art | SECOND SEM | MIDTERMS

Lesson 1: What is Art?

There is no single definition of art. Art can be Artistic ability includes skills and
defined in a variety of ways, but at its most talent to create works of art: painting,
basic art is a visual medium used to express drawing, sculpting, musical composition, etc.
ideas, emotions, or tell a story, such as Creativity ability is the skill and talent to
painting, sculpture or photography. use our imagination to create and solve. A
Music, dance & theatre are examples of creative artist is probably a better artist. But
performing arts that use movement or sound to you don't have to be an artist to be creative.
convey meaning. Skills learned from art
Finally, art is of communication in which • Creativity
people can express themselves & share their
experiences with others. • Confidence
Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of • Problem Solving
communication. It means whatever the artist
• Perseverance
intends it to mean, and this meaning is shaped
by the materials, techniques, and forms it • Non-Verbal
makes use of, as well as the ideas and
• Receiving
feelings it creates in its viewers. Art is an act
of expressing feelings, thoughts, and • Collaboration Developing
observations.
MAJOR ART FORMS
ETYMOLOGY/ORIGIN
1. Painting – is the practice of applying paint,
The word “art” come from the Latin word pigment, color or other medium to a solid
“ars” means “art, skill, or craft”. The ancient surface. The medium is commonly applied to
Greeks claim that art is an imitation of reality. the base with brush, such as knives, sponges,
& airbrushes, can be used. In art, the term
It is imitative or representational: it
painting describes both the act and the result of
copies something in the real world.
the action.
But in the 19th century, photography took
2. Sculpture – An artistic form in which hard or
over that role & in 2oth century, the notion that
plastic materials are worked into three-
art was representational was overturned by
dimensional art objects. The design may be
modern art.
embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on
IMPORTANCE OF ART surfaces, or in environments ranging from
tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator.
Art forces humans to look beyond that
which is necessary to survive and leads people 3. Architecture – the art & technique of
to create for the sake of expression and designing & building, as distinguished from the
meaning. skills associated with construction. It is both the
process & the product of sketching, conceiving,
Art can communicate information, shape
planning, designing 7 constructing or other
our everyday lives, make a social statement
structures.
and be enjoyed for aesthetic beauty.
4. Photography – it literally means “drawing
with light” which derives from the Greek photo,
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meaning light & graph, meaning to draw. It is pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels,
the process of recording an image – a erasers, markers, styluses, and metals.
photograph – on light sensitive film or, in case
digital photography, via digital electronic or
magnetic memory. Is Mona Lisa a real person?
5. Literature – is any collection of written work, Mona Lisa, La Gioconda from Leonardo
but it is also used more narrowly for writings da Vinci's masterpiece, was a real person. And
specifically considered to be an art form, we're not talking about a self-portrait of the
especially prose fiction, drama, & poetry. In artist, as you may think. Mona Lisa was a real
recent centuries, the definition has expanded to Florentine woman, born and raised in Florence
include oral literature much of which has been under the name of Lisa Gherardini.15 Jul 2018
transcribed.
What kind of art makes the most money?
6. Music – it is concerned with combining vocal
or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or 9 Highest Paying Art Careers
emotional expression, usually according to #1 Art Director. Median Salary: $94,220. ...
cultural standards of rhythm, melody, & in most
Western music harmony. Both the simple folk #2 Producer & Director. Median Salary:
song & complex electronic composition belong $74,420. ...
to the same activity. #3 Landscape Architect. Median Salary:
7. Theatre - a collaborative form of performing $69,360. ...
art that uses live performers, usually actors or #4 Video Editor. Median Salary: $63,780. ...
actresses, to present the experience of a real
or imagined event before a live audience in a #5 Graphic Designer. Median Salary: $52,110. .
specific place, often a stage. #6 Drafter. Median Salary: $56,830. ...
8. Dance - a performing art form consisting of #7 Art Curator. ...
sequences of movement with aesthetic and
often symbolic value, either improvised or #8 Interior Designer.
purposefully selected. Dance can be Quotes
categorized and described by its choreography,
by its repertoire of movements, or by its There are as many ways to define art as there
historical period or place of origin. are people in the universe and each definition
is influenced by the unique perspective of
9. Film - is also called a movie, motion picture, that person, as well as by their own
moving picture, picture, photoplay or flick – is a personality and character.
work of visual art that simulates experiences
and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, •Art is a discovery and development of
perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere elementary principles of nature into a beautiful
through the use of moving images. forms suitable for human use.

10. Drawing - is a form of visual art in which an Frank Llyod Wright

artist uses instruments to mark paper or other
•Art enables us to find ourselves and lose
two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments
ourselves at the same time. Thomas Mertin
include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various
kinds of paints, inked brushes, coloured •The purpose of art is washing the dust of life
off our souls. Pablo Picasso
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•All art is but imitation of nature. Lucius 4. Art is good because it is popular
Annaeus Seneca
5. Art is good because it is expensive
•Art is now what you see, but what you make
6. Art is time less
others see.
7. Art is transient
Edgar Degas
8. In art, beauty is relative & is in the eye of
•Art is the signature of civilization. Jean
the beholder
Sibelius
9. Art is the product of the imagination
•Art is a human activity consisting in this, that
one man consciously, by means of certain 10. Art is experience & it means nothing
external signs, hands on to other feelings he without experience
has lived through, and that others are infected
by these feelings and also experience them. 11. Art imitates life & life imitates art

Leo Tolstoy 12. It takes talent to make art

13. Some works of art are better than others

Lesson 2 - Some Basic assumptions about Classicism and the Classical Ideals
Art In art classicism is an emulation of the
arts based on the culture, art, & literature of
An assumption is a belief or idea that is
ancient Greece & Rome. In its purest form,
accepted as true without being directly prove or
classicism is an aesthetic attitude that strictly
tested. Assumptions are frequently made
adheres to rule & conventions with emphasis
based on prior experiences or knowledge, &
on simplicity, balance, proportion, unity,
they can influence how we interpret new
harmony, economy, clarity of structure,
information or make decisions.
retrained emotion, as well as explicit appeal
Assumptions can be useful in some to the intellect to achieve perfection of form &
situations because they allow us to make quick beauty of expression.
decisions based on our previous experiences.
The Standards of Art
They can, however, lead to misunderstanding
or incorrect conclusions if not supported by How can one say that something is a
sufficient evidence or tested or challenged. It is work of art? Works of art have certain criteria
critical to be aware of our assumptions of our by which all texts can be measured for
assumptions 7 to challenge them when evaluation. The standards for evaluating a work
necessary to ensure that we are making of art include:
informed decisions.
1. Artistry – art has the ability to appeal to our
Art has many assumptions or conjectures. sense of beauty.
Some common assumptions about art are
2. Intellectual Value – art can stimulate our
given:
thought, enrich our minds & help us
1. Art is not nature, nature is not art understand the fundamental truths about
ourselves, others & the world around us.
2. Art isn’t creativity & creativity is not art
3. Suggestiveness – art can move us profoundly &
3. Art is good because it is universal
stirs our feelings & imagination.
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4. Spiritual Value – art can elevate the soul & communicate the beauty that can be found
has the ability to inspire us to be a better anywhere, even in the mundane situations.
version of ourselves
Identifying the implicit message of artwork
5. Timeliness – art has an enduring quality. It helps us to see the values & customs of the
can be seen repeatedly as each viewing gives age within which it was created & to assess
fresh delight & new & new insights & opens up those values against others.
new worlds of meaning & experience
The Seven Themes of Art
6. Universality – great art can appeal to
1. The Sacred Realm – art that addresses
anyone, anytime, anywhere, regardless of
spirituality & religion
culture, race, sex & gender because it deals
with elemental feelings, fundamental truths & 2. The Natural World – art hat portrays nature
universal conditions. & our relationship with it
7. Style – this is the peculiar manner in which 3. The Human Emotional Experience – art that
an artist presents or does his/her craft depicts the inner workings of the human
psyche
8. Form – it is the design of the work as a
whole, the configuration of all its parts. It 4. Stories and Histories – art the appears to
answers the question “how": how well the work have story or narrative quality behind the
is made, how well the work is written, or how ell imagery often present through the
the work is done. iconography
A work’s form is the guiding principle 5. Politics and Social Order – art reflecting the
determining how artwork unfolds & the nature of society & has an underlying agenda,
elements that propel its development from the & uses imagery as a means to an end
beginning to end. In an artwork nothing is by
accident. Even the tiniest detail is a creative 6. Invention and Fantasy - art that springs from
decision by the artist. Each aspect of the the imagination created by the mind of the
artwork should contribute to the meaning & artist
beauty of the whole 7. Art for Art’s Sake – the beauty of art is
The Themes of Art sufficient reason for pursuing it – that art must
not serve political, social, economic, or similar
A theme is defined as the main idea or purposes.
an underlying meaning of artistic work.
Lesson 3: BASIC ART CRITICISM
It is the artist way of communicating &
sharing ideas, perceptions, & feelings with the What is basic art criticism?
viewer or audience. Art criticism is the analysis & evaluation of
It includes emotional or intellectual works of art. It is a practice that entails
meanings found in a work of art or suggested examining & interpreting a work of art before
by it. passing judgment on its meaning, quality &
significance.
Fernando Amorsolo’s idyllic representation
of life’s straightforward pleasures, like Art criticism can be written or spoken & it
sceneries of farmers toiling the fields, children can be done by professional art critics or by
at play, women washing dirty clothes one who is interested in art.
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Critics may focus on a variety of factors such 2. Pragmatic or Affective Criticism –

as: Considers the artwork as something designed
to produce a certain impact on the viewer. It
1. the artist’s technical skill
seeks to assess the value of the artwork in
2. the formal element of the work (namely: achieving its goal.
composition, color & line)
3. Expressive Criticism – Deals primarily with
3.the historical background & cultural context in artwork in relation to its artist. It often seeks to
which the work was created indicate the artist’s particular disposition &
experiences that, consciously or unconsciously,
4.the emotional impact of the work on the he or she disclosed in his or her work.
viewer
4. Formal or Objetive Criticism – Deals with
The Four Coordinates of Art Criticism a work of art as something free from its
Any piece of art, such as painting, a “extrinsic” relationship with the author, the
sculpture, an architecture, a poem, a novel, an audience, or the society, Rather, it defines the
essay, a play, a musical piece, a film, etc., has text as an independent & self-sufficient entity,
four constructive elements. M.H. Abrams refers or else as an autonomous object which should
these constructive elements as the be seen at its own end, & which should only be
“coordinates of art in general & literature in judged by “inherente” criterio, such as its
particular”. complexity, ambiguity, coherence & the
interrelationship of its elements or parts.
These four coordinates of art have
generally fallen into four categories of art Four Steps in Art Criticism
criticsm & appreciation: There is an established four-step method for
1. Mimetic - based on the relationship evaluating art. These are:
between the Work & the Universe 1) Description
2. Pragmatic – based on the relationship 2) Analysis
between the Work & the Audience
3) Interpretation
3. Expressive – based on the relationship
between the Work & the Artist 4) Judgment

4. Formal or Objective – based on close Description – is the first step in art

reading of the Work criticism. It a technique that depicts or explains
the work of art.
The four art coordinates described which
as follows: Take care of the general knowledge that is
present when you glance at a piece of art. In
1. Mimetic Criticism – The term “mimesis”, is
describing the artwork, consider the following
the act of imitation, is derived from the Greek
questions:
word mimesis. This form of criticism judges a
work of art in terms of imitation. It assesses the • What do you see in the piece of art at first
authenticity of any work concerning the glance?
accuracy of representation (verisimilitude). The
mimetic approach treats art as a photographic • Is it two-dimensional or three-dimensional?
reproduction., i.e., art’s truth to life, poetic truth, • What is the medium used in the work of art?
etc.
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• What are the elements of design included in  How does the choice of art elements
it? convey the central idea?
• What are the lines used in the work of art? Judgment – is the last step in art criticism. All
these tasks of description, analysis &
interpretation are undertaken with one aim in
Analysis - is the second step in art criticism. It mind: to give judgments on the work of art. Just
refers to the manner the elements & principles as interpretations differ, so do judgments.
of art are used in the artwork, how they
Consider the following questions when
contribute to one another, & how they are
judging an artwork:
organized.
• What do you feel when you’re looking athe
Consider the following questions in the
artwork?
analysis of the artwork.
• Do you like the artwork?
• What elements have been used in the work
of art to help create unity & variety? • How & why do you find the artwork visually
appealing, disturbing, emotionally engaging
• How are the elements used to achieve this?
is some way?
• Are the elements within the piece of art in
proportion to one another?
Lesson 4: The Artist and the Artisan
• Is the work of art symmetrically or
asymmetrically balanced? Definition and distinction between an artist
and an artisan
• What is used to establish emphasis on the
work of art?
Interpretation - is the third step in art
criticism .it is the attribution of meaning to a
piece of art. When interpreting a work of art, try
to identify & discuss its key ideas or themes.
Interpretation depends as much on the
individual viewer as it does on the work of art. It
is derived from the interaction between what
the artwork symbolizes to the artist & what it
represents to the viewer. The meaning of an
artwork can be affected by time & culture.
Thus, interpretation can be a process of
unfolding. A work that would appear to imply
one thing in the first evaluation might, when
further analyzed, indicate something else.
 What is the artist attempting to
communicate to us through his or her work?
 What is the central idea of the artwork?
 How do various elements of this artwork
relate to the central idea or theme? Top 10 Artisans of the World
• Glass Blowers – Murano Italy
art | SECOND SEM | MIDTERMS

• Knife Makers- Tibet, China • GINAW BILOG (+ 2003) Poet Hanunuo

• Leather Tanners – Fes, Morocco Mangyan Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro
• Ikebana Flowers Arrangement-Japan 1993
• Flamenco Guitar Luthiers – Madrid Spain
• SAMAON SULAIMAN (+ 2011) Musician
• Calligraphers –Pakistan
Magindanao Mama sa Pano,
• Rug Makers –Turkey
Maguindanao 1993
• Jade Lapidaries-Hokitika, New Zealand
• Azulejo Tile Makers – Lisbon, Portugal • LANG DULAY (+2015) Textile Weaver
• Origami-Japan T'boli Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
1998. ...
National Artists of the Philippines • ALONZO SACLAG
The Order of National Artist (Order ng • FEDERICO CABALLERO
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the “highest
national recognition given to Filipino individuals • UWANG AHADAS
who have made significant contributions to the • DARHATA SAWABI (+ 2005)
development of Philippine arts, namely: Music,
Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awards
Broadcasts Arts, Architecture and Allied Arts. or GAMABA is an award that acknowledges
folk and indigenous artists who, despite the
The order is jointly administered by the modern times, remain true to their traditions.
National Commission for Culture and Arts
(NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the It is administered by the National
Philippines and conferred by the President of Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
the Philippines upon recommendation by both through Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
institutions, (National Artist of the Philippines, Committee.
2014) The Filipino counterparts of this title are
The National Living Treasure Award the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)
awardees.
The National Living Treasures Awards or
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is There are currently sixteen declared
conferred to a person or group of artists GAMABA awardees, all of which have
recognized by the Government of the exemplified the highest standard in their
Philippines for their contributions to the respective field of expertise.
country’s intangible cultural heritage. The Order of National Artist (ONA)
A recipient of the award, known as a [Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining] is
National Living Treasures or Manlilikha ng Bayan is the highest national recognition given to
defined as “ a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino Filipino individuals who have made significant
citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely contributions to the development of Philippine
Filipino, whose distinctive skills have reached such arts.
by the present generations in their community with
the same degree of technical and artistic While the Order of National Artists
competence” (ONA) is the highest state honor given to
Philippine practitioners of the classical western
(National Living Treasures Award, 2018) arts, while Gamaba is conferred on
GAMABA Awardees practitioners of traditional arts who mostly
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come from the indigenous cultural • allied arts and design

communities.
The latter are otherwise called “national
folk artists.”
How many National Artists are there in the
What are the 4 benefits and privileges of a
Philippines?
Gamaba awardee for group awardee?
So far, including Fernando Amorsolo,
A GAMABA awardee enjoys the same
only 73 artists have been awarded the
privileges as a National Artist awardee:
prestigious Order of National Artists.
• a gold-plated medal from the Bangko
Who are the National Artist of the
Sentral ng Pilipinas,
Philippines 2022?
• a cash award of P200,000,
CCP to honour the 2022 Filipino
• a lifetime stipend of P50,000, and National Artists this June – Nora Aunor, Fides
medical and hospitalization benefits of Cuyugan-Asensio, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, and
P750,000 a year more
• a state funeral, and room in Libingan ng Lesson 5: Subject and Content in Art
Mga Bayani
Subjects in the Arts
What are the categories of Gamaba?
In almost all art forms – painting,
• folk architecture sculpture, photography, music, literatura,
theatre or dance – there is the Subject that
• maritime transport
serves as the foundation of creating the work of
• weaving art.
• carving The subject is the most prominent
aspecto of an artwork. It is potrayed or
• performing arts
represented in the artwork. The subject of art
• literature maybe a person, a thing, a scene, an occasion,
or ven dreams. The subjec asnwers the
• graphic and plastic arts
question: What is the work of art all about.
• ornament
The subject matter of art should not be
What are the categories for National Artist? the basis of judging works of art. It doesn’t
mean that representational arts are superior to
• dance non-representational arts. Some arts have a
• music subject and other do not. Furthermore, works
that depict pleasant subjects are necessarily
• theatre greater than works that depict unpleasant
• visual arts subjects. What matters most in art is not the
subject matter but how well the artist handles
• literature or presents that subject matter in his or her
• film and broadcast arts work.

• architecture and It is important not to ix up the subject

and the content of a work. The subject is the
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literal, visible image, while the content Music is also mostly non-objective or
comprises, connotative, symbolic and non-representational, although some music
suggestive aspects. The subject is the concrete represents a subject.
image in the piece of art, such as still life,
Ways of Representing Subject
portrait, or landscape, while the content is the
communication of ideas, feelings, and Art allows a person to create works that
reactions to the subject. are only limited by the artist’s imagination. This
can be achieved in the manner of realism,
Types of Visual Art According to Subject
idealization, abstraction, distortion,
There are two basic types of visual art surrealism, or any mixture.
according to subject matter. These types are
representational or figurative art and non- Realism –it is typically an attempt, without
representational of non-objective art. artificially, to portray subjects in reality without
artistic constraints or impulsive, exotic and
Representational artwork aims to supernatural elements.
represent real objects or real subjects. They
are artworks based in images that can be Idealization – It refers to the representation of
found in the objective world, or at least in the objects according to a preconception of ideal
artist’s imagination, i.e. images that can form or type. One possible motive could be to
perhaps be named or recognized. Although make things look as if the world were perfect.
some do not depict recognizable subjects, Abstraction – it is replacing or extracting
painting, sculpture, graphic arts, literature, and characteristics from something to reduce them
theatre art are generally classified as to a set of essential characteristics.
representational arts.
Distortion - any alteration in the scale, shape,
On the other hand, non-objective art is or visual character of a medium by an artist to
another way to refer to non-representational communicate a concept, conveys a feeling, or
art. Basically the artwork does not reflect or enhances the visual impact.
describe a person, place, or thing in the natural
world. Typically, the work’s contents are its Surrealism – it is a means of putting together
colors, shapes, brushstrokes, scale, size the conscious and the unconscious world of
and method in certain cases. perception in such a way that the world of
dream and imagination can join the daily
Most people find it difficult to understand rational world in “super-reality”
the distinctions between abstracts and non-
objective art. The obvious difference lies in The subject is any representation or
the chosen subject. depiction of a person, object, scene or event in
a work of art. The subject must NOT be
If the artist begins with a real subject, considered in judging works of art. Some arts
the artwork is called abstract. When the have a subject and others do not.
artist creates without any relation to reality, Representational arts are not necessarily
the work is known as non-objective. superior to non-representational arts. What is
Architecture is mostly non-objective or essential in the arts is not the subject of the
non-representational. It does not depict or artwork but how well it is presented.
portray a subject. It is its own form.
Lesson 6: FUNCTIONS OF ART

Definition of function
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Function refers to the direct and practical Physical Functions - Works of art the
usefulness of the arts. created to perform some service have physical
functions.
All arts have function, for man, the maker,
creates things because he has particular need Architecture. Any of the craftworks and
for them. industrial design are all types of art that have
physical functions.
Art, at its simplest, is a form of
communication. As most forms of
communication have an intent or goal directed
toward another individual, this is a motivated
purpose. Illustrative arts, such as scientific
illustration, are a form of art as communication.
Architecture is directly and almost entirely
functional buildings and other structures are
always built for some special purpose.
Painting and sculpture may be used to
narrate events, to portray people or events, to
instruct, to commemorate individuals or
historical events.
Crafts such as metal works, furniture,
ceramics, glass wares, etc. are referred to as Definition
utilitarian arts since they are intended for
Social Functions – when it addresses
practical use or utility.
aspects of collective life, as opposed to one
The functions of art normally fall into person’s point of view or experience. Art
3 categories: depicts social conditions performs social
functions and satire performs social functions.
1. Personal
Sometimes having specific pieces of art in
2. Social
the community can perform the social function
3. Physical of elevating the community status.

Definition
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A piece might have been meant to “merely”

entertain others. Sometimes a piece isn’t
meant to have meaning at all.

Art may serve the personal functions of control.

Moreover, art has been used to or even
acquisition attempt to exert magical control
over time, or the seasons or even acquisition of
food.
Art may also be used to bring order to a
messy and disorderly world. Art can be used to
create chaos, when an artist feels life is too
staid and ordinary.
Art can also be therapeutic - both to artist
and viewer. Another personal function of art is
religious service. Finally, sometimes art is
used to assist us in maintaining ourselves as
species. Biological functions would obviously
Definition include fertility symbols (in any culture) and
sometimes we adorn ourselves to be attractive
Personal Functions – the most difficult to
enough.
explain in any detail. There are many
The function of art must be considered in
of them, and they vary from person to person.
judging works of art. Some art has a function,
An artist may create out of need for self-
other do not. Functional arts are not
expression or gratification. She or he might
necessarily superior to non-functional arts.
have wanted to communicate a thought or
What is important in the arts is not the
point to the viewer.
function of the artwork but how well that
Perhaps the artist was trying to provide an artwork is made.
aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers.
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