HUM 110 – Art Appreciation

Visual and Performance Art

Learning Outcomes:

1. Introduce different forms of visual art and performance art, and

2. Differentiate visual art from performance art

Visual arts are art forms that generate works and primarily depict visual in nature. It is the kind of art form that the
society is most likely exposed and they associate with the different forms of visual arts. Many other forms that fall
entirely or partially within the visual arts, ranging from design areas such as architecture and the built environment,
fiber and clothing to the folk arts and from crafts to video animation. Moreover, performance art is a time-varying
art form that typically features a live presentation and means of expression to an audience or to onlookers.
Additionally, performance art also known as artistic action, has been developed through the years as a genre of its
own in which art is presented live and it is a form of expression that was born as an alternative artistic manifestation.

However, in conventional methods of theater production, the visual artist is the performer, creator and director of
the performance. While performance art can be situated anywhere in Art Museums, Galleries, and other alternative
art spaces or in impromptu sites, such as cafés, bistro or the street, where the site and often unknowing audience
become an integral part of the work’s meaning.

In this lesson, you will learn the different forms of visual and performance arts.

Today, visual arts apply to many different forms that you can see such as, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking,
ph Drawing

Date back about 30, 000 years ago, the first drawings were discovered in caves. In this time, artists draw from the
different types of surfaces example, paper and canvas. In most cases, pencils, crayons and pens are the tools in
creating such drawing. Vases were used as the medium in Greek and Roman period. Ancient Egyptians drew on
papyrus and in the middle ages drawings were sketches on parchment. When paper become common in the Painting

Painting is often called the most important form of visual art. It is about putting colors on a canvas or a wall. Painters
express their ideas through a mixture of colors and different brush strokes. Also, one of the oldest forms of visual
art. In old caves prehistoric people painted hunting scenes onto walls. Paintings became important in ancient Egypt,
where tombs of pharaohs were covered with scenes of everyday Egyptian life (Rosmanitz, 2016).Renaissance period,
drawing became an art perfected by Michelangelo.

Furthermore, in a two – dimensional visual language it expresses the different ideas and emotions with the creation
of certain aesthetic qualities. Shapes, lines, colors, tones, and textures are the elements used in this form of visual
arts.

Printmaking

Printmaking is a creative procedure dependent on the standard of moving pictures from a network onto another
surface, frequently paper or texture. Conventional printmaking strategies incorporate woodcut, scratching, etching,
and lithography, while present day specialists have extended accessible procedures to incorporate screen printing.
According to Rosmanitz (2016), Printmaking is the art made by covering a plate with ink and pressing it on the
surface of another object. Today, prints are mostly produced on paper today but originally, they were pressed onto
cloth or other objects. Plates are often made out of wood or metal.

Photography

Photography is making pictures by letting light through the focal points of a camera onto a film. In
simple photography light was recorded onto a film, which must be artificially evolved. Pictures could then
be imprinted onto extraordinary paper.
Today most photography is computerized. Cameras have no film; the pictures are recorded onto silicon chips.

Filmmaking

Film producers make moving pictures that they transform into films. It is an over the top expensive
and muddled type of art, including numerous undertakings, for instance scriptwriting, projecting, and
altering film arrangements before they can be appeared to an audience. A full-length include film frequently
takes numerous weeks or months to deliver, (Rosmanitz 2016).

Computer art
Today, computer art is not at this a point constrained to brushes, paint and pencils. Computer art typically
refers to any form of graphic art or digital imagery which is produced with the aid of a computer. Over the
most recent couple of decades specialists have been working with PCs to catch pictures and change them.
Computer art comprises of a wide range of structures, from catching and changing sound to making
computer games.

Sculpture
Sculptures are three-dimensional pieces of art that are created by shaping various kinds of material.
Among the most well-known are stone, steel, plastic, earthenware production and wood.
Figure is frequently alluded to as plastic expressions.
goes back to ancient Greece. In the Renaissance Michelangelo was one of the bosses of craftsmanship.
His most renowned bit of work was David, a marble sculpture of naked man.

Mime
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium as a performance art, involving miming,
or the acting out a story through body emotions and facial expressions, without the use of speech.

Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combing text and musical
score, usually in a theatrical setting.

Music
Music is also a form of art whose medium is sound. Music can be classified as classical music, folk music
and pop music. Furthermore, general definitions of music include common elements such as pitch, rhythm,
dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. Different styles or types of music may emphasize,
de-emphasize or omit some of these elements.

Dance
Dance is the art of movement of the body, usually rhythmically in a pattern of steps and accompaniment
music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures. In dance we have different types, classical
dance, folk dance, and tribal dance.
What’s really the difference between Visual Arts from Performance Arts?
Let’s find it out in this section.
Art has been an indivisible piece of our lives since days of yore. Anything which is appealing to our senses
might be said an art. Arts includes wide scope of human activities and the products of such activities. With
this, visual arts are basically made for aesthetic purposes, and judged for its beauty and importance. Also,
visual arts give an approach to express and communicate feeling, emotion, opinion, or taste through visual
methods, like, photography, painting, sculpting and drawing. In visual arts, an artist uses paint, canvas and
various materials to create art objects. Furthermore, visual arts can be characterized as something that is
made through accomplishing something with your hands.

On the other hand, performance arts have different ways to express an opinion, emotion, feeling, or taste,
through various means of performance, like, theatre, public speech, dance, music, and more. In addition,
performing arts are fundamentally arts or abilities that require an exhibition before an open crowd.
Example, models are acting, singing and dancing. Moreover, there are different types of the performance
arts that incorporate opera, theater, magic, and mime. Individuals in this field are named, performers.
Performing artists utilize their body or voice to convey the imaginative expression needed to be shown.

In some other ways, there are other types of art as well; Culinary Art communicates personality, and
culture, as well as, atmosphere through the creation of taste and composition of food on the plate. Poetry
and writing fall in a category of art called written art. In both art niches, you can convey cultural messages.
Visual art can delineate historic spots on canvas or through photography, whereas, performing arts can
show cultural stories through dance and also through building scenes of long ago on a stage. Song and
Dance are typically the main ingredients in cultural custom.

FUNCTIONS OF ART AND PHILOSOPHY

Greek philosopher Aristotle claimed that every particular substance in the world has an end, or telos in
Greek, which translates into ‘purpose.’ Every substance, defined as a formed matter, moves according to a
fixed path toward its aim. A seed is bound to become a full-grown plant. A cocoon can look forward to flying
high when it morphs into a butterfly. A baby will eventually turn into a grown man or woman.
This telos, according to Aristotle, is intricately linked with function. For a thing to reach its purpose, it also
has to fulfill its function. Man, in Aristotle’s view of reality, is bound to achieve a life of fulfillment and
happiness, or in Greek, eudaimonia. All men move toward this final end. However, happiness, the
supposed end of man, is linked with his function, which is being rational. One can only be happy when he is
rational. This means that to Aristotle, plants can never be happy because they are not rational, as well as
tables and chairs. Man’s natural end, telos, is connected with his function, which is his nationality (Caslib,
Garing & Casaul, 2018).
Philosophy of art is the study of the nature of art, including concepts such as interpretation, representation
and expression as well as form. It is closely related to aesthetics, the philosophical study of beauty and
taste.
Lastly, every art form has a definite function since it satisfies a particular need. To the layman, art may
have little function. Some find meaning in an art in its ability to serve the purpose for which it was designed.
Obviously, architecture is directly and almost entirely functional because buildings and other structures are
always built for some special purposes. Music and dance were used in ancient rituals and worship of the
gods, for social and folk entertainment, as well in the military. Painting and sculpture may be used to
narrate events, to portray people or events, to instruct (as in the case of Christian art), to commemorate
individuals or historical event, and to serve as vehicles of personal expression.

Functions of Art
Art is science as well, a style who plays with the viewpoint of the watchers. Include feelings and emotions,
crafted by the psyche ought to be imaginative, free and plan to cause you to feel something. Arts includes
sounds, hues, draws, paints, composes and everything made by the hands of men. Art is a method of
articulation to turn out to be more human since it's appended to basic freedoms. Craftsmanship is senior
than the hard sciences and still exists for his significance.
Function of Art in culture is regularly associated with artistic creations, models, drawings, and so on, yet
culture and workmanship work together in manners that are not generally related. Workmanship is an
individual's inventive utilization of his/her creative mind. Creative mind depends much on the craftsmen's
own social encounters and his/her acknowledgment of the made item.
Art has been thought of and deciphered from numerous points of view throughout the long term. Some
renowned works the artist was not even viewed as an “artist” at the time he/she made it. Artist is basically
an advanced term and our view of artist has changed and I will proceed to adjust and advance later on.
Art is a way of expression or application of human creative skills and imagination typically in a visual form
such as painting sculpture producing work to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power,
Example, Functional art may refer to aesthetic objects that could be use designed to be useful rather than
attractive.
Aristotle claimed that every particular substance in the world has an end, or telos in Greek, which translates
into “purpose”
Every substance, defined as formed matter, moves according to a flexed path toward it aim. A seed to
become a full- grown plants. A cocoon can look forward to flying high when it morphs into a butterfly. A
baby will eventually turn into a grown man or woman
This telos, according to Aristotle, is intricately linked with function. For a thing to its purpose, it also has to
fulfill its function, Man in Aristotle’s view of reality, is bound to achieve a life of fulfillment and happiness, in
Greek, eudaimonia. All men move towards this final end. However, happiness, the supposed end of man, is
linked with his function, which is being rational. One can be happy because they are not rational, as well as
tables and chairs. Man’s natural end, telos, is connected with his function, which is his rationally.

Functional Arts
Refers to arts we use in our daily live such as tools, architectural structures, roads, bridges, buildings,
furniture, Kitchen utensils, coins, bills dress, weapons

Functions of Arts
1. 1. Personal Function – depends on the viewer or the artist who created the art. Arts are vehicles for
the artist’s expression of their feeling and ideas. The arts also serve as means of expression for us.
The personal function of art is varied and highly subjective. The function depends on the artist who
created the art. An artist may create an art out of self-expression, entertainment, or therapeutic
purpose. The personal function of art is varied and highly subjective. Functions depends on the
artist who created the art. An artist may create an art of self- expression, entertainment, or a
therapeutic purpose.
2. Social Function – addresses a particular collective interest. Art is considered to have a social
function if and when it addresses a particular collective interest as opposed to a personal interest.
Art may convey message of protest, contestation,or whatever message the artist intends his work to
carry.
3. Political art is a very common example of an art with a social function. Art can also depict social
conditions such as photography (pictures of poverty). Performance art like or satires can also rouse
emotions and rally people toward a particular end. One cannot conceive of a society without art, for
art is closely related to every aspects of social life.
Arts perform a social function when:
1. Influence Social behaviour
2. Display and Celebration
- It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situation
 One Function of sculpture and painting is the commemoration of important personage in society.
The statues of national heroes that grace our parks and plazas are commemorative works as are
the commissioned paintings of leaders or rules. Often they serve to record important historical
events that the community would want the young to emulate.
3. Social Expresses or Describes social or collective aspects of existence as opposed to
individual and personal kind of experiences

3. Physical Function – art that fulfills and satisfy man’s need. The physical functions of art can be
found in artworks that are crafted in order to serve some physical purpose. Ex architecture, chair,
jewelry, -making and pot making, interior design all serves physical functions.

PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ART

Art as an Imitation
According to Plato, artist are imitators and art is just a mere imitation. The things in this world are
only copies of the original, the eternal and the true entities that can only be found in the world of forms.
The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas is Plato’s arguments that non-physical forms (or ideas) presented
the most accurate. Plato had a love-hate relationship with the arts. He must have had some love for the
arts, because he talks about them often, and his remarks show that he paid close attention to what he saw
and heard.
Some of his dialogues are real literary masterpieces. On the other hand, he found the arts
threatening. He proposed sending the poets and playwrights out of his ideal Republic, or at least censoring
what they wrote; and he wanted music and painting severely censored.
Plato saw the changing physical world as a poor, decaying copy of a perfect, rational, eternal, and
changeless original. The beauty of a flower, or a sunset, a piece of music or a love affair, is an imperfect
copy of Beauty Itself. In this world of changing appearances, while you might catch a glimpse of that
ravishing perfection, it will always fade. It’s just a pointer to the perfect beauty of the eternal. The same
goes for other Essences, like Justice. Anyone knows that Real Justice is too much to hope for in this
corrupt world. The best you can find is a rough approximation.

To take a third example, the most carefully drawn circle turns out to be irregular if you inspect it closely
enough. Like The Point, The Line, and all geometric shapes, The Circle is a mathematical ideal. It is not
possible to draw a Real Circle, but only an imperfect physical copy (or instance) of one.

Beauty, Justice, and The Circle are all examples of what Plato called Forms or Ideas. Other philosophers
have called them Universals. Many particular things can have the form of a circle, or of justice, or beauty.
For Plato, these Forms are perfect Ideals, but they are also more real than physical objects. He called them
"the Really Real". The world of the Forms is rational and unchanging; the world of physical appearances is
changeable and irrational, and only has reality to the extent that it succeeds in imitating the Forms. The
mind or soul belongs to the Ideal world; the body and its passions are stuck in the muck of the physical
world. So the best human life is one that strives to understand and to imitate the Forms as closely as
possible. That life is the life of the mind, the life of the Philosopher (literally, the lover of wisdom). Self-
control, especially control of the passions, is essential to the soul that wants to avoid the temptations of
sensuality, greed, and ambition, and move on to the Ideal World in the next life.

Art as a Representation
Aristotle, Plato’s most important students in philosophy, agreed with his teacher that is a form of imitation.
However, in contrast to his mentor’s disgust, Aristotle conceived of art as representing possible versions of
reality. Aristotle believed that artist possessed more than just inspiration, but a technical skill that could be
approved upon and perceived as impressive to the average human.
He believes that to portray an object was to reveal something important; whereas Plato believed imitation
destroy the original objects, Aristotle believed that the study of an object created awareness and learning.
Aristotle’s influence to be very prevalent in how most people would look at and judge art. To be able to
mimic or create a likeness to specific object or person’s is considered very impressive and most people
view the ability as an incredible skill.

Aristotle and Plato’s views towards artists, art and individual expression drastically different. One of the
most prominent features of Plato’ philosophy is his hostility towards artists, especially poets. He believes
that artist did not possess skills or techne.
He thought that artists mere makers of images, capable of corrupting the soul of people. Plato stood by the
theory that the more an object was mimicked, the further it was from the truth and that because inspiration
was given to mortals by gods and not conceived by the mortal artist themselves that is was not nearly as
valuable as techne. Aristotle’s view on artist inspiration is completely different/ Aristotle believed that
imitation is an active and creative process, literally producing an object that has a life of its own. He also
believed that imitation is important role in education and learning and has an essential connection with
human nature.
Today people are connected with the views that Aristotle set forth. As infant we learn through imitation and
it certainly is a creative process. An artist is constantly gathering inspiration from other objects, people,
beliefs and in turn manipulate and create something entirely new. Artist can claim to have a unique
individual expression, but in many cases had ones seen something that created an idea that might not have
occurred to us if we were not gathering inspiration. Unlike Plato who thought that art is an imitation of
another imitation, Aristotle conceived of arts as representing possible version of reality. For Aristotle, all
kinds of art do not aim to represent reality as it is but to provide a vision of what might be or the many
possibilities in reality.

Art as a Disinterested Judgment

In the third critic that Immanuel Kant wrote, the “Critique of Judgements” Kant considered the judgement of
beauty the cornerstone of art, as something that can be universal despite its subjectivity. Kant mentioned
that judgement of beauty, and therefore, art, is innately autonomous from specific interest. It is the form of
art that is adjudge by one who perceives art to be beautiful or mere so, sublime. Therefore, even aesthetic
Emmanuel Kant (https://tinyurl.com/yy8yeth2) judgement for Kant is a cognitive activity.

For Kant, every human being, after perception and the free pay of his faculties, should recognize the
beauty that is inherent in a work of art. According to Kant, fine art follows two paradoxes: it “is a way of
presenting that is purposive on its own and that furthers, even though without a purpose, the culture of our
mental powers to [facilitate] social communication”(Kant 173) and “it must have the look of nature even
though we are conscious of it as art”(Kant 174). In other words, Kant believes that fine art is intentionally
produced, yet remains purposive without a purpose, and is fabricated, essentially unnatural, yet must
appear natural to its viewers.
For Kant’s art is based heavily upon his previous deductions of how beauty is judged in the natural world.
He believes that true judgments of beauty share four characteristics: they are disinterested, universal,
necessary, and purposive without a purpose (Burnham). Since Kant draws a distinction between rational
and aesthetic judgments, he argues that aesthetic judgments are not based on concepts, or things that can
be known, but on intuitions or sensations. Therefore, a true judgment of beauty is disinterested; it is not
based on any known concept, simply a sensation of unconstrained, completely detached pleasure. Along
these same lines, a beautiful object is purposive, containing the property or quality of purposefulness,
without actually having a concrete purpose. Kant believes that “we respond to the object’s rightness of
design, which satisfies our imagination and intellect, even though we are not evaluating the object’s
purpose”.
Art as a Communication of Emotion
According to Leo Tolstoy, art place a huge role in communication to its audience emotions that the artist
previously experienced. Tolstoy is fighting for the social dimension of art. This means that art serves as a
mechanism of cohesion for everyone.
He claimed that the most important quality of any work of art is its sincerity. Any true work of art expresses
original thoughts and feelings. The "highest" feelings which art may express are related to religious
perception.
He claims that professionalism causes a lack of sincerity in the artist, and argues that if an artist must earn
a living by producing art, then the art which is produced is more likely to be false and insincere. He also
claims that interpretation or criticism of art is irrelevant and unnecessary, because any good work of art is
able to express thoughts and feelings which can be clearly understood by most people. He argues that any
explanation of such thoughts and feelings is superfluous, because art ultimately communicates feelings and
experiences in a way which cannot be expressed by any words. He does not believe that art can be taught,
or that instruction in the practice of art can help people to communicate their thoughts and feelings more
sincerely. He argues that to teach art is to destroy its spontaneity. To teach art is to destroy the individuality
of the artist. Any attempt to teach art leads to an attempt to imitate other works of art.

Tolstoy’s concept of "universal" art affirms that art is relevant to everyone. Art is relevant to every aspect of
the human condition. Therefore, art must aim to be "universal." Art is "universal" if it expresses thoughts
and feelings which can be experienced by every human being. According to him, everyone may experience
religious thoughts or feelings. Thus, art is "universal" if it expresses religious feelings. The religious
perception, or insight, which may be expressed by art is that the well- being of humanity depends on social
harmony and understanding. Art which is truly "universal" expresses the perception that human beings
must respect each other, must try to understand each other, and must share a feeling of brotherhood and
sisterhood with each other.

Tolstoy’s view of art reflects the very idiosyncratic and independent nature of his personal interpretation of
Christianity. While he attempts to define a "universal" art as an art of inclusion, his aesthetic theory is
narrowly focused on his own theory of morality, and thus defines an art of exclusion. He excludes many
forms of art from what he considers to be "universal" art, because he believes that "universal" art must
conform to standards that are not strictly aesthetic, but moral and social.

What is Aesthetics? Why study Aesthetics?

What is Aesthetics?
• The study of beauty or philosophy of art.
• It explains how people perceive and access the meaning, importance and purpose of art.

Why study Aesthetics?

• Aesthetics examines what makes something beautiful, sublime, disgusting, funny, silly, entertaining,
pretentious, harmonious, boring or tragic.
• Judgement of Aesthetics clearly rely on our ability to discriminate at a sensory level.
However, sensitivity to aesthetic qualities can be well groomed training the senses and the mind.
Aesthetics qualities can only be appreciated if an individual enjoys the experience of it. Therefore, ‘the feel
good factor’ becomes extremely important while attempting to appreciate the aesthetic qualities. Thus,
pleasurable experience one goes through in appreciating design qualities is aesthetic experience.
What is Aesthetical Experience?

Aesthetical experience is not only about liking or disliking, it’s about the
interaction between the product, consumer and the environment
Visual (sight)
Olfactory (smell)
Tactile (touch)
Kinesthetic (movement)
Auditory (sound)
Gustatory (taste)

Visual
It is the most obvious source of aesthetic experience for the individual.
We treat visually attractive bodies better than we treat less attractive individual.
Interpersonal interactions are susceptible to the visual appearance of others.

Tactile

It is the experience resulting from touch

Human have sensory receptors all over the body that register the sensations of touch

Pleasurable experience can result from touching and from being touched.

Kinesthetic

• It is the perception of one’s own body movement

• Our senses register the sound of the music and starts reacting to the beat of the music.

• Apparel also contributes to the Kinesthetic experience.

Olfactory

• Pleasant smell also has an impact on the aesthetic experience

• From brushing our teeth … to bathing… to getting ready…

• We tend to use so many products that have got fragrance.

Example: Retailers like JC Perry are filling their stores with pleasant mood evoking odor to stimulate the desirability
of product

Auditory

• Sounds filing the environment facilitates aesthetic environment.

• The effect of music on the apparel product may be touched in retail stores, fashion show and TV
advertisements
Gustatory

• Taste has little to do with aesthetic appreciation of apparel

• But there are other products used on the body that are flavored to add to the appeal.

Environment possesses

Social qualities

• geographic location

• ethnicity

• religion

• sexual orientation

Aesthetics in Maps

• Represents the symbolic aspect of aesthetics like the expression of terrain, landscape etc.

• This forms an imagined visual experience of aesthetic

Aesthetics in Gastronomy

• Is the study of relationship between culture and food.

• Although food is the basis and frequently experienced commodity, careful attention to the aesthetic
possibilities of food turns eating into gastronomy.

The characterization of a person as beautiful is based on inner beauty and

outer beauty and is subjective in nature.

Inner beauty includes psychological factors like personality, intelligence, grace, charm, and elegance while outer
beauty includes the physical factors like health, youthfulness, and complexion
Art as a Representation

Representation is the use signs that stand in for and take the place of something else. It is through representation
that people organize the world and reality through the act of naming its elements. Signs are arranged in order to
form semantic constructions and express relations.

For many philosophers, both ancient and modern, man is regarded as the “representational animal” or animal
symbolicum, the creature whose distinct character is the creation and the manipulation of signs-things that “stand
for” or “take the place of” something else.

Representation has been associated with aesthetics (art) and semiotics (signs). Mitchell says “representation is an
extremely elastic notion, which extends all the way from a stone representing a man to a novel representing the day
in the life of several Dubliners”.

The term ‘representation’ carries a range of meanings and interpretations. In literary theory, ‘representation’ is
commonly defined in three ways.

1. To look like or resemble

2. To stand in for something or someone

3. To present a second time; to re-present

The reflection on representation began with early literary theory in the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, and has evolved
into a significant component of language, Saussurian and communication studies (www.en.m.wikipedia.org.)

One of the most iconic and recognizable paintings all over the world is the “Mona Lisa,” done by Leonardo
da Vinci. Some questions are often raised regarding this artwork, like “Who is Mona Liza?” “Why was Leonardo da
Vinci compelled to paint her?” But scholars attempt to solve the true identity of the sitter, it is relevant to note
that there is a consensus that the Mona Lisa-whoever she is- is based on a real person. Portraits such the “Mona Lisa”
are good examples of what is called Representational Art. In this lesson let us discover what is called
“Representational Art.”

What does Representation mean in Art?

Representation is the use of signs that stand in for and take the place of something
else. It is through representation that people organize the world and reality through the act of
naming its elements.

Representationalism UNIT
2
Representationalism is a theory which stresses that art is a copy, an image, an
appearance or a reproduction of things, people, objects, nature and events.

Ways of Representing Nature:

1. Physical Alteration. It is the process of changing the physical appearance of nature, like a
natural marble that turns into a sculpture by carving and cutting.
2. Selective Modification. It is the process of enhancing the appearance of nature, like a forest
 that becomes a garden by arranging and trimming the plants, or a woman beautifying
herself by putting cosmetics on her face.
3. Perceptual Interpretation. It is the process of copying nature according to the subjective
interpretation of the artist, but the resulting image is still recognizable.

What is a Subject?
The subject of art refers to any person, object, scene or event described or
represented in a work of art.
1. Representational or Objective - Arts that have subject (e.g. painting, sculpture, graphic
arts, literature and theatre arts)
2. Non-Representational or Non-Objective - Arts that do not have subject (music,
architecture and many of the functional arts)
Example of music:
Program Music – musical compositions which have subject
They do not present description, stories, or references to identifiable objects or
symbols. Rather they, appeal directly to the senses primarily because of the satisfying
organization of their sensuous and expressive elements.
Subject in a work of art is the literal, visible image in a work while content includes
the connotative, symbolic, and suggestive aspects of the image. The subject matter is the
subject of the artwork, e.g., still life, portrait, landscape etc. …’Content is not subject or
things in the painting (magaretryall.blogspot.com>2009).
In art and art criticism, form and content are considered distinct aspects of a work
of art. It mainly focuses on the physical aspects of the artwork, such as medium, color,
value, space, etc., rather than on what it communicates.
What is Content in art?
Content in a work of art refers to what is being depicted and might be helpful in
deriving a basic meaning. A still-life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject
matter, typically commonplace objects that may be either natural or manmade.

Classifications of Art according to subject include: Fine Art; Visual Art; Plastic Art; Performance Art; Applied Art and
Decorative art. This category includes works of art that are created primarily for aesthetic reasons. (Bernard, 2015)

Fine Arts

Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Poetry

Visual Arts

Advertisements, commercial prints, labels

Arificail flowers and plants

Artwork applied to clothing or to other useful articles

Bumper stickers, decals, stickers

Plastic Art
Performing Art

Applied Arts

Decorative Arts

Until Unit II Liesson 2