Republic of the Philippines

NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Main Campus, Estancia, Iloilo

GE 6 - ART APPRECIATION

MODULE 1

UNDERSTANDING HUMANITIES AND ART

APPRECIATION

Introduction
In this module, you shall be introduced to human’s yearning for the beautiful, the appreciation
of all the consuming beauty around us, and some preliminary clarifications on assumptions that people
normally hold about art. Read the discussions and answer the questions that follow.

Learning Objectives:
1. To acquaint students with the role of humanities and arts in mankind.
2. To clarify misconceptions of art.
3. To appreciate humanities and assumptions of art.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this module, you shall have:
1. Identify the different assumptions of art
2. Distinguish the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at fully realizing his
end
3. Explain thoroughly the assumptions of art.

Discussion

LESSON 1

Humanities and Art Appreciation

Relevance of Art Appreciation

When you think of art, you might first think of the famous works of artists like Van Gogh,
Warhol, Picasso, or Monet. What we often forget is that art has been around us since the days of
caveman. Art has played a significant role throughout our history. However, it is also a part of our lives
now from the clothing we wear to the video games we play, the cars we drive, to the covers or pictures
in the books or magazines we read. It will continue to be a part of our future and the future and the
future of our loved ones for many generations to come.
 Art is not meant to be looked at only for what is it. It is meant to stimulate thought because it
allows viewers to draw their own emotions and pull from their personal experiences when viewed. It is
very powerful in this way and it naturally develops critical and innovative thinking skills. Art also teaches
many important qualities such as listening, observing, and responding to multiple perspectives.

Art appreciation is something art teachers should strive to instill in students. It encompasses so
much more than just looking at a piece of art or learning about the artist. Due to the subjective nature
of art, students can learn to construct meaning and articulate their thoughts when they express in their
own words, their personal opinions about what they are seeing, feeling and thinking. This allows
students an opportunity to develop an open mind and understand that there is more than just one
solution to a problem. Having an appreciation for art al so helps us to develop an appreciation for each
other and how we are unique in our own way.

Importance of Studying Art Appreciation and Philosophy

Art helps us make sense of our world, and it broadens our experience and understanding. The
arts enable us to imagine the unimaginable, and to connect us to the past, the present, and the future,
sometimes simultaneously.

Great literature, films, and visual art transport us to different places and cultures; great art even
allows us to see ourselves and our own community through a different perspective.

“Philosophy” comes from the Greek words meaning “love of wisdom”. Philosophy uses the tool
of logic and reason to analyze the ways in which humans experience the world. It teaches critical
thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we
use to describe the world, and our place within it. The study of philosophy will enable you to think
carefully, critically, and with clarity, take a logical approach to addressing challenging questions and
examining hard issues, reason well and evaluate the reasoning of others, discuss sensibly, and write
effectively.

Philosophy develops intellectual abilities important for life as a whole, beyond the knowledge
and skills required for any particular profession. It enhances analytical, critical, and interpretive
capacities that are applicable to any subject matter and in any human context.

Meaning of Humanites and Art Appreciation

Humanites is derived from the Latin word humanus, which means refined or cultured human.
The humanities are studies about human culture, such as literature, philosophy, and history. Studying
the humanities gives you general knowledge and intellectual skills rather than occupational or
professional skills. The humanites provide general knowledge about the best accomplishment of human
beings throughout the history. Learning the works of Shakespeare, Plato, Beethoven, and our very own
Jose Rzal is part of the humanities. It makes a person educated, but not necessarily for a specific. Most
people require a more specific area of study beyond the humanites. As a field of study, the humanities
emphasize analysis and exchange of ideas rather than the creative expression of the arts or the
quantitative explanation of the sciences.

On the other hand, Art Appreciation is referred to the knowledge of the general and everlasting
qualities that classify all great art. It is used to refer to the exploration of visual art forms or the
introduction of basic principles of visual literacy. It refers to analyzing the form of an artwork to general
audiences to enhance their enjoyment of such works of art. Art appreciation can be subjective
depending on personal preference to aesthetics and form, or it can be based on several elements and
principles of design and also depends on social and cultural acceptance. Most of the modern critics and
art historians draw back from this term, underrating art appreciation as demanding too little serious
thought.

Art appreciation refers to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the universal and
timeless qualities characterizing works of art. It invokes an analysis of the works based on
acknowledgement elements of composition and principles of design, through which enjoyment of the
humanities is enhanced (Ariola, 2014).

Art History

Art history is the study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts; the
genre, design, format, and style. The study includes painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics,
furniture, and other decorative objects (Mansfield, 2002).

As a term, art history, its product being history of art, encompasses several methods of studying
the visual arts; in common usage referring to works of art and architecture.

As a discipline, art history is distinguished from art criticism, which is concerned with
establishing a relative artistic value upon individual works with respect to others of comparable style, or
sanctioning an entire style or movement; and art theory or “philosophy or art”, which is concerned with
the fundamental nature of art. One branch of this area of study is aesthetics, which includes
investigating the enigma of the sublime and determining the essence of beauty (Elkins, 2006).

Art history is not only a biographical endeavor. Art historians often root their studies in the
scrutiny of individual objects. They thus attempt to answer in historically specific ways, questions such
as: What are key features of this style, What meaning did this object convey, How does it function
visually, Did the artist meet their goals well, What symbols are involved, and Does it function
discursively?

Creativity and Imagination

The biggest difference between creativity and imagination is that imagination is thinking of
something-whether it is an object, place, time, etc., that is not present, while creativity is doing
something meaningful with your imagination. Imagination allows us to think og things that are not real
or around us at any given time, creativity allows us to do something meaningful with our imagination.

Imagination is about seeing the impossible or unreal. Creativity is using imagination to unleash
the potential of existing ideas in order to create new and valuable ones.

The biggest difference between each of these is the frame of focus we have when attempting to
utilize each.

With imagination, our focus can be on things that are impossible. Creativity requires our focus to
be on things that might be possible, but we can’t be sure until we explore them further.

Where imagination simply requires that we have some context from which to envision an idea,
creativity requires that we have knowledge of the idea, motivation and freedom to explore and tinker,
intelligence to see what makes the convergence of any set of ideas possible, and then the energy to see
the process through.
 We have the tendency to use the terms “being imaginative” and “being creative” as synonyms,
but they are not. It’s quite possible to be imaginative without being creative (Naiman, 2016). Creativity is
the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality… If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you
are imaginative but not creative.

We are all born with imagination but creativity is learned. And you deserve your chance to learn
it.

LESSON 2

Basic Assumptions, Functions and Nature of Arts

Basic Assumptions of Art

Assumption is a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. It is

something that you accept as true without question or proof. Many assumptions have been written
about arts and some of these are:

 Art has been created by all people at all times, in all countries and it lives because its
well-liked and enjoyed. Naturally, arts linger on particularly if it is popular and love by
the people. Example, the works and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal and the movie, The Ten
Commandments.
 Art involves experience. In order to experience something, you have to make use of
your five senses. Hence, there can never be appreciation of art without having
experienced it.
 Art is not nature; nature is not art. Art is made by man and nature by God. However,
nature can be enhanced by man. The enhanced beauty and artistry of nature, then, can
be classified as an art.
 Art is cultural. Art is a work of humans and anything that has been created by humans is
part of culture. Art becomes cultural when it depicts people’s way of life, religious
practices, mores and traditions, etc.
 Art is a form of creation. Art is something that is created with imagination and skill and
that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings
 Art is subjective. Henceforth, it cannot be measured by its significance or the level of
skill with which it is created. Its subjective nature makes art’s only measurable quality is
whether or not it exists. Example, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” meaning, every
individual has his/her own perception and/or interpretation about the subject. It would
never be the same for every individual.

Nature of Arts

1. Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or

performing artworks, expressing the author’s imaginative or technical skill, intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
2. Art represents reality. Representation is the use of signs that stand in for and
take the place of something else. It is through representation that people organize the world
and reality through the act of naming its elements. Art represents reality, since it is often
depicting objects or scenes from the world. An artwork can depict a scene such as a café or a
restaurant, or a park or garden. So, there is a sense in which art represents the mind’s eye or
what the imagination perceives.
3. Art is an expression. The expression contained in the form is an attempt to
translate the unnamed and the unknown. Intrinsic to our existence as humans our quest to
 create meaning, and art allows that process to take place. Making meaning involves
understanding our surroundings and marking our experiences.
4. Art serves as a means of communication of emotions. The purpose of works of
art may be to communicate political, spiritual, or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty
to explore the nature of perception, for pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Art is an act
of expressing feelings, thoughts, and observations of human conditions. A fundamental purpose
common to most art forms is the underlying intention to appeal to, and connect with, human
emotion.
5. Art matters. The art matters because they allow us to express ourselves and
illustrate the world around us in a different light, helping us to gain understanding of people and
society, and give hope while living in this world. Art matters because it illustrates the human
experiences.
6. Art is universal. Literally, art can be found in every corner of the world. Art is
everywhere and it is embedded into the way of life of the people. Exclusivity is out of bounds
when we speak of arts because it is for everyone. Art knows no barrier; not even language is a
barrier in understanding it. Example, foreign arts displayed in museums throughout the world,
paintings such as the Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, and photos of well-known places are readily
viewed. We have also some foreign performers performing in the country.
7. Art is creation. It is the combination of already existing material elements into
new forms which become the realization of a preconceived idea. Both hut and picture rose in
the imagination of their makers before they took shape as things. The material of each was
given already in nature; but the form, as the maker fashioned it, was new. In its essence and
widest compass art is the making of a new thing in response to a sense of need. The very need
itself creates, working through man as its agent.

Functions of Art

No piece of art can be assigned a function either in essay form or in casual conversation, if it is
not first considered within the proper context. Trying to classify function depends on context. That said,
the functions of art normally fall into three categories. These are personal, social, and physical
functions. These categories can, and do, overlap in any given piece of art (Esaak, 2018).

 The Personal Function

An artist may create out of a need for self-expression, or gratification. He/ she might have
wanted to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. Perhaps the artist was trying to provide an
aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. A piece might have been meant to “merely” entertain
others. Sometimes a piece isn’t meant to have any meaning at all.

On a slightly higher level, art may serve the personal functions of control. Art has been used to
attempt to exert magical control overtime, or the seasons or even the acquisition of food. Art is used to
bring order to a disorganized or disorderly world. Conversely, art can be used to create confusion when
an artist feels life is too dull and ordinary. Example is the statue of Venus, a Roman mythology goddess,
one may wonder why the statue has no arms yet it is considered to be a national treasure. Art can also
be therapeutic for both the artist and the viewer. Expressive art therapy is the use of creative arts as a
form of therapy and is a fantastic field that has proven to work wonders in many people’s lives. Another
personal function of art is that of religious service. Religious art usually expresses collective ideas about
human life in relation to the divine.

 The Social Function

Arts perform a social function when:

1. Influences social behavior (Political Function). It seeks or tends to influence the collective
behavior of a people. Example is the “Bayanihan”. Some people think that art designed to
influence social behavior is corrupt, impure, “mere” propaganda, and so on.
2. Display and celebration. It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situation like fiestas,
parade, etc.

 The Physical Function

The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works art that are created to perform
some service have physical functions.

1. Form and function. The function of an object is generally essential in the basic form that it
takes.
2. Architecture. The design of the building is determined primarily by its operational function.
3. Community planning. A community is more than just a group of buildings. It involves the
efficient organization of buildings, roads, and spaces so that they meet the physical and
aesthetic needs of the community. Community planning takes into consideration the assignment
of areas for proper land use. These are:
a. Residential districts
b. Industrial and commercial areas
c. Civic centers
d. Parks, plazas, and malls
e. Streets and roads.

4. Function and beauty. Many things remain the same in shape throughout the years because
their functional requirements do not allow for greater variations in their forms. Time has proved
that their designs best enable them to accomplish their purpose.

Summary

Humanities and the art have always been part of man’s growth and civilization. Since the dawn
of time, man has always tried to express his innermost thoughts and feelings about reality through
creating art. Six assumptions of arts were discussed. The artist has to be foremost, a perceiver who is
directly in touch with art.

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. Art performs different
functions according to its proper context. Lastly, art also has its nature.

References:

Caslib Jr., B., et.al., Art Appreciation. Rex Bookstore, Inc., 2018

Leano, R, et al., Art Appreciation For College Students. Mindshapers Co., Inc., 2018.
-End of Module-