WHAT IS ART:

INTRODUCTION AND
ASSUMPTIONS
 Latin, ars which means
“craft or specialized form of
skill.” Collingwood, 1938
Ars in Medieval Latin meant
“any special form of book-
learning, such as grammar or
logic, magic or astrology.”
 Assumptions of arts

1. Art is universal
Timeless, spanning generations and
continents through and through.
Misconception: Artistic made long time ago.
Age is not a factor in determining art.

“Art is not good because it is old, but old

because it is beautiful.” (Dudley, et al. 1960)
 Assumptions of arts

1. Art is universal
Works of Rizal and Francisco Balagtas

Not read because they are old but they are

beautifully written.

Arts regardless of origin, time, and place are

liked and enjoyed by people continuously.
 Assumptions of arts

2. Art is not nature.

Man’s expression of his reception of nature

Man’s way of interpreting nature.

Art is made by man, whereas nature is a

given around us.
 Assumptions of arts

2. Art is not nature.

Art, not directed by representation of
reality, is a perception of reality.
Five blind men touching an elephant

Art has its reason why the artist made it.

What is it that he wants to show?
 Assumptions of arts

3. Art involves experience.

It does not full detail but just an experience.
“Actual doing of something.”
Radio DJ, Choreographer, Painter, Sculptor

“All art depends on experience, and if one is

to know art, he must know it not as fact or
information but as experience.”
 Recap

1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist would you be?

2. Why is art not nature?

3. Why is art ageless and timeless?

4. Why does art involve experience?

 Activity # 1

Choose one artwork under each category that you are familiar with.
This can be the last artwork that you have come across with or one
that one that made the most impact to you. Evaluate using the guide
questions provided.

Movie, Novel, Poem, Music, Architectural

structure, a piece of clothing
1. What is it about? What is it for?
2. What is made of?
3. What is its style?
4. How good is it?
 WHAT IS ART:
INTRODUCTION AND
ASSUMPTIONS