must be the most prominent functional art form.
Buildings are huge, expensive and are not easily
constructed and replaced.
Does Art Always have to be functional?
While it has been shown that most are functional,
still there are some which are not. The value of art
does not depend on function but on the work
itself.

Art demands so much more than mere efficiency. What then

really comprises beauty and art? What makes something
truly beautiful? What really makes a work of art? What
really art is?
Philosophical Perspective on Art
Art as an Imitation
Plato (2000) in his masterpiece, The Republic, particularly paints a
picture of artist as imitators and art as a mere imitation. In his
description of the ideal republic, Plato advices against the inclusion of
art as a subject in the curriculum and the banning of the artist in the
republic. Plato was convinced that artists merely reinforce the belief in
copies and discourage men to reach for the real entities in the World of
Forms.
Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artist for two reasons: they appeal
to the emotion rather than to the rational faculty of men and they
imitate rather than lead one to reality.

Poetry rouses emotion and feelings, it has the capacity to sway minds
without taking in consideration the use of proper reason.
Likewise, Socrates is worried that art objects represent only the things on
this world, copies themselves of reality. A painting is just an imitation
of nature, which is also just an imitation of reality in the world of forms
For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty
replacement for the real entities that can only be
attained through reason.
Art as Representation
Aristotle, Plato’s most important student in philosophy, agreed
with his teacher that art is a form of imitation. However, in
contrast to the disgust that his master holds for art, Aristotle
considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth,
For example, Aristotle (1902) in the Poetics claimed that poetry is a
literary representation in general. For Aristotle, all kinds of art,
including poetry, music, dance, painting, and sculpture, do not
aim to represent reality as it is. What art endeavors to do is to
provide a vision of what might be or myriad possibilities in
reality, Aristotle conceived art as representing possible versions
of reality.

In the Aristotelian worldview, art serves tow particular purpose.

First, art allows for the expression of pleasure. Secondly, art also
ha an ability to be instructive and teach its audience things about
life; thus, it is cognitive as well.
Art as Disinterested Judgement
In the third critique that Immanuel Kant wrote, the
“Critique of judgment,” Kant considered the judgment of
beauty, the cornerstone of art, as something that can be
universal despite its subjectivity.

There is something in the work of art that makes it capable of

inciting the same feeling of pleasure and satisfaction from
any perceiver, regardless of his condition, for Kant every
human being, after perception and the free play of his
faculties, should recognize the beauty that is inherent in a
work of art.
Art as a Communication of Emotion
The author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy,
provided another perspective on what art is. In his book, What is
Art (2016), Tolstoy defended the production of the sometimes
truly extravagant art, like operas, despite extreme poverty in the
world. For him art plays a huge role in communication to its
audience’s emotions that the artist previously experienced. Art
then serves as a language, a communication device that
articulates feelings and emotions that are otherwise unavailable
to the audience. In the same way that language communicate
information to other people, art communicate emotion

Tolstoy is fighting for the social dimension of art. As a purveyor of

man’s innermost feelings and thoughts, art is given a unique
opportunity to serve as a mechanism for social unity.
Activity:
Answer the Following questions as
precisely yet as thoroughly as possible
1. What art form/artwork has changed something in
your life? Why? Account for the experience.

2. Does art always have a function? Why? Support your

response. Provide your own example.

3. If an artwork ceased to have a function, will it remain

an art? Why?
Assignment
Look around your house and identify a product of art.
Paste a picture of that product of art in your
household. Trace the beginning of this item and
identify what functions it has played in history. (e.g.,
painting of the Last Supper in your dining room or a
spoon)
Lesson 4
Subject – refers to the visual focus or the image that may be
extracted from examining the art work.

Content – is the meaning that is communicated by the artist

or the artwork.

Finally, the development and the configuration of the

artwork-how the elements and medium or material are put
together – is the form

In simpler terms, the subject is seen as the “what”; the

content is the “why”; and the form is the “how”
“selbstbildnis mit vanitassymbolen” – David Bailly
Representational Art