GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Unit 2
Subject and Content

Unit 2 shall focus on helping students to answer questions by investigating the

subject of works of art. This will provide a guide for gathering clues embedded in works
of art, as well as an introduction to searching for the underlying meaning and messages
that are present in many works of art. Students will work, step by step, through the layers
of meaning, delving more deeply into these layers with each work as they progress
through the different lessons presented.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Differentiate representational and non-representational art;

2. Discuss the difference between an artwork’s subject and content;
3. Identify the subject matter and specific examples of art;
4. Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some of the most recognizable works of
art

Lesson 1 - The Subject of An Artwork

The term subject in arts refers to the main idea that is represented in the artwork.
The subject in art is basically the essence of the piece. To determine subject matter in a
particular piece of art, one may be guided by the questions: What is actually depicted in
this artwork? What is the artist trying to express to the world...? What is his or her
message? And how are they conveying that message?
In artwork, the subject matter would be what the artist has chosen to paint, draw
or sculpt. The subject matter or topic is entirely up to the artist. Art is really liberating in
that sense. It allows you to say whatever you want to say. Whether the message is
understood by others is another story, and whether the artist discloses the meaning of it
or not is also a personal choice. Some artists don't like to assign a strict explanation of
their art so that they are not imposing on the viewers own narrative and concept of the
work.
That allows it to be more reflective or interactive if you like. It is nice to
contemplate something without being told what it is. Of course, there are some symbols
that are archetypal and commonly understood/interpreted by humanity in the same way.
Therefore, symbols can be very powerful when trying to convey a specific idea. Other
times one doesn't have a fixed idea when creating. Sometimes if I don't have a particular
subject I just start to paint with no plan. It is a bit like meditation because through that
process I am outside myself viewing the process remotely...or that is how I can best
describe the experience anyway. I just let my subconscious work away starting with
patterns and letting the colors and shapes suggest forms to me as I go and then the panting
reveals itself to me. It is fun because it is a surprise to me also.

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 GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Some artworks have subjects and some do not. The art pieces which use a specific
subject is called representational art or objective art; while those that have no subjects are
called non-representational or non-objective art.
Representational art refers to art which represents something, whether that be a
tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art
which is clearly identifiable as something which already exists in life. Representational
art does not need to be a completely realistic depiction of the subject; there will often be
varying levels of abstraction. (https://drawpaintacademy.com/)
Representational Art is a term that generally refers to a painting or sculpture that
is clearly recognizable for what it claims to be. It references images such as a human form
or a tree, and although these images may not always be portrayed as true to life in color
or position, they are still recognizable to the viewer. Representational Art depicts any
identifiable object or series of objects and their physical appearance in reality. It is also
referred to as Figurative Art, being that it is derived from real object sources. Oftentimes,
representational artists act as observers, and interpret what they see in their own way
through their work. (https://www.debuckgallery.com/glossary/representationalart/)
The following are some examples of representational art works:

Planting Rice by Fernando Amorsolo source: pinterest.com (google images)

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 GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Apple Blossoms by Kristina Joy source: amazon.com (google images) Non-

representational or non-objective art, on the other hand, refers to compositions which
do not rely on representation or mimesis to any extent. Abstract art, nonfigurative
art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art are related terms that indicate a
departure from reality in the depiction of imagery in art. Meaning in
nonrepresentational art is highly subjective and can be difficult to define. We can
focus on the elements of the artwork (form, shape, line, color, space, and texture) in
terms of the aesthetic value of the work, but the meaning will always be personal to
the viewer unless the artist has made a statement about his or her intentions.

Generally, we can look at non-representational art as the personal expression of

an artist's subjective experience. Certain movements have described their intentions as an
aim to evoke moods or emotions in the viewer. (boundless.com) Below are a few
examples of non-representational art works:

Composition VII by Wassily Kandinski

Sources: en.wikipedia.org and pinterest.com

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Lesson 2: The Sources of Subject

A learner, most of the time, may imagine as to where an artist gets his
inspiration from with regard to how he produces a certain masterpiece. It is noteworthy
to remember that artists are unique both in personal experiences and human attributes
hence their differences in the manner of creating art pieces or in producing art works.
As art is a way of man in expressing himself, an artist’s choice of subject or the source
of his inspiration only explains his inner world and his personality in general. With thi,
it is noteworthy to present the sources of artists’ inspiration in doing their works.

1. Nature. Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world,

physical universe, material world or material universe. “Nature” refers to the
phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general.”(wikipedia.com) It is
considered the most commonly used source of art.

Source:art-is-fun.com (google images)

Source:princetonbar.com(google images)

2. People. They are considered the most interesting subject of an artwork which
may be real or imagined. An artist’s thoughts, moods and even the genre of a certain
art work may be depicted by people by means of clues as takeaways. People as subjects
may be presented as individuals or groups and may perform tasks as how they do in
their everyday life. Below are a few examples.
 source: thoughtco.com (google images) Source: bluethumb.com.au

3. History. It is the depiction of factual events that occured in the past whose
purpose is either to remember important events of long ago or to teach the learners
about the lessons of the past. Some of the examples of art works with history as source
of inspiration are as follows:

Bonifacio Monument by Guillermo Tolentino source: bluedreamer27.com

The Making of the Philippine Flag by Fernando Amorsolo

4. Legends. Artworks based on legends present to viewers of the art something
tangible even when unverified. Art brings life to these stories.

Si Malakas at si Maganda by Marcelo Chan source: pinterest.com

Lost Excalibur by Rashieq Sasman source: arstation.com

(google images)
5.Religion. Religion has played an enormous role in inspiring works of visual arts,
music, architecture and literature through ages. Artists used as inspiration the religious
texts as the Bible, Quran and Torah in conveying their ideas and beliefs through their
art works. It was also established that art is considered the handmaid of religion.

The Hand of God by Auguste Rodin source:bycommonconsent.com

(google images)
5. Mythology. These are sources of subjects that come from the stories of gods
and goddesses of Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse and Egyptians. These so called deities
of the mythological world depict present humanlike behaviours.
Medusa by Luciano Garbati source: qz.com Greek god by Pichiavo source:thiscollosal.com (google images)

7. Dreams and Fantasy. The wonder of the unconscious is what is being expressed by art works
under this subject source. These works of art somehow explain to the viewers the content of the
art piece including the hidden meaning behind each work. The unconscious is being made to be
understood by this source of subject.

Artworks by Josephine Wall and Barbara Devlin source:pinterest.com

(google images)

8. Technology. The modernity of the present is also an inspiration being used by artists as a source of
subject. The wondrous use of machines, the towering skyscrapers, state of the art robotics technology, top
of the line transportation machineries as cars, ships and motorcycles to name a few are sources of subjects
of interest under technology.
 The WEEE Man Source:
law_kevin/weburbanist.com

Humanity Drowning in Technology by Elizabeth Elkin

source: pinterest.com (google images)
Lesson 3: Ways of Presenting the Subject

After the artist has decided on the source of the subject of his artwork, he is now
ready to identify the method of how he wants his art work to be presented to his viewers.
Their choice of a method may depend upon his expertise, exposure to certain art pieces or
simply of his personal preferences. The following are some of the methods or ways on how
an artist presents his subject to his audience.

1.Naturalism. Naturalism in art refers to the depiction of realistic objects in a natural

setting. The Realist movement of the 19th century advocated naturalism in reaction to the
stylized and idealized depictions of subjects in Romanticism, but many painters have used
a similar approach over the centuries. Naturalism began in the early Renaissance, and
developed itself further throughout the Renaissance, such as with the Florentine School.
Naturalism is a type of art that pays attention to very accurate and precise details, and
portrays things as they are. (source: https://simple. Naturalism)
Artworks in naturalism always depict pieces showing the idealized human form.
One would immediately recognize that these images were imitated from the human form.
Similar to the superheroes of today’s comic books and films, these figures were made
almost perfect to imbue them with a greater degree of stature and significance worthy of
superbeings. In this way, the imagery did not focus on the specific attributes of an
individual but on the more universal characteristics of the human form as is accepted by
the culture of the day. (Kissick, 1996)

Hay Making by Jules Bastien-Lepage source: https://www.theartstory.org/

2.Realism. Realism in the arts is generally the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully,
without artificiality and avoiding speculative fiction and supernatural elements. Realism
has been prevalent in the arts at many periods, and can be in large part a matter of technique
and training, and the avoidance of stylization. In the visual arts, illusionistic realism is the
accurate depiction of lifeforms, perspective, and the details of light and colour. But realist
or naturalist works of art may, as well or instead of illusionist realism, be "realist" in their
subject matter, and emphasize the mundane, ugly or sordid.
Realism is the most popular way of presenting art subjects.

The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet source: https://www.theartstory.org/

3.Abstraction. Abstraction finds its roots in ‘intuition’ (of the artist) and ‘freedom’ (for the
artist as well as for the viewer). It is the capability of the artist to use their imagination to
look beyond what we can physically see and translate intangible emotions onto the canvas.
It is also the ability of the audience to then try to connect to the artist’s intention and free
their own mind of visual restrictions. Historically, the abstract art movement emerged in
the nineteenth century as a reaction to academic painting or realism. In fact, a very simple
way to understand the essence of abstract art is to think of it as a visual opposite of realistic
art. While realism pays attention to every tiny fold or wrinkle, abstraction gives the artist
the freedom to trust their intuition to create art that is equally worthy of an audience.
(https://www.art-mine.com/)
This is a method of presenting the subject where the artist moves away from reality.
The artist usually alters the shapes and colors in rendering a particular art piece. Abstraction
may be in these forms:
A. Distortion. Distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of
something. In the art world, a distortion is any change made by an artist to the size, shape
or visual character of a form to express an idea, convey a feeling or enhance visual impact.
 Art pieces of Henrietta Harris source: https://usaartnews.com/
B.Elongation. Elongation is when the art subject is lengthened, protracted or extended.
High Aspirations by Ernie Barnes

C.Mangling. Artists show the subject as cut, lacerated, mutilated or hacked with repeated
blows.

The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso

( pablopicasso.org/ goggle images)
D. Cubism. This is the presentation of abstract figures through the use of a cone, cylinder,
sphere, triangle, square, cube and circle in place of real pictorial elements.

'Factory, Horta de Ebbo' by Pablo Picasso (https://www.artyfactory.com/)

4. Symbolism. This is the use of a visible sign of an idea to convey to the viewers, readers
or audiences the message of his work. In this way, mystery is advocated by an art work
making it more interesting to the viewers. The key to eliciting symbolic art involves
studying the background and personality of the artist and his inspiration in producing the
said piece of work.

Mona Lisa by Da Vinci

5.Fauvism. Fauvism is the name applied to the work produced by a group of artists (which
included Henri Matisse and André Derain) from around 1905 to 1910, which is
characterised by strong colours and fierce brushwork. The name les fauves (‘the wild
beasts’) was coined by the critic Louis Vauxcelles when he saw the work of Henri Matisse
and André Derain in an exhibition, the salon d’automne in Paris, in 1905. The paintings
Derain and Matisse exhibited were the result of a summer spent working together in
Collioure in the South of France and were made using bold, non-naturalistic colours (often
applied directly from the tube), and wild loose dabs of paint. The forms of the subjects were
also simplified making their work appear quite abstract. (https://www.tate.org.uk/)
 source: artsy.net

6.Dadaism. Dadaism is a protest movement in the art that is playful and experimental.
“Dada” means a “hobby horse”. Dadaism is most often nonsensical. Marcel Duchamp is
the famous painter using this method. It is considered a revolt against tradition because it
does not follow the principles in art and shows the wickedness of society in its presentation.
The aim of this method is to shock and provoke its viewers.

Fountain by Duchamp source: magazine.artland.com

7.Futurism. This was developed in Italy about the same time as cubism appeared in France.
Futurist painters wanted their works to capture the mechanical energy of modern life.
 The Futuristic Art of NASA source: artsy.net

8.Surrealism. This method mirrors the evils of the present society. Surrealism means super
realism, influenced by Freudian psychology which emphasizes the activities of the
subconscious state of the mind. The art movement began in Paris in 1924 by the French
poet Andre Breton. It emphasized the activities of the subconscious mind mostly
exemplifying violence and cruelty. The surrealist’s aim is to reveal the deep and ugly part
of human nature.

source: pinterest.com
9.Expressionism. This features art works describing pathos, morbidity, chaos or even
defeat and was introduced in Germany from 1900 – 1910. Expressionists believe that man
needs spiritual rebirth for him to correct defects that ruin the society.

The Night (Die Nacht) by Max Beckmann source: https://www.identifythisart.com