Bonsol, Jurenz Ibhan M.

General Engineering 124

SELF-UNDERSTANDING 1
Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible.
1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist would you be?
- If I was an artist, I think the path that I would take would be in the field of
Architecture. Ever since I was a kid, I am fond of doing things about structures,
arts and constructions. I grew up with the idea of visualizing landscapes,
buildings, designing and such, which I think is the factor that pushed me to
pursue my passion. Honestly, Architecture was my dream course, and will
forever be in the list of my goals.

2. Why is art not nature?

- Art is not nature for it is Man’s expression of his reception of nature. Art is
something of Man’s way of interpreting nature. Art is made by man, whereas
nature is a given around us.

3. Why is art ageless and timeless?

- Art can be everything. We can see, sound, or use it. It may be of any shape, or it
may be through people of any different status in society, occupation or age, and
it may be created in different periods or centuries. Here in the Philippines, we
have many artists who are aged but still known for their greatness. One of which
is the famous and oldest “Mambabatok”, Whang-od Oggay. She is a traditional
tattoo artist whose designs are tribal with significant and different purpose and
meaning. Whang-od's art reflects her ancestor’s culture and traditions a long time
ago. It only proves that art is both ageless and timeless. It depends only on
anyone's personal investment or purpose for doing or have been doing the arts,
because allowing it has to come from someone's deepest desires.

4. Why does art involve experience?

- All art depends on experience, and if one is to know art, he must know it not as
fact or information but as an experience. Other than the creativity and
imagination capabilities of an individual, in order for you to maximize your talent
and skill without the thought of sharing it with others, experience is important. It
has been said that art is experience, but all art demands experience.
 ACTIVITY 1
Watch the “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. Criticize it using the provided guide question. Link
of the Movie:

1. Did you learn anything from this movie? If you did, what was it? What is this
movie about?
- “ With a Pearl Earring" is a silent film, rocked from time to time by the
waves of emotional chaos just below the horizon. This is about words not
said, chances not seized, opportunities not grasped, hearts not touched.
One quick idea that has gotten into me as I finished the film was that
painting was not really easy to make or have. You must deal with different
stuff in your span of making your piece. Just as shown in the movie, they
needed to make their mediums manually. And while there are challenges
that will test your grit and perseverance, many of these challenges are
internal. We can see in the movie that paints were made by-hand.
Vermeer and Griet needed to crash diamonds, ruby, charcoals and such.
After powdering the solid materials, oils and water really needs to be
measured exactly as it can ruin the quality of the paint if not. Other things
like lighting and setting need to be noticed as it plays a big role in art and
can be one the keys to have our art perfectly. And just by this movie, I just
noticed and learned that art is not that simple as it may seem. Hardships,
mistakes, failures and different circumstances may exist as we build our
piece, but our dedication and perseverance must remain still as we have
the goal to finish our artwork outstandingly.

2. What were you thinking as you finished watching the film?

- As I finished the film, I just realized that most of the people were wrong
when they said that the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” was a portrait,
which it is not. This kind of painting is something that is really far from a
portrait because this painting is a tronie. It is a painting of an imaginary
 figure. Tronies depict a certain type or character which in this case is a girl
in exotic dress, wearing an oriental turban and an improbably large pearl
in her ear which is really far from that reality of her being a maid.

3. What is Vermeer’s style of painting shown in the movie?

- Vermeer;s style of painting as shown in the movie was not a portrait
making, but a tronie. Because as we can notice in the film, Vermeer put
Griet somewhere far from being a maid, which is a classification of a
Tronie Painting.