LESSON

2 Art Appreciation: Creativity,

Imagination, and Expression

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lt takes an artist ta make art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. Howeve,
New not every beautiful thing that can be seen or experienced may truly be called a work
of art. Art is a product of man's creativity, imagination, and expression. No matter how
perfectty blenided the colors of a sunset are and no matter how extraordinarily formed
mountains are, nature is not considered art sirmply because it is not made by man. Not
168, even photographs or sketches of nature, though captured or drawn by man, ara works
of art, but mere recordings of the beauty in nature (Colins & Riley, 1931). An artwork
may be inspired by nature or other works fart. but an artist invents his own forms and
patterns dueeto what he perceives as beautiful and
incorporates them in creating his
masterpiece.
Perhans not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are spectators
of art. In deciding what pair of shoes to buy' we carefully examine all possible choices
within our budget and purchase the one that satisfies our beauty and practical
dards. We are able
standa odistinguish what is fine and beautiful from what is not and
is
what is good quality from poor. This gives us a role in the field of art appreciation.

Let's Get Started

In one of your encounters with art through museum visits, musicals, and plays,
among others, have you ever felt disconnected from an artwork? Was there a point in
time when you did not understand what message the art was trying to convey? I yes,
wrlte the name of the artwork in the box and atach an image of the artwork, if possible.
Explain why you think you did or did not understand the art using the space provided
on the next page.

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 T

Let's Get Down to Business

Art Appreciation as a Way of Life
Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous French philosopher of the twentieth century, described
the róle of art as a creative work that depicts the world in a completely diferent light
and perspective, and the source is due to human freedom (Greene, 1995). Each
artviork beholds beauty of its own kind, the kind that the artist sees and wants the
viewers to perceive. More often than not, people are blind to this beauty and only those
who have developed a fine sense of appreciation can experience and see the art the
same way the artist did. Because of this, numerous arworks go unnoticed, artists are
not given enough credit, and they miss opportunitles. It sometimes takes a lietime
before their contribution lo the development of art is recognized. Hence, refining one's
abiliy to appreciato art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of an artwork and
recognize the beauty it possesses (Collins &Riley, 1931).

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 In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his
taste for things that are fine and beautiul. This allows individuais to make intelligent
choices and decisions in acquiring necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better
value for time ar money while taking into consideration the aesthetic and practical
vaue (Colins &Riley, 1931). This continuous demand for aesthetically valuable things
influences the development and evolution of art and its foms.
Frequenting museums, art galleries, perforning arts theaters, concert halls, or
even malls that display art exhibitions that are free in admission during leisure time
will not only develop an understanding of the art, but wil also serve as a rewarding
experience. Learming to appreciate art, no matter what vocation or profession you
have, will lead to a fuller and imore meaningful tifle (Collins &Riley, 1931).

The Role of Creativity in Art Making

Creativity requires thinking outside the box. If is often used to solve problens that
have never occurred before, conflate function and style, and simply make life a more
unique and enjoyable experience. In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from
another. We say something is done creatively when we have not yet seen anything
like it ar when it is out of the ordinary. Acreative artist does nol simply copy or imitate
another artist's work. He does not imitate the lines, laws, colors, and patterns in
recreating nature. He embraces originality, puts his own lavor into his work, and calls
it his own creative piece.
Yet, being creative nowadays can be quile challenging. What you thought was
your own unique and creative idea may not what it seems lo be after extensive
research and that someone else has
coincidentally devised before the idea in
another part of the world. For instance,
Campaign ad "Il's More Fun in the
the camp
ribed
Philippines used by the Department
light
Each
I's more fun inthe of Tourism (DOT) boomed popularity
in 2011, but later on it was found out
that it was allegedly plagiarized from

Phil coines
s the
hose
Switzerland's tourism slogan "il's More
Fun in Switzerland," back in 1951. In
t the DOT's defense, former DOT Secretary
s are
Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was
etime "purely coincidental." Thus, creativity
one's should be backed with careful research
and on related art to avold such conflicts.
Figure 6, "its More Fun in the Philippine by
The Misadventures af Maja

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 Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art
Where do you think famous
writers, painters, and musicians get IMAGINATION!
their ideas? Where do ideas in making.
creative solutions begin? It all starts tvtar a HACHINE THAT
in the human mind. It all begins with
To 00 Ar THE
imagination.
German physicist Albert Einstein
who had made significant and major
contributiorns in science and humanity
demonstrated that knowledge is
aclually derived from imagination.
He emphasized this idea through his
Words:

"Imagination is more important

than knowledge. For knowledge
is limited to all we now know and
understand, while imagination
embraces the entire -world, and
all there evor will be to know and Flgure 7. Bob Werdsma, "Imagnalon"
understand,"

Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm, but goes beyond that.
That is why people rely on curiosity and imagination for advancement. Through
imagination, one is able to craft something botd, something new, and something better
in the hopes of creating something that vill slate change. Imagination attows
endless possibilities.
nan arlist's mind sits a vast gallery of artworks. An artwork does not need to
be a real thing, but can be something that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938). Take
for example a musician who thinks a tune in his head. The making of this tune
in his head makes it an imaginary tune, an inaginative creation, an imaginary art
(Collingwood, 1938). It remains imaginary until he hums, sings, or wriles down the
notes of fhetune on paper. However, sonehing imaginary does not necessarily mean
it cannot be called at. Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality through
creatio,.
In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination.
Imagine being in an empty room surrounded by blank, white walls, and floor. Would
you be inspired to work in such a place? Often, you will find coffee shops, restaurants,
and libraries with paintings hung or sculptures and other pieces of art placed around
 the room to add beauty to the surroundings. This craving and desire to be surrounded
by beautiful things dates back to our early ancestors (Colins &Riley, 1931). Cave
walls are surrounded by drawings and paintings of animals they hunted: wild boars,
reindeers, and bison (Figure 8). Clays were molded and stones were carved into forms
that resemble men and women; burial jars were created with intricate designs on them.
These creative pieces were made not only because they were functional to men, but
also because beauty gave them joy (Collins &Riley, 1931).

hal
ugh
Figure 8. Thomas Oune, "Cave Paintings"
Iter
ows

Art as Expression

ake Thero may have been times when you lelt something is going on within you, you
try lo explain it but you do not know haw. You may only be conscious about feeling this
une

art sort of excitement, fear, or agitation, but you know that just one word is not enough to
the describe the nature of what you truly feel. Finally,. you try to releasa yourselt from this
ean tormenting and disabliag state by doing something, which is caled expressing oneself
ugh (Colingwood, 1938). Suppose this feeling is excitement. It is frustrating to contain
such feeling. so you relieve it by expressing throughhshouting or leaping in excitement.
An emotion will remain unknown to a man until he expresses it
ion. Robin George Collingwood, an English phiosopher who is best known for his
ould
nts, work in aesthetics, explicated in his publication The Principles of At(1938) that what
an artist does to an emotion is not to induce it, but expresst. Through expression, he
und
is able to explore his own emotions and at the same time, create something beautiful
out of them. Collingwood further illustrated that expressing ermotions is something
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 is not
different from describing emotions. In his example, explicitly saying "lam inangry
relating or
is no need
an expression of an emotion, but a mere description. There emotion. Description
reserring to a speciic emotion, such as anger, in expressing one's making it ordinary
actually destróys the idea of expression, as it classifies the emotion,
individualizes. An artist has the
and predictable. Expression, on the other hand, specific techniq ue
freedom to express himself the way he wants to. Hence, there is no
of what is outsideor extenal ta
in expression. This makes people's art not a reflection
them, but a reflection of their inner selves.
list
There are countless ways of expressing oneself through art. The following
includes, but is not limited to, popular art expressions.

Visual Arts
Creatios that fal under this categcory are those that appeal to the sense of sight
ard are mainly visual in nature. Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire lo
reproduCe things that they have seen in
the way that they percelved them (Colins
&Riley, 1931). We will not be toO strict on
the definition since there are other artistic
disciplines that also Involve a visual
aspect, such as performance arts, thealer,
and applied arts, that will be discussed in
detail later on, Visual'arts is the kind of
art form that the populatlon is most likely
more exposed to, but its variations are so
diverse-hey range frorn sculptures that
you see in art galleries to the last mo vie
you saw.

Some mnediums of visual arts include

paintings, drawings, letterings, prinling, Flgure 9. John La Farge, "Carne llia in Old Chinese
Vase ck Lacquer Table
sculplures, digital imaging, and more.

Film

Film refers to the at of putting together successions of still images in orderandto

aesthetic, cultural,
create an illusion of movement. Filmmaking focuses on its
Social value and is considered as both an art and an industry. Films can be created by
Lsing one or a com.binatlon of some or all of these techniques: motion-picture camera
(also known as movie camera), animation tochniques, Computer-Generated Imagery
(CGI), and more. Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond the
scope of our imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its viewers.

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 The art of filmmaking is so complex it has to take into account many important
elements such as lighting, musical score, visual effects, direction, and more. That is
and
why in fanous film festivals and awards such as the Metro Manila Film Festival
Oscars, a long list of categories is considered to recognize excellence in the art of
filmmaking.

Performance Art
Performance art is a live art and the artist's medium is mainly the human body
which he or she uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual
art, props, or sour.d. It usually consists of four important elements: time, where the
performance took place, the performer's or performer's body, and a relationship
between the audience and the performer(s) (Moma Learning. n.d.). The fact that
performance art is live rnakes it intangible, which means it cannot be bought or traded
as a commodity, unlike the previously discussed art expressions.

Figure 10, Perlormance Art

Poetry Performance
Poetry is an art form where the atist expresses his emotions not by using painl,
charcoal, or camera, but expresses them through words. These words are carefully
selected to exhibit carity and beauty and to stimulate strong enotions of joy, anger,
love, sorrow, and the list goes on. It uses a word's emotional, musical, and spatial
values that go beyond its literal meaning to narrafe, emphasize, argue, or convince.
These words, combined with movernents, tone, volume, and intensity of the delivery.
add to the- artistic value of the poem. Sorne poets even make poems out of their
emoions picked up from other works of art, which in turn produce another work of art
through poetry.
Architecture
As discussed, art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture
is the making of beautiful buidings. However, not all buildings are beautiful. Some
buildings only embody the functionalily they need, but the structure, lines, forns,
and colors are not beautifully expressed. Thus, not all buildings can be considered
archilecture. Take, for example, the Grand Thätre de Bordeaux (Figure 11) where the
functionality of the theater remains, but the striking balance of the lines, colors, and
shapes completes the masterpiece. Buildings should embody these three important
elormentsplan, construction, and design-if they wish to merit the tile architecture
(Collins & Riley, 1931).

Figure 11, The Grand Theátre de Bordeaux

Darnce

Dance is a series of movements that follows

the rhythm of the music accompaniment. It has
been an age-old debate whether dance can
really be considered an art form, but here we
primarily describe dance as a form of expression.
Dancing is a creative form that allows people to
Ireely express themselves. It has no rules. You
may say that choreography does not allow this,
but in art expression, dancers are not confined
to set steps and rules but are free to create and
invent their own movements as long as they
deem them graceful and beautiful.

Fiqure 12. Olga Spessiva in Swan Lake Costume

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LiteraryArt
Artists who practice literary arts use
words-not paint, musical instrurments,
or chisels-to express themselves and
Communicate emotions to the readers.
However, simply becoming a writer does
not make one a literary artist. Simply
constructing a succession of sentences
in a meaningful manner is not literary
art. Literary art goes beyond the usual
professional, academic, journalistic,
and other technical forms of writing. It
focuses on writing using a unique style,
not following a specific format or norm. It
may include both fiction and non-fiction
such as novels, biographies, and poems.
Examples of famous literary artists and
their works include The Little Prince by
Antoine de Saint-Exupèry and Romeo and
Figure 13. wiam Shakespere
Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Theater

Theater uses live performers to

present accounts or imaginary events
before a live audience. Theater art
performances usually follow a script,
though they should not be confused with
literary arts. Much like in filmmaking,
theater also considers several elements
such as acting, gesture, lighting, sound
effects, musical score, scenery, and props.
The combination of these elements is what

gives the strongest impression on the

audience and the script thus becomes a

MACBETH minor element. Similar to performanca art,

since theater is also a live performance, the
participation of the viewer is an importanl
element in theater arts. Some genres of
theater include drama, musical, tragedy.
Comedy, and improvisation.
Figure 14. Macbeth
 Applied Arts
Applied arts is incorporating elements of style and design to everyday items with
the aim of increasing their aesthetical value. Artists in this field bring beauty, charm,
and comfort into many things that are useful in everyday life (Collins &Riley, 1931).
Industrial design, interior design, fashion design, and graphic design are considered
applied arts. Applied is often compared to fine arts, where the latter is chiefly concerned
on aesthetic value. Through exploration and expression of ideas, consideration of the
needs, and careful choice of materials and techniques, artists are able to
combine
functionality and style.

Let's Wrap It Up
Art is a
product of a man's creat'vity, imagination, and expression. An artwork.
may be inspired by nature or other works of art, but an artist invents his
own forms
and patterns due to what he perceives as beautiful and
his masterpiece.
incorporates them in creating
Perhaps not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are
spectators of art, which gives us all a role in the field of art appreciation. Refining one's
ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of an artwork and
recognize the beauty it possesses.
Creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. A creative artist does
not simply copy or imitate another.artist's work. He does not imitate the lines, flaws,
colors, and pattems in recreating nature. While through imagination, an artist is able
to craft something bold, something new, and something better in the hopes of creating
something that will stimulate change. In the same way that imagination produces art,
art also inspires imagination. Lastly, through expression, an artist is able to explore his
own emotions while at the same time, create something beautiful out of it. Expressing
emolions is sormething different from describing emotions. Description actualy destroys
the idea of expression, as it classifies the emotion, making it ordinary and predictable.
Expression, on the other hand, individualizes the artist.

Some forms of art expression include visual arts, film, performance art, poetry
performance, architecture, dance, literary arts, theater arts, and applied arts.
Let's Work On This
Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible.

1. What art field will you explore? Why?

How can you utilize the arts to express yourself, your community, and
your relation to others?

Let's Make It Happen

Using the table below, write down examples of the different art forms studied in
this lesson. Provide ways on how these art forms express and unmask creativity from
the artist.
How Does
How Does This This Unmask
Type of Art Example
Expression Express? the Artist's
Creativity?

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