Chapter 1

Art is a form of communication. It means whatever the artist intends it to mean, and this meaning

is shaped by the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well as the ideas and feelings it

creates in its viewers.

Art is derived from the Latin word “ars” meaning ability or skill. Art was taken from the Italian

word “artis” which means mastery of form, craftsmanship, skill and inventiveness. Art is like love, it is

very important in our lives for it gives us ideas and feelings by means of sensuous medium like color,

sound, bronze, marble, words, films and literature. Additionally, arts have many functions for different

people because they can satisfy needs. Such as visual arts that perceived with our eye. Auditory or time

arts are those can be heard or expressed time. While Combined arts are those can be both seen and heard.

The Nature of Art

Art is very important especially in our lives. It is an important means of expression developed by

man. Since men from ancient times they lived together and eventually sprung up. In fact, nearly every

country had their own primitive art. Art had been created even during ancient times by primitive people.

A true artist does not imitate the nature, but interpret it by how the artist depict it in his own way by

selecting the essential features of the subject and rejecting the minor ones. A true art work is made by

man not imitatively but creativity.

Art can communicate to us on different mediums through songs, paintings, dances and dramatic

plays. Artworks are also valuable sources, because it gives us inspiration to almost everything. We get

inspired of what we think is beautiful. We get delighted by the books we read or even moved by the

music we hear. Artworks basically captures our attention because we enjoy the artistic and aesthetic of it.
 Through the artist’s work we can definitely get a glimpse of the feelings and thoughts behind it.

We see the environment, belief of the people from back then and that influenced them through looking at

the artist’s work. We value and appreciate beautiful things like art. Art is a very powerful weapon that can

influence and change people through its beauty. This explains why arts are called humanities. People

change because of art; they bring the good of us.

Art appreciation is the ability to understand or interpret man-made arts and enjoy them.

Therefore, art appreciation deals with the learning or understanding and creating arts and enjoy them.

The Subject of Arts

The subject of art refers to any person,object,scene or event described or represented in a work of

art.The subject of art is varied. A subject of art is usually anything that is represented in the artwork. It

may be a person ,object,scene or event.

Artworks that depict something easily recognized by most people are called representational or

objective arts.There are many types of representational arts or objective arts like painting,graphic arts,

Literature,theatre arts and sculpture.although some paintings and sculpture are without subjects.Music and

dance may or may not have subjects

Artworks that have no any real subject are called non-representational or non-objective arts. It do

not represent anything .They rather appeal directly to the senses primarily because of satisfying

organization of their sensuous and expressive elements.

The Functions of Arts

Every form of arts has definite functions since it satisfies particular needs. To the layman,art may

have little function. To find meaning in art,it must have or serve a utilitarian purpose and be capable of

serving the purpose for which it was designed.

1. Aesthetic Function-Through art, Man becomes conscious of the beauty of nature. He Benefits

from his own work and from those done by his fellowmen.

2. Utilitarian Function- With the creation of the various forms of art, man now lives in comfort and

happiness. Art not only enriches man’s life but also improves nature through landscape

gardening, creation of super-highwats and through propagation and conservation of natural

resources.

3. Cultural Function- through the printed matter, art transmits and preserves skills and knowledge

from one generation to another. It burdens one’s cultural background and makes man more

civilized and his life more enduring and satisfying

4. Social function- Through civic and graphic arts man learns to love and help each other

.International understanding and cooperation are fostered and nations become more unified,

friendly, cooperative, helpful and sympathetic.

The Scope of Art

Various authors classify arts in different ways. According to Manaois, there are two (2) general

dimensions of arts, namely (1) Fine arts or Independent arts and (2) practical arts or useful or

Utilitatarian arts. Fine arts are made primarily for aesthetic enjoyment through senses, especially visual

and auditory. Practical arts are intended for practical use or utility. It is the development of raw materials

for Utilitarian purposes.

Fine arts or aesthetic arts are music, painting, Sculpture, Architecture, literature, dancing and

drama. Practical Arts or useful arts are industrial arts, applied or household art, civic art, commercial art,

graphic art, agricultural art, business art, distributive art, and fishery art. Visual arts are those that we

perceive with our eyes. They may be classified into two groups, namely: (1) graphic arts; and (2) plastic
arts. Graphic arts include painting, drawing, photography, graphic process (printing) and commercial arts

(designing of books, advertisements and other displays.) mechanical process in which portrayals of forms

and symbols are recorded on a two-dimensional surface. Plastic arts include all fields of visual arts for

which materials are organized in to three-dimensional forms such as structural architecture, landscape

architecture, city physical planning and interior arranging, sculpture, crafts, industrial design and theatre

design.

The Origin of Art

Art is viewed as a reflection of creative and ingenuity and inventiveness within a culture. It is

seen not only in terms of its styles and craftsmanship but its functional interaction with all the elements

that constitute human life and culture.

Art Started during the primitive time when superstition and beliefs in the spirits are still very

common in every culture . Art is tribal and indigenous that every ritual and ceremony is accompanied by

dancing, painting music, and poetry. The Primitive art is symbolic.

Music and Poetry are directed towards the life and works of their ancestors as well as legendary origins of

heroes, heroines and gods

Primitive people painted their bodies, caves and some parts of their dwelling to symbolize and represent

something. Sculpture of gods, goddesses were usually made of wood and clay. The origins of this art is

probably connected with sorcery and magic.

All arts originated in the temples of the East and West. These arts pertain to gods, goddesses,

religious animals, demons, priests, kings and queens.

The Subject of The Functions of The Origin of

Representational Non-representational
or Objective arts or non-objective arts Fine arts or
Practical arts or
Independent
Utilitarian arts
arts

Aesthetic Utilitarian Cultural