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Art-Appreciation -Creativity-Imagination-Expression
bs nursing (Southwestern University PHINMA)
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Lesson 2: Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination, & Expression
It takes an artist to make art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. However, 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 perfectly blended the
colors of a sunset are and no matter how extraordinarily formed mountains are, nature is not
considered art simply because it is not made by man. Not even photographs or sketches of
nature, though captured or drawn by man, are works of art, but mere recordings of the beauty in
nature (Collins & Riley, 1931). 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
incorporates them in creating his masterpiece.
Perhaps 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 standards. We are able to distinguish
what is fine and beautiful from what is not and 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? If yes, write the name of the artwork
in the box and attach 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.
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 role
of art as a creative work that depicts the world in a completely different light and perspective,
and the source is due to human freedom (Greene, 1995). Each artwork 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
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experience and see the art the same way the artist did. Because of this, numerous artworks go
unnoticed, artists are not given enough credit, and they miss opportunities. It sometimes takes a
lifetime before their contribution to the development of art is recognized. Hence, refining one's
ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of an artwork and recognize
the beauty it possesses (Collins & Riley, 1931).
In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his taste for
things that are fine and beautiful. This allows individuals to make intelligent choices and
decisions in acquiring necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better value for time or
money while taking into consideration the aesthetic and practical value (Collins & Riley, 1931).
This continuous demand for aesthetically valuable things influences the development and
evolution of art and its forms.
Frequenting museums, art galleries, performing 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 will also serve as a rewarding experience. Learning to appreciate
art, no matter what vocation or profession you have, will lead to a fuller and more meaningful
life (Collins & Riley, 1931).
The Role of Creativity in Art Making
Creativity requires thinking outside the box. It is often used to solve problems 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 or when it is out of the
ordinary. A 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. He embraces originality, puts
his own flavor into his work, and calls it his own creative piece.
Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. What you thought was your own
unique and creative idea may not what it seems to be after extensive research and that someone
else has coincidentally devised before the idea in another part of the world. For instance, the
campaign ad "It's More Fun in the Philippines" used by the Department of Tourism (DOT)
boomed popularity in 2011, but later on it was found out that it was allegedly plagiarized from
Switzerland's tourism slogan "It's More Fun in Switzerland," back in 1951. In DOT's defense,
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former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it was "purely coincidental." Thus,
creativity should be backed with careful research on related art to avoid such conflicts.
Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art
Where do you think famous writers, painters, and musicians get their ideas? Where do
ideas in making creative solutions begin? It all starts in the human mind. It all begins with
imagination.
German physicist Albert Einstein who had made significant and major contributions in
science and humanity demonstrated that knowledge is actually 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 ever will be to
know and 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 bold, something new, and something better in the hopes of creating something
that will stimulate change. Imagination allows endless possibilities.
In an artist'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 of a tune in his head. The making of this tune in his head makes it an imaginary tune,
an imaginative creation, an imaginary art (Collingwood, 1938). It remains imaginary until he
hums, sings, or writes down the notes of the tune on paper. However, something imaginary does
not necessarily mean it cannot be called art. Artists use their imagination that gives birth to
reality through creation.
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 (Collins & 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
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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).
Art as Expression
There may have been times when you felt something is going on within you, you try to
explain it but you do not know how. You may only be conscious about feeling this sort of
excitement, fear, or agitation, but you know that just one word is not enough to describe the
nature of what you truly feel. Finally, you try to release yourself from this tormenting and
disabling state by doing something, which is called expressing oneself (Collingwood, 1938).
Suppose this feeling is excitement. It is frustrating to contain such feeling, so you relieve it by
expressing through shouting or leaping in excitement. An emotion will remain unknown to a
man until he expresses it.
Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for his work in
aesthetics, explicated in his publication The Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist does to
an emotion is not to induce it, but express it. Through expression, he is able to explore his own
emotions and at the same time, create something beautiful out of them. Collingwood further
illustrated that expressing emotions is something different from describing emotions. In his
example, explicitly saying "I am angry" is not an expression of an emotion, but a mere
description. There is no need in relating or referring to a specific emotion, such as anger, in
expressing one's emotion. Description actually destroys the idea of expression, as it classifies the
emotion, making it ordinary and predictable. Expression, on the other hand, individualizes. An
artist has the freedom to express himself the way he wants to. Hence, there is no specific
technique in expression. This makes people's art not a reflection of what is outside or external to
them, but a reflection of their inner selves.
There are countless ways of expressing oneself through art. The following list includes,
but is not limited to, popular art expressions.
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Visual Arts
Creations that fall under this category are those that appeal to the sense of sight and are
mainly visual in nature. Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire to reproduce things that
they have seen in the way that they perceived them (Collins & 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, theater, and applied arts, that will be discussed in detail later on. Visual
arts is the kind of art form that the population is most likely more exposed to, but its variations
are so diverse-they range from sculptures that you see in art galleries to the last movie you saw.
Some mediums of visual arts include paintings, drawings, letterings, printing,
sculptures, digital imaging, and more.
Film
Film refers to the 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. Films can be created by using one or a combination of
some or all of these techniques: motion-picture camera (also known as movie camera), animation
techniques, 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.
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 why in famous film
festivals and awards such as the Metro Manila Film Festival and 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 sound. 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 makes it intangible, which means it
cannot be bought or traded as a commodity, unlike the previously discussed art expressions.
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Poetry Performance
Poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions not by using paint, charcoal,
or camera, but expresses them through words. These words are carefully selected to exhibit
clarity and beauty and to stimulate strong emotions 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
narrate, emphasize, argue, or convince. These words, combined with movements, tone, volume,
and intensity of the delivery, add to the artistic value of the poem. Some poets even make poems
out of their emotions 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 buildings. However, not all buildings are beautiful. Some buildings only
embody the functionality they need, but the structure, lines, forms, and colors are not beautifully
expressed. Thus, not all buildings can be considered architecture. Take, for example, the Grand
Theatre 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 elements-plan, construction, and design-if they wish to merit the title
architecture (Collins & Riley, 1931).
Dance
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 freely 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.
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Literary Art
Artists who practice literary arts use words-not paint, musical instruments, 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-Exupery and Romeo and 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 minor element. Similar to performance art, since theater is also a live performance,
the participation of the viewer is an important element in theater arts. Some genres of theater
include drama, musical, tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.
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 areuseful 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.
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Let's Wrap It Up
Art is a product of a man's creativity, 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 incorporates them in creating his masterpiece. 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 patterns 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 emotions is something different from describing emotions.
Description actually 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.
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