CHAPTER 2

AESTHETIC ARTS AND CRAFTS

(Week 2)

MY JOURNEY

You have learned that art is everywhere. That is probably one of the reasons for
the arts to be included in an educational system. It is evident that involvement in the arts
has been shown to help students in their academic, personal, and social development. In
this lesson, you will know the difference between aesthetic arts and crafts. You also need
to know the principles in understanding artistic composition.

MY EXPECTATIONS
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. explain the difference between aesthetic arts and crafts;
2. identify the types of arts and crafts;
3. discuss the principles in understanding artistic composition; and
4. enumerate the motivated functions of art.

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 MY INITIAL TASKS

As a preliminary activity for the topic, the teacher will ask the students of the following
questions:
1. What is the relationship between Art and Crafts?
2. Is Art a reflection of our values? Support your answer.
3. Is artistic skill learned or natural?
4. Why is Art considered as a “distinct character and a reflection of society”?

MY READINGS

The Difference between Aesthetic Arts and Crafts

esthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means “perception.” It is a

A branch of philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the
18th century by Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This term also
refers to the principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty,
especially in visual art (Rader, 1979).

On the other hand, the term “craft” comes from a German word Kraft which means
“power” or “ability.” It usually employed in branches of the decorative arts or associated
artistic practice. It also implies the application of human skills through the use of a hand.
It tends to produce things for various human purposes, and tend to exhibit their prettiness
around a goal external to the object itself (Dutton, 1990).

Arts and Crafts started during the 19th

century in Europe as a design reform and as a
social movement motivated by the William Morris.
It involves activities related to making things
which require a combination of skill, speed, and
patience.

William Morris who was born on March 24,

1834, in Walthamstow, England was known for
his pattern designs, particularly on fabrics, and
wallpapers. As a proponent of socialist ideals,
Morris believed that a designer should have the
skill of any media in producing designs that
intricate intertwining fruit, flower, and foliage
pattern. He died on October 3, 1896, at the age
of 62 years old in London, England. Figure 1. William Morris (1834-1896)

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Types of Arts and Crafts

Artists may have unique skills and perceptive abilities, but they are also people with
needs and the motivation to meet those needs. Creating different works of art that are
accepted by one’s audience can lead to an artist’s social acceptance and recognition.
Their works of art have been used to create pleasing environments. Arts and crafts have
different types, namely: textile wood, metal, paper or canvass, and plant crafts.

Textile Crafts. The word textile is from a Latin phrase texere which means “to braid"
or "to construct." These also refer to any craft where you work with fabric, yarn or surface
design. It uses plant or any synthetic fibers in creating practical or decorative objects.
These include the following:

1. Cross-stitch- Stitching can also be a form of natural pain relief. It is a popular form
of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like
pattern are used to form a picture.
2. Crocket- It is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material
strands using a crochet hook.
3. Sewing- It is the crafts of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a
needle and thread.
4. Weaving- It is a fabric production method in which yarns are interlaced at right
angles to form a fabric or cloth.
5. Tatting- It is a technique for handcrafting particularly in making durable lace which
is constructed by a series of knots and loops.
6. Shoemaking- It is the process of making footwear.
7. Lace- It is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by
machine or by hand.
8. Macramé- It is a form of textile-making which requires very few tools and just some
pure knowledge of basic knotting.
9. Millinery- It is the designing and manufacture of hats.

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 10. String art- It is an arrangement of colored thread strung between points to form
an abstract geometric design.

Wood Crafts.
These refer to a skill that
pertains to the woods,
especially in making
one's way through the
woods or in hunting,
trapping, etc. It also
relates to subsistence
lifestyles with
implications of hunting-
gathering (Horace,
1906). These include
the following:

1. Carpentry-It is a skilled trade in the cutting, shaping, and installation of building

materials during the construction of buildings.
2. Marquetry- It is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer (thin slices of wood)
to a structure to form decorative designs.
3. Woodturning- It is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects.
4. Wood carving- It is a form of woodworking to form a wooden figure or objects by
using a knife or a chisel.
5. Cabinetry- It is a skill in making a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and
drawers for keeping various objects.
6. Upholstery- It is the work of building cushion and cover furniture.

Metal Crafts. These

refer to the art of executing
artistic designs in metal for
both practical and aesthetic
purposes. These arts are
designed for decorative
items or functional objects
that are beneficial and
useful to us all. These
works are of bronze, silver,
gold, tin, copper, lead,
brass, and iron. These
include the following:

1. Jewelry- It is a form of personal adornments, such as brooches, rings, necklaces,

earrings, and bracelets.

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 2. Metal Casting- It is a process by which a liquid material (bronze, copper, glass,
aluminum, and iron) is poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the
desired shape, and then allowed to solidify.
3. Welded sculpture- It is an art form in which statue is made using welding
techniques.

Paper or Canvas Crafts. It refers to an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used

for making backpacks, tents, marquees, and other sustainable items. These include the
following:

1. Bookbinding- It is the process of physically assembling a book from some folded

or unfolded sheets of paper or other material.
2. Card making- It is a hand-made technique for producing greeting cards.
3. Collage- It is a technique where the artwork is made from an assemblage of
different forms, thus creating a new whole.
4. Origami- It is a Japanese cultural art of paper folding.
5. Paper-Mache- It is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp,
sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive.
6. Scrapbooking- It refers to a method of arranging, preserving, and presenting
personal and family history in a book form.
7. Rubber Stamping- It is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment
applied to an image or pattern that carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized,
onto a sheet of rubber.

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 Plants Crafts- These refer to
skills using plant parts as the medium.
These include the following:

1. Corn dolly making- It relates to the

making of shapes and figures (known
as ‘dollies’) from straw (such as
barley, oats, and wheat).
2. Floral Design- It is the art of using
plant materials and flowers to create a
pleasing and balanced composition.
3. Pressed flower craft- consists of
drying flower petals and leaves in a
flower press to flatten and exclude
light and moisture.

Principles of Understanding Artistic Design and Composition

Art principles are created by combining art elements. Artists utilize organizing
principles to develop forms that inform. Among the fundamental principle of art are
harmony, variety, balance, movement, emphasis, proportion, and rhythm. Whether
analysing or composing artwork, one must have a complete understanding of how art
principles are created (Elsen, 1981).

The Principle of Harmony. When all of the

elements of art interact well in an artwork, visual
harmony is attained. This is accomplished by using
similar types of geometric shapes, lines or colors
within a work of art to create a unified composition.
Likewise, using various cool or warm colors would
help to produce a harmonious work of art.

The Principle of Variety. A stable

composition will also demonstrate the
principle of variety. It is accomplished by
using differing colors, lines, and shapes
within an artwork to make key areas
stand out. Artists can use this idea to
direct a viewer’s eye to a place within the
art that he or she wants to emphasize.

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 The Principle of Balance. It refers to the
symmetry of opposing visual forces. It is
created in a work of art when colors, forms,
shapes or textures are combined harmoniously.

The Principle of Movement. It is the

way that an eye moves throughout a work
of art. In this work of art, our eye moves up
through the pattern in the rippling surface of
the water to the two paddlers. An artist
creates a visual movement to drive the eye
to the focal point of the artwork.

Principle of Emphasis. It refers to

the need for an artist to create a focal point
within an artwork. This artistic point is an
essential part of a work of art, and the
viewer’s eye should drawn to that area.

Principles of Proportion. This principle is

created when the sizes of elements in an artwork
art are combined harmoniously. The artist
usually tries to make all of the parts in a
composition relate logically to each other to
depict the human form within the proper
proportion.

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 Principle of Rhythm. It refers to the use of visual pattern within a work of art. Models
within an artwork are created by repeating certain colors, line or shapes in specific areas.
It can also be used to form a variety of texture within a work of art.

Motivated Functions of Art

The motivated purposes of art are intentional and conscious actions on the part of
the artist. Art may bring political change or comment on the life in a society. It may also
convey specific propaganda, or just as a form of communication (Holly, 2002). Primary
motivated functions of arts are as follows:

a. Art for Acting. Art may pursue to bring about a certain emotion, to relax or to
entertain the viewer.
b. Art for healing. Art is utilized by art therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical
psychologists as art therapy. The end product is a method of curing, through
creative acts.
c. Art for political change. One of the essential functions of the art of the early
twentieth century has been to use visual images to bring about legislative
modification.
d. Art for propaganda (Commercialism). Art is utilized to influence popular ideas or
moods delicately.
e. Art for communication. Art has a goal, directed toward another individual. For
example, graphic is a form of art for communication in which the artist expresses
his/her emotions, feelings, and moods.

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 MY DISCOVERY TASKS

Essay: Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Do all arts express beauty? Justify your answer.

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2. When can you say that a craft is made with the application of human intelligence?
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3. How Art and Crafts started during the 19th century? Explain.
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4. Do we need to attend formal schooling in order to become a professional artist? Why

or why not?
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5. What is the contribution of William Morris in the realm of arts and crafts?
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Identification: Identify the following questions under column B. Write your answer on
the blank provided under column A.

Column A Column B
1. He was a German Philosopher who first used the word
“aesthetics” during the 18th century in Europe.
2. He developed Arts and Crafts as a design reform and social
movement during the 19th century.
3. It refers to the use of visual repetition within a work of art.
4. It is the process of making footwear.
5. It is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets
of threads are interlaced at right angles to form cloth.
6. It is a traditional Japanese art of paper folding.
7. It refers to typical memorabilia which include photographs,
printed media, and artwork.
8. A principle that relates to the equilibrium of opposing visual
forces.
9. It is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden
objects on a machine tool known as a lathe.
10. It is an art design that uses plant materials and flowers to
create a pleasing and balanced composition.

MY TREASURE

Before we continue, kindly reflect on the

given quote. You may write your thoughts
below. “The beautiful is in nature, and it is
encountered in the most diverse
forms of reality. Once it is found, it
_____________________________________ belongs to art, or, rather, to the
artist who discover it.”
_________________________________________ -Gustave Courbet
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 Flexible Learning Task No. 2
PRESSED FLOWER CRAFT

Directions: In this learning task, you need to collect flowers available at home. Put
them in a book for it to be pressed. Paste the pressed flowers in a long
bond paper and come up with your own artistic design. Consider in crafting
your own artwork the insights you have gained from lesson. In the bottom
part of the paper, write a short explanation of your work. Also, try to reflect
on your understanding of the lesson.

Materials required

1. Toothpicks
2. Wood glue
3. Container to hold the glue
4. Pressed flowers (any home-made or purchased air dry presses; microwave
presses; or traditional method of pressing in books)

Instructions
1. Arrange the pressed flowers on the paper, but do not glue anything.
2. Pour a small amount of glue into a shallow dish or container for easy access.
3. Start sticking the flowers on the bottom layer of the arrangement.
4. Turn the pressed flower over so that the glue is facing down and carefully place the
flower on the paper.
5. Apply pressure on the flower and hold for a few seconds. Repeat the process till all
of the flowers are fixed.

MY SUPPLEMENTS

Gildow, C. (2012). Art Appreciation. Retrieved last August 18, 2020 from
https://learn.canvas.net/courses/24

SBCTC & Lumen Learning. (n.d.) Art Appreciation. Retrieved last August 18, 2020 from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/masteryart1/

Art Class Curator. (2020). Art Appreciation. Retrieved last August 21, 2020 from
https://artclasscurator.com/principles-of-design-
examples/#:~:text=The%20principles%20of%20design%20are,a%20wide%
20range%20of%20effects.

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