Audrey Velesky Unit 1 Critical Thinking 1. Why do we study art? What benefits can we gain from studying art? We study art since it teaches us about the past. Studying art gives us knowledge about how people lived, events that took place, and cultures that existed in the past. Additionally, art is important to other parts of life, such as religion, and art is also involved in the design of things that serve specific functions. 2. Does art have to be beautiful? Why or why not? Art does not have to be beautiful because art is personal. One of the reasons people create art is to express themselves and their emotions. Art gives humans a way to fulfill the desire to interact with their surroundings and their imaginations. Also, beauty is objective. 3. The unit has an image of The Cross of Lothair. Describe what categories or types of art this piece fits into. Why do you think this piece was created? The Cross of Lothair is decorative art because it is an art piece that serves a purpose; it is used in worship rituals. This piece was created for religious purposes as it is used in church services. The creators believed it would help people to worship more effectively because of the object’s beauty and the rare materials used in its creation. 4. What are three reasons art is created? Discuss each reason. As well as for reasons of personal expression and fulfillment, art can be created to make money and/or political statements and also to convey information. Many artists create art in order to make a living through selling their pieces. Some even work for commission, which is when a customer requests that an artist make a piece, which is then bought by the customer. Political propaganda can take the form of art; many artists use their skills in order to influence the perspectives of others on political subjects. Lastly, in much the same way, art can be used to display information in an eye-catching way. This is a helpful application of art because it is accessible to those who cannot understand writing. 5. How does art influence your life? (Think about aspects such as creating art, art found in your home or places you visit, visual arts such as photographs and motion pictures, and so on.) While I am not a regular creator of art, I do consume art on a daily basis. I like to dress up, and fashion is a form of art. I see a lot of visual art on social media platforms, such as photos and digital pieces that I enjoy each day. Additionally, there are many objects that I own that can be considered decorative artworks.
