Nature of Art and its Assumptions and language which humans have used to understand

Tattoo and record our world.

> Tattooing has been practiced around the world since  These records of human experience give us
the Neolithic times as seen in the archaeological records the opportunity to connect to those who have
and ancient art of mummified preserved skins. come before us, as well as to our
contemporaries.
> In the Philippines, tattoos have been seen among the
Why do the Humanities Matter?
indigenous people called the Pintados, since the pre-
> Ancient Greeks used humanistic subjects to educate
Hispanic colonization.
their citizens, focusing on knowledge (Encyclopedia
 They were not merely seen as body decorations,
Britannica, 2012).
but were interpreted as symbols of bravery,
social standing, and rites of passage. > During the Roman times, the subjects included in
 For example, among Visayan Pintados, their humanities have evolved, it emphasizes skills, or “ways
tattoo symbolizes social class and bravery. of doing things”
 In the highlands of Northern Luzon, the process > The 19th century English philosopher John Stuart Mill
of tattooing, known as pagbabatuk, was argued that the undergraduate college should not be a
primarily done on hunters and warriors. It place of “professional education.” Instead, should be a
represents the number of wild animals they place to encourage students to become “capable and
haunted and enemies they had killed. The more
cultivated human beings” (Kim, 1988).
their body markings, the more respect and
privileges they receive. This may sound idealistic since most students
> Tattoo as symbol of bravery, social standing, and rites are trained to pursue their specialialization, but
of passage. humans are human beings- before they are their
> For example, Visayan warriors covered with tattoos professions.
were called Pintados, with each tattoo symbolizing If people are made to be sensible and capable
social class and bravery. human beings, then they will be sensible and
> In the highlands of Northern Luzon, the process of capable professionals.
tattooing, known as pagbabatuk, was primarily done on While it is true that individual can be a
hunters and warriors. successful professional
> For ethnic groups in Bontoc, Ifugao, and Kalinga,  provide insights into everything
tattoos were considered as medals representing the  gain additional knowledge
 understand the world we live in
number of enemies they had killed.
 provide a clearer picture of the future
> Additionally, the Kalinga men's body markings What is Art?
corresponded to the respect and privileges they received > from the Latin word “ars” which translates to “skill” or
and were known to safeguard warriors during fierce “craft” (Britannica Encyclopedia, 2006).
fights. > The Webster Dictionary (2012) defines art as the
What is Humanities? “human ingenuity in adapting natural things to man’s
> is an academic discipline that studies the different use.”
aspects of the human society and culture (Bod, 2013) > Some define art as a form of communication. In the
> from Latin word “humanus”, meaning human, early ages of civilization, humans communicate by
cultured, or refined making sounds (such as grunting sounds either at a low
 Renaissance Latin studia humanitatis (or study or high pitch that denotes social communication or a
of humanity) refers to education befitting a warning sign), drawing or painting (such as cave
cuptivated man
drawings that tell the story of the early people’s culture),
 Humanities is basically the big umbrella of
dancing, acting and using symbols.
various subjects that attempts to answer the
question, “what makes us human”.  which evolved for the purpose of written
> Humanities is the study of how people process and communication that later on developed into
the alphabet system that we know today.
document the human experience (Standford University).
Why study Art?
> It includes the traditional liberal arts such as
 understand individual differences
philosophy, literature, religion, ethics, art, music, history  develop our skills in decision-making and
problem solving
  enhances our creative skills, nurtures our institutions and other products of human work,” art,
imagination indeed is cultural (Tomasello, 1999).
 promotes originality and innovativeness, > Creation of art is almost always interconnected
Why do people create Art?
with one’s culture.
1) making our surroundings more beautiful (architecture,
Categories of Art
painting, sculpture, jewelry, and design objects)
1. Visual Arts - Creative works that stimulate the visual
2) creating records of time, place, person or object (i.e.
sense — anything that is perceived by the eyes.
paintings of individuals, battle scenes, or even wedding
Visual arts are further divided into two: graphic and
or baby photographs)
plastic arts
3) expressing or communicating ideas
Graphic Arts - a.k.a. 2D or two-dimensional arts
4) expressing religious beliefs,
> These are arts that have width and
5) criticizing elements of society
length and are described as flat arts since they
6)for educating people (allowing us to learn about the
are most of the time seen on flat surfaces.
past and also about ourselves)
> These include painting, drawing,
7) for showing that we can do something no one else has
lettering, printing, sketching, digital imaging,
tried before.
computer graphics, and photography.
> Some believe that art is valuable for the society.
Plastic Arts - a.k.a. 3D or three-/multi-
Different artworks have been given a great importance
dimensional arts
because of what they mean or represent to a group of
> These are arts that have width, length
people. Some are treasured because of their significance,
and volume.
and others have become symbols of power or national
> These include sculpture, architecture,
identity. Some are not only valued for their beauty but
landscape architecture, city planning, interior
are also given a material value.
design, costume design, theatre design,
Assumptions of Art
industrial design, or handicrafts.
1. Art is universal
2. Auditory Arts - Creative works that stimulate the
> Art as a form of communication has the ability
sense of hearing — anything that can be heard or
to speak to all people of any race or of all ages, no
listened to is an auditory art, which include music or
matter what the form is.
drama on radios.
> Artists experience various feelings/idea and
3. Audio-Visual Arts - a.k.a. performance arts are arts
apply them in their masterpiece, and all people can enjoy
that can be perceived by both the senses of sight and
art and give meaning to it.
hearing. These arts are intended to be presented in front
2. Art is not nature
of audience. It can be language-based, music-based, or a
> Art is man-made. It is a perception—a
combination of both.
conception of ideas on many aspects designed
Language Based Arts
by man.
> Poetry, which may be performed for
> It can be seen as an aesthetic representation of an audience using original/published works
real-life situations, an expression of how man > Spoken word, which is sometimes
interprets nature, or a direct representation of similar to poetry in its focus on cadence and
reality or even a distortion of nature. rhythm (i.e. preachers during sermons, protesters
3. Art involves experience at rallies)
> Art is not just a recording of experience but an > Storytelling, which may be done in
involvement of human experience as well. places such as an auditorium or theater, a
> Artists are inspired with what they have classroom or library
undergone and base their masterpieces on these Music Based Arts
experiences. They have to be, first and foremost, a > Music include performances by an
perceiver, who is directly in touch with art because individual or with a group, which comes in
without experience, there is no art. several genres: vocal, instrumental and mixed;
4. Art is cultural > Dance, which are usually
> Since culture is defined as “the totality of accompanied by music and correspond to a
socially transmitted behavior, patterns, beliefs,
 particular genre such as ballet, ballroom, > Imagination and creativity are tools for art-making
classical, contemporary, jazz and modern dance (Heid, 2008).
Combination > When one creates art, he/she seeks to make a
> Combination of language and music statement, construct an invention, improve a design and
based performing arts include: theater-based change how it works. Further, he or she seeks to connect
performance such as dramatic plays (i.e. tragedy, or change a perspective using imagination and creativity.
comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama), > There is no better way to flex one’s creativity muscle
improvisations, musical theater, and films than to do art (Fuentes, 2017).
(which can be created using motion-picture “Without art, we’re not human. The ability to
camera, animation techniques, etc.) imagine and to take that imagination and make it into
4. Literary Arts - These are written creative arts reality is one of the things that is really distinctive about
intended to be read that could be mainly categorized into humans. Whether it’s painting, building airplanes, or
prose and poetry. figuring out how to make a paycheck last to the end of
> These include: the month, it all stems from the same creative capacity.
> prose, which is in paragraph form (such as And there is no better way to flex that creativity muscle
short stories, novels, essays and plays) than to do art, be exposed to art, and to think about art.”
> poetry, which is in stanza form composed of > Once imagination is put into action, art is created.
lines (such as narrative poems, lyric poems, and Once art is created, an expression of ideas, thoughts, or
dramatic poems) emotions takes place.
5. Applied Arts - While fine arts have no functional > Hence, the concepts of imagination, creativity and
purposes other than for beautification, applied arts are expression are main ingredients of an artwork, that
created with aesthetic and functional goals for everyday allows the artist to communicate and interpret their
or special use. ideas, emotions and thoughts to their intended audience.
> It include architecture, industrial design, Function of Arts and Its Philosophical Perspective
fashion design, interior design, and graphic art and > Art, as a multifaceted expression of human creativity,
design (including computer graphics), as well as most serves several functions, rather than its aesthetic value.
types of decorative art (like furniture, carpets, > Its functions can motivated or non-motivated art
embroidery, batik, jewelry, precious metalwork, pottery, Stecker (1997).
goldsmithing, basketry, mosaic art, and even glassware), Motivated Art - Arts with intentional objectives of
and Illuminated manuscripts and book illustration. being created, which can bring about changes at the
Creativity, Imagination and Expression personal or even societal level.
Imagination Motivated Functions of Arts
> The capacity to produce images, ideas and 1. As Communication
sensations in the mind without any immediate input of > From ancient times, people have used
the senses (Byrne, 2005). images (hieroglyphics) to communicate. Visual
> The process of forming new images in the art can explore concepts or ideas without
mind that have not been previously experienced by our requiring written statements.
five senses as in the case of fantasy, fairy tale or fiction 2. As Entertainment
(Fabiani, 2009). > Art also seeks to bring about a
particular emotion or mood for relaxation or
entertainment purposes. This is often evident in
Creativity the artworks of Motion Pictures and video
> The act of turning new and imaginative ideas games.
into reality (Ward, 2003) 3. As Awant-Garde
There is creativity when one sees the world in a brand > Art as avant-garde expresses an
new way to find concealed patterns and make unorthodox way of advocating a social or
connections between occurrences to come-up with political revolution, where the avant garde artists
solutions. are viewed as outsiders, rebels or martyrs.
4. As Psychological Tools
 > Art therapists, psychotherapists, and > Highest-grossing animated Disney
clinical psychologists make use of art therapy to film ever produced
diagnose patients and provide an avenue for > Top-grossing Filipino film up to date
therapeutic recovery suitable for the patient 4. For aesthetic expression
aside from the conventional forms of psychiatric > Most of us, if not all, are concerned
therapy. with what is beautiful and pleasing — from
5. For Social Inquiry nature to things we found around us, including
> Graffiti or street art are graphic and the objects that we use everyday.
images spray-painted or stenciled on public Social Functions of Art
properties usually without permission to critic 1. Influence a collective behavior of people
the society without any political reason. > In Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, or
6. For Propaganda or Commercialism advertisements that provide awareness for the
> Art is used a form of propaganda, consumers and encourage them to buy through
which can influence popular conceptions or the product’s package design or political
mood or sell a product that also influences mood cartoons and caricatures to effect societal
and emotion. changes.
Non-Motivated Art - Arts that incorporate 2. Made for public/social situations
functional objectives but do not serve its utilitarian > Churches for communal worship, a
purpose. drama performed for an audience, novels to
Non-motivated art are for the following arouse social consciousness, or sculptures and
purposes: statues of national heroes and other historical
1. for internal appreciation of beauty; events for the community to emulate
2. as an experience of the mysterious 3. Allows interaction among individuals
3. as an expression of the imagination > Providing a shared space for
4. for ritualistic and symbolic functions expression, communication, and interpretation.
Other Functions > Whether in physical spaces or digital
Personal Functions of Arts realms, art serves as a medium through which
1. Expression of one’s personality people connect, communicate, and build
> Vincent Van Gogh, an artist who relationships.
suffered from anxiety and was eventually placed Physical Functions of Art
in an asylum in France, created one of his most > Bridges are built to connect places that are far
famous works, “The Starry Night”, which from each other, transportation are designed with
depicts a reality of the beautiful nighttime view reasonable ease, street signs are large or small according
from the hospital room coupled with his memory to their function, houses and buildings are constructed to
and imagination. protect the occupants.
> Michelangelo’s sculpture of David, > Paintings are to protect the walls and ceilings
which involves nudity or nakedness, is not of some buildings, while sculptures in Greek and Roman
intended to cause embarrassment or any architecture are sometimes used as columns and pillars
uncomfortable tone. Instead, it portrays an of the buildings.
image of a balanced and confident body. > Dance serve as the best form of exercise,
2. Passion for art music played in spas to give people a soothing &
> Gary Valenciano performs in concerts therapeutic feeling to relieve stress, and a dramatic or a
for free because of his love for singing. musical play provides entertainment to its audience.
> Geleen Eugenio gives free dance Philosophical Perspectives on Art
instructions because of her love for dancing. Art as Mimesis
3. For economic reasons (un/intentionally) > The word ‘mimesis’ is a Greek word which
> Highest-selling book series means, “imitation,” more so a ‘representation’ rather
> Bestselling music artists of all time than a ‘copy’ of something (Oxford Dictionary, 2017).
 > Art represents nature - it imitates life. Mimesis come out in the form of anger that can often be taken out
is the process by which art reflects and reinterprets the on the wrong people.
world around it. > Art, for some, serves as a coping device to get
> Plato, in his theory of Mimesis, asserts that all away from something or someone.
art is mimetic by nature. What is real is the ‘idea’. To Art as functional
better understand this, he used the carpenter and a chair. > Akin to motivated art, this means art is both
> Further, Plato rejected poetry on its moral and aesthetic and useful. The intention is to bring in the
philosophical grounds. It is mimetic in nature and deals artist’s creativity and beauty into our everyday lives or
with illusion that distorts the reality. make us rethink the way we look at ordinary things.
Plato’s key arguments: SUBJECT and CONTENT
1. Art as likeness, less than real; Subject
2. Art’s lack of virtue and morality > It refers to the “what” of an artwork.
3. Poetry and illusions > It denotes the topic, focus or image of the work of art.
Art as Representation It can be a person, an object, a theme or an idea.
> Aristotle (Plato’s most important student in Content
philosophy) agreed with Plato in calling art, an imitation > The “why” of an artwork which indicates the artist’s
and the artist, an imitator. intention, or the meaning behind the work.
> However, he does not agree with Plato that the > It can be the intellectual message of an artwork, a
artist’s imitation is twice removed from reality, which statement, an expression, or mood developed by the
presents an unreal representation of the truth. artist and interpreted by the observer.
> Aristotle, then, compared a historian and a Form
artist. Both do not differ in the medium they use. The > The “how” of the work, which describes how the
true difference is that, historians relate the reality — artwork has been developed or put together.
what happened in the past. The artist, on the other hand > One has to understand that artists express themselves
relates what ought to have happened — the ideal. in many ways. They might work in arts with specific
Aristotle’s key arguments: materials.
1. Art as representation of essential reality REPRESENTATIONAL ART
2. Art invokes enjoyment, communicate, and > It describes artworks, particularly paintings and
represent reality, and objects Plato’s argument (that art sculptures, that are clearly derived from real object
does not teach ethics) since it is up to the audience to sources and therefore represent something with strong
draw lessons from arts visual references to the real world.
3. Different Functions, Philosophy, & Ethics > It includes landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and other
Art for Art’s Sake artwork that represents objects of the real world with
> Art appeals to one’s emotion and mind. But close similarity. The meaning behind the picture is
artist usually insist that their art serves no ultimate obvious and can be easily perceived by people.
purpose. > Representational art conveys an obvious meaning and
> When asked what art is really for, artists is instantly recognizable once created
would simply say, art is not something to be used as a Example:
means to something else, but simply, to be accepted and Leonardo Da Vinci’s -The Virgin and Child with Saint
enjoyed on its own terms. Anne
> Immanuel Kant, in his “Critique of Judgment,” Vincent van Gogh’s - The Starry Night
defines beauty as something that can be universal. NON-REPRESENTATIONAL ART
> When we say that something is beautiful, we > Also known as abstract art, is not derived from real life
do not only believe that this is so, but expect and is abstract in nature. It does not represent or depict a
others to be in admiration of the same thing as being, place, or thing and is devoid of any reference to
well. the natural world. The artist uses form, shape, color, and
Art as an escape line to express emotion, feeling, or some other concept.
> Through art, we are able to get rid of anxiety > The meaning behind non-representational art is not
and pressure from our experiences, preventing us to obvious and may not be perceived by all people
consistently. It is abstract and not connected to the CITY SCAPE - The focus of this subject is the aerial
visible world, and meaning is only derived from the view of a city or the city ‘s landscape itself.
artist's intent and the viewer's interpretation MYTHOLOGY - Myth and mythology are the ultimate
Example: source of classical subjects in art.
> Wassily Kandinsky’s Painting with red spot DREAMS - These subjects depict an artwork without a
> “Painting with Red Spot” was created around “real” frame story but as a raw material to an artwork,
1914 where a canvas full of colorful shifting forms and they represent the artist’s highest creative potential by
lines can be seen. Kandinsky was interested in producing an original work from these imageries.
expressing inner emotional and spiritual feelings. He Content in Art
used paint to form merging curves and blended edges, > Subject and content are two different things.
but not to form recognizable things. > While the former refers to the objects illustrated by the
> Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Yellow, Blue, artist, content refers to what the artist expresses or
and Black communicates in his artwork as a whole.
> one would see its formality and precision, > Sometimes, it is referred to as the “meaning" of the
having bold geometric forms and specific hard-edged work. In literature, it is called the theme.
areas of color. Mondrian shifted to abstraction because > It can be defined as the “statement we apprehend or
he felt it allowed him to convey ideas about balance and the feeling or mood we experience with the work of art”
harmony. (Feldman, 1967). Indicating the “what” of an artwork,
Sources of Subject content reveals that attitude of the artist toward his
HISTORY - One better way to start creating an art work subject.
is to look at the past. The rich history of the Philippines > It is important to note that one does not always see the
has the inspiration of many artists to create an artwork. content. However, it is conveyed by the way the subject
> Sandugo Monument (Barangay Bool, and form interact together in an artwork. Of course, it
Tagbilaran City, Bohol) Artist: Napoleon Abueva (a would be easier to grasp the content of an artwork if it
Filipino national artist and also called as the “Father of shows an explicit subject matter as compared to those in
Modern Philippine Sculpture”.) abstract arts.
> The peace pact between Datu Sikatuna and Factual meaning
Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565 to insure the friendly > This is the literal statement or the narrative content in
relations between the Spaniards and Filipinos. It the work, which can easily be captured because the
commemorates friendship rather than battles or wars. objects presented are effortlessly recognized because of
STILL LIFE - This subject contains inanimate, which the identifiable forms in the artwork.
are arranged in a location, and contains at least a man- > This meaning is often complemented by other levels of
made object such as a basket.. Being used due to its meaning.
availability and manageability. Conventional meaning
FIGURES - This subject entails the use of a model, > This refers to the special meaning that a certain object
usually a human figure (clothed or not). However, it or color has for a particular culture or group of people.
limits art production because of the availability of the > For instance, the flag is the given symbol for a nation;
model and the cost that comes with it. the cross is a Christian symbol of faith; the wheel is the
ANIMALS - Since man benefits from hunting in the Buddhist symbol for the teachings of Gautama Buddha.
ancient times for survival, his encounters with them has Subjective meaning
become inevitable that even works of art they have > This denotes any personal meaning consciously or
become an interesting subject to use. unconsciously conveyed by the artist using a private
NATURE - In short, this subject is a focused view/ symbolism, which stems from his own association of
interpretation of specific natural elements. The point is, certain objects, action, or colors with past experiences.
we are inseparable from nature. > This can be fully understood only when the artist
LANDSCAPE (SEASCAPE) - The focus of this subject himself explains what he really means, as in the case of
is the wide view of natural landforms, like mountains, the poems of T.S. Eliot, where he provides footnotes.
cliffs, forests, valleys, plains, plateau and the likes. Otherwise, it tends to be interpreted differently by each
viewer or reader who may see it in the light of his own
interpretations and associations.