LESSON 1: WHAT IS ART? INTRODUCTION AND ITS ASSUMPTIONS?

❖ ART
● Art is a highly diverse range of human activities engaged in creating visual, auditory, or
performed artifacts— artworks—that express the author’s imaginative or technical skill, and
are intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
● The oldest documented forms of art are visual arts, which include images or objects in fields
like painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media.
● Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality), expression,
communication of emotion, or other qualities.
● Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and elements of art. The
principles of art include movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast, proportion
and pattern. The elements include texture, form, space, shape, color, value and line.

❖ ART HISTORY
● Art history doesn’t consist in simply listing all the art movements and placing them on a
timeline. It is the study of objects of art considered within their time period. Art historians
analyze visual arts’ meaning (painting, sculpture, architecture) at the time they were
created. Also, another of art history’s mission is to establishes authorial origins of artworks,
i.e. discovering who created a particular artwork, when, when and for what reason.
● Iconography is a major part of art history. It consists in analyzing the symbolism of works of
arts. For instance, art historians identify the visual elements of a painting and interpret its
meaning. Art historians are interested in what the works of art represented at the time they
were created. It is a way to learn about the civilizations of the past.

❖ ART APPRECIATION
● The term art appreciation is referred to the knowledge of the general and everlasting
qualities that classify all great art. It is seen used to refer to the exploration of visual art
forms or the introduction of basic principles of visual literacy.

❖ Art Creativity, Imagination, and Expression

 ● It takes an artist to make an art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. However, not
every beautiful thing that can be seen or experienced may be truly called a work of art. Art
is a product of man’s creativity, imagination and expression.

❖ Art Appreciation as a Way of Life:

● In old town Quito, we came across a most amazing art exhibit. The art, split into 4 sections,
portrayed the indigenous people over the last century. It was beautiful and moving. "Hard
working" is the theme throughout it all. I loved, loved this exhibit. In fact, when we first
discovered it, we were only able to view the first section before it closed for the night.
Naturally we had to return at a later day. The role of art as a creative work is to depict the
world in a completely different and light perspective. (Jean-Paul Sarte)
● In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his taste for
things that are fine and beautiful;

❖ The Role of Creativity in Art Making

● Creativity requires thinking outside the box. In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork
from another.

❖ Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art

● Where do you think famous writers, painters and musicians get their ideas? Where do
ideas in making creative solutions begin? It all starts in the human mind, it all begins with
imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all
we know and understand while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will
be to know and understand. In an artist’s mind sits a vast gallery of artwork. An artwork
does not need to be a real thing, but can be something that is imaginary (Collingwood,
1938).
LESSON 2. ASSUMPTIONS AND NATURE
OF ARTS

What are the different assumptions of art?

1.Art is a universal

● where age is just a number rather it is

● appreciated because it is beautiful
● phenomenon and is as old as human
being. Every society has its own art,
which is encouraged and molded by
the patronage it gets from its
members. Artists as members of
society create such works of art in
accordance with the existing relations
in the society. Every work of art is an
amalgamation of various side as
circulating in the society.
● Misconception: Artistic made long
time ago. Age is not a factor in
determining art. “Art is not good
because it is old, but old because it is
beautiful.” (Dudley, et al. 1960).
● Works of Rizal and Francisco
Balagtas- Not read because they are
old but they are beautifully written.
Arts regardless of origin, time, and
place are liked and enjoyed by
people continuously.

2. Art is not nature.

● Man’s expression of his reception of

nature Man’s way of interpreting
nature. Art is made by man, whereas
nature is a given around us.
● art is what human perceives
therefore it does not represent reality
rather it represent multiple realities.
3. Art involves experience.

● It does not full detail but just an

experience. “Actual doing of
something.” Radio DJ,
Choreographer, Painter, Sculptor “All
art depends on experience, and if
one is to know art, he must know it
not as fact or information but as
experience.”
● art is not necessarily confined in the
different art form presented rather
due to its technicality professions and
activities are considered an art (art of
teaching, art of healing, art of
communication etc.)

4. Art is Cultural

● Art influences society by changing

opinions,
● Art represent History, Society, culture
and tradition of societies therefore
the perception of people towards
varies per societies.
 TOPIC 3. ART AS EXPRESSIO

Art as Expression

Tolsto

● Leo Tolstoy’s What is Art? (1896) is a

of art, describing how art can express
● For Tolstoy, aesthetic values are defin
● According to Tolstoy, art cannot be de
Beauty cannot be defined objectively,
to define what is, or is not, art.
● Tolstoy defines art as an expression o
the audience to whom the art is directe
● According to Tolstoy, good art is in
unintelligible and incomprehensible.
● He also argues that if it is not a
comprehensible, then any unintellig
thoughts or feelings may be called "ar
expression may be called "art," the
meaning, until it has no meaning at all
● "Good art" has a form and content wh
which it evokes or represents. In c
content with the ideas and feelings w
is shallow, repetitious, crude, clumsy
banal.
● According to Tolstoy, the most importa
Any true work of art expresses orig
feelings which art may express are rel
● Tolstoy claims that professionalism c
argues that if an artist must earn a li
produced is more likely to be false and
● Tolstoy does not believe that art can
of art can help people to communicate
● Tolstoy’s concept of "universal" art af
relevant to every aspect of the huma
"universal." Art is "universal" if it exp
experienced by every human being.
 ● Tolstoy’s view of art reflects the very
personal interpretation of Christianity.
art as an art of inclusion, his aesthe
theory of morality, and thus defines a
of art from what he considers to be
"universal" art must conform to standa
and social.
● This aesthetic theory makes it nece
aesthetic values are the same as mor
forms of art from what he considers
"good" art must communicate some
he refers to the music of Bach and Mo
Goethe and Hugo, and the novels of
"good" art. However, he refers to th
plays of Ibsen, and the music of Wagn
● Tolstoy argues that good art must be
must conform to his own religious
Christianity is the only true form of
narrow viewpoint may be disputed, ho
not necessarily be religious art. His ar
and religious values leads him to the
must be defined by his own moral view

Croce: art as ‘intuition’

● clearest statement found in essay “W

to Tolstoy’s book of the same name
theory from Tolstoy’s not clear just
essentially intuition and “what lends
feeling. Intuition is truly such becaus
arise only when the latter is its sourc
what confers upon art the ethereal
difference with Tolstoy’s theory is th
upon the audience what does he mea
is intuition’? best not to start with first
widely, and its everyday meaning is u
marker for what is special and distinct
the method of determining the nature o
I. Art is not the physical thing

paint on canvas, bronze, etc Croce’s first dis

reflects the plausible claim that art cannot
there is more to painting than pigments on
painting lies

II. Art is not anything utilitarian secondly,

Croce denies that art has anything ‘utilitari

thought most people accept this distinction
being productive of pleasure is also a utilit
people would not readily agree with since art
for Croce the fact that a thing gives pleasu
obvious and thus requires the further distin
needs an explanation of what makes the plea

III. Art is not a ‘moral act’

for Croce art does not originate from an act

artistic image can be of something morally
sense to say that the image is itself either of t

IV. Art is not conceptual knowledge

it is here that the term ‘intuition’ becomes c

history, science) is founded upon a distinctio
representational theory of knowledge for C
distinction between reality and unreality unlike
to itself its value is not measured by its verisi
only look at the work itself and can ignor
represents the world accurately is irrelevant
utilitarian, moral, or productive of knowledg
symbol, all symbol, that is all significant. But s
truly artistic, is truly intuition and not a chaot
a vital principle which animates it and makes
of art proper are symbolic expressions of feel
Collingwood’s Theory

● Can these objections be overcome

Collingwood’s Principles of Art (1938)
and awareness of defects of Croce’s
expressivism on which some of these
● Art is thus not concerned with the aro
or what he calls magic both of these c
● The end of art is self-knowledge, know
the unhappy consequence that artisti
creator art becomes a form of introspe

Collingwood attempts to meet this objection

artist articulates but rather ‘what we feel’ “T
and the only emotions he can express are th
attaches any importance to the judgment o
thinks that the emotions he has tried to expre
other words he undertakes his artistic labor
behalf, but as a public labor on behalf of the c

Thus it is not merely artists, but the whole c

the work of art is thus “the community’s m
corruption of consciousness” art is thus no
function of the audience is not merely receptiv

Collingwood’s theory advances Tolstoy’s theo

centers on the work of art and not the artist

Tolstoy’s version lead to inquiring about the

is scathing about criticism that focuses on his

Considers Collingwood’s analysis of Eliot’s

entertain, amuse, nor is the work magical

“The artist must prophesy not in the sense

sense that he tells his audience, at risk of
hearts”

Collingwood uses a language of cognitio

Collingwood attempts to respond to this by m
of intellect which is the business of science t
of art may thus be said to describe, to tell, to
truth of consciousness, none of this removes
To speak of truth in art some such distinction
what we learn from art is not what we learn fro

The advantage of Collingwood’s theory is th

examination its advantages are won through
in the end what emerges is an account of
human experience.

Teachers

Art as an expression has different views,

(1) Tolstoy’s Art as Expression which foc

observer/perceiver and the artist who perceive
art and religion as the focus.

(2) Croce: art as ‘intuition’ has four points w

anything utilitarian, art is not a moral act and a

(3) Collingwood’s Theory- expression and im

but its creation and appreciation are both acts
in the imagination works of art thus must be
process of artistic creation is thus not a ma
internally it is instead a process of imaginativ
self-knowledge
Lesson 4. Art Forms

What is visual arts?

The visual arts are art forms that create wo

as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture,
video, film making and architecture. These
as many artistic disciplines (performing a
aspects of the visual arts as well as arts of
arts are the applied arts such as industria
interior design and decorative art.

The current usage of the term "visual arts

decorative arts and crafts, but this was not a
Movement in Britain and elsewhere at the tu
often restricted to a person working in the
printmaking) and not the handicraft, craft,
emphasized by artists of the Arts and Cra
forms as much as high forms. Art schools m
the crafts maintaining that a craftsperson co
(From Wikipedia 2012).

What are the types of visual arts?

1. Two-dimensional art consists of paintings

differ from each other primarily in the techn
response to all four is a response to subje
painting, drawing, print, or photograph is about

2. Three-dimensional media occupies space

width and depth. It includes sculpture, installa
design.

Processes

Two processes are responsible for all three-d

built up to create form, or subtractive, where
such as a chunk of stone, wood or clay. The di
necessarily exclusive from each other, a
three-dimensional art that arguably cross ove
different types of sculpture and the methods
important characteristics of each one.
Venus of Willendorf, c.25,000 BCE. Natural

These earliest images are indicative of mo

thousands of years; singular figurative objec
myth, ritual or ceremony. It’s not until the
between 3100 and 2180 BCE that we start to
specific figures

Sculpture

Sculpture is any artwork made by the

three-dimensional object. The sculpted figure
external site.), discovered in the Middle East in
oldest example of artwork known. The crude
your hand. Its name derives from the similarity
found throughout Europe, some of which date
of the Venus of Willendorf below shows rem
draped over exaggerated breasts, an extende
head, indicating either a braided hairstyle or
figure has no facial detail to indicate identity. T
to put into context because of the lack of any w
materials.

Types of Sculpture and Three-dimensional

Sculpture can be freestanding, or self-suppor

around the work to see it from all sides, or
surface is raised above the surrounding mate
refers to a shallow extension of the image fr
most prominent elements of the composition a
in the round against the background. Rich,
Banteay Srei temple near Angor Wat, Cam
combine in depictions from ancient Hindu stori

Methods

Carving

Carving uses the subtractive process to cut

oldest method used for three-dimensional w
most common materials because they were
Contemporary materials include foam, pla
sharp tools, artists carve away material until
A beautiful example of the carving process i
(Links to an external site.) from 11th cent
external site.), a Buddhist figure who has a
on earth to teach others, is exquisitely carv
feet high, seated in an elegant pose on a lo
with a calm, benevolent look. The extended
triangular composition. The sculptor carves
inherent when it supports the weight of the b

In another example, you can see the high de

block in this mask from the Pacific Northw
mask was used in winter ceremonies where

It’s extraordinary for masks to personify a n

masks are used in ritual and ceremony d
heightened sense of character to this mask.

Casting

The additive method of casting has been i

manufacturing process by which a liquid ma
contains a hollow cavity of the desired s
traditional method of bronze casting frequen

Casting materials are usually metals but can

after mixing two or more components tog
external site.), concrete (Links to an externa
and clay (Links to an external site.). Castin
shapes that would be otherwise difficult or
It’s a labor-intensive process that allows fo
object (similar to the medium of printmaking
exactly like its predecessor. A mold is usua
castings has been made. Traditionally, bron
signify the importance of the figure depicted
U. S. Secretary of State under Abraham Lin
the Alaska territories, is set nearly eight fe
Standing next to the globe, he holds a roll of

Modeling

Modeling is a method that can be both a

modeling to build up form with clay, plaster
pulled, pinched or poured into place. The m
Larger sculptures created with this method
structure of wire that sets the physical s
primarily an additive process, artists do rem
form is often a preliminary step in the cast
Giacometti’s Walking Man (Links to an exter
modeled in clay, set a record for the highest

Construction

Construction, or assemblage, uses found,

form. Artists weld, glue, bolt and wire in
Butterfield transforms throw away objects i
an external site.) with scrap metal, wood
these constructions in bronze.

Louise Nevelson used cut and shaped p

together to form fantastic, complex compos
or white), her sculptures are graphic, textura

Traditional African masks often combine d

Mask from Mali uses wood, fibers, anima
worldly visage that changes from human to a

Some modern and contemporary sculpture

Kinetic sculptures use ambient air currents o
in form as the viewer stands in place. The
mobiles, whimsical, abstract works that are i
wisp of air, while the sculptures of Jean Ti
Nevelson’s and Butterfield’s works, constr
dumps. His motorized works exhibit a mec
generate noises. Tinguely’s most famous
sculpture garden at New York’s Museum
performance by the artist. After several minu

The idea of generating sound as part of thre

hundreds of years, traditionally in musical in
Contemporary artists use sound to heigh
recorded narratives. The cast bronze foun
water flow to produce a soft rushing sound.
the viewer by the motion of the water: a
abstract surface.
Modern Variations of Three-Dimensional

Dan Flavin is one of the first artists to ex

external site.) as a sculptural medium. Sin
fluorescent bulbs of different colors and in v
advantage of the wall space the light is
between traditional sculpture and the more c

Installat

Installation art utilizes multiple objects, oft

entire spaces. It can be generic or site spe
installations can address aesthetic and
traditional sculpture. Its genesis can be trace
World War I and which predicated a new a
ridicule of established tastes and styles. Scu
transform entire rooms into works or art.
transforms his apartment into an abstract,
sculpture and architecture. With installation
become part of the work itself.

British artist Rachel White read’s installatio

exhibition hall with casts made from various
mountain landscape navigated by the view
boxes as receptacles of memory towering a
them towards the center of the room.

What is film?

The film arts relates to all aspects

movies). The course in the film arts would
goes into the making of a film. The follow
story, setting, camera work, lighting, soun
special effects, animation, editing, music/sc
specialty that requires specific training. If
appear in the credits of a movie or televis
multi-faceted production it is to create a film
involved in all of the various elements of wha

A study of film arts would also be likely to in

what specific requirements those types of
from fictional drama. Documentary is very
requires a different approach, but there is a
the aspects listed above would be necess
media.

The creation of a finished film is the combi

their talent to an aspect of the finished pro
much a piece of art as a painting or piece of

What is performance art?

Performance art is an artwork or art exhibitio

artist or other participants. It may be live,
written, presented to a public in a Fine Arts c

What is poetry performance?

Performance poetry is poetry that is specific

before an audience. During the 1980s, the
poetry written or composed for performance
to improvisation.

What is architecture?

Architecture is an art form that reflects how

landscape, and, like other expressive medi
and cultural adaptations. Architecture not
workspace and storage but also represents
and government buildings and manifestatio
Traditional architecture has survived over th
while contemporary design offers new ap
technology to shape the look of our environm

What is Dance?

Dance, the movement of the body in a rhythm

space, for the purpose of expressing an idea o
delight in the movement itself.
Lesson 5. FUNCTIONS OF ARTS

Functions of Art

When it comes to function, different art forms

one-to-one correspondence between art and its fu
others. Architecture for example, as an art is high
of the art in applied arts is basically denoted by its
is has usurped the name of the art on the identific
spectrum, one can only think of painting and litera
purely practical values Functions of Art

Ideally, one can look at a piece of art and guess w

This best-case scenario also includes identifying t
the contextual equation. You might wonder, "What
when you see a piece of art. You, the viewer, are
yourself how that same piece of art makes you feel

These—in addition to the time period, location of

that should be considered before trying to assign
can lead to misunderstanding art and misinter
something you want to do.

The functions of art normally fall into three cat

categories can and often do overlap in any given
about these functions, here's how.

Physical Function

Physical

The physical functions of art are often the easies

perform some service have physical functions. If
however wonderful the craftsmanship may be, it w
smashing skulls.

A Japanese raku bowl is a piece of art that pe

Conversely, a fur-covered teacup from the Dada m
crafts such as welding and woodworking, interior
that serve physical functions.
Social Function

Social

Art has a social function when it addresses aspec

point of view or experience. Viewers can often rel
even influenced by it.

For example, public art in 1930s Germany had an

influence on the German population? Decidedly s
countries during the same time. Political art, often
carries a social function. The fur-covered Dada t
function in that it protested World War I (and nearly

Art that depicts social conditions performs social f

photography. The Realists figured this out earl
Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) along with many othe
are difficult to see and think about.

Additionally, satire performs social functions. Sp

English portrait artist William Hogarth (1697–1764
success at motivating social change with their art.
art in a community can elevate that community
Alexander Calder (1898–1976), for example, can be a

Personal Function

Personal

The personal functions of art are often the most diff

functions and these are highly subjective. Person
from person to person.

An artist may create a piece out of a need for se

instead want to communicate a thought or point to
provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and
provoke thought, or even have no particular effect a

Personal function is vague for a reason. From artis

with art is different. Knowing the background and
personal function of their pieces.

Art may also serve the personal function of contro

perform religious service or acknowledgment. Art h
change the seasons, and even acquire food. Some
There is virtually no limit to how art can be used.
LESSON 6: BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Art as mimesis (Plato)

In his theory of Mimesis, Plato says that all art is

believed that ‘idea’ is the ultimate reality. Art imitate
example of a carpenter and a chair. The idea of ‘ch
physical shape to his idea out of wood and creat
carpenter in his picture of chair. Thus, painter’s
believed that art is twice removed from reality. He g
deals with the ideas whereas poetry deals with
reality. So to Plato, philosophy is superior to poetr
on the moral and philosophical grounds. On the co
in nature. According to him, poetry is an imitation
philosophical nor moral. He examines poetry as a
teaching.

ART AS AN IMITATION

In Plato’s The Republic, paints a picture of artists as

In his description of the ideal republic, Plato advis

curriculum and the banning of artists in the Republi

See for yourself. Here is Vermeer’s painting “

Johansson dressed up for the movie of the same na

Source: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.c

Plato was convinced that artists merely reinfo

reach for the real entities in the World of Form
clouds rationality of people. is just an imitatio
nature, which is also just an imitation of reality
alongside the practitioners, so that the attitude
not be corrupted by the influence of the arts. F
petty replacement for the real entities than can

Art as representation (Aristotle)

Aristotle attributes much of art to the intellect's am

tendency to imitate. Humans clearly take pleasu
Aristotle, much of our compulsive need to create a
not the only purpose of art. To take it a step fu
exercise was not only to capture what we see, bu
imperfections.

According to Aristotle, art is an attempt to grasp

Aristotle took a particular interest in tragedy thro
action. It creates a treatment for the more unbea
referred to this phenomenon as catharsis.

(Catharsis refers to an emotional release for the cha

for the audience of the work. In Greek, the word c
piano is a catharsis for a tired, busy mother after a l

ART AS A REPRESENTATION

Unlike Plato who thought that art is an imitation o

representing possible versions of reality.

For Aristotle, all kinds of art do not aim to represen

of what might be or the myriad possibilities of realit

In Aristotelian worldview, art serves two particular p

1. Art allows for the experience of pleasure (horrible

2. Art also has an ability to be instructive and teach

Art for Art’s sake (Kant)

Art enthusiast or not, this is a phrase many of

questions of why we create and value art, “art for a
based on how well work serves external purposes
value is intrinsically defined by the aesthetic impres

This, of course, is just one way of looking at

prominence in 19th Century Europe, especially in F
of art’s rationalised utility and create for themselv
art’s sake” is closely linked to British Aestheticism
was its unparalleled beauty rather than its ‘deeper
distinguished the artist as “creator of beautiful thin
Today the phrase is often deployed as a motto to d
art.

Before gaining such popularity, German philosophe

mode of approaching art in The Critique of Judgem
any other external demands obsolete, Kant argu
should not have to justify any reason of existing a
Our experience of art – the ways we appreciate an
by aesthetic pleasure and delight, separate to th
window through which it could be viewed. Res
philosophy, Kant’s thoughts on autonomy and tr
modern thinking to present day.

Key theorists of the modern era stressed Kant’s th

avant-gardism and, especially, formalism. Inspired
assessed the configuration of images, presuppos
logic” as dictated by an extrinsic force: The Sign
quality in art that generates an aesthetic emotion.
nor tied to any cultural background, yet could still
similar approach, Clement Greenberg furthered
provided was “valuable in its own right and not to b

The idea that art exists in a sphere of its own enliv

Century, bringing Kant’s theories into practica
representation in favour of focusing on form. By p
differently in every piece, his work addresses comp
literal titles. Objective, disciplined and ordered, su
art’s sake”. Jackson Pollock, often quoted as a
paintings to reach similar ends as Mondrian. It i
causes our appreciation of these artists’ pleasing
composition and form. Whilst the matter of Pollo
inflected with emotional input, spurring question
concerned with what makes it an art form.

Conceptual art is not entirely centred around d

provocative thoughts on the external world. Ai
constructions in A Ton of Tea (2007); however, its
piece. On recognising the ambiguous block as the
social investigation, commenting on nationalism, g
abstraction, Weiwei’s work can still serve as activist

When expression and individuality permeate art

Pollock. Wassily Kandinsky’s compositions exploit
to represent fresh fusions of sight and sound. How
personal experiences of music and visual cultu
interpretations at the same time.

In realising this, we acknowledge “art for art’s sak

not a finalised answer to why art is considered go
one angle for looking at non-figurative, abstract a
non-narrative to be valued for what it is as art ab
content can still be appreciated for the way they
significantly more arresting than the subject matter.

When looking at art, it is important to bear in m

anything other than the fact that it is art. Once we s
accessible and more confusing, depending on wh
Whilst not used at length in art history, the legac
autonomous pursuit and, thanks to its neat summ
looking at art.
 ART AS A DISINTERE

Source: https://frieze.com/art

“Beauty is an object’s form of purposiven

presentation of a purpose [1]”. Thus Immanuel Kant
attempts to delimit the scope of the beautiful and ru
works of art not least among them.

1. Immanuel Kant, The Critique of th

Hackett, Indianapolis, 1987, p. 84

Immanuel Kant, in his Critique of Judgment, consi

art, as something that can be universal despite it
beauty is subjective. However, even subjective jud
the said judgment.

Art as a disinterested judgment how and in what se

considered to be a subjective feeling, be considered

HOW ARE THESE TWO STATEMENTS DIFFERENT?

1. “I like this painting.”

2. “This painting is beautiful.”

The first is clearly a judgment of taste (subjectiv

(objective). • Making an aesthetic judgment requ
should try to go beyond our individual tastes and
universal standpoint.

ART AS A COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION.

According to Leo Tolstoy, art plays a huge role in c

artist previously experienced. In the same that lang
art communicates emotions.

As a purveyor of man’s innermost feelings and tho

as a mechanism for social unity. Art is central t
feelings and emotions of people from the past and p
LESSON 7: SUBJECT AND CONTENT REPRESENT

Two basic considerations we need to be acqu

characteristics inherent in works of art, and con
distinctions include a work’s size, medium (paintin
descriptions of compositional elements such as t
content include any visual clues that provide an u
an artwork’s content is vague or hidden and need
itself. Ultimately these two terms are roped togethe
us. As we examine art from different time period
content will apply to all of them.

The first level in approaching art is learning to LOO

time in pure observation than you probably have
terms of "liking" it FIRST, and "looking" at it later.
residing in the emotions and thoughts of the vie
looking at art. In the arts, it’s especially importa
opinion rather than just an instinctual reaction. An
physical characteristics as the main source of info
or invalidate your subjective feelings about a work
become, the more artwork will affect you emotion
learn alternative ways to approach art, ways th
understand how art reflects and affects our lives.

In viewing art, there are clues that mediate betwe

easily comprehend what he is seeing.

These clues are:

Subject- the visual focus or the image that may be e

Content- the meaning that is communicated by the a

Form- the development and configuration of the art

the materials are put together: “how”

REPRESENTATIONAL ART

These types of art have subjects that refer to objec

real world. Also termed figurative art because t
decipher.

Despite not knowing who Mona Lisa is, it is

realistically-proportioned; only the upper torso i
flashed; the background is a landscape
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL ART.

Art forms that do not make a reference to the real w

a particular event. It is stripped down to visual ele
employed to translate a particular feeling, emotion,

THE LEVELS OF MEANING (CONTENT)

Factual- The most rudimentary level of me

or recognizable forms in the artwork and understan

Conventional meaning- Pertains to the acknowled

signs, and symbols and other cyphers as bases of
through time, strengthened by recurrent use and
scholars who study them.

Subjective meaning- When subjectivities are con

particular work of art is read. These meanings stem
that come into play when engaging with art (what
what values we stand for) Meaning may not be sing