Republic of the Philippines

DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Masbate State College)
www.debesmscat.edu.ph
Mandaon, Masbate
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

Date: March 18, 2020

Subject: GE 6 (Art Appreciation)

Course : BSIT- AT,CCT,ET,ELT, FBPSM Second Year Students

Course Description: Nature, function and appreciation of the arts in contemporary society.

Topic: CAUGHT IN BETWEEN: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART

Week: #13

Learning Objectives: The students should be able to:

1. Differentiate modern and contemporary art.

2. Isolate and discuss significant historical events that informed and inspired the different
movements under contemporary art.
3. Classify specific artworks into the different movements under contemporary art.
4. Evaluate one’s learning.

Content

CAUGHT IN BETWEEN: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART

Defining the Contemporary

The term “contemporary” seems simple and straightforward enough to define. There is this
assumption that it need not be asked; rather, that it must already be understood. But with an attempt to do
so, one finds it is a lot harder to grasp. The compexity of defining the term is attributed to the fact that
people have dissenting views on the interpretation of the “present,” of “today,” or what the “no” means-
these are often ideas that follow the word contemporary. Even more so, is when it is hinged on the word
“art” and suddenly it becomes a bit fuzzy. Another source of confusion is the fact that in the colloquial,
“modern” and “contemporary” are considered synonymous. This, however, is not the case when these
terms are used in the context of art.

The period that ensued was touted contemporary art. In order to move forward, it is necessary to
underscore that this can be better understood after a starting point has been established. Compared to the
dense taxonomy of modern art, contemporary art had fewer-isms under its wing. Perhaps, this was also
due to the fact that it is still unfolding.

Effectively, this period can be traced from the 1970s to the present. There is a reason behind this
cutoff. The cutoff was hinged on two reasons:

1. The 1970s saw the emergence of “postmodernism.” The affix was a clue that whatever followed
was segregated from it precursor.
2. The 1970s saw the decline of the clearer identified artistic movements.

Social Context: In Between Modern and Contemporary Art

Reaping the benefits and drawbacks of the dramatic changes that occured at the beginning of the
twentieth century, the social, political, and cultural context continued to provoked the artist to create.
There is a potent source of reference for his works so that he may continue to question the existing and
emergent of society. Contemporary art was heavily driven by ideas and theories, and the even the blurring
of notions of what is and can be considered as “art” with the involvement of television, photography,
cinema, digital technology, performance, and even pbjects of the everyday. It was the idea that was more
important than its visual articulation.
There were several art movements that were caught in between the succession of modern and
contemporary art.

1. Abstract expressionism (early 1940s to mid-1960s)- which took the basic tenets of abstraction
and combined with it with gestural techniques, mark-making, and a rugged spontaneity in its
visual articulation. Two major styles emerged from this:
1.1 Action of Painting- is underscored the process of creation in that it showed the physicality,
direction and most often, the spontaneity of the actions that made the drips and strokes
possible.
1.2 Color Fields- emphasized the emotional power of colors. From the vivid demarcations to the
more toned-down transistions, these bands of color were akin to the effect of landscapes.
2. Optical art “op art” (early 1960s onward)- relied on creating illusion to inform the experience
of the artwork using color, pattern, and other perspective tricks that artists had on their sleeves.
3. Minimalism (early 1960s in New York)- it was seen as an extreme type of abstraction that favored
geometric shapes, color fields, and the use of objects and materials that had an “industrial” the
sparse.
4. Pop art (emerged in 1950s but found its footing in the 1960s) – it drew inspiration, sources, and
even materials from commercial culture, making it one of the most identifiable and relatable
movements in art history.
5. Postmodernism- the most pertinent movement that solidified to contemporary art.

Contemporary Art

We can observe that there were overlaps with the acceptance and practice of these movements.
They were not only overlapping with each other, but they were embedded in social order thatw as in fact
somewhat “disordered.”
One of the main developments during this time was the turn from the traditional notions of what art is:
from paintings and sculptures to the more experimental formats. These included film, photography, video,
performance, installations and site-specific works, and earth works. Contemporary art is the most socially
aware and involved form of art. The subject matter of its works was one of the most pressing, heated, and
even controversial issues of contemporary society.

Other Contemporary Art Movements

1. Neo-Pop Art- was a renewed interest in pop art in the 1980s. (Jeff Koons, “Puppy”, 1992)
2. Photorealism- a painstaking attention to detail is aimed, without asserting an artist’s personal
style. These drawings and paintings are so immaculate in their precision that it starts to look like
it is a photo without a direct reference to the artist who created it. Two known photorealist artists
are Chuck Close and Gerhard Richter.
3. Conceptualism- were formed and shaped by pop-art, as opposed to celebrating commodities as
references to real life. In conceptual art, the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the
work.
4. Performance Art- is related to conceptual art, whose rosters of well-known artists include the
likes of Marina Abramović, Yoko Ono, and Joseph Beuys. As a movement, it began in the 1960s
and its concerned with entertaining its audience, the heart of the artwork is its idea or message.
Performance art may be planned or spontaneous and done live or recorded.
5. Installation Art- is a kind of an immersive work where the environment or the space in which the
viewer steps into or interacts with (going around installative art) is transformed or altered.
6. Earth Art- sometimes considered as a kind or a spin-off of installation, earth art or landa art) is
when the natural environmental art in a sense that it does not focus on the subject (environmental
issues or concerns) but rather on landscape manipulation and the material used, taken directly
from ground or vegetation (rocks or twigs).
7. Street Art- this art movement is relatedto graffiti as it is a by-product of the rise of graffiti in the
1980s. Artworks created are not traditional in format but are informed by the illustrative,
painterly and print techniques and even a variety of media.

Reference: Art Appreciation, Caslib et al., 2017, pp. 128-139

Page 2 of 2... GE 6 Module

Task to be done:

Activity # 6

Direction: Answer the questions given.

 Create your own art movement and describe its main tenets. Give it a name.

What does this movement attempt to do? What are the concerns or questions will it
attempt to answer? Imagine what kind of materials/media and techniques will be used to
create and realize the concepts behind artists’ works.

Instruction:

Answer individually the activity at home. Submit the activity thru on-line using the
facebook grouppage of GE 6 on or before April 03, 2020. If you have questions regarding the
activity, kindly send a message thru text or call using the contact numbers # 0907-4192453 (JQ
Romero) ; 0907-2328879 (JC Caballero ) ; 0907-2393365 (ZC Ibañez). Thank You.

Assessment:

 Online Creative Work Presenation

 Online Quiz (Per Instructor Assigned)

Prepared by:

JONEL C. CABALLERO ZALDY C. IBAÑEZ JERRYL Q. ROMERO

CIT Faculty CIT Faculty CIT Faculty

Noted:

RODA S. MESA, MAIE

BSIT, Program Chairperson

Approved:

JUDITH M. LOYOLA, EdD

CIT, Dean
 Republic of the Philippines
DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Masbate State College)
www.debesmscat.edu.ph
Mandaon, Masbate
COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

Date: March 19, 2020

Subject: GE 6 (Art Appreciation)

Course : BSIT- AT,CCT,ET,ELT, FBPSM Second Year Students

Course Description: Nature, function and appreciation of the arts in contemporary society.

Topic: CULTURE AND THE ARTS

Week: #14

Learning Objectives: The students should be able to:

1. Discuss the concept of “soulmaking”

2. Develop students’ artistic potentials through soulmaking.
3. Discuss how improvisation can make an artwork distinctive.
4. Identify the issues and problems that can arise because of appropriation of art.
5. Evaluate one’s learning.

Content

CULTURE AND THE ARTS

Soulmaking: Making and Deriving Meaning from Art

In order for humans to make sense of language and derive meanings from words, semantics and
grammatical rukes are important elements to be considered. Aside from this, context and symbolisms are
also considered to interpret and analyze either verbal or written works. When it comes to art, in order for
people to make sense of the work, it would require understanding the visual elements where art was
grounded on, especially the principles of design. It is important to note that the audience of the artwork
must have a certain level of awareness to the style, form, and content of the said work. Without such
understanding, it would be difficult to apprciate the visual arts in its fullness and entirety.

Style refers to the distinctive handling of elements and media associated with the work of an individual
artist, a school, a movement, or a specific culture or time period (Fichner-Rathus, 2013). Throughout the
history, there have been developments in art styles that depict different and varied methods of expression.
Artwork also have a certain form. This form is what the audience sees- a finished product put
harmoniously or not according to the different principles of design.. in essence, form os the totality of the
artwork, which includes the textures, colors, and shapes utilized by the artist. The content of an artwork
includes not only its form but also its subject matter and underlying meanings or themes (Fichner-Rathus,
2013). The perceiver of the artwork must take into consideration the tatolity of elements, underlying
themes and motifs, and composition.

Improvisation

Improvisation can be defined as doing something without prior preparation. There is a decision to
act upon something that may not necessarily be planned. Within the present context, improvisation has
become an integral part of the arts. When artist makes his work, he has already an idea of the elements
that will be included in his work. As he begins to craft his work, he may have deviated from his original
plan. So in essence, improvisation is evident in the process of making the painting. One of central figures
in the improvisation movement was Georges Mathieu. He started the “action painting” wherein in the
process is seen real-time. In this scenario, the process is more important than the finished product.
Appropriation

If, for example, an artist created a painting and displayed it in a museum, who do you think owns
the artwork: the artist or his intended audience? During the twentieth century, people started raising the
question whether or not the act of deriving meaning gives the ownership of the artwork to the viewer
rather than the artist himself. This notion paved the way for the emergence of appropriation artists who
seem to promote the idea that the authorship relies on the viewer. If this is the case, then appropriation
artists can take as much as he wants from an existing artwork.

Appropriation of art has been a common practice throughout history. In the past, if an apprentice
painter needs to hone his skills in his craft, he would be allowed to use his master’s work to copy. It is as
if apprentice is trying to explore his personal application of techniques to something he is more familliar
with. However, there are some people who go to the extreme by believing that copying the extract
artwork of an artist and attributing it to his own. This could pose a problem especially with authorship.
The problemarises when appropriation artist would get bits and pieces from other works and incorporate
these elements into their his own work. In addition, when appropriation artists eschew the responsibility
for putting up the deatils of other works and integrating them into their own, their voices and perspectives
of the other artists get lost with that of the appropriation artist. There seems to be a very thin demarcation
line between appropriation art and forgery. Traditionally, forgery can be classified into two forms:
outright copies of existing works and pastiches, whic are works that bring together elements from a work
and infusing them to a new work. But in contemporary times, forgery can be in the form of creating an
approximate of what an artist would do by prediction. This can be done by observing the techniques and
style the artist employed and even the focal points highlighted in his prevoius and existing works.
The intensions of the appropriation artists are often questiond since issues of plagiarism or forgery
sometimes arise. Some would argue that the reason behind the appropriation is that they want the
audience to recognize the images they copied. There is hope on the part of the artist for the viewers to see
the original work in a new perspective. That appropriation would bring about a new context to the
original work one of the most famous works of appropriation would have to be Andy Warhol’s
“Campbell’s Soup Cans 1962). Warhol copied the original labels of the soup can but deliberately filled up
the entire picture plane. The idea of putting together of the soup cans is something new for the audience.

Reference: Art Appreciation, Caslib et al., 2017, pp. 144-149

Task to be done:

Activity # 7

Direction:

 Research on one (1) appropriation artist and highlight his or her artwork. Using that artwork,
answer this essay question: To what extent is art appropriation a form of forgery?

Instruction:

Answer individually the activity at home. Submit the activity thru on-line using the
facebook grouppage of GE 6 on or before April 10, 2020. If you have questions regarding the
activity, kindly send a message thru text or call using the contact numbers # 0907-4192453 (JQ
Romero) ; 0907-2328879 (JC Caballero ) ; 0907-2393365 (ZC Ibañez). Thank You.

Assessment:

 Online Creative Work Presenation

 Online Quiz (Per Instructor Assigned)

Prepared by:

JONEL C. CABALLERO ZALDY C. IBAÑEZ JERRYL Q. ROMERO

CIT Faculty CIT Faculty CIT Faculty

Noted:

RODA S. MESA, MAIE

BSIT, Program Chairperson

Approved:

JUDITH M. LOYOLA, EdD

CIT, Dean