WHAT IS A WORK OF ART?

 A work of art is an imaginative, deliberate

creation.
 It is a ready-made object that appeals
where its presentation is its most
important aspect.
 It has CONTENT, SUBJECT MATTER
and should be ORGANIZED with a
strong significant form.
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
Identifying Art Conceptually

 Art should be made by an artist;

 Intended to be art by an artist;

 Experts agree on it as work of

art.
Identifying Art Perceptually

 Artistic form refers to the elements

that we perceive - lines , colors, shapes
organized structurally in living organic
order.
 (Organicism suggests UNITY: elements
function together as an identity.)
Identifying Art Perceptually

 Artistic form refers to high degree of

perceptible unity that establishes the
singularity of the work—if the power of
unity is weak, the art becomes
questionable
 Classical Artists = Unified Structure.
 Contemporary Artists = Loose
Classical Artists = Unified Structure.
Classical Artists = Unified Structure.
Classical Artists = Unified Structure.
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Identifying Art Perceptually

 Participation Works of art are

created, exhibited and preserved to be
perceived with individual sustained
attention.
 To appreciate and understand fully a work
of art, requires our participation
Participation and Artistic Form

 Strong artistic form is a pre requisite if

our attention is to be grasped and
sustained. It makes our participation
possible.
Values, Subject Matter and
Content
Values and Subject Matter
 Anything that is related to a human
interest is a value.

 Positive Values/ Negative Values

 Values can be the Subject Matter of a

certain Art Form
Values and Subject Matter
 Anything that is related to a human
interest is a value.
Values and Subject Matter
 Positive Values/ Negative Values
Content
 Content of a work of art is what is
revealed about a subject matter

 Underlying meaning behind the subject

matter and its themes
THE LANGUAGE OF ART:
ELEMENTS, COMPOSITION
AND CONTENT
THE LANGUAGE OF ART:
ELEMENTS, COMPOSITION
AND CONTENT
 The visual arts have PLASTIC ELEMENTS
that are composed or organized according
to principles of Unity, Balance, and
Rhythm, among others.
 The COMPOSITION of the elements
creates the CONTENT of the work—
even if this content is an abstract image
and not a common subject.
A. Elements of Visual Art

1. LINE –
 A line is the mark left a by a moving point,
curved or straight, slender or thick, dark or
bright.
 Lines imply action because they are created
by action. In sculpture, and other three-
dimensional media, lines are perceived edges
as we move about rounded forms.
 Lines may be perceived as delicate, tentative,
elegant, assertive, forceful or even brutal.
Lines
 A line is the mark left a by a moving point,
curved or straight, slender or thick, dark or
bright.
Lines
 Lines imply action because they are created
by action. In sculpture, and other three-
dimensional media, lines are perceived edges
as we move about rounded forms.
A. Elements of Visual Art
 The line, as an element of art, is alive with
possibilities. Artists use lines :
◦ to outline shapes,
◦ to evoke forms and movement,
◦ to imply solid mass, and for its own
sake. In groupings, lines can create
shadows and even visual illusions.
Types of Line and their
Meanings

 Horizontal lines - They express ideas of

calmness, repose, serenity and quiescence.
Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines
Types of Line and their
Meanings

 Vertical lines - They express ideas of

action, force and dynamism.
Vertical lines
Vertical lines
TYPES of Line and their
Meanings

 Diagonal lines - They express ideas of

movement and action. They give
animation.
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
 CHARACTERISTICS of Line

STRAIGHT LINES CURVE LINES

 Rigidity  Grace
 Shows Limit  Movement
 Seriousness  Flexibility
 Goodness and  Joyousness and
Strictness. (Polygons, grace. (A woman’s
Walls, Furniture). body,)
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
A. Elements of Visual Art

2. SHAPE –
 It refers to the inner structure as well as
the visible shapes of objects
SHAPE
SHAPE
 It is the interaction
between the
interior and
exterior portions of
an object
SHAPE

 Shape may be
communicated by
dominant lines that
enclose specific
areas, by patches of
color or texture.
SHAPE

 In architecture or
sculpture, shape is
created when it is
perceived against its
environment.
A. Elements of Visual Art

3. COLOR –
 property of light that serves as a tool
for composition which relates to the
artists perceptive experience: cold or
warm, advancing or retreating, light or
heavy, attractive or repulsive, in tension or
in suspension.
 Color plays a decisive role: it describes,
generalizes, compares and helps in the
experiencing any work of art
COLOR
COLOR
COLD/ RETREATING WARM/ ADVANCING

COLOR
COLD/ RETREATING WARM/ ADVANCING

COLOR
ATTRACTIVE REPULSIVE

COLOR
Dimension (Properties) of
Attributes of Color

 Value. refers to the lightness/ darkness

of a certain color.(light blue, dark blue)
 Hue. A characteristic of color that gives
a specific name to a certain color. (red,
yellow, blue are our primary colors)
 Saturation. Applies to purity of hues in
comparison to their appearance in the
spectrum.
Color
 Value - lightness/
darkness of a
certain color.(light
blue, dark blue)
Color
 Hue - specific
name to a certain
color
Color
 Saturation - purity
of hues
A. Elements of Visual Art
4. Light and Shadow (Chiaroscuro) –
is a means of modeling a figure in depth, a means of
articulating form.

Bright light tends to be stimulating, while low levels

are quieting

Warm-colored light is generally cheerful, cool-light

is depressing or quieting.

Strong contrasts of brightness and darkness are

emphatic and dramatic, and they attract attention.
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Bright light tends to be stimulating, while low levels are quieting
Warm-colored light is generally cheerful, cool-light is depressing
or quieting
Chiaroscuro
Strong contrasts of brightness and darkness are
emphatic and dramatic, and they attract attention
A. Elements of Visual Art
5. Texture – Refers to the surface
quality, roughness or smoothness, of an
object that appeals to the perceptive
senses.

The sense of sight and touch are involved.

SMOOTH and ROUGH
Texture
 Tactile texture –
Three-dimensional
manifestation of
structure, related to
the sense of touch.
 Smooth textures are
usually unobtrusive
and undemanding.
 Smooth textures
seem to be cool,
tranquil, precise and
friendly.
Texture
Visual texture -
Two-dimensional
manifestation
related to the sense
of sight.
Rough textures
attract attention.
They look warm and
informal, irregular
and harsh.
A. Elements of Visual Art
6. Space – is an art element concerned
which is concerned with making all parts
functional so that all parts of the work of
art will contribute to make the whole
complete work of art.

Space exist as tangible in architecture, while

it is an “illusion” in the graphic
presentation.
Space
Space
Space
A. Elements of Visual Art
7. Mass – In painting, mass refers to the
large area or form of color. Mass is a
reflection of weight. It shows or implies
bulk, size or magnitude. (light or heavy).
Mass
Mass
A. Elements of Visual Art
8. Time and Motion –
Refer to the movement and flow of objects
in space and time.
They provide us with the chance to develop
and grasp the vision of our ideas.
Time and motion represent a certain
period or an impression of movement.
(be it ancient, moving, fast or object in
balanced).
Time and Motion
Time and Motion
A. Elements of Visual Art
9. Perspective – Achievement of
special effects in painting, to suggest
depth, especially to embody the artist’s
meaning in the form.
PESPECTIVE
 Linear Perspective –
refers to the
relative diminution
in apparent size of
objects as they are
located at greater
distance from the
viewing point
Linear Perspective
Aerial Perspective
Aerial Perspective –
refers to the
apparent change in
color and
distinctness of
objects viewed at a
distance.
B. COMPOSITION

 The act of organizing the plastic elements

of art. . It takes place according to
aesthetic principles such as:
 Proportion and Scale,
 Unity
 Balance
 Rhythm and Harmony.
B. COMPOSITION

 Proportion and Scale is the

comparative relationship of the parts of a
composition to each other as a whole.
 Unity is oneness or wholeness. A work
of art achieves unity when its parts seem
necessary to the composition.
 Balance refers to the visual or actual
weights or masses distributed in such as a
way they achieve physical or visual
harmony.
Proportion and Scale
 is the comparative
relationship of the
parts of a
composition to
each other as a
whole.
Unity
 is oneness or
wholeness. A work
of art achieves
unity when its parts
seem necessary to
the composition.
Balance
 refers to the visual
or actual weights or
masses distributed
in such as a way
they achieve
physical or visual
harmony.
Balance
Balance
B. COMPOSITION

 Rhythm is the orderly progressions or

repetition of sensory impressions of
things or events in a work of art.
 Harmony is the adaptation of the visual
elements to each other, the agreement
between parts of a composition.
Rhythm
 is the orderly
progressions or
repetition of
sensory impressions
of things or events
in a work of art.
Rhythm
Harmony
 is the adaptation of
the visual elements
to each other, the
agreement between
parts of a
composition.
Harmony
C. CONTENT
- refers to what is contained in a work of
art,
 its lines or forms,
 its subject matter
 its underlying meaning or themes
C. CONTENT
It is the thing conveyed in an artwork.
Content is embedded in the artistic form.
It is the interpretation—by means of an
artistic form—of the subject matter.

Every work of art must have a content and

therefore every work of art must have a
subject matter.
 THE SUBJECT STYLE AND
FUNCTION OF ART
 Subject - whatever is represented in a
work of art
◦ It may be a person, object, scene or event.
◦ Some arts have subject; other do not
Subject
 REPRESENTATIONAL OR
OBJECTIVE ARTS
Subject
 NON-REPRESENTATIONAL OR
NON-OBJECTIVE ARTS
 Subject
1. Nature
2. History
3. Mythology
4. Religion
5. Sub –
Conscious
6. Experience
 Art Styles and Movement
1. Realism
2. Surrealism
3. Abstract
4. Impressionism
5. Dadaism
6. Pointillism
7. Fantastic
8. Pop Art
9. Futurism
10. Expressionism
 Styles of Art
REALISM

…What you see is

what you get…

Depicts reality

Still life
 Styles of Art
SURREALISM

Juxtapose

Subconcious
 Styles of Art
ABSTRACT

Distortion

Neoplasticism

Cubism

Expressionism
 Styles of Art
DADAISM

Anti – Art

Offensive

Chaotic

Nonsensical
 Styles of Art
IMPRESSIONISM

Blurred

Short Brush Strokes

 Styles of Art
POINTILLISM

Uses Points or
Dots

Optical Mixing
 Styles of Art
FANTASTIC/
FANTASY

Subject is of fantasy

Alternate Reality
 Styles of Art
POP ART

Vibrant Colors

Subject matters are

pop culture icons
The MANDALA Project
 Sanskrit term meaning
“Circle”

 It represents
wholeness, and can be
seen as a model for
the organizational
structure of life itself—
 a cosmic diagram that
reminds us of our
relation to the infinite,
the world that extends
both beyond and
within our bodies and
minds.
MANDALA
 Represent our life
journey, spirit and
soul

 The center brings

one closer to total
enlightenment
MANDALA
MANDALA
MANDALA inspired by NATURE
 How to Make a MANDALA
 Start at the center

 Be mindful of the 4
quadrants

 Your square will be

your temple.

http://www.meaningofmandalas.com/how-to-make-a-mandala
How to Make a MANDALA
 White shows us ignorance
becoming reality

 Yellow gives us sameness from

pride.

 Red takes away the delusion

of attachment as we become
wise in discernment.

 Green takes away jealousy to

give us accomplishment.

 Blue takes the delusion of

anger so that it becomes a
mirror like wisdom.
 How to Make a MANDALA
 REMEMBER:
The Mandala should
reflect the inner you…

Meditate, reflect, learn

and experience on
your journey what
your place in the
universe should be.

Be mindful of what was,

what is and of what is
yet to come.

http://www.meaningofmandalas.com/how-to-make-a-mandala
MANDALA
 1 OSLO Paper

 Create your own

mandala

 FOCUS on: What

Was, What is and
of What is Yet To
Come.
 – 30 –
cogitoergosum