UNIT 1 THE OVERVIEW OF ART

Lesson 1: Assumptions of Arts

This lesson exposes the students with the different concepts, meanings and ideas
about art which help broaden their view and understanding of art.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. Clarified misconceptions about art;

2. Distinguished art;

3. Differentiated art from nature.

In Focus

What is art?

Art comes from Aryan root word “AR” which means to join or to put together, from
the Latin term “ARS” means ‘artificially made or composed by man’, and from the
Renaissance words “arti” and “arte”, which means craft guild and craftsmanship,
respectively.

Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest and most important
means of expression developed by man. People during the prehistoric times used painting,
drawing and sculpture to convey concepts and ideas, and share experiences.

It concerns itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means of
sensuous medium – color, sound, bronze, marble, words, and film, which are fashioned into
symbolic language marked by beauty of design and coherence of form. It appeals to the
mind, arouses the emotion, kindles the imagination and enhances the senses.

Art can be found in all ages and all countries. Because art is a form of expression of
man, it is natural to find forms of art in different countries and different periods of time. This
is perhaps the reason of art historian in classifying art based on historical periods like
prehistoric art, classic art, renaissance art, etc., and based on geography such as African art,
Chinese Art, Egyptian art, etc.

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 Also, art does not grow old and die. It lives because it is liked and enjoyed.

Art also involves experience. Artists has to have an experience that he/she needs to
put in making an art. His/Her skill and ideas are part of this experience. On the other hand,
observer/interpreter needs a kind of experience and enters into a kind of experience to
understand and appreciate the art.

Art is a product of man’s need to express himself. Expressing oneself is a need of

man, and art-making is one way, and perhaps the best way of doing it. Artists paint or
compose music to express love, anger or frustration. Dancers dance to express happiness
or sadness. Authors write to show protest, support of the status quo, or even to express fear
and anxiety.

Art is interdisciplinary. Various disciplines are interwoven in art. A certain painting

can teach not only about colors, line, texture, etc. but also about history, culture, religion.

Art is universal but has no universal meaning.

According to Leo Tolstoy, a well-known Russian novelist, “Art is a means of union

among all men, a means of communication.”

Beneditto Croce, an Italian philosopher, thinks of art as “vision.” In doing an art

work, he believes that an artist creates a picture of phantasm.

St. Thomas Aquinas also believes that “art is the direct opposite of practical.” He
said that “the artist may be immoral, and yet his work may be good.”

On the other hand, Aristotle thinks that “art is the right reason for making things.”
He also believes that “art has no other end but itself, and that all arts are patterned on nature.

Furthermore, John Dewey, defines art as “experience…the refined and intensified

forms of experience are works of art.”

Art is an act, an idea or a product that changes an existing domain, or that transforms
an existing domain into a new one.

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 Lesson 2: Theories of Art

This lesson familiarizes students with the different theories of art which help clarify
varied assumptions of art and widen students perspectives of art.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. Explained art works based on the theories of art;

2. Discussed the various theories of art;

In Focus

Theories of Art

People conceive art in many different ways. The following theories of art help
explain these various views on art.

Imitationism/Imitationalism (Mimetic Theory). This theory asserts that art is the

imitation of the appearance of reality.

According to Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, all artistic creation is a form of

imitation; a representation of nature.

Representationalism. It is a theory which stresses that art is a copy, an image, an

appearance or a reproduction of things, people, objects, nature and events. It sees art as
portraying the visible forms of nature. The particularity of individual objects, scenes or
persons may be emphasized, or the generic, the common, the essential.

Examples of these art are the figurative art, which can be realistic and detailed like
the trompe l’oile or the semi-abstract art which contains forms but the representations are
still noticeable.

There are three ways of representing nature based on this theory. These are:

Physical Alteration. It is the process of changing the physical appearance of nature,

like a natural marble that turn into a sculpture by carving and cutting.

Selective Modification. It is the process of enhancing the appearance of nature, like a

forest that becomes a garden by arranging and trimming the plants, or a woman beautifying
herself by putting cosmetics on her face.

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 Perceptual Interpretation. It is the process of copying nature according to the
subjective interpretation of the artist, but the resulting image is still recognizable.

Formalism. This theory views that art is the combination of perceptual elements.
These elements, like line, shapes, value, texture and colors, seen together by the spectator,
make up the form, and such form is the art.

Example of this is the non-figurative art which does not contain any representations.
It has to be seen only as formal patterns and designs, like the arabesque in Islamic art and the
works of the suprematists.

Expressionism. In this theory, art is viewed as the expression of the artist’s emotion.
Often, expressionist artists use very bold color or lines to actually exemplify the physical
energy they were feeling when they made the work.

Action Theory. It is a theory which asserts that art is the activity or work
performed by the artists in the process of producing the art.

Jackson Pollock, an American painter (1912-1956) put into practice the Action
Theory of Art. In the Philippines, the most famous action painter is Jose Joya (1931-1995).

Institutional Theory. This theory stresses that art is the integration of objects within
the artworld. It is also called the Theory of the Artworld.

Artworld is a social institution composed of people who have been recognized to

have influence and power over the production, exhibition, dissemination and consumption of
art. It includes:

 artists
 art critics
 art historians/educators
 art patrons/curators
 art museums/galleries
 schools/clubs
 art awards
 recognitions/popularity
 art journals
 TV/newspapers

Moreover, the artworld sets its criteria in recognizing an artist which include the
following:

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 o Has skill and talent
o Study in art school
o Has degree in fine arts
o Become a member of art organizations
o Win recognitions, prizes and awards
o Has artworks exhibited in museums, galleries
o Mentioned in books, media and art history
o Become well known
o Revolutionized art

Lesson 3: Kinds of Art

This lesson provides short and direct descriptions of the different kinds of art which
help the students make an informed and intelligent appreciation of art.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. Categorized works of art by citing personal experiences;

2. Identified art according to its classification;
3. Compared and contrasted kinds of art, and
4. Developed their preference and appreciation with art.

In Focus

Kinds of Arts

Arts can be classified into visual, performing or combined arts. Under these
classifications are other sub-classifications.

Visual Arts

Visual arts are the arts perceived with eyes. These may be classified into two groups:
graphic and plastic arts.

Graphic arts include artistic representation recorded on a flat or two-dimensional

surface such as painting, drawing, photography, etc.

Painting is the process of applying pigments to a surface. Painting mediums include

oil, watercolor, tempera, and others. Canvas, wood, paper, and plaster are some of the

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surfaces on which paintings are executed. Drawing is the art of representing something by
lines made on a surface or the process of portraying an object, scene, or forms of decorative
or symbolic meaning through lines, shading, and textures in one or more colors. Mediums
used include pencil, pen and ink, crayon, brush, and charcoal.

Printing is a process for making multi-reproduction of graphic works. It involves the

preparation of a master image of the drawing or design on some durable material such as
wood, metal, or stone, from which printing is done. It may be classified by the nature of the
surface from which the printing is done.

Relief printing is the process whereby unwanted portions of design are cut away
on the master image. The printed image is formed by the remaining surfaces. Examples of
this are linoleum cuts, woodcuts, and wood engravings.

Intaglio printing is a method of printing from a plate on which incised lines, which
carry the ink, leave a raised impression.

Dry point involves drawing directly on a metal plate with a sharp needle and
scratches lines, or groove, into the metal. Ink is rubbed into the grooves and the unscratched
surface is wiped clean. In printing, the ink in the grooves is transferred to paper.

Etching is the art or process of producing drawings or designs on metal plates

covered with wax. The needle penetrates was into the surface of the plate. The plate is then
dipped in acid, which eats the lines into the metal. For printing, etched (bitten) lines are
filled with ink which is transferred to the paper.

Engraving is done on a metal plate with a cutting tool called a barin, which
leaves a V-shaped trough. Drawings or designs on the plate are entirely composed of lines
and/or dots.

Surface printing includes all processes in which printing is done from a flat
(plane) surface.

Lithography is the art or process of printing from a flat stone or metal plate by
a method based on the repulsion between grease and water. The design is put on the surface.
The surface is then treated so that ink adheres only to areas where drawing has been done;
ink is then transferred to the paper in printing.

Silkscreen includes the process of stretching silk over a rectangular frame and
unwanted portions in the design are blocked out. Pigment is forced through the clear areas.
For multi-color prints, a separate screen is used for each color.

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 Photography is a chemical-mechanical process by which images are produced on
sensitized surfaces by action of light. Reproductions may be in black or white or in full
colors of the original.

Plastic Arts include all fields of the visual arts in which materials are organized into
three-dimensional forms. These include architecture, landscape architecture, city planning,
interior design, sculpture, crafts, industrial design, dress and costume design, and theater
design.

Performing/Combined Arts

Performing arts are art forms in which artists use their body or voice to convey
artistic expression. It includes music, dance, opera, drama or play.

Music is the art of combining and regulating sounds of varying pitch to produce
compositions, expressing various ideas and emotions. Its primary function is to entertain. It
bases its appeal on the sensuous beauty of musical sounds. Musical compositions may be
classified into vocal music, instrumental music and music combined with other arts (opera,
oratorio, cantata, ballet, music for motion pictures),

Dance is another form of art that is common to man even during the earliest times. It
is the most direct of the arts for it makes use of the human body as its medium. It springs
from man’s love for expressive gestures, his release of tension through rhythmic movement.
Types of dance include ethnologic, social or ballroom, ballet, modern, musical comedy.

Drama is another of the important arts. Going to a play is a wonderful experience.

The play may be a comedy, tragedy, mystery, musical or melodrama. The spectators get
involved in these situations and thus gain greater insight into human motives and passions.

The play itself is a form of literature. Scenery and costumes provide the visual arts,
and music may serve as a background to set the mood or to serve as part of the plot. The
opera is a drama set to music. Thus, it is a form of the theater. In many musical shows,
dancers are also important performers. The theater therefore, combines several of the arts.

The motion picture is a popular addition to the various forms of the theater.
Through it, a great number of people are able to see dramatic performances every day.

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 Lesson 4: The Functions of Art

This lesson presents the three major functions of art as well as the specific functions
under each major functions, which help stimulate critical thinking of students on other
possible functions of art.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must have:

1. Distinguished between directly functional and indirectly functional art;

2. Identified the specific function of an art

In Focus

Functions of Art

Function is the practical usefulness of arts. Function of art can be classified into
functional and non-functional.

Classifications of Art According to Functions

1. Functional – has direct/physical use/obvious purpose

Ex. Architecture, some sculpture, weaving, etc.
2. Non-Functional—no direct/physical use
Ex. Paintings, some Sculptures, Literature, Music, Theater, Cinema

However, broadly speaking, all arts have function, for man and for the maker.

The Personal Function

 Art helps express one’s self.

 Art helps release tensions.
 Art soothes the heart
 Art makes us sensitive and responsive.
 Art educates our senses and sharpens our perceptions of colors, forms, texture,
designs, sounds, rhythms and harmonies in our environment.

 Art makes us aware of the beautiful things in life.

 Art makes our life exciting.

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  Art makes us aware of other people’s feelings and thinking.
 Art helps us gain understanding of ourselves and others.
 Art helps us improve our lives.

The Social Function

A. Influence people’s behavior

 Art influences the way we feel, think or act – causes us to laugh, raise our
voice, to get angry, etc.
 Art helps change or improve human conditions.
 Art helps express humanitarian concerns, ideological or political ideas.
 Art can be means to show protest against man’s inhumanity.
 Art helps change manners.
 Art helps enlighten our spiritual beliefs.
 Art helps elevate our morality.

B. Seen or Used in public situation/Display and Celebration

 Art helps commemorate important passages in society.
 Art promotes social activities or rituals.
 Art is used to celebrate important phases of life.

C. Social Description
 Art describes aspects of existence at certain periods.
 Art reflects the feelings, struggles and achievements of people.
 Art provides information about situations in the past.

Physical Function

Art has physical function if it is designed to accomplish its function to make our lives
physically comfortable, or if it is formed exactly right for its particular use. This may mean
that the form of this art follows its function, or the function of this art determines its form.

It differs from an ordinary functional object because it pleases the eyes of the user
through the harmonious arrangement of its formal elements.