CONTEMPORARY

ART DEFINED
LESSON 1
 WHAT IS ART?
• is “ar” in Aryan, which means, “to join or put together”.
• is “artizein” in Greek, meaning “to prepare”.
• is “ars” or “artis” in Latin, which means “ability or skill”.
• is the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects,
environments, or
experiences that can be shared with others.
• is the human ability to make things of beauty and things that stir us.
• is the result of man’s manipulation of talents and materials.
• is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory, or
performing artifacts,
expressing the author’s imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill,
intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
NOTE:
• Whether art represents something beautiful
or meaningful, or is the arrangement of lines,
colors, shapes and other aesthetic elements,
for as long as the completed work is a product
of expressing ambitions, emotions,
experiences, or thoughts, it is considered
ART.
History tells us that various artifacts have been
found in different parts of the world. This only
means that art has long been evident and it
has been used as one of the earliest and most
basic form of communication in the olden
times. It is through these primitive artworks
that they get to express themselves and share
their experiences to others, and in return, it is
through their works that we learn about their
civilizations.
Hence, art is defined as the manifestation of
human creativity and skill to express oneself. This
is why we learn and understand artists and the
regions where they come from – their artworks
reflect them and the society that they belong to.
However, what constitutes art has changed over
time and the production of art forms has indeed,
evolved. This, then, leads us to the very center of
this subject — CONTEMPORARY ART.
 WHAT IS
CONTEMPORARY ART?
• is the art of the modern-day.
• is the art of “now” since the artworks
are produced in the present time.
 TIMELINE OF ART:
1. Prehistoric Art (40,000—4,000 B.C. )
2. Ancient Art (4,000 B.C. - A.D. 400)
3. Medieval Art (A.D. 500 - A.D. 1400)
4. Renaissance Art (1,400 - 1600)
5. Mannerism (1527 - 1580)
6. Baroque (1600 - 1750)
7. Rococo (1699 - 1780)
8. Neoclassicism (1750 - 1850)
9. Romanticism (1780 - 1850)
10.Realism (1848 - 1900)
11.Impressionism (1865 - 1885)
12.Post-Impressionism (1885 - 1910)
13.Art Nouveau (1890 – 1910)
14.Fauvism (1900 - 1935)
15.Expressionism (1905 – 1920)
16.Cubism (1907 – 1914)
17.Surrealism (1916 - 1950)
18.Abstract Expressionism (1940s - 1950s)
19.Op Art (1950s - 1960s)
20.Pop Art (1950s - 1960s)
21.Arte Povera (1960s)
22.Minimalism (1950s - 1960s)
23.Conceptual Art (1960s - 1970s)
24.Contemporary Art (1970s – present)
WHY DO ARTISTS
CREATE ART?
There are many reasons why people make
art – probably as many as people making
art. As mentioned in the earlier part of this
lesson, art has been primarily used as a
tool for communication. However,
throughout history, art has come to serve
other purposes. Let us learn some of the
few reasons why people create art:
1. FOR WORSHIP
As seen in many religious structures like the churches, pyramids,
temples (such as the nearly barren Rock Garden at Ryoan-ji temple
near Kyoto, Japan) and so on, art functions to enhance religious
contemplation. Religious institutions incorporate artists’ creative
skills into their sacred rituals such as the singing of worship songs.
The stained glass windows and sculptures that you see in churches
are designed to communicate biblical teachings. Christian
iconography and Christian-themed artworks are also evidences
that art is used to glorify one’s deity.
APOLAKI (GOD OF THE
SUN) ANITO
HESUS NAZARENO
2. TO EVOKE EMOTIONS AND
FEELINGS
• Using the elements and principles of art (be it
visual, audio or performing arts), the artists
(through their creative skills) convey feelings such as
anger or happiness in their artwork, which become
the message of the artwork to show the desired
emotion or experience.
3. TO REINFORCE CULTURAL
TIES AND TRADITIONS
• People of different cultures express their identity through
their artwork. The place they live, their way of life, their
beliefs and traditions are also seen among their works of
art. Through art, different cultures of different times
communicate with each other via images, sounds and
stories – making art a vehicle for social change as it
influences the society by translating experiences across
time and space.
4. FOR ADORNMENT
• Various art has been used to beautify not just the
human body but the surrounding as well. A sense
of face-lift is given to one’s body through fashion,
jewelries, and tattoos just as flower arrangement
and decorative art pieces do to give a make-over
to the environment. Note that adornment does not
only reflect culture, but also the trends within a
culture.
5. TO TELL STORIES
• Just as authors or song writers use words to tell
stories; and dancers use actions and steps to
depict a tale; artists use paint or charcoal to
describe scenes, characters, action or
conversations. Notice, too, that when you listen to
your favorite music, you can relate to the story
that it tries to portray or imagine looking at a
photo and understands its narrative without having
to read a text about it.
6. TO CAPTURE HISTORICAL
EVENTS AND PEOPLE
• Before cameras were born, artists used painting or
sculpture to capture portraits of important people or
important events. Aside from these, artists of today
take photographs, or create drawings or sketches, or
even come-up with entertaining video clips to pay
tribute or to express their feelings and opinions about
an important person or event. Have you seen editorial
cartoons about our government? Do you remember
taking a photo of the late Kobe Bryant when he visited
the country using your smartphone? Try to recall the
many artworks on COVID-19 that are really catchy but
meaningful. These are artworks that seize important
events or people
7. FOR RECOGNITION
Gaining fame and fortune has also become a
reason for artists to create art. TV and movie
stars, musicians, and a number of visual artists
have used art as their bread and butter due to the
potential of huge earnings. Some artists have
earned financial success and have become
critically acclaimed because of their talent and
reputation. Unfortunately, not all artists are as
fortunate – many still struggle to make ends meet
as their income depends on who patronizes their
art.
8. TO BRING ATTENTION TO
ORDINARY OBJECTS
• Some artists choose to focus on ordinary objects
and give us another view of what the object could
be and what art really is. As a modern trend in art,
we see all kinds of everyday objects turned into
art making ordinary objects unique as they
become the focus of the artwork.
In truth, the purposes, motivations, intentions, and
inspirations behind the creation of art are endless.
Those discussed above are just some of the reasons
why we make art. Whether art helps us see what is
not easily perceived, or brings out that which
cannot be seen or felt easily, art allows us to express
ourselves and reflect what is beautiful around us.
FORMS OF ART
1. VISUAL ARTS
• Artworks that are primarily visual in
nature.
• these are art forms that are perceived
and appreciated using our sense of
sight.
 A. FINE ARTS
• artworks that are developed for aesthetics or
beauty.
•These art forms are primarily created for its
appearance and ability to stimulate the intellect
rather than its functional value.
•However, as time passed, the term “fine art”
extends its definition as it embraces new artworks
that emerge from new technology and artistic
inventions.
a. DRAWING
• a picture created by
making lines on a
surface.
• the act or art of
creating a picture, plan,
or sketch by making
lines on a surface.
b. PAINTING
• the process of applying paint,
or another medium, to a solid
surface – usually a canvas.
•Paints or other forms of color
are commonly applied to using
a paintbrush.
•However, artists do use
different tools such as sponges,
spray paint, or even knives.
c. SCULPTURE
• an artistic form in which hard
or plastic materials are worked
into 3-dimensional art objects.
•The designs may be embodied
in freestanding objects, in
reliefs on surfaces, or in
environments ranging from
tableaux to contexts that
envelop the spectator.
d. PRINTMAKING
• an artistic process based on the
principle of transferring images
from a matrix onto another surface,
most often paper or fabric.
•Traditional printmaking techniques
include woodcut, etching,
engraving, and lithography, while
modern artists have expanded
available techniques to include
screen printing.
e. GRAPHIC ART
•The fine and applied arts of
representation, decoration, and
writing or printing on flat
surfaces together with the
techniques and crafts associated
with them.
f. CALLIGRAPHY
• the art of beautiful handwriting
• the artistic process of forming
beautiful symbols by hand and
arranging them in a way that
inscribes words that possess
integrity, harmony, some sort of
ancestry and rhythm.
g. ARCHITECTURE
• the art and method of building
and designing structures with an
artistic element instead of
relying solely on construction
abilities.
•The practice of architectural
design is used to meet both
functional and artistic needs,
therefore serving both practical
and creative goals.
2. DECORATIVE ARTS
• these art forms are created because of its
aesthetic design and practical use.
• Unlike fine arts whose function is to be looked
at, decorative arts are utilitarian in nature - they
are both beautiful and functional.
•Makers of these art works starting from the
Renaissance period up to the 20th century were
not considered as artists. Instead, they were
called craftsmen.
a. TEXTILE ART
• arts and crafts that use plant,
animal, or synthetic fibers to
construct practical or
decorative objects.
b. GLASSWARE
• any decorative article made of
glass, often designed for everyday
use.
c. JEWELRY
• are ornamental pieces
that are made of
materials which may or
may not be precious.
• are often set with
genuine or imitation
gems, and worn for
personal adornment.
d. FURNITURE AND ACCESORY
FURNISHING
• It can be made from a vast
multitude of materials,
including metal, plastic,
and wood.
e. POTTERY
• is the process and the
products of forming vessels
and other objects with clay
and other ceramic materials,
which are fired at high
temperatures to give them a
hard, durable form.
• Major types include
earthenware, stoneware and
porcelain.
f. BOOK ILLUSTRATION
• is a form of fine art that is used
to create drawn pictures and
images for books.
• Illustrations are meant to be
much more than pretty pictures,
however. They will usually help
add to or enhance the story in
some way.
• Generally speaking,
illustrations are more commonly
found in children's books.
g. EMBROIDERY
• art of decorating material,
primarily textile fabric, by
means of a needle and thread
(and sometimes fine wire).
• The basic techniques include
crewel work, needlepoint,
cross-stitch embroidery, and
quilting, as well as quillwork
and feather work.
h. FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
• the art of using plant
materials and flowers to
create an eye-catching
and balanced
composition or display.
i. METAL CRAFT

• the art of
executing artistic
designs in metal.
j. TAPESTRY
• is a form of textile art,
traditionally woven by
hand on a loom.
k. INTERIOR DESIGN
• is the art and science of
understanding people's
behavior to create functional
spaces within a building.
l. FASHION DESIGN
• is the art of creating
clothing and accessories.
3. CONTEMPORARY ART
FORMS
• are considered as a special type of art that
cannot be easily categorized as fine arts or
decorative arts because of the newly
conceived art styles and techniques.
• is defined as artworks that can be produced
using new art techniques.
a. ASSEMBLAGE
• is art that is made by assembling
disparate elements – often
everyday objects – scavenged by
the artist or bought specially.
b. COLLAGE
• describes both the technique and
the resulting work of art in which
pieces of paper, photographs,
fabric and other ephemera are
arranged and stuck down onto a
supporting surface.
c. INSTALLATION
• is used to describe large-scale,
mixed-media constructions, often
designed for a specific place or for
a temporary period of time.
d. PERFORMANCE ART
• Artworks that are created through
actions performed by the artist or
other participants, which may be
live or recorded, spontaneous or
scripted.
e. DIGITAL ART
• is a term used to describe art that
is made or presented using digital
technology.
f. LAND ART
• is made directly in the
landscape by sculpting the
land itself or by making
structures in the landscape
with natural materials.
g. CONCEPTUAL ART
• artfor which the
idea (or concept)
behind the work is
more important than
the finished art
object.
 B. PERFORMING ARTS
• This is art form in which artists make use of their voices, body
movements or non-living objects to express one’s emotions
and feelings.
• are meant to be performed in front of a live audience to
provide entertainment in theatres or opera houses, open air
stages, on stages in tents such as circuses, and on the street.
• Artists who participate in this form of art in front of an
audience are called performers. They are usually more known
as actors, circus artists, comedians, dancers, magicians,
musicians, and singers.
1. THEATER ARTS
• Also known as play, this branch of performing arts
involves the integration and combination of the
visual and performing arts.
• involves performers who act out stories that are
based on reality or imagination using a combination
of speech, gesture, music, dance and visual arts as
props to convey the story in front of an audience.
EXAMPLES OF THEATER
ARTS:
• MIME - TRADITIONAL THEATER
• PUPPETRY
• TRAGEDY
• OPERA
• MUSICAL THEATER
2. DANCE
• is defined as regulated or deliberated order of body
movements. This form of performing arts typically
refers to human movements that have aesthetic
value and are often performed with music
accompaniment.
• comes in various forms and styles and the art of
making dances is called choreography while the
person who practices this art is a choreographer.
EXAMPLES OF DANCES:
• Ballet - Belly Dance
• Contemporary Dance - Improvisational Dance
• Modern Dance - Break Dance
• Ballroom Dance - Hip-hop Dance
• Folk Dance
• Traditional Dance
3. MUSIC
• defined as the manipulation of sound and silence.
• This form of art combines different elements such as
pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and texture to create
sound, which happens to be the material of music.
• It is performed using musical sounds from various
musical instruments, or using the human voice with
style or technique, or a combination of both.
• can be improvised or planned, and can occur in recorded
formats or even performed live.
a. ART MUSIC
-is the umbrella term used to refer to
music that stems from Western Classical
Music.
- It is usually presented and preserved
through written musical notations that
were developed in Europe
B. POPULAR MUSIC
– generally refers to music that is accessible
and commercially available to the public.
- It is played or disseminated through
different mass media outlets such as radios,
television, and the Internet.
C. TRADITIONAL MUSIC
– are musical forms that are community and
culturally based.
- It is diverse with one community or group often
having a different form from another.
- It is learned and preserved by passing it to one
generation to another through oral communication
and actual performance.