CHAPTER 1: Nature of Art
Objectives:
a.) Understand the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at
fully realizing his end;
b.) Clarify misconceptions the art;
c.) Characterize the assumptions of arts; and;
d.) Engage better with personal experiences of an in art.
What is Art?
Art is something that is perennially around us.
Some people may deny having to do with arts but it is indisputable that life presents
us with many forms of and opportunities for communion with the arts.
The word ART comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a “craft or specialized form
of skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938).
Ars in Medieval Latin came to mean something different. It meant “any special form of
book- learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology” (Collingwood, 1983).
The fine arts would come to mean “not delicate or highly skilled arts, but “beautiful arts”
(Collingwood, 1983
“The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most important means of
expression developed by man” (Dudley et al., 1960). Human history has witnessed how
man evolved not just physically but also culturally, from cave painters to men of exquisite
paintbrush users of the present.
Many other definitions emphasize that
1. Art is subjective and art is more subjective than objective. ( Art for art itself)
2. Art is form and content. ( there is always a concept).
3. There is a connection between beauty and art and beauty is the measure of quality of
art.
For further reading please refer to the link provided: What is Art?
[Link]
Purposes and Functions of Art
Living with Art
the role of art in human life is to transform man's widest metaphysical
ideas, by selective reproduction of reality, into a physical form—a
work of art—that he can comprehend and to which he can respond
emotionally.
Form & Meaning
Order & Structure
Exploring Aesthetic Possibilities
Functions of an artist
• Create places for human purpose
• Create extraordinary version of ordinary objects
• Record & commemorate
• Tangible form to the unknown
• Form to feeling and ideas
• See the world in new ways
Why Study Art?
Expression
Social Values
Human Intelligence
You might even say "Art is subjective, and means something different to every
single person on earth.
Assumptions of Art
ART IS UNIVERSAL
Literature has provided key words of art.
lliad and the Odyssey are the two Greek Epics that one’s being taught in school.
The Sanskrit pieces Mahabharata and Ramanaya are also staples in this fields.
In every country and in every generation, there is always art. Often times, people feel
that what is considered artistic are only those which have been
made long time ago. This is a misconception. Age is not a factor in
determining art. “An art is not good because it is old, but old
because it is good” (Dudley et al., 1960)
In the Philippines, the works of Jose Rizal and Francisco Balagtas
are not being read because they are old.
Florante at Laura never fails to teach high school students the
beauty of love, one that is universal and pure.
Ibong Adarna, another Filipino masterpiece, has always captured the imagination of the
young with its timeless lessons.
When we recite the Psalms, we feel in communion with King David as we feel one with
him in his conversation with God.
When we listen to a Kundiman or perform folk dances, we still enjoy the way our Filipino
ancestors while away their time in the past.
ART IS NOT NATURE
In the Philippines, it is not entirely novel to hear some consumers of local movies
remark that these movies produced locally are unrealistic. They contend that local movies
work around certain formula to the detriment of substance and faithfulness to reality of
movies.
Paul Cezanne, a French painted a scene from reality entitled Well and Grinding
Wheel in the Forest of the Chateau Noir.
ART INVOLVES EXPERIENCE
Getting this far without a satisfactory
definition of art can be quite weird for some. For
most people, art does not require a full definition. Art
is just experience. By experience, we mean the
“actual doing of something”(Dudley et al., 1960) and
it also affirmed that art depends on experience, and
if one is to know art, he must know it not as fact or
information but as an experience.
A work of an art then cannot be abstracted from actual doing. In order to know
what an artworks, we have to sense it, see and hear it.
An important aspect of experiencing art is its being highly personal, individual, and
subjective. In philosophical terms, perception of art is always a value judgment. It
depends on who perceives, his tastes, his biases, and what he has inside.
For further reading please refer to the link provided: Art Appreciation, Meaning and Nature
[Link]
Visual Art: Definition & Meaning
"Visual Arts" is a modern but imprecise umbrella term for a broad category of art
which includes a number of artistic disciplines from various sub-categories. Its wide ambit
renders meaningless any attempt at definition, so rather than define or compose some
diluted meaning for it, here is a list of its constituent disciplines.
Definitions of visual art usually encompass the following:
1. Fine Arts
Fine art belongs to the general category of visual arts. These include activities such as:
Drawing- In fine art, the term "drawing" may be defined as the
linear realization of visual objects, concepts, emotions, and
fantasies, including symbols and even abstract forms. Drawing
is a graphic art which is characterized by an emphasis on form or
shape, rather than mass and colour as in painting.
Painting- painting consists of the arrangement of shapes, lines,
colours, tones and textures on a two-dimensional surface, thus
creating an aesthetic image. More than that one cannot say, the
sheer variety of possibilities precludes any more precise
definition.
Printmaking- printmaking is concerned with the production of
images by varying methods of replication onto paper, parchment,
fabric or other supports. The resulting fine prints (impressions),
while not 'original' in the sense of a fine art painting or drawing,
are considered nevertheless to be works of art in their own right,
even though they exist in multiples.
(Tristesse du Roi, Lithograph, by Henri Matisse.)
Sculpture- The most enduring and, arguably, the greatest form
of fine art known to man, sculpture has played a major role in the
evolution of Western culture. Its history and stylistic development
are those of Western art itself. It is a key indicator of the cultural
achievements of Classical Antiquity, and became an important
influence on the development of Renaissance art in Italy.
Art Deco Bronze Sculpture by G Ninin 1990’s
Graphic Art- The term 'graphic art' (a derivation from the
German Graphik, originating from graphikos, the Greek for
drawing) commonly denotes those forms of visual expression
that depend for their effect on line and tone (disegno), not colour
(colorito). The main classical type of graphic art is drawing, which
includes cartoons, caricature, comic strips and animation, as
well as line drawings and sketching with pencil or charcoal,
and pen and ink
Manuscript Illuminations- An illuminated manuscript is
a manuscript in which the text is supplemented with such
decoration as initials, borders (marginalia) and miniature
illustrations. In the strictest definition, the term refers only to
manuscripts decorated with either gold or silver; but in both
common usage and modern scholarship, the term refers to any
decorated or illustrated manuscript from Western traditions.
Book Illustrations- An illustration is a drawing, painting or printed
work of art which explains, clarifies, illuminates, visually
represents, or merely decorates a written text, which may be of a
literary or commercial nature. Historically, book illustration and
magazine/newspaper illustrations have been the predominant
forms of this type of visual art, although illustrators have also used
their graphic skills in the fields of poster art, advertisements, comic
books, animation art, greeting cards, cartoon-strips.
Calligraphy- It is the design and execution of lettering with a
broad-tipped instrument, brush, or other writing instrument. A
contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of
giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful
manner. Modern calligraphy ranges from functional inscriptions
and designs to fine-art pieces where the letters may or may not
be readable.
Architecture- is both the process and the product
of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or any
other structures. Architectural works, in the material form
of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and
as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified
with their surviving architectural achievements.
For further reading please refer to the link provided: What is Visual Art?
[Link]
2. Contemporary Arts
Some define contemporary art as art produced within "our lifetime," recognizing
that lifetimes and life spans vary. However, there is a recognition that this generic
definition is subject to specialized limitations.
Assemblage- Popularized in the United States during the 1950s
and 1960s by artists like Robert Rauschenberg (b.1925) and Jim
Dine (b.1935), Assemblage is a form of three-dimensional visual
art whose compositions are formed from everyday items, usually
called "found objects" (objets trouvés)
Very Hungry God (2006)
By postmodernist artist Sudobh Gupta.
Assemblage made from stainless steel
kitchen utensils, pots and pans.
Collage- In modern art, the word 'collage' describes a composition
made up of a variety of assorted materials - typically, printed matter
like newspaper clippings, photographs, pieces of graphic or digital
art, oddments of textile or fabric, and perhaps solid objects - all
glued to a sheet of paper or board or canvas.
Contemporary Collage (2010)
Made with cigarette butts.
By Dan Mountford.
Conceptual Art - modern form of contemporary art which gives
priority to an idea presented by visual means that are themselves
secondary to the idea. Conceptual art, while having no intrinsic
financial value, can deliver a powerful message, and thus has
served as a vehicle for socio-political comment, as well as a broad
challenge to the tradition of a 'work of art' being a crafted unique
object.
My Bed (1999) Saatchi Collection By Tracey Emin. An example of
Conceptual as well as feminist art, from a leading Young British artist.
Installation- Installation art is a relatively new genre
of contemporary art - practiced by an increasing number
of postmodernist artists - which involves the configuration or
"installation" of objects in a space, such as a room or warehouse.
The resulting arrangement of material and space comprises the
"artwork".
Obliteration Room (2012) Installation by Yayoi Kusama
Queensland Gallery of Modern [Link] with a room painted from
Happenings- A Happening is a form of avant-garde art - a
type of creative expression, closely associated
with performance art, which itself has its roots in twentieth
century theories of conceptual art, derived largely from
demonstrations organized by exponents of Dada, such
as Tristan Tzara
Performance Art- Performance art is typically intensely
theatrical, often taking acting and movement to extremes of
expression and endurance not permitted in the theatre.
Words are rarely prominent, while music and noises of
various kinds often are.
Photography- Known also as "photographic art", "artistic
photography" and so on, the term "fine art photography"
has no universally agreed meaning or definition: rather, it
refers to an imprecise category of photographs, created in
accordance with the creative vision of the cameraman. The
basic idea behind the genre, is that instead of merely
capturing a realistic rendition of the subject, the
photographer is aiming to produce a more personal - typically more evocative or
atmospheric - impression.
Video Art- The genre known as video art, is a new
type of contemporary art, and a medium of
expression commonly seen in Installations, but also
as a stand-alone art form. Initiated by such
experimental artists as Andy Warhol, Wolf Vostell,
and Nam June Paik, recent advances in digital
computer and video technology, enabling artists to edit and manipulate film sequences,
have opened up a range of creative opportunities and drawn numerous artists into the
genre.
Animation Art- Animation (from the Latin word,
animare, to breathe life into) is the visual art of
making a motion picture from a series of
still drawings. Although twenty first century
animation is dominated by computerized film and
video technology, the creative figure drawing skills
and draftsmanship of cartoonists and graphic artists
remain an integral part of the process.
Land Art- A form of contemporary art, known also
as Earthworks, or Earth Art, this artistic movement emerged
in America during the 1960s when a number of sculptors and
painters - such as Robert Smithson (1938-73) - determined to
heighten public awareness of Man's relationship with the
natural world by intervening in the landscape in a series of
thought-provoking constructions.
Graffiti- One of the most radical contemporary art movements,
"graffiti art" (also called "Street Art", "Spraycan Art", "Subway
Art" or "Aerosol Art") commonly refers to decorative imagery
applied by paint or other means to buildings, public transport
or other property.
For further reading please refer to the link provided: Philippine Contemporary Art
[Link]
3. Decorative Arts & Crafts
The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of
objects that are both beautiful and functional. It includes interior design, but not
usually architecture.
Decorative Art- The term "decorative arts" is a traditional term
for a rather unwieldy range of artistic disciplines concerned with
the design and ornamentation of items, usually functional, that
do not necessarily have any intrinsic aesthetic qualities.
Nails sculpted with Fruit Sculptures.
A beautiful example of nail art.
Ceramics- Known as an important plastic art, "Ceramics"
(derived from Keramos, Greek for 'potter's clay') refers to items
made from clay bodies and fired in a kiln to obtain the finished
form. Outside of art, due to new technological processes, the
term ceramics now encompasses a wider group of materials,
including glass and cements, so clay is no longer a key
component.
Mosaic Art- Mosaic is the decorative art of creating pictures and
patterns on a surface by setting small coloured pieces of glass,
marble or other materials in a bed of cement, plaster or adhesive.
Employed as a form of interior or exterior decoration, and originally
developed in ancient Greece, mosaics were developed extensively
by Roman craftsmen, mostly in the form of pavements.
Tapestry Art- Tapestry is an ancient form of textile art which has
been practised all over the world for thousands of years. Ancient
Egyptians and the Incas used woven tapestries as shrouds in which
to bury their dead. The Greeks and Romans used them as wall-
coverings for civic buildings and temples
like the Parthenon.
4. Applied Art
The applied arts are all the arts that apply design and decoration to everyday and
essentially practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing.
Fashion design- is the art of applying design, and natural
beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by cultural
and social attitudes, and has varied over time and place.
Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing
clothing and accessories such as bracelets and necklaces.
Because of the time required to bring a garment onto the
market, designers must at times anticipate changes to consumer
tastes.
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior
of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically
pleasing environment for the people using the space.
An interior designer is someone who plans, researches,
coordinates, and manages such enhancement projects.
Interior design is a multifaceted profession that includes
conceptual development, space planning, site inspections,
programming, research, communicating with the stakeholders
of a project, construction management, and execution of the
design.
Body Art- The term "Body art" describes a type
of contemporary art, in which the artist's own body becomes
the "canvas" or "artwork". Although closely related
to conceptual art and performance art. The term "Body art"
describes a type of contemporary art, in which the artist's own
body becomes the "canvas" or "artwork". Although closely
related to conceptual art and performance art.
For further reading please refer to the link provided: Fine Art vs. Visual Art
[Link]
