INTRODUCTION

TO ART
APPRECIATION
Functions and
Philosophical
Perspective of Arts
- Aristotle claimed that
every particular
substance in the world
has an end, or telos in
Greek, which translates
into purpose.

- It is linked with
function.
Personal Functions
of Art
- Varied and highly
subjective. Functions
depend on the artist who
created the art.

- an artist may create art

out of self-expression,
entertainment, or
therapeutic purpose.
Social Functions of
Art
- Art is considered to have a
social function if and when
it addresses a particular
collective interest instead of
a personal interest.

- Art may convey a

message or protest,
contestation, or whatever
message the artist intends
- Political art is a
prevalent example of
art with a social
function.

- it can depict
conditions such as
photography such as
pictures of poverty.
- Performance art like
plays or satires can
also rouse emotions
and rally people
toward a particular
end.
Physical Functions of
Art
- It can be found in artworks
that are crafted to serve
some physical purpose.
Architecture, jewelry
making, and interior design
all serve physical functions.
Famous architect in
the Philippines,
Jason Buensalido.
Famous interior
designer in the
Philippines,
Beatrice “Bea”
Panlilio-Valdes
Jewelmer. A famous
local jewelry maker
in the Philippines
that specializes in
working with the
finest cultured
South Sea pearls
from Palawan.
Other Functions of
Art
- Music was
principally used for
dance and religion.
It is used to
facilitate worship
and invoke gods.

-Today, music has

expanded its
functions and
- Music nowadays has
no connection to
dance or religion.
- Serenade is when
people compose
hymns to express
feelings and
emotions.
- It is also used as
accompaniment to
- Sculptures have
been made by man,
most particularly for
religion.

- In the Roman
Catholic world, the
employment of
sculptures for
religious purposes
La
Venganza
de la Madre
(The
Mother’s
Revenge) in
1894 by
Jose
Protacio
Rizal
Philosophical
Perspectives of Art
Art as Imitation

- Plato’s masterpiece, The

Republic paints a picture of
artists as imitators and art
as mere imitations.
Art as Imitation

- Plato was convinced that

artists merely reinforced
the belief in copies and
discouraged men from
reaching the real entities in
the World of Forms.
- According to him, 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 and the art is
dangerous because it
provides petty replacement
Art as a Representation

- Aristotle agreed with his

teacher Plato that art is a
form of imitation.

- However, Aristotle
considered art to aid
philosophy in revealing the
truth.
Art as a Representation

- According to him, all

kinds of art including
poetry, dance, music,
painting, and sculpture do
not aim to represent reality
as it is.
Art as a Representation

- What art endeavors to do

is provide a vision of what
might be or the myriad
possibilities in reality.
- In the Aristotelian
worldview, art serves two
particular purposes:

1. It allows for the

experience of pleasure.
2. It can be instructive and
teach its audience things
about life, thus, a cognitive
Art as a Disinterested
Judgement

- Immanuel Kant
considered the judgment of
beauty universal despite
its subjectivity.

- He mentioned that
judgment of beauty,
Art as a Communication of
Emotion

- In his book What is Art,

Leo Tolstoy defended the
production of the
sometimes truly
extravagant arts.
Art as a Communication of
Emotion

- Art plays a huge role in

communicating to its
audiences emotions that
the artist previously
experienced.
Art as a Communication of
Emotion

- Art serves as a language,

a communication device
that articulates feelings
and emotions that are
otherwise unavailable to
the audience.
Art as a Communication of
Emotion

- As a purveyor of man’s
innermost feelings and
thoughts, art is given a
unique opportunity to
serve as a mechanism for
social unity.
Subject and Content
- In viewing art, some clues
mediate between the
artwork and the viewer,
allowing the viewer to more
easily comprehend what he
is seeing.

- There are three basic

components of a work of art:
1. Subject
- the visual focus or the
image that may be extracted
from examining the artwork.
It is the “what”.
2. Content
- the meaning that is
communicated by the artist
or the artwork, the “why”.
3. Form
- the development and
configuration of the artwork
– how the elements and the
medium or material are put
together. The “how”.
Types of Subjects
1. Representation art
- these types of art
have subjects that refer to
objects that refer to
objects/events occurring in
the real world.

- It is also termed
figurative art because the
figures depicted are easy to
2. Non-representational art
- art forms that do not
refer to the real world,
whether it is a person, place,
thing, or even a particular
event.

- It is stripped down to
visual elements such as
shapes, lines, and colors that
are employed to translate a
3. Abstract art
- abstract art is still
representational art because it
shows a complete reference
from the real world.

- The only thing in the

abstract is that it distorts
reality.
3. Abstract art
- The work of Pablo
Picasso “Head of a Woman”
shows an example of abstract
art.

- The artwork shows a

degree of distortion or
abstraction which is a total
departure from reality which
makes it more
Sources of Subject
1. Nature
2. History
3. Greek and Roman
mythology
4. Judeo-Christian
tradition
5. Sacred oriental texts
6. Other works of art
1.
Nature
2.
History

Like the Liberty

leading the
People
3. Greek and
Roman
mythology
4. Judeo-Christian
tradition
5. Sacred oriental
texts
6. Other works of art
Kinds of Subject
 Mythology
Still life Myth
Animals Dreams
Figures
Fantasies
Nature
Cityscape
Landscape
Content in Art
- The meaning or
message that is
expressed or
communicated by the
artwork.

- In understanding the
content of art, it is
important to note that
Factual meaning – the
most rudimentary level
of meaning for may be
extracted from the
identifiable or
recognizable forms in
the artwork and
understanding how
these elements relate
Conventional meaning -
pertains to the
acknowledged
interpretation of the artwork
using motifs, signs,
symbols, and other ciphers
as the basis of its meaning.
These conventions are
established through time,
strengthened by recurrent
Subjective meaning –
these meanings stem
from the viewer’s or
audience’s
circumstances that
come into play when
engaging with art. The
meaning may not be
singular but rather,
Elements of Art
1. Line – a mark
with length and
direction. A
continuous mark
made on a surface
by a moving point.
2. Color - consists
of hue (another
word for color),
intensity
(brightness), and
value (lightness or
darkness).
3. Shape – an
enclosed area
defined and
determined by
other art
elements; 2-
dimensional.
4. Form – a 3-
dimensional object
or something in a
2-dimensional
artwork that
appears to be 3-
dimensional.
5. Space – the
distance or area
between, around,
above, below, or
within things.
6. Texture – the
surface quality or
“feel” of an object,
its smoothness,
roughness,
softness, etc.
Textures may be
actual or implied.
Principles of Art
1. Balance – the way
elements are arranged
to create a feeling of
stability in a work.
A. Symmetrical balance
– the parts of an image
are organized so that
one side mirrors the
other.
B. Asymmetrical
balance – when one side
2. Emphasis – the
focal point of an
image, or when
one area or thing
stands out the
most.
3. Contrast – a
large difference
between two
things to create
interest and
tension.
4. Rhythm and
Movement – a
regular repetition
of elements to
produce the look
and feel of
movement.
5. Pattern and
Repetition – refer
to the repetition of
a design
6. Unity – when all
the elements and
principles work
together to create
a pleasing image.
7. Variety – the
use of differences
and change to
increase the visual
interest of the
work.
8. Proportion – the
comparative
relationship of one
part to another
concerning size,
quantity, or
degree, scale.
 COLORS AND THEIR MEANINGS

RED ORANGE PURPLE

Passion, courage, Energy, Royalty, nobility,
prosperity, endurance, inspiration, spirit
strength curiosity, joy

BLUE GREEN YELLOW

Peace, harmony, Nature, healing, Happiness, hope,
trust, hospitality growth, life clarity, family
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INFOGRAPHIC RESOURCES