ART – something that is perenially around us
Ancient Latin, “ars” means a craft or specialized form of
skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery (collingwood,
1938)
ARS – medieval latin came to mean “any special form of booklearning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology” (collingwood,
1938)
ASSUMPTIONS OF ART
ART IS UNIVERSAL
Is a universal language
Timeless and universal, spanning generations and
continents through and through
“…art is not good because it is old, but old because it is
good” (Dudley et al., 1960)
Crafted by all people regardless of origin, time, place and
that it is stayed on because it is liked and enjoyed by
people continuously
ART IS NOT NATURE
Man’s expression of his nature
Man’s way of interpreting nature
Made by man, whereas nature is given around us
Artists are not expected to duplicate nature just as even
scientists with their elaborate laboratories cannot make
nature
ART INVOLVES EXPERIENCE
Just experience. The actual doing of something
All art depends on experience, and if one is to know art, he
must know it not as a fact or information but as
experience
Every experience in art is accompanied with some emotion
Feeling and emotions are concrete proofs that the artwork
has been experienced
ART AS A PRODUCT OF IMAGINATION
It all starts in the human mind. It all begins with
imagination.
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
ever will be to know and understand
One is able to craft something bold, something new, and
something better
Artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can be
something that is imaginary
Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality
through creation
ART AS EXPRESSION
Expressing oneself
Emotion will remain unknown to a man until he expresses
it
He is able to explore his own emotions and at the same
time, create something beautiful out of them
ART AS CREATIVITY
Thinking outside the box
What sets apart one artwork from another
Out of the ordinary
Creative artist does not simply copy or imitate another
artist’s work
He does not imitate the lines, flaws, colors and patterns in
recreating nature
Embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work and
calls it his own creative piece
FORMS OF ART EXPRESSION
VISUAL ARTS
Appeal to the sense of sight and are mainly visual in nature
Population is most likely more exposed to
Paintings, drawings, letterings, printing, sculptures, digital
imaging, and more
FILM
Art of putting together successions of still images in order
to create an illusion of movement
Filmmaking focuses on its aesthetic, cultural and social
value and is considered as both an art and an industry
Motion-picture camera, animation techniques, computergenerated imagery 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
PERFORMANCE ART
Medium is mainly human body which he or she uses to
perform
Four elements: time, where the performance took place,
the performer’s body and a relationship between the
audience and the performer
POETRY PERFORMANCE
Artist’s expresses his emotion not by using paint, charcoal,
or camera, but expresses them through words
Uses word’s emotional, musical and special values that go
beyond its literal meaning to narrate, emphasize, argue or
convince
Combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of
the delivery
ARCHITECTURE
Art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while
architecture is the making of beautiful buildings. Buildings
should embody these three important elements: plan,
construction and design
DANCE
Series of movements the follows the rhythm of the music
accompaniment
Describe dance as a form of expression
Creative form that allows people to freely express
themselves. It has no rules
Dancers are free to create and invent their own
movements
LITERARY ART
Use of words to express themselves and communicate
emotions to the readers
Focuses on writing using a unique style, not following a
specific format or norm
THEATER
Uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary
events before a live audience
Follows a script
Participation of the viewer is an important element
APPLIED ARTS
Incorporating elements of style and design to everyday
items with the aim of increasing their aesthetical value
Industrial design, interior design, fashion design and
graphic design
Able to combine functionality and style
ARISTOTLE (greek philosopher)
Every particular substance in the world has an end, or telos
in Greek, which translates into “purpose”
TELOS
-
Intricately linked with function. For a thing to reach its
purpose, it also has to fulfill its function. Bound to achieve
a life fulfillment and happiness
FUNCTIONS OF ART
An inquiry on the function of art is an inquiry on what art is
for
Classified into three: Personal (public display or
expression), Social (celebration or to effect collective
behavior) and Physical (utilitarian)
PERSONAL FUNCTIONS OF ART
Varied and highly subjective
Depends on the person who created the art
May create an art out of the need for self-expression
Therapeutic, art is used to help residents process their
emotions or while away their time
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF ART
Addresses a particular collective interest as opposed to a
personal interest
Depict social conditions
PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS OF ART
Easiest to spot and understand
Found in artworks that are crafted in order to serve some
physical purpose
OTHER FUNCTIONS OF ART

MUSIC – art is in its original form was principally functional
-used for dance and religion
-essential to dance because music assures synchronity
-people compose hymns of love to express feelings and
emotions

SCULPTURE – made by man most importantly for religion
-religious purposes has remained vital, relevant and
symbolic

ARCHITECTURE – most prominent functional art form
-intimate connection of function and form
-
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ART
ART AS AN IMITATION

PLATO (2000) – 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 forms
ART AS REPRESENTATION

ARISTOTLE – aid to philosophy in revealing truth
-art endeavors to do is to provide a vision of what might be
or the myriad possibilities in reality
ART AS A DISINTERESTED JUDGMENT

IMMANUEL KANT – considered the judgment of beauty,
the cornerstone of art, as something that can be universal
despite its subjectivity
ART AS A COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION

LEO TOLSTOY – art plays a huge role in communication to
its audience’s emotion that the artist previously
experienced
-art communicates emotions
-art is central to man’s existence because it makes
accessible feelings and emotions of people from past and
present.
TYPES OF SUBJECT
PORTRAITS – subjects that refer to objects or events occurring in the
real world (Representational Art)
Also termed figurative art, figures depicted are easy to
make out and decipher.
Non-Representational Art – (non-figurative art) does not make a
reference to the real world
Stripped down to visual elements such as shapes, lines and
colors that are employed to translate a particular feeling,
emotion, and even concept.
SOURCES AND KINDS OF SUBJECT
GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
gave faces to Greek and Roman deities or the gods and
goddesses
GOTHIC
churches were characterized by three things: soaring
heights (ceilings), volume (flying buttresses and ribbed
vault), and light (bright stained glass windows, airy and
pleasant interiors.
Art was central to religious exprerience
HISTORY
Dicovery, innovation and man’s incessant search for glory
potted a dynamic course of history
CONTENT IN ART
Identifiable or recognizable forms
Motifs, signs, symbols and other cyphers as bases of its
meaning
Subjective meaning
Factual perspective
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ELEMENTS OF ART: VISUAL
LINE – point moving at an identifiable path – has length,
width, one-dimensional
-ability to direct the eyes to follow movement or provide
hints as to a work’s focal point
a) HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL – communicate stability
and firmness
H – rest or calm
V – connote elevation or height
b) DIAGONAL OR CROOKED
D – movement and stability, progression can be seen
C – violence, conflict, struggle
c) CURVE – bend or coil. Allude to softness, grace,
flexibility or even sensuality
SHAPE AND FORM
S – refers to 2 dimensions: height and width
F – 3 dimensions: height, width and depth
a) GEOMETRIC – find origin in mathematical
propositions (squares, triangles, cubes, etc.)
b) ORGANIC – readily occurring in nature, often irregular
and asymmetrical
SPACE – related to form and shape
-informed from sense of depth, whether it is real or
simulated
-real space is 3 dimensional
a) POSITIVE SPACE – shadow
NEGATIVE SPACE – white space
b) 3D SPACE - shading
COLOR
TEXTURE – enhances the appeal of an artwork
a) HUE
Primary – red, yellow, blue
Secondary – green, orange, violet
Tertiary – primary and secondary are mixed
b) VALUE – brightness or darkness of color
Light colors – source of light
6.
7.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
Dark colors – lack or even absence of light
Tint – lighter color than the normal value (red-> pink)
Shade – darker color than the normal value (red->maroon)
c) INTENSITY – color’s brightness or dullness. Strength of
color whether vivid or muted
Bright or warm colors – positive energy
Dull/cool colors – sedate/soothing, seriousness/calm
Monochromatic harmonies – variations of hue
Complementary harmonies – two colors opposite to each
other
Analogous harmonies – two colors beside each other
TEXTURE – can be real or implied. Experienced through
sense of touch (and sight)
a) TWO-DIMENSIONAL PLANE – can be implied using one
technique. Rough or smooth, hard or soft, hairy, leathery,
sharp or dull, etc.
b) SURFACE TEXTURE – 3D art object
PLANES AND PERSPECTIVE
a) PICTURE PLANE – actual surface of the painting or
drawing, no illusion of a third dimension exists
b) RENAISSANCE – chiascuro was developed. Made use of
light and dark contracts and times in with paintings not
only looked 3D but also more dramatic
THREE TYPES OF PERSPECTIVE
a) ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE – used in depicting roads,
tracks, hallways, or rows of trees. Shows parallel lines that
seem to coverage
b) TWO-POINT PERSPECTIVE – pertains to a painting or
drawing that makes use of two vanishing points
c) THREE-POINT PERSPECTIVE – scene from above or
below
ELEMENTS OF ART: AUDITORY
RHYTHM – associated to terms beat, meter, and tempo,
rhythm is the element of music that situates it in time
DYNAMICS – loudness or quietness of music
MELODY – linear presentation of pitch. Pitch is the
highness or lowness of musical sound
HARMONY – can be described in terms of its “harshess”
Dissonance – harsh-sounding
Consonance – smooth-sounding
TIMBRE – likened to the color of music. Quality that
distinguishes a voice or an instrument from another
TEXTURE – no. of melodies, type of layers, and their
relatedness in a composition is the texture of music
Monophonic – single melodic lines
Polyphonic – two or more melodic lines
Homophonic – main melody accompanied by chords
PRINCIPLES OF ART
BALANCE – distribution of the visual elements in view of
their placement in relation to each other
a) Symmetrical – one side are reflected to the other, most
stable
b) Asymmetrical – not the same, heaviness on one side
c) Radial – central point, elements and objects are
distributed
SCALE AND PROPORTION
Scale - pertains to the size
Proportion – size of the components
Proportion can be:
Natural – realistic size
Exaggerated – unusual size
Idealized – canons of perfection, ideal-size relations
3.
EMPHASIS – focal point(s), accentuating or drawing
attention to these elements or objects
4. CONTRAST – disparity between the elements
5. UNITY - completeness
6. VARIETY -retain the interest by allowing patches or areas
that both excite and allow the eye to rest
7. HARMONY – sense of flow and interconnectedness
8. MOVEMENT – direction of the viewing eye
9. RHYTHM – element is repeated, creating implied
movement
10. REPETITION – recurring manner
11. PATTERN – image created out of repetition
COMBINED ARTS – ex. dance, theater, installation art, film, video art
HYBRID ARTS – reminiscent of the motivations of the Renaissance,
and whose emergence is hinged on the frontiers of science and
technology.
ART IN EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
STONE AGE
stones were used to make tools for survival
some artifacts in the form of cave paintings and sculptures
would serve as the “storyteller”
PREHISTORIC ART
gradual shift from a nomadic lifestyle of early humans to that of
permanent settlements, paving the way for the rise of early
civilizations.
PALEOLITHIC ART – product of climate change
caves became protective havens for the early humans
caves paved the way for the birth of their first attempts to
create art
MESOLITHIC ART – hunter gatherer
foreshortening and contrasting of light and shadows
linkage between what was drawn and what could happen
in real life
NEOLITHIC ART – learned to cultivate the land and domesticate
animals
EGYPTIAN ART – Fertile Ribbon starts from the banks of the Nile
River, which flows north to Africa and ventures into the
Mediterranean.
art should be something religious and spiritual
OLD KINGDOM – religion was bound to the afterlife
they decorated the tombs with everyday objects that
would reflect day-to-day activities as if the afterlife is a
mere continuation of what transpired on earth.
Narmer Palette was a palette that utilized and applied dark
colors around King Narmer’s eyes.
the pyramids in Giza served as tombs since their main
purpose was to provide a resting place for pharaohs,
constructed with more than two million blocks
MIDDLE KINGDOM – shift in the political hierarchy
art during the middle kingdom had some references from
the old kingdom
the Asiatic Tribe introduced Bonze Age weapons and
horses to the Egyptians
NEW KINGDOM – had references from both of the preceding
kingdoms
Egypt has established itself as a more advanced and
powerful civilizations
ANCIENT GREECE – Greeks were known to excel in various fields and
aspects of society
man was at the center of society and how they trained
their minds
FOUR PERIODS OF GREEK ART
1. GEOMETRIC – geometric shapes and patterns have taken
the spotlight in the most artworks
2. ARCHAIC – importance on human figures
3. CLASSICAL – peak of Greek sculpture and architecture
4. HELLENISTIC – Greeks found themselves rebuilding their
temples and focus on creating artworks
ANCIENT ROME – came of age during the Hellenistic period
Greek culture’s influence has reached its peak in the
Mediterranean world
Romans were also known to be master builders, which
earned their reputation for grand monuments and
architectural infrastructures
MIDDLE AGES – period between the decline of the Roman Empire
and the Renaissance.
ignorance and darkness
church was the most important figure; copied the Christian
scriptures
TWO PERIODS DURING MIDDLE AGE
1. ROMANESQUE – darker; inspired by the old roman empire
2. GOTHIC – lighter; more northern flavor from the Goths –
vulgar and barbarian
RENAISSANCE ART – valued the individual as a subject of arts
emphasized the naturalism, which was also an influence of
humanism since there was a great emphasis on the
proportionality of the human body.
revival of the Roman theatrical plays
MANNERISM – displayed distorted figures, two-dimensional spaces,
discordant hues and colors, and lack of defined local point.
BAROQUE AND THE ROCOCO – Portuguese term barocco translated
as “irregularly shaped pearl
motion and space were taken into consideration by artists
like the use of dramatic lighting and the concept of time
people believed that music could serve as powerful tool to
communicate messages that can evoke certain feelings
among its listeners.
NEOCLASSICISM – emergence of modern painting exhibitions
movement that time which basically aimed to revive and
rekindle the influences of Greek and Roman into art and
architecture.
ROMANTICISM – highlighted heroic elements
emphasis on the goodness of mankind
justice, equality and social order
emphasized emotions and feelings of man
REALISM – accuracy of details that depicts and somehow mirrors
reality
IMPRESSIONISM – scientific principles to achieve a more distinct
representation of color
emphasize the immediate impression he has of a particular
event or scene
POST-IMPRESSIONISM – broken colors and short brush stroke
NEO-IMPRESSIONISM – response to empirical realism of
impressionism
pointillism utilizes discrete dots and dashes of pure color
ART NOUVEAU – asymmetrical line, form of insect wings or flower
stalks
FAUVISM – pure and vibrant colors by applying straight from the
paint tubes directly to the canvas
unnatural or striking colors, manifest individualism
CUBISM – two-dimensional surface of the picture plane
focusing on flat surface
FUTURISM – speed, energy, dynamism and power of machines
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART
CONTEMPORARY – present, today, now
MODERN – anything goes
OTHER CONTEMPORARY ART MOVEMENTS
NEO-POP ART – pop art
PHOTOREALISM – realistic depictions
precision that it start to look like it is a photo without a
direct reference to the artist who created it
CONCEPTUALISM – fought against the idea that art is commodity
PERFORMANCE ART – may be planned or spontaneous and done
live or recorded
INSTALLATION ART – kind of an immersive work where the
environment or the space in which the viewer steps into or interacts
with is transformed or altered
large-scale, host of objects, materials, conditions, and even
light and aural components
EARTH ART – natural environment or a specific site or space is
transformed by artists
STREET ART – graffiti art
ex. murals, stenciled images, stickers, and installations
CULTURE AND THE ARTS
SOULMAKING – In order for humans to make sense of language and
derive meanings from words, semantics and grammatical rules are
important elements considered
contexts and symbols are also considered to interpret and
analyze either verbal or written works
IMPROVISATION – doing something without prior preparation
APPROPRIATION – if an apprentice painter needs to hone his skills in
his craft, he would be allowed to use his master’s work to copy
ART IN ASIA
CHINESE ART – monumental styles wherein rocks and mountains
served as a barrier that made the viewer distracted initially from the
main subject of the work
porcelain to make decorative ornaments, such as vases
and jars
central theme: nature
themes include everyday activities, war and violence,
death, and nature
JAPANESE ART – ceramic products created called Haniwa, made of
clay
Buddha images and sculptures
Buddhist temples became staples in key places
minimalist
ukiyo-e, crafted through woodcut prints
PHILIPPINE ART – use art not only for daily activities but also for
religious rituals and practices
pottery, weaving, and the use of metalwork and jewelry.
T’boli people from Mindanao are known for their woven
abaca cloth called t’nalak
Tausug and Maranao people are known for their okir
designs applied to woodcarvings. Sarimanok, aga and pako
Sarimanok design of a mythical bird either standing on a
fish or holding a piece of fish on its break