READINGS IN VISUAL ARTS

Art - the meaning of beauty and art is explored in the branch of Philosophy called aesthetics.
Visual Arts - is a modern but imprecise umbrella term for a broad category of art that includes a
number of artistic disciplines from various sub-categories.

Some Types of Visual Arts:

●​ Ceremonial Art is made to celebrate or commemorate something important in the
culture, in ritual or worship, or in personal life.
●​ Narrative Art is art that tells a story.
●​ Persuasive Art - visual art and images are used widely to persuade, educate, and
convince at target audience.

Representational Art
This aims to represent actual objects or subjects from reality. Representational art or figurative
art represents objects or events in the real world, usually looking easily recognizable.

Non-Representational Art
It is not meant to depict anything found in nature, instead relying on shape, line, and form with
no particular subject.

Non-Objective Art
This type of visual art takes nothing from reality. It uses the elements and principles of art in a
way that results in a visually stimulating work.

Abstract Art
Aims to take subjects from reality but presents them in a way that is different from the way they
are viewed in reality. Abstract art can include abstractions of real-life objects such as trees, or it
can be completely non-representational.

Composition
Composition of art is the underlying structure of the art which refers to where the artist placed
the subject matter.

THE ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS

The Visual Elements are:
●​ Line
- is the foundation of all drawing. It is the first and most versatile of the visual elements
of art. Lines in an artwork can be used in many different ways. It can be used to suggest
shape, pattern, form, structure, growth, depth, distance, rhythm, movement and a range
of emotions.

●​ Shape
- can be natural or man-made, regular or irregular, flat (2-dimensional) or solid
(3-dimensional), representational or abstract, geometric, or organic, transparent or
opaque, positive or negative, decorative or symbolic, colored, patterned or textured.
 The Perspective of Shapes:
The angles and curves of shapes appear to change depending on our viewpoint.
The technique we use to describe this change is called perspective drawing.

●​ Tone
- is the lightness or darkness of a color. The tonal values of an artwork can be adjusted
to alter its expressive character.

●​ Color
- is the visual element that has the strongest effect on our emotions. We use color to
create the mood or atmosphere of an artwork.

●​ Pattern
- is made by repeating or echoing the elements of an artwork to communicate a sense of
balance, harmony, contrast, rhythm or movement.
1.​ Natural Pattern: Pattern in art is often based on the inspiration we get from
observing the natural patterns that occur in nature. We can see these in the
shape of a leaf and the branches of a tree, the structure of a crystal, the spiral of
a shell, the symmetry of a snowflake and the camouflage and signaling patterns
on animals, fish and insects.
2.​ Man-Made Pattern: Pattern in art is used for both structural and decorative
purposes. For example, an artist may plan the basic structure of an artwork by
creating a compositional pattern of lines and shapes. Within that composition
he/she may develop its visual elements to create a more decorative pattern of
color, tone and texture across the work.

●​ Texture
- is the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material from
which it is made. We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and
physically (through touch).

Optical Texture: An artist may use his/her skillful painting technique to create
the illusion of texture.
Physical Texture: An artist may paint with expressive brushstrokes whose
texture conveys the physical and emotional energy of both the artist and his/her
subject.
Ephemeral Texture: This is a third category of textures whose fleeting forms are
subject to change like clouds, smoke, flames, bubbles and liquids.

●​ Form
- is the physical volume of a shape and the space that it occupies. Form can be
representational or abstract. Form generally refers to sculpture, 3D design and
architecture but may also relate to the illusion of 3D on a 2D surface.
 Three-Dimensional Form can be modelled (added form), carved (subtracted
form) and constructed (built form). It can be created from sculptural materials like
clay, wax, plaster, wood, stone, concrete, cast and constructed metal, plastics,
resins, glass and mixed media.
Two-Dimensional Form constructs the illusion of 3D in 2D media by a skilful
manipulation of the visual elements.

The Visual Elements are Line - Shape - Tone - Color - Pattern - Texture - Form. They are the
building blocks of composition in art. When we analyze any drawing, painting, sculpture or
design, we examine these component parts to see how they combine to create the overall
effect of the artwork.

PHILIPPINE ARTS - Visual Arts

-​ The visual arts in the Philippines are art forms that are mainly visual in nature, such as
painting and drawing, sculpture, and other artworks. Current use of the term “visual art”
includes fine arts as well as other related arts.
-​ Most influential and famous visual art forms in the Philippines are painting and
sculpture. Both painting and sculpture shows the values of man through the creative
use of lines, shape, medium, value and others.

PHILIPPINE PAINTING

★​ Pre-Spanish period (Pre-colonial)

The indigenous paintings of the early inhabitants of our land were eventually lost due to
the medium used like leaves and bark of the trees. These kinds of paintings were also
seen in some cave walls where our ancestors dwell.

★​ Spanish period (Colonial)

The earliest paintings during this period were almost exclusively religious in theme.
Famous Filipino painters in this period were Juan Luna for his epic,” The Spolarium”
–Gold Medal and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo for his large canvas of “Christian Virgen
Exposed to the Populace” –Silver Medal.

★​ American and Japanese

This period produced great painters like Fabian dela Rosa, noted for his realistic portraits
and landscapes; Fernando Amorsolo, who captured attention until today for his
Philippine landscape, idealized rural life of the working men and women.

★​ Contemporary
Philippine contemporary painting started after World War II. In 1950’s, the creation of the
Art Association of the Philippines Modern paintings characterized the artists’ intent to
express a subject according to his/her unique perspective and reject traditional styles.

★​ 2000-present
Today, Filipino painters mirrored the changing world and man’s idea about it. Artist have
provided a lot of opportunities to express his/her thought using all forms of materials,
 mediums, and style. Modernism moved to a higher level of expression. The emergence
of technology were being used to broaden the horizon of Philippine painting.

PHILIPPINE SCULPTURE

★​ Pre-Spanish period (Pre-colonial)

Earliest Sculptural images in the Philippines have been found consisted of small
figurines made of clays, wood and even porcelain. Later, most of the clay pot was found
in caves used by early Filipinos as their food container, water, and cooking. Bigger jars
are found also as a secondary burial jars of the early tribes. Some wood carving are
being used as an Anitos and home decorations.

★​ Spanish period (Colonial)

When Spanish settled in our land they developed sculptural skills of the natives to make
images of saints and other religious figures. As churches being erected to the land,
sculptural design and carvings are part of the design such as retablos, windows, and
doors. Religious art are part of Christian ideals to build more convents and parishes
around the archipelago.

★​ American
Sculptors developed more styles and concept in their designs. The western influence
introduced by the invasion of Americans. Some artists distinguished themselves by the
use of varieties in color, lines, and techniques. They are: Manuel and Leonco Asuncion,
Jose Arevalo, Domingo Teotico and the master of genre – Guillermo Tolentino.

★​ Contemporary Period
Lead by the famous Napoleon Abueva, whose form is often synonymous with the
international style. New orientation of styles, contemporary sculptors no longer depends
on the visible world, but to the suggestions of the malleable matter under his/her hand.
Works produced may hang or float, turn or spin, may also be massive or hollow, highly
polished or corroded.

★​ 2000-present
Today, sculpture pursues potentials of modern sensibility, rooted within a traditions, the
modern day sculpture revisiting the mode of creation, incorporations, folkloric traditions
to contemporary expressions, preserving the legacy of our heritage. Materials such ice,
glass, wood, metal, bronze, plastic, scrap objects can be used to create new dimension
in sculpture. Mixed medium and technology part of enlarging scale of the modern
creations of artists.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF VISUAL ARTS

Fine Arts
All fine art belongs to the general category of visual arts. These include activities such as:
Drawing, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture, along with associated activities like Graphic art,
Manuscript Illumination, Book Illustration, Calligraphy and Architecture.

Contemporary Arts
The visual arts also include a number of modern art forms, such as: Assemblage, Collage,
Mixed-media, Conceptual Art, Installation, Happenings and Performance art, along with film-
based disciplines such as Photography, Video Art and Animation, or any combination thereof.
This group of activities also includes high tech disciplines like computer graphics and giclee
prints. Another modern visual art, is the new environmental or Land art, which also includes
transitory forms like ice/snow sculpture, and (presumably) graffiti art.

Decorative Arts & Crafts

In addition, the general category of visual arts encompasses a number of decorative art
disciplines and crafts, including: ceramics and studio pottery, mosaic art, mobiles, tapestry,
glass art (including stained glass), and others.

Other
Wider definitions of visual art sometimes include applied art areas such as graphic design,
fashion design, and interior design. In addition, new types of Body art may also fall under the
general heading of visual arts. These include: tattoo art, face painting, and body painting.

Assemblage
Assemblage is an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate that consists of
three-dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate. It is similar to collage, a
two-dimensional medium. It is part of the visual arts and it typically uses found objects, but is not
limited to these materials.

The Spoliarium

Christian Virgen Exposed to

the Populace
 FINE ARTS

Drawing ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Painting

Sculpture ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Printmaking

Graphic Art
Manuscript Illumination

Book Illustration

Calligraphy​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Architecture
 CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Assemblage

Collage

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mixed-media

Conceptual Art
Happenings and Performance Art

Photography, Video Art and Animation

DECORATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS

Ceramics and Studio Pottery

Mosaic Art

Mobiles

Tapestry
Glass Art