Art Appreciation

MIKE FORDAN ANTOLINO | BSA | 11/20/18

Why Study Humanities?

Having learned more about the myths and stories of Western civilization,
I am understanding more how study of the humanities (art, history, and
literature) can be used to help people better understand and communicate
with one another. It is obvious that the study of humanities is not just a
college course, but it is an ongoing process and practice in life.

The humanities can first be used to understand the past which has created
the present. The culture which we have was shaped by the past. Facts,
findings, and literature of even thousands of years ago have influenced our
world today. Knowing this past can allow people to understand our
present; knowing how we came to this present helps us to communicate
about it and the future.

The study of the humanities can also be used to realize differing

interpretations of life and history. Studying facts of the past helps to
understand literature of the past. Art reflects the cultures of the past, and
shows how we achieved what we have today. For example, the Song of
Roland was very biased about the Saracens (Muslims). If one only studied
literature, they would have a totally skewed interpretation of who the
Muslims were. By studying history though, we know that the battle in this
literature wasn't even against Muslims. Also by studying history and
religion we can see how Islam developed and what it really is. This is just
one example of how the comprehensive study of the humanities can be
used to understand the world, and to communicate fairly and intelligently
with others in the world.

The humanities are not just part of the college's curriculum. The study of
the humanities teaches one how to study and look at how the past
developed and how it has impacted today's world. The humanities allows
people of different cultures to communicate and understand their
sometimes common pasts but present differences. The humanities shows
how different disciplines affect and complement one another. Finally, the
study of the humanities shows that this study is ongoing and continual,
constantly evolving and shaping.

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What is Art History?
The history of art focuses on objects made by humans in visual form for
aesthetic purposes. Visual art can be classified in diverse ways, such as
separating fine arts from applied arts; inclusively focusing on human
creativity; or focusing on different media such as architecture, sculpture,
painting, film, photography, and graphic arts. In recent years,
technological advances have led to video art, computer art, Performance
art, animation, television, and videogames.

The history of art is often told as a chronology of masterpieces created

during each civilization. It can thus be framed as a story of high culture,
epitomized by the Wonders of the World. On the other hand, vernacular
art expressions can also be integrated into art historical narratives,
referred to as folk arts or craft. The more closely that an art historian
engages with these latter forms of low culture, the more likely it is that
they will identify their work as examining visual culture or material
culture, or as contributing to fields related to art history, such as
anthropology or archaeology. In the latter cases art objects may be
referred to as archaeological artefacts.

What is Art Appreciation?

Art Appreciation is the knowledge and understanding of the universal
and timeless qualities that identify all great art. The more you appreciate
and understand the art of different eras, movements, styles and
techniques, the better you can develop, evaluate and improve your own
artwork.

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Why do People Create Works of Art?
The purposes, motivations, intentions, and inspirations behind art are
endless. Below are just some of the reasons why we make art:

To form part of a ritual, ceremony, or cultural tradition

Whether you refer to the finely crafted instruments of the different ethnic tribes
in the Philippines or look at the creative mascots of different sports teams, we
use art to creatively represent practices that have been part of our lives for
years. Just look at how beautiful the modern day weddings are – every item is
planned to be a work of art! One of the most comprehensive events depicted in
the history is “The Last Supper” by Da Vinci

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

To practice faith in a more tangible way

Believing in a higher being can be a unique experience, and art is used to make
those beliefs much easier to grasp and feel. Look at how the Sistine Chapel
paintings by Michelangelo or the Christ the Redeemer statue or Indian
Paintings from Rajput. Just looking at these world-renowned works can
strengthen or renew a person’s faith. A theme that has the most answers to –
Why we make art

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 Sri Krishna as Envoy by Raja Ravi Varma

To record history

Another reason people make art to record a moment of past. More specifically
called History Painting, we use art to capture the most significant scenes in
history. Some notable examples include Benjamin West’s the Death of
Benjamin Wolfe and Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii. These paintings
and other art forms have a special way of making history a point of interest to
otherwise disinterested people. They spark discussion, commemoration, and
appreciation of important historical events.

The Knotted Gun by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd

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To teach something as an alternative to verbal or written methods

The changing generations have made it much harder to attract the attention of
our young learners. The question – Why we make art – is becoming less relevant
these days. With the help of art, people who would otherwise ignore books can
be taught concepts more effectively using visual arts. These can be seen in the
form of visual Public Service Announcements and awareness campaigns in the
form of films. In some cases, artists make art with great imagery that can also
complement written messages

The Berlin Wall 1963 Postwar European Art

To tell a story from literature, myths, religion, and poetry

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings inspired
by Christian history. There are also a lot of many famous paintings that depict
significant parts of a famous literature. Sometimes visualizing a story is the
best way to appreciate it. That’s why we use art and why people make art – to
elaborate the myths and religious aspects of an event or a period

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 The School of Athens by Raphael Sanzio

To create someone’s portrait

It’s not just about someone getting his or her portrait painted. It’s about how
the artist sees that person. The most famous example, of course, is Leonardo
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, whose smile has captivated the world throughout history.
There’s also Van Gogh’s portrait of Dr. Gachet, who happens to be the artist’s
close friend. The faces of these people, their expressions, and the painting itself
have the power to show you what these people mean to the artists who made
them

Monalisa painting

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To allow the artist to express oneself.

One of the most adopted reasons about people making art is to allow
themselves to represent their thoughts and life. When Edward Munch painted
The Scream, he was thinking about the orange sky he just recently saw which,
to him, it looked like nature was screaming. This is how he used art to effectively
convey his idea or opinion about something. Similarly, Frida Kahlo documented
her lust for life through her deep and surreal works, and those were a true
depiction of Frida’s life and thoughts

The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo

To reflect the beauty of nature, a landscape, or city.

When Vincent Van Gogh was spending time in the sanatorium, he created the
view outside his window, which is now the famous Starry Night. While beautiful
scenes are sights to behold themselves, they become a new creation altogether
when turned into art. Similarly, Edward Hopper who has documented every
flavor of nature in his numerous works. Most of the people make art to
document a nature, a landscape or a city

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 Lighthouse at Two Lights by Edward Hopper

Claude Monet’s famous paintings are a classic example of experimentation of

using interchangeable nature of light and shadow by repeatedly producing same
visuals of nature multiple time to discover more than one angle of nature’s light
to shine on one image

To illustrate a narrative or a diagram.

Why we make art – To teach people. Art can be quite educational too, especially
when it is used not only to provide aesthetics but also serve as an aid to
educational materials. Oftentimes people make art or infographics about
certain things that are much easier to understand and digest than their strictly
written counterparts, making the artistic version more effective as it is
appreciable.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso

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To depict reality and ideals.

Often referred to as realism and idealism, art can either be used to capture a
perfectly undistorted image of reality (i.e. a natural landscape or the image of
society) or portray the artist’s aspirations or ideals for those realities. In other
words, art is a way for an artist to say “this is how I see the world,” and then
sometimes say “this is how I think it should be.”

Illumined Pleasures and The Burning Giraffe

To provoke thinking and discourse.

Whether it’s a painting that dramatizes the horrors of war or a dark depiction
of domestic violence, art can shock one’s senses to force a person to think deeply
about a real social issue. It can spark debates and even cause revolutions.

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 Oath of the Horatii by Jacques Louis David

To illustrate their dreams.

Perhaps one of the richest sources of inspiration is a person’s dreams. Many

notable works of the likes of William Blake and Salvador Dali have been inspired
by their own dreams. Many artists gained inspiration from dreams and depicted
to a great level of details.

The Persistence of Memory

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To experiment with different elements.

Sure, you’ve got your ordinary colored paint and brushes, but did you know that
painters have also tried to use sand, straw, or even wood to make their
creations? The variety in the elements also gives rise to a new artistic
perspective on the same subject. For instance, a painting of a flower would look
totally different, if not more intriguing when depicted in sand art.

To experiment qualities of a particular medium.

Even with the same elements, artists tend to get creative with their own
creativity. That’s how concepts such as pointillism and cubism came to be. As
artists grow, they use their own art to outdo their own creativity, allowing their
works to become more diverse

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What is Creativity?
Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity
is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden
patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and
to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then
producing.

If you have ideas but don't act on them, you are

imaginative but not creative

Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity
requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was
previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened
consciousness: ecstasy.” – Rollo May, The Courage to Create

Is this possible in business? I believe so, but you have to be willing to take risks
and progress through discomfort to get to the finish line.

“A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b) appropriate. A novel product
is original not predictable. The bigger the concept, and the more the product
stimulates further work and ideas, the more the product is creative.”
—Sternberg & Lubart, Defying the Crowd

Why is Creativity Necessary in Art Making?

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Creativity is a way of living life that embraces originality and makes unique
connections between seemingly disparate ideas. Creativity is about living life
as a journey into seeing and communicating the extra-ordinariness of the
simplest, most every day acts.

We often think about creativity as making something, but in fact the root
meaning of the word means ‘to grow’. When we are creative we feel as if the
world and all that is in it is vibrantly alive. Creativity’s by-products are some
of the major achievements of civilization–from the invention of the wheel to
Mozart’s sonatas.

Human beings are essentially born creative–from infancy on we find

innovative ways to negotiate life. The most creative people find ways around
obstacles because they see them not just as roadblocks but also as
opportunities. Creativity expands our perceptions and along with expanded
perceptions come new ways of problem solving–from making an exquisite
meal when you don’t know how to cook to painting an extraordinary
landscape when you are living in a freezing attic and can’t afford a full box

When Can You Say That a Person is Creative?

1. He/she will be interested in doing stuff that involves creativity like
writing,drawing and painting etc!.

2.He/she will be more interested in giving out ideas rather than implementing
them out on his/her own.

3.He/she will be a more dreamy person and can be seen staring off into random
stuff or places.(this usually occurs when they are imagining something in their
mind or trying to come up with something)

4.He/she will be better suited as the leader of a group and you will be able to see
it easily by the way they handle the group with ease and by the way they give out
ideas.

Why is art Universal?

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Art really isn't universal.

All cultures produce Art. But the cues, context and symbol/ symbol,
object/symbol, concept/symbol relationships are products of those particular
culture, its history and collective experience.

But the meaningful. Experience of the art is relevant to those who understand
the symbol links indicated above. They create the context which meaning and
feeling must stem from. There, by the way a huge number of symbol links
beyond the few I mentioned.

What would a Mayan made of Mickey Mouse? Would they know it was a
mouse?

The Mayan Mouse Glyph above depicts a mouse. Doesn't look much like a
mouse.

Mickey Mouse doesn't look like a mouse either.

This, in art theory is a Symbol / concept mismatch. Both are expressing a

symbol of “mouse” but it is unlikely that with culture would recognize the
other's symbol.

If your question was meant to be “Why do all cultures produce art

(universally)?” Then we were into cultural anthropology.

Cultures produce art to

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1) Communicate internally (traditional costumes, dance, music, crafts, etc.,
etc.)

2) Communicate externally (identify inclusion or exclusion with in social group

or tribe).

Throughout history, the production of 'art for art’s sake' is a marker of certain
definite types of cultural development.

Most art from human history is functional. Art is applied to everyday items.
Patterns in fabric, designs on containers as decoration.

The reasons for this are the foundations of the universality you. May have been
indication.

To personalize by custom adornment (Internal communication Thorax’s

Hammer has the snake carved into. The handle)…

Or to show inclusion, accomplishment or social status (The women in the Ptah

people receive distinctive facial tattoos after bearing children). (External
Communication).

The 'universality of art' is at its very roots, a part of the human condition. It is
a definer of who we are as a species, and one of the truest things that uniquely
identifies us as human.

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Why is art not nature?
Art becomes art,
nature becomes nature,
nature becomes art,
but how may art become nature?

If nature is an art, then the question becomes theological. Here’s a reason or

two why.
As artists generally understand the art process, making an image is
manipulating materials to express an idea or feeling. A “person” in the guise
of an artist is central to the process. The art ideas come from experiences with
our senses. We receive sensory information from our receptors- eyes, ears,
skin, motion, etc. The brain interprets those sensations on the basis of what
has already been processed.
Without a sensate “artist person”, it is not possible to defend something as art
that has not been manipulated.

“Why do we respond emotionally and aesthetically to nature?”, would be a

fair question to ask. Sensorially, we are moved by those times when the sense
input overwhelms us as far as I can figure. Nature can impact us in the same
ways that experiencing art does. But note- we are at the center of the
experience. We are the receivers and it is our experience that we label. What
is personal rarely is a universal and we get into trouble when we make that
assumption.

To summarize: the making of art requires a person with experience to make

it.
If nature is art, then the discussion becomes one of theology or more
precisely, religion. If one wishes to go to that discussion, much of what we as
humans experience must be jettisoned because our notions of a “God as a
person” is not universal.

By no means should you as a receiver of sensory information stop seeking out

those aesthetic experiences that only occur in nature nor should you stop
labelling those experiences in ways that allow you a better or deeper
understanding. But, understand that others may see and feel the same
experience and label it something very different.

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