MODULE FOR ART APPRECIATION

PRELIM PERIOD
WEEK 1

ART APPRECIATION - is the knowledge and understanding of the universal and timeless qualities
that identify all great art.

Difference between Art History and Art Appreciation:

ART HISTORY - is the study of objects of art considered within their time period. Art historians analyse
visual art’s meaning (painting, sculpture, architecture) at the time they were created,

ART- the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as
painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

Nature is defined as the natural Earth and the things on it, or the essence of a person or thing. The
trees, forests, birds and animals are all examples of nature. If someone is inherently evil, this is an
example of a person who has an evil nature.

Nature is very importance of humans have needed to survive and thrive, was provided by the natural
world around us : food, water, medicine, materials, for shelter, and even natural cycles such
us climate and nutrients . Nature is our sole supplier.
 Art is not nature because in many ways, art is not “natural”, it is an artificial construct created by man.
Sometimes it appears to be close to nature or it may even sometimes “go beyond” nature but it always
returns to the mind, heart and hands of man

While Nature needs the absence of thought to be nature, art is not art until someone thinks about it

and comprehends it. The view from the top of a mountain is not art until it is being experienced or has
been photographed. That is why  natural art is usually not apart nature.of Art…Art is the Nature itself.
Don’t we consider the nature of known the largest creation in itself? Art is the Nature, the being of
everything you observe, you just have to find an observation angle, and that accompanied by patience,
learning, transforming. That’s when you can start seeing art in everything. True Art shall not be ugly, but
it is subjective, just like life or nature itself. The beauty is in the eye of beholder they say…. The beholder
may cleanse the eye to a higher sharpness, consciousness, perception that contributes to the most
important - intention. Intention in conveying message, intention in creation, intention in association and
intention of action execution. Your questions can have a very deep, philosophical, lengthy conversations
among those who seek, observe, learn, think, intent. There are no right or wrong, but openness to
existing diversities, knowing that only moral intentions determine all actions and consequences in
everything, including Art of Nature and Nature of Art.
3.6K views
Five Common Misconceptions About Art

 YOU MUST BE RICH TO COLLECT ART. ...

 YOU NEED AN MA (HONS) IN ART HISTORY OR FINE ARTS. ...
 THE HIGHER THE PRICE,THE BETTER THE ART. ...
 WORK SOLD AT DEALER GALLERIES IS MORE EXPENSIVE. ...
 THE ART WORLD IS SNOBBY AND INTIMIDATING.
  YOU MUST BE RICH TO COLLECT ART

It's true, if you have a lot of spare cash it's easier to whip out the plastic and bag a
piece of art from the best of the best: the art world can be your oyster for the right
price. But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to stand by, walls naked and unloved.
As budding collector Marlaina Key says, building an art collection on a budget just
takes a bit of thought, and a lot of patience.

"Of course, having a significant disposable income doesn't hurt, but the truth is that art
really is like anything else - you buy what you love, spend what you can afford and if it's
more, then you either save up or lay-by it.

"Building an art collection takes time and does take a bit of money, but it doesn't always have to be a
lot - with a bit of imagination and an open mind, you just have to get over the fear, jump in
and not get too academic."
Key, who is a graduate of Auckland art school Whitecliffe and now works there as logistics co-ordinator,
started her collection by swapping works with her fellow students. Since then she has exchanged,
haggled for, and bought pieces, building a collection that includes everything from lithographs and prints
by Fatu Feu'u to paintings by Garth Tapper and ceramics by Madeleine Child.

The most expensive piece the 34-year-old owns is a large acrylic work from Niki Hastings-McFall's
Variance series, which she paid $7500 for earlier this year. But she is always on the lookout for
bargains, the latest being a pencil drawing by sculptor Gregor Kregar she stumbled on while walking
past Wellington's Bowen Gallery. She paid it off over a few months - she often makes payment
arrangements with galleries to secure the pieces she can't live without.
  YOU NEED AN MA (HONS) IN ART HISTORY OR FINE ARTS
Is it okay to bluff your way through a big art buy? Savvy collector Key tries to avoid trends and fashions
when she picks for her collection, although with an art degree, she knows what she is looking at a little
more than most. But art literacy is different to art appreciation. You don't have to know every detail of the
painting or painter to enjoy a piece of art. A new international study has suggested it's both what a
collector has been taught and their natural tastes that helps them decide if they like a piece of art.

While previous research had measured brain activity suggesting a like or dislike of a piece of art, little
was recorded of the person's understanding of it. But researchers from Norway's University of Bergen
and Macquarie University in Australia have created a new model that combines a historical approach
(knowing an artist's intentions, the history of the art, etcetera), and a psychological approach (where
biological processes in the brain make a judgment) to help us better understand how we appreciate art.

Jenny Neligan from Wellington's Bowen Gallery says it's a general interest in art that pulls people into a
gallery more than anything else.

"And then our role is to teach people how to buy art...they need to come into a gallery and have
something catch their eye. We spend an enormous amount of time talking to them about the artists and
giving them information- there is not a buyer in Wellington, I don't think, that won't buy without
information, about the artist in particular."

Neligan is noticing more and more people are researching art on the internet, but says there are pitfalls
to that, especially in the way art works look in real life - after all, there is a reason thousands of people
every year flock to see the Mona Lisa in all her glory. But, she says, like anything, the moretime you
spend with art, the more you will learn.
. THE HIGHER THE PRICE,THE BETTER THE ART

"I'm not quite sure what a bargain looks like in the art world," says Auckland Art Fair director, Jennifer
Buckley. She might not know what embodies a good deal, but she says she has seen a lot of bad ones
in her time. Art, like everything else, is prone to fashion and rhetoric. But, like kitten-heeled jandals, not
all trends deserve to have good money spent on them.
"I think a lot of people go along to auctions, thinking they are going to find [a bargain], but it can be soul
destroying sitting there, watching absolutely beautiful works getting passed in because they aren't
currently in favour. And then you see people pay ridiculous prices for something that is very ordinary."

It's clearly illustrated by two American guys, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, who in 2009 bought a heap
of junk from op shops, before selling it on eBay with accompanying, completely made up, stories
'explaining' the origin. The trinkets were originally bought for a total ofUS$128.74 and sold for
US$3,612.51 - a 2700 percent mark-up. People literally bought into an idea of what they were buying.

Closer to home, in 2011 a Dunedin city councillor resigned from the council's Art in Public Places
subcommittee when the board supported spending $150,000 on installing and marketing a 3-D video-
artwork called Haka Peepshow. The work, which tied into the Rugby World Cup, was shaped like a giant
black deodorant can that also had phallic references. Buckley's advice is simple: buy what you like, but
don't be afraid to invest in something that will challenge you.

"The last art work I bought was in an exhibition and there was one beautiful painting that I kept going
back to, so finally I bought the one beside it because it was really annoying me - it was disturbing me in
some way. It's kind of like hearing a pop song, you get the tune right away but you might get tired of it.
Meanwhile, you might not love Nick Cave the first time you hear him, but with each play you'll get
something a little bit deeper from it."
 . WORK SOLD AT DEALER GALLERIES IS MORE EXPENSIVE

While dealers will routinely collect a commission of 40 percent, according to Jennifer Buckley, the
prices you find in galleries all come down to the life cycle of the artist. "Art works by young artists
start at a certain price, at an entry level if you like, and gradually [the price of] their work goes up
according to how their career trajectory is going - what exhibitions they've had, the reviews,
invitations to participate in international and public galleries."

Buckley believes galleries have a responsibility to create sustainable relationships with both artists
and customers, so "they can't just whack some ridiculous price on something and expect people to
come back". And often, she says, rather than hike them up, galleries actually have to talk down the
price tags artists want to put on some pieces.

"An artist might say 'this is my very favourite work, I spent so long working on it, and I don't really
want to sell it, so I want to put a really high price on it'. And that happens if you go along to an
artist's gallery, but we are a little bit tougher and will tell them that if you ove it that much, maybe
you should take it out of the show. They often change their minds then."

Buckley often tells artists if they are going to sell works themselves, out of their studio, it should be
for the same price as in the gallery - otherwise the art is being devalued in the market. But
galleries are about more than just setting a price tag.

"The role galleries play is so multifaceted, and only a small part of that is hanging the work up on
the walls, putting the little numbers underneath them and opening the wine. That's only the tip that
the public sees. It's a long-term relationship that can include everything from marriage counselling
to banking advice. You are the person between an artist who has created something unique
and...someone who is going to love it and cherish it."
 
 THE ART WORLD IS SNOBBY AND INTIMIDATING

Is there anything more daunting than a room full of people ooh-ing and ahh-ing over things you
have no idea about? A sea of black-clad folk, attempting to out-critique those around them, while
the pricey pinot gris flows and the canapés wind their way around the room. I know nothing of art. I
can bluff my way through almost anything else - theatre, contemporary dance, a science lecture -
but art is my downfall. Normally I can tell what I like and what I don't, but most of the time I can't
really articulate why. I don't know what the proper terms are, what to say about the brush strokes,
or how long to stare at something before it's okay to move along.

But with the experts' advice ringing in my ears, I bit the bullet and dipped my toes into the murky
waters. Albeit on a lunch break, rather than at an exhibition opening. I walk past this particular
Auckland gallery almost every day, yet I hadn't found the courage to step inside. I was - perhaps
not surprisingly - alone in admiring the work on this sunny Thursday; no one to hide behind or steal
opinions from.

But pushing past that awkwardness ,it was also quite peaceful - kind of like wandering aimlessly
around the public art gallery (which I do surprisingly often) just without the screaming kids and
slow walkers. I could look at the paintings - oil against "stickywater" - for as long as I wanted.
 Largely left alone ,there was no feeling of being rushed or rushing. It was quite a relaxed way to
spend a lunch break, and it was something of a revelation.

Of course the accompanying literature was slightly over the top: "It is formless. It
operates on the horizontal. The bath form of the human body that lingers in the works is a vacant
human echo, not the subject", is just an example, but if I'm honest, I would have been disappointed
if at least one of my expectations didn't ring true.

WEEK 2

Three aesthetic theories of Art

What is the purpose of Art? Art Historians have looked at the whole history of art and
noticed that all artistic production can be justified by 3 primary reasons or theories. Works
of art can either be justified by one theory or by a combination of theories.

1.Imitationalism
2.Emotionalism

3.Formalism

1.. Imitationalism
•
The purpose of Art is to imitate/recreate nature.
–
Many artists throughout history have sought this as one of the primary
intentions of their work. The Artist must recreate the world around him/her. The artwork must
mirror reality.

Examples of Imitationalism
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503 – 05

Leonardo daVinci,
Self Portrait,, 1512

1. More Examples of Imitationalism study for

Virgin and Child with St. Anne, Leonardo da Vinci,
Virgin and Child with St. Anne, 1510
Mona Liza by Leonardo da Vinci

Self Image of Leonardo da Vinci

2. Emotionalism
The purpose of art is to express the artist’s emotions, beliefs, feelings, and/or political views.
Many artists throughout history have felt that the primary purpose of art is for expression and
communication–
The resemblance to reality in an artwork is only secondary in importance to the actual expressive quality
of the work.

Emotionalism - An aesthetic and critical theory of art which places emphasis on the expressive
qualities. According to this theory, the most importan Emotionalism theory is an aesthetic and critical
theory of art. This theory highlights the significant qualities of an artwork, because the most essential
thing about a work of art is the vivid communication of a strong feeling of moods, feelings, and ideas the
artist wants the viewer to see the message contained within the artwork, and also the empathy,
expressionism, formalism, imitationalism, kitsch, sentimentality of the viewers (citation).

An emotionalist is not concerned about the measure of the value of a painting based on how real the
image looks, they are not also concerned in how an artist used the elements and principles of art to
create balance, form, or color harmony, and emotionalist are also not overwhelmed by the amount of
time and technical skill that goes into a work of art, but an emotionalist critics require that a work of art
must get a response from others, because an emotionalist would only attribute success and value to
work of art that awakens feelings, moods, and emotions in the viewer. A good emotionalist artwork will
succeed in getting the artist’s message across. Pieces of artwork will depict characters showing emotions
(citation).

An emotionalism artwork can either be alarming, interesting, realistic or acquire an abstract outlook, but the
artwork will try to provoke you into action or call for your attention to any issue of concern according to the
hypothesize of this theory. The main objective of the artwork is to get the viewer’s attention in a dramatic
way and to impact the viewer’s emotions. Nevertheless, an artwork will be classified as an emotionalist only
if the emotion being expressed was the main purpose of the artwork (citation).
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3. Formalism is the study of art based solely on an analysis of its form – the way it is made
and what it looks like, Formalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a
work of art is its form – the way it is made and its purely visual aspects – rather than its narrative content
or its relationship to the visible world.

Forrmalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form –
the way it is made and its purely visual aspects – rather than its narrative content or its relationship to
the visible world. In painting therefore, a formalist critic would focus exclusively on the qualities of
colour, brushwork, form, line and composition.

Formalism as a critical stance came into being in response to impressionism and post-

impressionism (especially the painting of Cézanne) in which unprecedented emphasis was placed on
the purely visual aspects of the work. In 1890 the post-impressionist painter and writer on art, Maurice
Denis, published a manifesto titled Definition of Neo-Traditionism  where he emphasised that aesthetic
pleasure was to be found in the painting itself not its subject. This became one of the most widely
quoted texts in the history of modern art:
Functions of Art

Ideally, one can look at a piece of art and guess with some accuracy where it came from and when. This
best-case scenario also includes identifying the artist because they are in no small way part of the
contextual equation. You might wonder, "What was the artist thinking when they created this?" when
you see a piece of art. You, the viewer, are the other half of this equation; you might ask yourself how that
same piece of art makes you feel as you look at it.

These—in addition to the time period, location of creation, cultural influences, etc.—are all factors that
should be considered before trying to assign functions to art. Taking anything out of context can lead to
misunderstanding art and misinterpreting an artist's intentions, which is never something you want to
do.

The functions of art normally fall into three categories: physical, social, and personal. These categories
can and often do overlap in any given piece of art. When you're ready to start thinking about these
functions, here's how.

Physical

The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works of art that are created to perform
some service have physical functions. If you see a Fijian war club, you may assume that, however
wonderful the craftsmanship may be, it was created to perform the physical function of smashing skulls.

A Japanese raku bowl is a piece of art that performs a physical function in a tea ceremony. Conversely, a
fur-covered teacup from the Dada movement has no physical function. Architecture, crafts such as
welding and woodworking, interior design, and industrial design are all types of art that serve physical
functions.

Social

Art has a social function when it addresses aspects of (collective) life as opposed to one person's point of
view or experience. Viewers can often relate in some way to social art and are sometimes even influenced
by it.

For example, public art in 1930s Germany had an overwhelming symbolic theme. Did this art exert
influence on the German population? Decidedly so, as did political and patriotic posters in Allied
countries during the same time. Political art, often designed to deliver a certain message, always carries a
social function. The fur-covered Dada teacup, useless for holding tea, carried a social function in that it
protested World War I (and nearly everything else in life).
Art that depicts social conditions performs social functions and often this art comes in the form of
photography. The Realists figured this out early in the 19th century. American photographer Dorothea
Lange (1895–1965) along with many others often took pictures of people in conditions that are difficult
to see and think about.

Additionally, satire performs social functions. Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746–1828) and English
portrait artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) both went this route with varying degrees of success at
motivating social change with their art. Sometimes the possession of specific pieces of art in a
community can elevate that community's status. A stabile by American kinetic artist Alexander Calder
(1898–1976), for example, can be a community treasure and point of pride.

Personal

The personal functions of art are often the most difficult to explain. There are many types of personal
functions and these are highly subjective. Personal functions of art are not likely to be the same from
person to person.

An artist may create a piece out of a need for self-expression or gratification. They might also or instead
want to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. Sometimes an artist is only trying to provide an
aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. A piece might be meant to entertain, provoke thought, or
even have no particular effect at all.

Personal function is vague for a reason. From artist to artist and viewer to viewer, one's experience with
art is different. Knowing the background and behaviours of an artist helps when interpreting the
personal function of their pieces.

Art may also serve the personal function of controlling its viewers, much like social art. It can also
perform religious service or acknowledgment. Art has been used to attempt to exert magical control,
change the seasons, and even acquire food. Some art brings order and peace, some creates chaos. There
is virtually no limit to how art can be used.
Finally, sometimes art is used to maintain a species. This can be seen in rituals of the animal kingdom
and in humans themselves. Biological functions obviously include fertility symbols (in any culture), but
there are many ways humans adorn their bodies with art in order to be attractive to others and
eventually mate.

Determining the Function of Art

The functions of art apply not only to the artist that created a piece but to you as the viewer. Your whole
experience and understanding of a piece should contribute to the function you assign it, as well as
everything you know about its context. Next time you are trying to understand a piece of art, try to
remember these four points: (1) context and (2) personal, (3) social, and (4) physical functions.

Philosophy of art, the study of the nature of art, including concepts such as interpretation,
representation and expression, and form. It is closely related to aesthetics, the philosophical study of
beauty and taste.

The philosophy of art is distinguished from art criticism, which is concerned with the analysis and
evaluation of particular works of art. Critical activity may be primarily historical, as when a lecture is
given on the conventions of the Elizabethan theatre in order to explain some of the devices used
in Shakespeare’s plays. It may be primarily analytical, as when a certain passage of poetry is separated
into its elements and its meaning or import explained in relation to other passages and other poems in
the tradition. Or it may be primarily evaluative, as when reasons are given for saying that the work of art
in question is good or bad, or better or worse than another one. Sometimes it is not a single work of art
but an entire class of works in a certain style or genre (such as pastoral poems or Baroque music) that
is being elucidated, and sometimes it is the art of an entire period (such as Romantic). But in every
case, the aim of art criticism is to achieve an increased understanding or enjoyment of the work (or
classes of works) of art, and its statements are designed to achieve this end.
The test of the success of art criticism with a given person is: Has this essay or book of art criticism
increased or enhanced the person’s understanding or appreciation of the work of art in question? Art
criticism is particularly helpful and often necessary for works of art that are more than usually difficult,
such that persons not already familiar with the artist or the genre or the period would be unable to
adequately understand or enjoy the work if left to themselves

Content in a work of art refers to what is being depicted and might be helpful in deriving a basic
meaning. It appears in the visual arts in several forms , all of which may be figurative (realistic) or
abstract (distorted). rt tells stories. By this we do not mean plots, but a certain perspective or vision of life
and the world. The very choice of subject matter signals what for the artist (or patron) is significant within
their perspective on life. Of course, artists may not have a clear idea of the story they are telling, but their
art still tells a story. And sometimes, people encountering a work of art will identify a story the artist
never intended. Nevertheless, art communicates a story or vision of reality, which we are identifying as
the content of art.

What is directly functional art?

Occupying that tenuous space between fine art and the everyday, functional art refers to aesthetic
objects that serve utilitarian purposes. ... Functional artworks, on the contrary, are highly crafted artistic
creations that can perform utilitarian jobs, but that collector's might prefer to keep on the display shelf.
While the terms "fine" or "high" art typically apply to works that carry an intellectual and emotional
sensibility alongside a dose of old-fashioned beauty, functional art infuses these aesthetic ideals into things
that you might never have expected to view as art, like, say, a switchblade. From an art historical perspective,
you could say that functional art is the inverse of Marcel Duchamp's famous readymades, where he
transformed utilitarian objects—a urinal, a bottle rack, etc.—into conceptual artworks by fiat: it became art
because he said it was. Functional artworks, on the contrary, are highly crafted artistic creations that can
perform utilitarian jobs, but that collector's might prefer to keep on the display shelf. (Why use an expensive
artist-made hammer to drive in a nail when a hardware-store version will do?) 
Today many functional art objects are as avidly acquired by collectors as their fine-art brethren, and are
appreciated just as much for their beauty as their use value. Ancient Chinese vases, for example, while still
capable of performing their originally intended function (displaying flowers), are prized for their historic and
aesthetic value more than anything else. To help you navigate this unusual category, we've created a list of
some of functional art's most significant artists and movements. 

INDIRECTLY FUNCTIONAL ART – refers to the arts that are “perceived through the senses ”such as fine arts,
painting, music, sculpture ,dance, literary piece, theatrical performances and the like. Used to inform, educate an
entertain people and transforms us into better human beings, According to Ariola, artistic functions can be classified
into four namely:

1.
Aesthetic Function –An art functions aesthetically when it becomes instrumental form and to be cognizant of the
beauty of nature and where the real feelings of joy and appreciation to nature’s beauty are manifested through
appreciation and enjoyment when in contact with the artwork.
2 Utilitarian function –when utilized to give comfort, convenience, and happiness to human beings. Used to serve
basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medicine ,comfortable environment, transportation ,entertainment,
communication and expression.
3.Social Function –When art bridges connection among people. Encourages good relationship ,unity and
cooperation are being established .People become more understanding and sympathetic, create a better society.
4.Cultural Function –Serves as an aperture towards, skills, knowledge, attitudes, customs, and traditions of
different groups of people .Helps, preserves, share, and transmits culture of people from one generation to another.
Difference between subject and content

Definition of Subject

In art, the definition of the subject is referring to the main character, object, or anything else that is
presented as the main focus in the work of art.

The subject can appear in the center of the piece, or in any other part of it, but it is always the most
recognizable thing in the entire work of art, regardless of its size.

Definition of Content

In the world of art, the definition of content is referred to as the general meaning or intention of the
piece. It is the way to manifest the message that the artist wants to say with his work.

Content is the message given by the piece of art. It involves the subject, the techniques used to make the
piece, the colors used, and anything that was used by the artist to make a statement and give a message.

Main Differences Between Subject vs Content

Have you now a better knowledge about the differences between subject and content? Let’s recap what
we’ve learned so far:
Basis of Comparison Subject Content

The main object in an

Definition The meaning of the work of art
artwork

Determination Very recognizable Must be analyzed

Is one of the parts of a work Involves and unifies all parts of the
In the work of art
of art artwork