MODULE HUMANITIES: ARTS APPRECIATION

CHAPTER 1: THAT’S ART, SO WHAT?

Introduction:

What is Art for: Functions, Relevance, and Significance

“I’m not an artist, I don’t know how to appreciate art!”

Some of you may have this dilemma in mind. However, for others, they may have a
glimpse of what art means to them because they may be skillful at some techniques ,but
have you ever had this lingering curiosity about how and where does one begin to study
art? In the age of Instagram and Facebook, it is very easy to come across a work of art
which is made, remade, or reused to fit a certain purpose or value. You must have
pressed that “like” or “love” button as you deem a graphic et al post so relatable. YouTube
offers lots of tutorials and techniques for painting, calligraphy, watercolor, lots of young
artists have been exposed to a wide range of art techniques because of them. Art and
information is now within our reach. There are so many sources available to learn from.
The downside of this quick information is that it is very scattered. We do not know
which to prioritize and are unsure if we are getting the right information. Art appreciation
on the other hand, is a discipline offered in an academic setting but probably less likely
to be consumed here in this country. However, it is has in strength: its premise being in
the academe. To direct our often ambivalent feelings toward art, let us learn and discuss
it from which, I believe is a good starting point; you. The beginning of this chapter is
about understanding the functions of art in relation to your context, your needs and your
longings as a person in the context of the millennial age. The rest progresses from this
starting point.

LESSON 1: What is Art to Me?: Understanding How Art can Meet Some Human Needs
Seven Functions of Art
➢ Beauty- One of the innate qualities that pretty art can give is that it makes our dull,
lifeless walls come to life. The contrast of having something ”alive” and dynamic to
look at on something ordinary and common, let us say a pristine white wall, evokes
in us an affinity towards its beauty. Though we have different notions of beauty, still
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 it is a common denominator when we are talking about appreciating forms of art.
Beauty makes sense to most of us.
➢ Happiness and Hope- There is something about art that mirrors the soul of those
willing to confront it. In a societal tone, artworks tend to echo the hopes and anxieties
of an age. These are examples:
a. When the paintings are placed in a daunting environment such as hospitals
b. The experience and process of creating art itself
c. The bliss of looking at a piece of imagery evoking a happy memory e.g., the
painting of a do.
d. Direct words from typography and graphic messages that are so relatable as if
the author has read your mind and feelings
e. Identifying oneself with the properties of an art work: a homage to something
:works addressing diaspora, displacement, and other social issues.
➢ Identity and Understanding the self - Todays generation being the „me‟
generation is also sometimes tagged as the “anxious generation”. A lot of social
issues evidently reflect this struggle for identity: gender issues, disconnectedness
brought on by social media, regionalism, and even mental health issues. Art can
serve as powerful tool to help us communicate and relay our confusion.
➢ Grief and Healing - Many of the most poignant and humanistic products of art
were made after the World War II. Twentieth -century art mostly expressed human
suffering and darkness in its themes. Artists such as Rachel White read talked about
this haunting remembrance of holocaust victims in her work “Ghost Library”. Here
she used an experiential type of artistic expression, exploring the themes of place it
in therapy. Nonetheless, it plays an important role in making grieving somehow
dignified.
➢ Remembering and mark-making- The monument of Rizal in Luneta Park is one
of a type of art that helps us remember. Without the tangible characteristic of art,
we will not be able to sustain our nationalistic values well enough. We have pictures,
films, and paintings that depict heroism and nationalism. Try to look up these: Angel
of the North” by British sculptor Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor‟s “Cloud Gate” in
Chicago. Gormly„s work has been considered as the largest sculpture in the world
and one of the most popular. The humongous figure of a person with airplane-like
wings is situated in Gateshead, England and was commissioned to become an
identifying landmark of the region. On the other hand, Kapoor had this humongous;
bean-shaped metallic sculpture placed at that certainly builds a sense of mark and
identity to that place where the traffic of pedestrians is usually heavy.
➢ Raising awareness - In the Philippines, many socially-concerned artists have
emerged in the age of modernism portraying politicians and the governments system
in their most hateful actions. A more subtle type of inducing awareness can be
observed in architecture such as the stained glass windows of Gothic churches and
even their illuminated manuscripts. Such is also the case of our local churches with
large domes at the altar part and huge stained glass windows.
➢ Culture and togetherness- Lastly, forms of art are often localized so that they
bring identity also to certain regions. This is very evident here in the Philippines which
is geographically separated by thousands of islands-we are much regionalized. In a
way, there is a sense of redemption for the past weakness of Philippines when the
Spaniards strategized the divide and conquer method. Do you remember the national
costume of Miss Universe 2019? Here, we see how reigning queen Catriona Gray
wore the whole Philippines symbolically uniting us through her Luzon- Visayas -
Mindanao inspired national costume.

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 LESSON 2: How Do I Study Art?: Making Art

ELEMENTS OF ART
- are the formal or tangible aspects of art. These are termed as elements because they
are the “medium of language” of visual arts. The following are art elements.

➢ Line - can be expressive and have a quality of its

own like: scribbles, whimsical or naive lines, implied
lines, blurred lines (lines that are smudged ,shaded
or erased) aggressive lines and calligraphic lines.

➢ Shape- Three basic kinds: geometric, biomorphic and amorphous. It can also be
implied (shapes produced by the negative space.

➢ Form- Three -dimensional shape. Can refer to the quality or likeness of an entire
mass, let us say, the form of woman. It employs several techniques like shading,
perspective and lightning.

➢ Value - the lightness and darkness of a hue or a color.

Often represented in a tonal value scale it has two parts:
the tints (lighter tones) and the shades (darker tones. A
tone is a general term of a certain value.

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 ➢ Color - also known as hue. Scientifically, it is the light
that bounces off a surface. In art we use subtractive
colors ex. colors that are from pigments. Additive colors
refer to property of light.

➢ Texture - can be used in paintings like impasto, stamping, and scratching in pottery,
embossing when making prints and may others. Contemporary artists have also
used the element of texture to convey a certain emotion.

➢ Light- Without light, all the previous elements will not be possible. Light creates the
illusion that color, form and texture exist. Light can be implied, natural, or artificial.
The lightning of an artwork has a very strong effect on its overall impact. An example
of strong and theatrical lightning is called chiaroscuro.
➢ Space - an area where the other elements can interact. Two types: positive and
negative space. Double negative space refers to a blank
space used as negative space by, let us say, a field of color
or pigment.

Principles of Design -are long held composition techniques

which have been proven and used by both fine and graphic artists
to communicate ideas and concepts effectively.

Contrast Design principle which uses the element of value to create

depth and dimension. Light also plays an important role in
creating good contrast.
Harmony Elements are related to each other in terms of form, color,
theme etc.
Balance (Symmetrical and Aesthetic quality of work marked by a sensible balance
Asymmetrical) between two areas: right and left, top and bottom.
Rhythm and Movement Creating a sense of direction through repetition of
elements. Movement direct the viewer’s eye toward
something

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Unity and Variety Elements should be seen as a whole in unity, variety still
gives a sense of wholeness but the elements differ in some
aspects and provide more interest to the work.
Emphasis and Subordination An area or a specific subject is given focus, hence other
parts of the picture are subordinated.
Scale and Proportion This can be either an appropriate use of scale and
proportion or it can also be an effective way of changing
the scale to achieve a certain visual goal. It also shows
relationship between the object and the space.
Depth and Perspective Shows three- dimensional of a space through the use of
perspective lines and vanishing points.
Psychology in Art

Relating art to how the brain receives and interprets symbols and images can benefit
one’s decision in effective composition and visual communication. Art in this way, is of a
method psychology and in understanding how people perceive images, create meaning
and connect those meanings together.

Gestalt Theory - this strategy tends to “sum up” an idea into one iconic imagery. It
often plays with the negative and positive space and makes use of both.

Color of Psychology - colors have imbibed certain meanings. Whether it is a social

construct or a product of association, these hues certainly appeal to our understanding
of the world based on how they are used.
White: pure, Yellow: optimism Black: glam or, Gray or Silver -
clean, and ,confidence, hope, integrity, stability, neutrality, cleanliness
neutral friendliness efficiency status ,classy, dependable,
sturdy
Blue: trust, Violet - royal ,luxury, Red: strength Pink: childish,
longevity, formal, quality, authenticity ,power, reliability, comfort, fragrant,
logic, intelligence warmth, nature, heat, friendly, calm, and
and support, and innocent
communication seriousness

Compositional function of lines and shapes - a composition is basically how the

elements are arranged in space with the intention of artistic expression.

a. A half circle - often used in domes for some classical paintings and even modern
architecture symbolizes femininity because of its womb- like shape. Since it has no
corners it also resonates eternity. Socialism in art has a different connotation for the
circle, which states about people’s equality.

b. A triangle- when used in a composition suggests relationship. In Leonardo Da

Vinci’s “Madonna of the Rocks” the triangular arrangement of the figures, with the
Madonna at the apex may suggest stability and inclination toward the central figure.

c. An implied line or line movement- in a painting may intentionally lead a viewer to

a focal point of the subject matter.

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 LESSON 3: How Do I Study Art? Reading Art

ART HISTORY QUICK MAP:

❖ Prehistoric
- Cave paintings , Venus figurines which are considered portable sculptures
- Greek standard of beauty, the birth of the “ Classical Age”
- Romans ,the competitor of Greece ,created realistic sculptures of human figure

❖ Middle Ages
- The death of artistic freedom due to canonical standards of visual interpretation
- The rise of Gothic art especially in Gothic Churches
- Popular Art, stained glass windows and illuminated manuscripts

❖ Renaissance
- Revival of artistic genius
- Where the term “ Renaissance Man” was derived because of man‟s intellectual
achievements in the arts and science
- The time of “Masters” e.g. Donatello, Da Vinci, Michelangelo. Raphael and Van
Eyck

❖ Baroque
- Grandiose and ornate art
- Artistic innovation: “ spotlight effect” called chiaroscuro or in extreme usage ,it is
called tennebrism
- Artists to note : Caravaggio (Italy), Velasquez( Spain) Poussin ( France) and
Antonio
Gaudi (designer of “Sagrada Familia” chapel in Barcelona)

❖ 19th Century
- Emergence of “isms”
- Neoclassicism , Greek and Roman Classics revived
- Romanticism ,Realism, Art Nouveau, Impressionism
- Photography comes into the scene
- Post- impressionism, early expressionism and symbolism

❖ 20th Century Modern Art

- Art became more non- representational
- Garish colors explored in Fauvism
- Abstracted sculptures emerged
- Simplified forms in paintings by Picasso and Matisse
- Art movements , Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Expressionism
- Mondrian’s purely geometric art

❖ Art During the Wars

- Dadaism, the art movement that defies logic
- Surrealism, „stepping into the dream world

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- American art blossoms: Jackson Pollock became famous as “ Jack the Dripper “
and paved the way for American Abstract Expressionism
- Mobile Sculptures (Alexander Calder) and Color Field (Roth Ko) paintings also
became prominent

❖ 20th Century to Contemporary

- Highly experimental and radical
- Pop art defies consumer culture, dominated mostly by works of Andy Warhol
- Minimalism ,glorifying the simplest art elements
- Birth of conceptual art
- Photography is further developed which paved way to art movement,
Photorealism
- Neo- expressionism or new expressionism is characterized by strong subject
matters
- Contemporary Art, a very diverse art scene, the rise of appropriation,
photography- derived works, graphic style of art, experimental works, multimedia and
multi- modal art.
Methods in Reading Art What is method?

Think of methods as filters that help you appreciate aspects of art in different lenses.
There are some” filters” that are more effective that others, especially when we talk
about context and context.

1. Formalism and Style - basically gives importance to the formal qualities (art
elements, materials and design principles) as basis for the meaning of art. Roger Fry is a
major purveyor of this thinking. The form is the content per se and does not take history
and context into account.

2. Iconography - focuses on the subject matter primarily over form. When using this
method you will answer questions like; who is this person the artist painted and what
does it represent? Why did the artist choose this image and what for?

3. Contextual Approaches - becomes an important factor in criticizing artworks here.

For example, Marxism is about art in relation to economics. On the other hand, Feminism
is bent toward the societal context of art wherein gender becomes a strong factor in the
forces behind an artistic creation.

4. Biography and Autobiography - considers the life and context of the artist. This
approach is based on the assumption that the artist’s life, beliefs, choices, and personality
are directly connected to the works that he or she creates.

5. Semiotics - from the Greek word “sema” which means sign. Hence, an artwork or
art form is assumed to be composed of a set of signs that may have significant cultural
and contextual meanings beyond itself.

6. Psychoanalysis - Freud is probably a familiar name in the field of psychology and

he is one of the basis of this theory. In psychoanalysis, one is concerned about the
unconscious mind in relation to the artist, the viewer and the cultural context it is involved
in.

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7. Aesthetics and Psychoanalysis - individual notion of what is considered acceptable,
beautiful, or attractive in works of art are part influenced by psychological factors. This
approach then connects psychology to ones constructed philosophy of art.

LESSON 4: Who Is an Artist?

Self Portrait of Vincent Gogh

Why did Van Gogh dedicate so much of his life to the future achievements of art? His
presence is now often seen in restaurant interiors in the web and even on novelty items.
The price of his works has skyrocketed to millions of dollars. His renowned, and a favorite
of most “Starry Night” rings a bell to a lot of people.

Rivalry, Envy, and Artistic Preferences

The issue of rivalry and comparison is not new to the art scene. This may sound
negative, but it can actually yield some positive things. For example the rivalry between
Leonardo and Michelangelo. They were arguing about actually gives us a broader
understanding of the arts. We cannot say that one artistic process is better than the
other, but we can truly see that both resulted in major contributions to the development
of Visual Arts.

Inclusivity of Artists

We came to realize how artists are also subject to human frailties. There is Chuck Close’s
paralysis, Van Gogh’s mental health condition and Jackson Pollock’s problem with chronic
drinking which caused his death.
Hans Prinzhorn produced a book about the Artistry of the Mentally III. This is a good
contribution to the vision of dignifying people with mental disabilities or incapacities.

Added Insight: Valuing of Artist’s Process and Work though Money

We have seen how in the latter part of van Gogh’s life ,which was actually his
death, the value of his works shoot up to millions of dollars. Why do we equate money
with the value of art? Why the need to spend money on art? When we consume
something, it means we either need it or want it. But have we wondered how we spend
our money and on what? More often, we do not see the point in buying art because of
our problem with taste.

LESSON 5: Is Art for Everybody? Art and the Society

For whom should art be made?
For a more holistic study of art, it is important to question and to ponder on the forces
that influence the creation, circulation and consumption of art. If you encounter a person
with fully body tattoo in Kalinga province of the North, how would you react?

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When we are trying to critique an artwork a lot of things should be taken into
consideration and in this regard the reason why it was made. Finding an answer to this
can give more value and meaning to a work of art. We will not just easily dismiss it as
boring or grotesque.

Educating for taste?

What is taste? We Filipinos often associate this with dating. When we see a friend of
ours with a girlfriend or boyfriend who has good looks and even good background, we
can easily mutter, you have good taste. But this is not the kind of taste we are interested
in. Yes it can be applied to that, but taste it more concerned with our choices of
consumption; what we spend our time, our money, and our efforts on.

In our tastes, what do we value? The things we value, do they make the quality of our
lives better- mentally, emotionally, physically, economically, and even spiritually? Later
on, when you graduate from college and start earning money, you will instantly become
a market so many things. Wise expenditure or spending our money wisely is quite rare
these days. Reflect on these words by author Alian de Boton.

But how we should know which to value and in this sense, how to value art works and
products of our culture? Hence, we can start to understand the role of Art Critics. These
people who use writing as a means of communication are trained in seeing and looking
at works of art and judging their value based on a good set of premises. Sometimes they
are also art connoisseurs. Art Critics help us understand and supplement our knowledge
of art forms. With their indispensable role, we can better evaluate our tastes and even
be wiser in what we consume not only in art but life in general.

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