ARTS APPRECIATION REVIEWER

Contemporary Art - practice of the fine art.

Art - prior to the Renaissance, it is a realm of functional crafts such as goldsmithing.
 from Latin word Ars meaning ability or skill.
 embraces visual arts, literature, music and dance.
 highly diverse range of human activities engaged in creating visual,
auditory,performed artifacts artworks that express imaginative or
technical skill and intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
Visual Art - oldest documented art form
 includes images or objects in fields like painting, sculpture, printmaking,
photography and other visual media.
 Architecture is also included in visual arts but in decorative arts it is the creation of
objects where the practical considerations of use are essential.
Art - characterized in terms of mimeses (representation of reality), expression,
communication of emotion or other qualities.

ART FROM MEDIEVAL TO RENAISSANCE

Catholic Reformation - production and consumption of art from the Crusades.
 Witnessed the slow erosion of the crusader states in Holy Land, relinquished in
1291, and of the Greek Byzantine world until Constantinople fell in Ottomans in
1453.
Columbus made his voyage to the Americans in 1492.

European Courts - instrumental in the rapid spread of Italian Renaissance Art.

ART FROM ACADEMY TO AVANT-GARDE

Consider the key developments in the definition of art between c1600 and c.1850

Function to Autonomy

 Important idea is the concept of art itself

 Concept rests on a distinction between art, on the one hand, and craft
 Work of art is to be appreciated and valued whereas other types of artifacts serve
a functional purpose.
 Significant step in this direction was made by a group of painters and sculptors in
1563 set up an Accademia del Disegno (Academy of Design) in Florence to
distinguish themselves from craftsmen organized in guilds.
 Central claim was that the arts were ‘liberal’ or intellectual rather than
‘mechanical’ or practical.
 After 1600, academies of art were founded in cities throughout Europe, including
Paris (1648) and London (1768).
 Most offered training in architecture as well as in painting and sculpture.
 ‘Fine arts - translation of the French term, ‘beaux-arts’.
Bürger’s Functions of Art: The Courtly
 Courtly art defined as consisting primarily of art produced at a royal or princely
court, but also extending beyond it to include works of art that more generally
promote the leisured lifestyle of an aristocratic elite.
Bürger’s Functions of Art: Bourgeois Art
 the predominant category was‘bourgeois art’. His use of this term reflects his
reliance on a broadly Marxist conceptual framework, which views artistic
developments as being driven ultimately by social and economic change (Bürger,
1984; Hemingway and Vaughan, 1998).

Nature of Art

Art is everywhere - art as it is found everywhere is very much a part of our lives.
 We find art in the clothes, furniture and furnishings, style of houses and vehicles.
 We find art objects in the home and in the community, in religion, in trade, and in
industry.
Relief sculptures - Coins, medals and pendants
Engravings - Paper bills and postage stamps
Free-standing sculptures - Statues of angels or saints
Decorative arts - Multi-coloured designs inside the jeepney
Arts as expression and communication - an intense emotion within the self for long. The
tension that results would compel the person to unburden the self or share the feeling with
others.

Art as Creation - innate craving for order to create objects that are delightful to perceive.
 “Creation” in this sense refers to the act of combining and reordering already
existing material so that new object is formed.
 Art involves skill or expertness in handling materials and organizing them into new,
structurally pleasing, and significant units.
 Art is acquired through long training and constant practice.
 Art is a planned activity.

Art and Experience - all art demands experience; but probably it is a clearer to say that all art
involves experience, that there can be no appreciation without experience.
Three major kinds of experiences
a) An artist has an experience that he/ she wants to communicate
b) The artist expresses the self -- that of creating the art object or form. Lea
Salonga performing as Kim at musical Miss Saigon in London in 1989.
c) When the work is done, there is the artist’s gratifying experience of having
accomplished something significant.

 Sensory response happens when we feel a kind of delight or joy in many forms of
art using merely our senses.
 Emotional response is triggered by the recognition of a familiar situation
presented as the subject of the work. This may stem from memories evoked by the
subject.
  Intellectual response is manifested in the delight of the mind to some works of art
because these works whose unique arrangements of elements apart from the
subject matter, stimulate the intellect more than they do the emotions.

Art and Nature - artist do use nature as a inspiration subject and medium but Art is not nature.

Art and Beauty - aesthetics is devoted to the study and theory of this experience of the
beautiful; in the field of psychology, aesthetics is studied in relation to the physiology and
psychology of perception.

Reasons
 Artworks are valuable sources of inspiration and aesthetic experiences.
 We commemorate certain occasion with paintings, songs, dances and dramatic
plays to heighten their importance and keep records of such events.
 Through the artist’s work, we get a glimpse of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of
the people in their time and the forces of their environment that influenced their
works of art.
 We value beautiful things as a consequence of our encounter with the arts.
 Out of the aesthetic experience we derive from arts, we may be influenced to
change our ways. They may transform us into highly cultured, dignified and
respectable human beings.

Assumptions of Art
 Our attitude towards the art may be influenced by these assumptions:
 Art has been created by various people, at all places and time. Art exist because it
is liked and enjoyed.
 Art does not grow old.
 Art is something to be seen or heard.
 Art is the product of human’s imaginations and skill in doing things.
 Nature is artful. Its beauty and artistry could be enhanced.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART

Sophists - categorized art to purpose.

 arts cultivated for utility, and cultivated for the pleasure they serve
Plato and Aristotle - classified art according to their outputs or products
 produce real things and those which produce only images.
Galen - based his classification on the physical effort required art – vulgar and liberal arts.
 Vulgar arts require physical effort
 Liberal arts refer to the activities of the mind.
Quintillian - divided the arts into three (3) groups,
 Theoretical arts - astronomy, in the ancient times, this subject is considered a
liberal art),
 Practical arts] - dance
 Productive arts - painting
Cicero - considered the value of art
 minor - painting, sculpture, music, acting, and athletics
 median or purely intellectual art - sciences and literature
 major - political and military arts
Plotinus - based his classification of art on the degree of its spirituality. He divided the arts into
five (5) groups:
1. arts which produce physical objects, e.g. architecture;
2. arts which help nature, like medicine and agriculture;
3. arts which imitate nature, like painting;
4. arts which improve or ornament human action, like rhetoric and politics;
5. purely intellectual arts, like geometry and astronomy.

Art According to type or form Classified based on the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Encyclopedia of Art’s division of art discipline and on how the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts divided its Sub-commission on the Arts into committees.

1. Architecture (Visual Arts) - art ff designing and constructing a building which

serves a specific function to human being,
2. Visual Arts - expression of feeling and thoughts through two dimensional art
consist of paintings, drawing, prints and photographs and three dimensional art
form like sculptures.
3. Music - expression of musical genius of people, expressed and delivered using
voice or using musical instruments.
4. Literature - expression of feelings in words or languages understood by the
writers, can be transmitted orally or written form.
5. Dance - art of movement, an expression of feelings through graceful movement of
the body in tempo with music.
6. Cinema or Film - product of modern technology.
7. Theater - relationship among actor, action, audience, time and space; presents its
stories through live actors in real performance.
Subjects In Art - main idea that is described in the artwork, could be a person, object, scene,
or event.
 Essence of the piece.

Kinds of Art as to Subject

1. Representational Art - known as Objective Art, depicts objects that are recognized by
people
 They attempt to copy
 Uses form and concerned with what is depicted.
EXAMPLES
a) Still Life - collection of inanimate objetcs arranged together
b) Landscape - an artwork whose primary focus is natural scenery.
c) Portraiture - depicts image of a person, animal or groups.

2. Non - Representational Art - known as Non - objective Art, does not depict from the
real world, it may depicts shapes, colors etc. But express not visible - emotions

Methods of Presenting Art Subjects

a. Realism
b. Abstraction
c. Sysmbolism
d. Fauvism
e. Dadaism
f. Futurism
g. Surrealism
h. Expressionism
a) Realism - subjects are depicted in way they normally appear, portrays eyes can see, ear
can hear and sense may receive.
b) Abstraction - derived from Latin “Abstractus” means drawn away.
Opposite of realism
aims to move away from showing things as they really are

ABSTRACT SUBJECTS CAN BE PRESENTED AS;

1. Distortion
2. Elongation
3. Mangling
4. Cubism
5. Abstract Expressionism

1. Distortion - subject is in misshapen condition, or the regular shape is

twisted out.
 form of emphasizing detail to the point that something is no longer “correctly”
depicted.
Example : Pablo Picasso, The Old Guitarist, 1903- 1904
2. Elongation - being lengthened, protraction or extension.
Example ; El Greco, The Crucifixion, 1596- 1600
 3. Mangling - subject or objects which are cut, lacerated, mutilated, torn,
hacked or disfigured.
Example : Pablo Picasso, The Weeping Woman, 1937
4. Cubism - subjects are represented as combinations of basic geometric shapes,
described as looking like pieces of fractured glass.
Example : Pablo Picasso, Three Musicians, 1921
5. Abstract Expressionism - style of abstract painting that originated in New York
City after the Second World War.
Characterized by great nerve, the use of large canvases, and a deliberate lack of
refinement in the application of the paint.
 Strong color, heavy impasto, uneven brush strokes, and rough textures are other
typical characteristics.
c) Sysmbolism - uses symbols to concentrate, making the work of art more subjective
(rather than objective) and conventional.
Example : Juan Luna, Spoliarium, 1884
d) Fauvism - important art movement of the 1900s.
 Fauvism emphasized spontaneity and use of extremely bright colors.
 Fauvists paint pictures of comfort, joy, and pleasure.
Example : Henri Matisse, Woman in a Purple Coat, 1937
e) Dadaism - art was experimental and playful.
 Dadaism is a reaction to outgrown traditions in art and evils in the society
Example : Marcel Duchamp and Rrose Sélavy, LHOOQ, 1919
f) Futurism - aim to capture the speed and force of modern industrial society,
glorify the mechanical energy of modern life.
 Aims to express the explosive vitality of modern city.
 Subjects include automobiles, railroad trains, and motorcycles.
Example : Klaus Burgle, A City of the Future, 1968
g) Surrealism - rose from dadaism, it uses art as a weapon against evils and
restrictions that the artist sees in the society.
 Designed to refer to super realistic things.
 Involves the style of making ordinary things seem extraordinary,
 Focuses on real things found in the imagination,
 Has realistic subjects that are found in the unconscious mind; depicting
dreamlike images of the inner mind
Example : Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931
h) Expressionism - expressionistic paintings could be described as involving pathos,
morbidity, violence or chaos, and tragedy. It sometimes portrays defeat.

ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

VIEWING ART
1. Personal View - expression “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder” gets at the subjective
and personal nature of perception— and of the “first impression,”.
 one’s first impression or response—it is, after all, a personal response
2. Formal Analysis - is a close and analytical way of looking at and discussing a work of art.
 includes describing the work in terms of various design elements, such as color,
shape, texture, line, lighting, mass, and space, as well as a discussion of how
 those elements have been used (the design principles) uses art terminology to
consider the effects of an artwork the viewer (you)
 process that enables us to think about and consider the overall meaning of the
artwork.
3. Content - subject matter of an artwork.
 It’s the images you see—like the trees in a painting of a forest, or the town, the
sky, and the moon in Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
 it may be an historical scene, a landscape, a portrait, an interior, a functional
object, or an abstraction

ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
1. Point - visual element upon which all others are based. It can be defined as a
singularity in space or, in geometric terms, the area where two coordinates meet.
 can be used as a way to create forms
 Pointillism is a style of painting by Georges Seurat, created paintings by
juxtaposing points—or dots—of color that optically mixed to form lines, shapes
and forms within a composition.
2. Line - putting two or more points together, can be defined as a point in motion.
a) Actual Lines - physically present
b) Implied Lines - created by visually connecting two or more areas together.
 can also be created when two areas of different colors or tones come
together.
c) Straight or Classic Lines - provide structure to a composition
 can be oriented to the horizontal, vertical, or diagonal axis
d) Expressive Lines - curved, adding an organic, more dynamic character to a
work of art.
 Expressive lines are often rounded and follow undetermined paths

TYPES OF LINE
a. Outline or Contour Line - create a path around the edge of a shape, outlines
define shapes.
b. Cross Contour Lines - follow paths across a shape to delineate differences in
surface features.
 gives flat shapes a sense of form (the illusion of three dimensions) and
can also be used to create shading.
c. Hatch Lines - provide additional tone and texture.
 oriented in any direction.
 Multiple layers of crosshatch lines can give rich and varied shading to
objects by manipulating the pressure of the drawing tool to create a large
range of values.
d. Calligraphic Lines - use quickness and gesture, more akin to paint strokes, to
imbue an artwork with a fluid, lyrical character.
3. Shape - defined as an enclosed area in two dimensions.
 implied and flat in nature, created in many ways by enclosing an area with an
outline.
  can be made by surrounding an area with other shapes or the placement of
different textures.

Positive shapes - the figure

Negative shapes - the ground

For example, Your hand is the positive shape, and the space around it becomes the
negative shape.
4. Shape - empty area surrounding real or implied objects
Humans Categorize space as:
a. Outer space - limitless void we enter beyond our sky
b. Inner space - resides in people’s minds and imaginations
c. Personal space - the important but intangible area that surrounds each
individual and which is violated if someone else gets too close.
Pictorial Space - flat, and the digital realm resides in cyberspace
5. Color - most complex artistic element because of the combinations and variations inherent
in its use.
Color theory three categories: Primary, secondary, and tertiary.
a. Primary Colors - red, blue and yellow
elemental colors; not produced by mixing any other colors, and all other colors
are derived from some combination of these three.
b. Secondary Colors - orange (mix of red and yellow), green (mix of blue and
yellow), and violet (mix of blue and red).
c. Tertiary Colors - obtained by mixing one primary color and one secondary
color.

Traditional color theory - qualitative attempt to organize colors and their relationships.
White and black - are used to lighten or darken a color.
 Lighter color (made by adding white to it) is called a tint,
 Darker color (made by adding black) is called a shade.

Color Attributes
 Hue refers to color itself, but also to the variations of a color.
 Value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of one color next to another.
 Tone refers to the gradation or subtle changes made to a color when it’s mixed
with a gray created by adding two complements.
 Saturation refers to the purity and intensity of a color. Two colors work strongest
together when they share the same intensity is called equiluminance.
6. Perspective - deals with the effect of distance upon the appearance of objects by means
of which the eye judges spatial relationships.
 Linear perspective, an implied geometric pictorial construct, gives accurate
illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface, and appears to recede
into the distance using a horizon line and vanishing points.
 One-point perspective - receding lines appear to converge at a single point on
the horizon and used when the flat front of an object is facing the viewer.
  Two- point perspective - occurs when the vertical edge of a cube is facing the
viewer, exposing two sides that recede into the distance, one to each
vanishing point.
 Three-point perspective - used when an artist wants to project a “bird’s-eye
view”,the projection lines recede to two points on the horizon and a third either
far above or below the horizon line.

Principles of Design
1. Visual Balance - a sense of weighted clarity created in a composition
Three basic forms of Visual Balance
a. Symmetrical balance - visually stable and characterized by an exact—or
nearly exact—compositional design on either (or both) sides of the horizontal
or vertical axis of the picture plane.
b. Asymmetrical balance - uses compositional elements that are offset
from each other, creating a visually unstable balance.
 most dynamic because it creates a more complex design
construction.
c. Radial balance - movement from the center of a composition towards the
outer edge—or vise versa.
 radial balance is another form of symmetry, offering stability and a
point of focus at the center of the composition.
2. Repetition - use of two or more like elements or forms within a composition. The systematic
arrangement of a repeated shapes or forms creates pattern.
 Patterns create rhythm, the lyric or syncopated visual effect that helps carry the
viewer, and the artist’s idea, throughout the work.
3. Scale and Proportion - show the relative size of one form in relation to another. Scalar
relationships are often used to create illusions of depth on a two-dimensional surface, the
larger form being in front of the smaller one.
 Scale - association of size relative to a constant standard or specific unit of
measure related to human dimensions.
 The scale of an object can provide a focal point or emphasis in an image.
 Proportion - comparative relationship between the parts of a whole or units as to
size.
4. Emphasis - area of primary visual importance—can be attained in a number of ways.
 can also be obtained by isolating an area or specific subject matter through its
location or color, value and texture.
5. Unity and Variation
 Unity - e result of bringing the elements of art into the appropriate ratio between
harmony and variety to achieve a sense of oneness.
 Variety - differences achieved by opposing, contrasting, changing, elaborating,
or diversifying elements in a composition to add individualism and interest.

Subjective and Objective Perspective

Artistic Role - Visual artists and the works they produce perform specific roles. These roles
vary between cultures.
Description - A traditional role of visual art
 earliest artworks are drawings and paintings of humans and wild animals on
walls deep within prehistoric caves, particular image is a hand print: a universal
symbol of human communication.
Portraits - Portraits, landscapes and still life are common examples of description.
 Portraits capture the accuracy of physical characteristics but the very best also
transfer a sense of an individual’s unique personality.
Landscapes - give us detailed information about our natural and human made surroundings;
things like location, architecture, time of day, year or season plus other physical
information such as geological elements and the plants and animals
within a particular region
Scientific Illustration - art in the service of science.
Enhancing our World - role is more utilitarian, everyday lives is another role art plays.
 This role is more utilitarian than others. It includes textiles and product design,
decorative embellishments to the items we use every day, and all the aesthetic
considerations that create a more comfortable, expressive environment
Artistic Categories - Visual arts are generally divided into categories that make distinctions
based on the context of the work.
Fine Art - includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs and, in the last
decade, new media that are in museum collections and through commercial
art galleries.
Popular Culture - contains the many products and images we are exposed to every day.
 includes posters, graffiti, advertising, popular music, television
 digital imagery, magazines, books and movies
 cars, celebrity status and all the ideas and attitudes that help define the
contemporary period of a particular culture.
Craft - category of art that shows a high degree of skilled workmanship in its
production.
 Craft works are normally associated with utilitarian purposes, but can be
aesthetic works in themselves, often highly decorated.

Artictic Styles

Style - refers to a particular kind of appearance in works of art.

 a characteristic of an individual artist or a collective relationship based on an
idea, culture or artistic movement.

Naturalistic Style - uses recognizable images with a high level of accuracy in their depiction.
 Naturalism also includes the idealized object: one that is modified to achieve a
kind of perfection within the bounds of aesthetics and form.
Abstract Style - based on a recognizable object but which is then manipulated by distortion,
scale issues or other artistic devices.
 Abstraction can be created by exaggerating form, simplifying shapes or the use
of strong colors.
Cultural Styles - refer to distinctive characteristics in artworks throughout a particular society
or culture.
 main elements of cultural styles are recurring motifs, created in the same way by
many artists.
 Cultural styles help define cultural identity.
 The Book of Kells is considered the pinnacle of this cultural style.