Mindanao State University

ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

College of Arts and Social Sciences
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga
9200 Iligan City, Philippines

Jan 5, 2023 Prepared by: Ernesto ‘Bajo’ Zaldua Jr.

GEC 106 – ART APPRECIATION

FINAL EXAM

A. You can choose any 2 of the 10 questions to answer except question number 1. Use the different lenses of criticism and
answer it with an informed opinion. You can use the module provided as your references or you can use other credible
sources to support your answers. This is an open-notes exam, you can use module, internet, books, journal and etc.

Bonus question number 1

1. There is this story of one statue of a majestic cat put on a pedestal in front of a university. As years have passed,
authorities have placed a golden chain around its neck to secure it to the podium, to keep it from being toyed around by
students. Eventually, this was coined as “the chained cat” by the students who came to appreciate the statue, even when
the sculptor who had created this cat did not intend to have this chain part of his artwork. Now the question is: how is the
artwork supposed to be appreciated? With or without the chain? But that leaves us to answer another question: is it up
to the perception of the audience? Or the intention of the artist? Is this the part where you consider the approach “The
author is dead”?

2. Because of the fact that, biologically, only a man and a woman’s sexual intercourse is able to reproduce, there is the
notion that there are only two “legitimate” genders (the male and the female). Consequently, this resulted to the
construction of the characteristic descriptions which we now know as masculine/manliness and feminine/effeminate. To
give an example, traditionally, a straight male is designated to show masculine traits, such as body strength and facial hair
in the physical aspect, assertiveness, courage, independence, and protectiveness in the personality aspect. Back then, this
gave off the expectation that, for the survival of a clan, the men of the family were the protectors since they had the
strength to fight and fend off enemies and life-threatening attackers, and the provider, since the women were assumed
to be the home caregivers and the men as the ones who work outside home for household sustenance. Apart from this,
religions and other theistic beliefs also adhere to the idea that God created Man and Woman for them to be the only ones
to have sexual intercourse, as is said in the Scriptures, since the homosexuals and other deviant individuals are to be
condemned. The question is: What do you think of this idea that there are only supposedly two genders allowed in our
world? Do you agree? Do you disagree? (If disagree, follow up: If so, does that mean you also disagree with God's Word?)
Expound.

3. No matter how subjective and/or cultural a response one may have towards an Art or a Creation, according to
Immanuel Kant, our notions of beauty and aesthetics are based on a subjective response, but are so much part of our
culture that they can be considered universally valid. He claims there is a general consensus about the things that are
considered beautiful, and those that are considered ugly. Do you agree with this notion? Why? (If agree, follow up: What
do you think is the general consensus? What are the universal standards of beauty and aesthetics?) (If disagree, follow
up: What should be the standard, then?)
 Mindanao State University
ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
College of Arts and Social Sciences
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga
9200 Iligan City, Philippines

Jan 5, 2023 Prepared by: Ernesto ‘Bajo’ Zaldua Jr.

GEC 106 – ART APPRECIATION

FINAL EXAM

4. The Waorani people, also called as The Happy Tribe, are an indigenous tribe who have dwelled in the depths of the
jungle for nearly a thousand years — only being discovered by the outside world in the 1950s. In learning more about this
tribe's "happiness", researchers found out that a conversation about happiness was actually very difficult to hold with the
Waorani tribe. They seemed a little confused and unable to describe their happiness. They could not articulate what
happiness meant to them. But by the end of their research with the tribe it became very clear to me why this was such a
foreign concept for them. For the Waorani people, ‘happy’ is a constant way of being. It’s their baseline mood, even when
things might happen upset them. This was what was relevant for them, their innate sense of purpose. Something that
contributes to this happy tribe is their counting system, which did not require many numbers as we have. "One, two,
many," they count. How do you perceive the effectivity of this culture? Elaborate

5. In modern exhibits, some artists have explicitly and blatantly expressed their Truth through their art/creation. For
example, a controversial artist has placed a male genitalia on the face of Jesus Christ. This was most frowned upon by
religious authorities and the like, no matter the defense of the artist's original intention and motivation for the so-called
artwork. Explain your thoughts on the matter. Would you consider this blasphemous, an insult to religion and/or God? Or
would you consider this merely an idea, a vision of a creator?

6. It is with common interest that people on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) gather in whispers and comments
the moment they see intriguing posts, most especially when involving relationships and cheating. Screenshots of
conversations, videos and photos of the third party are outright posted publicly, thereby having their sort of condemnation
through public humiliation and cyber bullying. Why do you think this is, and what do you think of these standards of
morality created by society? Is polygamy/bigamy (dual/multiple partnership), therefore, ultimately a bad thing? Then why
do other cultures/belief systems allow these regulations? Is monogamy (romantic/sexual/marriage commitment to one
person only), then, a required philosophy of a human person?

7. Pontius Pilate's main question to Jesus was whether he considered himself to be the King of the Jews in an attempt to
assess him as a potential political threat. "It is as you say," Jesus says. Whatever degree of confirmation modern
interpreters would derive from this answer of Jesus, according to the New Testament, it was not enough for Pilate to view
Jesus as a real political threat. The chief priests began hurling accusations toward Jesus, yet He remained silent. Pilate
asked Him why He did not respond to the many charges, and Jesus remained silent. Pilate brought out Barabbas, identified
by Matthew as a "notorious prisoner" and by Mark as a murderer, and told the crowd to choose between releasing
Barabbas or Jesus as per the custom. The crowd demanded the release of Barabbas and said of Jesus, "Crucify him!" In
Matthew, Pilate responds to the crowd, "Why? What evil has he done?" What could be Pilate's reason for having to ask
the crowd when he could have been responsible for the release of Jesus? Relate the matters of "Submission, Dominance
and Compromise" in this story.
 Mindanao State University
ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
College of Arts and Social Sciences
Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga
9200 Iligan City, Philippines

Jan 5, 2023 Prepared by: Ernesto ‘Bajo’ Zaldua Jr.

GEC 106 – ART APPRECIATION

FINAL EXAM

8. You must be familiar with the /baul/. Say, your family has owned this century-old baul and has kept in the family
household for quite sometime. One day, when all of a sudden you've decided to clean this piece of ancient art, you found
what seemed to be an old underwear once owned by your grandmother, which was hidden inside the baul by your
grandfather. Since this underwear had been inside this piece of art longer than you have been in this world, would you
consider the underwear a part of the artwork? When can you deem the underwear a part of the artwork? b) Let's say you
planned to be in an art exhibit. You walked in this vast room and found yourself standing on the corner with an empty
space. You stood idly by, and then decided to leave that corner to finally examine the beautiful artwork inside the room.
Minutes pass by and you notice a crowd flocking in towards the empty corner you once stood by. You check it as well, out
of curiosity. When you stood along with the crowd, you also looked upon where they had their gaze. You stared at this
familiar handkerchief on the floor. And then you realized, this was no "familiar" handkerchief -- this was yours. And it just
fell when you were there. And people actually thought this was part of the exhibit when it wasn't. You hear the crowd
going "wow" and giving expressions of astonishment and wonder. You being aware that the intention of this accidental
"artwork" wasn't at all motivated, would you destroy the moment by telling everyone in the crowd that this was yours
and this wasn't part of the exhibit? Or would you leave it be and have everyone believe this was an artwork? Would YOU
consider this art? Expound.

9.Let's say you planned to be in an art exhibit. You walked in this vast room and found yourself standing on the corner
with an empty space. You stood idly by, and then decided to leave that corner to finablly examine the beautiful artwork
inside the room. Minutes pass by and you notice a crowd flocking in towards the empty corner you once stood by. You
check it as well, out of curiosity. When you stood along with the crowd, you also looked upon where they had their gaze.
You stared at this familiar handkerchief on the floor. And then you realized, this was no "familiar" handkerchief -- this was
yours. And it just fell when you were there. And people actually thought this was part of the exhibit when it wasn't. You
hear the crowd going "wow" and giving expressions of astonishment and wonder. Would you consider yourself an artist,
given that people appreciated what you had done on the exhibit, even though it was accidental? Or would you say that
an artist would require intention and motivation to be an artist? What is an Artist, then? How do you know a person is an
Artist?

10. We have discussed much about Man's beginning, drive, and self-motivation ("selfishness"), up until the History of Arts
in the Philippines. Now that we've reached and concluded the final of this course, what, then, is Art Appreciation? What
should or shouldn't be our bases and standards in placing value on an artwork / a creation? What is the NECESSARY
responsibility in acknowledging the existence of standards?