Mother of Good Counsel Seminary

City of San Fernando Pampanga

Senior High School Department
Subject: Humanities II
Teacher: Michael L. Sibug
Contact No : 0915- 817-8897
Email Add: sirmichaelsibug@gmail.com
disenyo_sinulad@yahoo.com

Date : January 6, 9,11, 2023

References:
Ariola, Mariano M. (2008). Introduction to Art Appreciation, A textbook in Humanities: C and E
Publishing Inc.
Panisan Wilson K., et al (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts, From the Regions.for Senior High
Schools: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
Regadio, Crisanto Jr Q., et.al (2013). Art Appreciation: Introductory Reading on Humanities
Focus on Philippine Art Scene: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

Read about the following:

Topic : The Meaning and Importance of Arts

What Art Is?
The functions of Art
Scope of Art
Origin of Art

Lesson Objectives:
1. Understand the meaning and importance of arts
2. Develop a personal concept of art
3. Is art a science
4. Does art require reason to be appreciated

CONTENT/ DISCUSSION

The Mening and Importance of Arts

1. Art is taken from the Italian word, “artis” which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery of
form, inventiveness and the association that exist between form and ideas and between
material and techniques. Fro the Aryan root “ar” which means- to join, or put together;
from the Greek words “ artizein” which means to prepare, and “ arkiskein,” meaning to
put together.
 2. Art, like love, is very important in our lives as it is concerned with the communication of
certain ideas and feelings by means of a sensous medium - color, sound, metal, stone,
words etc.
3. The subject of art is varied. Some arts have subjects called representational art; others
do not have subjects whch are non-representational or non-objective arts.
4. All arts have functions for people since they satisfy a particular need for them.
5. Visual arts, or space arts are those that we perceive with our eye and which occupy
space.
6. Auditory or time arts are those that can be heard and are expressed in time.
7. Combined arts are those that can be both seen and heard and these exist in both space
and time.
The Nature of Art
Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest and most important
means of expression developed by man. Since men have lived together, art sprung up. In fact,
in nearly every country, art shows itself in primitive societies. In every age or country, there is
always art. Art has been created by all people at all times; it has lived because it is liked and
enjoyed. A true work of art is made by man himself not imitatively, but creatively. A true artist
does not imitate nature but rather interpret it in his own way by selecting the essential features
of the subject and rejecting the minor ones.
Art has been defined in various ways. Hereunder are some of the definitions given by various
authors.
1. Art is taken from the Italian word “artis” which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery of
form, inventiveness, and the associations that exists between form and ideas, between
material and technique. – A. Tan
2. Art is derived from the Latin word “ars” meaning ability or skill. – J.V. Estolas
3. Art is a product of mans need to express himself. – F. Zulueta
4. Art is concerned itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means of
sensous medium. C. Sanchez
5. Art is that which brings life in harmony with the beauty of the world. – Plato
6. Art is the measure of the human being. – Aristotle
7. Art is an attitude of spirit, a state of mind – one which demands for its own satisfaction
and fulfilling, a shaping of matter to a new and more significant form. – John Dewey
8. Art is the skilful arrangement or composition of some common but significant qualities
of nature such as colors, sounds, lines, movements, words, stones, wood, etc. to express
human feelings, emotions, or thoughts in a perfect meaningful and enjoyable way. –
Panizo and Rustia
 From the definitions above, there are four (4) common essentials of art:
- Art must be man made
- Art must be creative, not imitative
- Art must benefit and satisfy man – man make use of art in practical life through
artistic principles, taste, and skill
- Art is expressed through a certain medium or material by which the artist
communicates himself to his fellows
Art is important in our lives. All the art that we see and hear have a purpose as well
as expression; they occupy some place in our judgment. Artworks are also valuable
sources of inspiration, and aesthetic and delightful experience. We also value and
appreciate beautiful things as a consequence of our encounter with the arts. Out of the
aesthetic experiences we derive from the arts, we may be influenced to change our
ways and behaviour. They may transform us to a highly-cultured, dignified, and
respectable human beings. The arts may beautify our humanity.
This explains why the arts are called the humanities. They bring out the good and
the noble in us. Through the arts we come to know the changing image of man as he
journeys across time, searches for the reality, and strives to achieve the ideals that
create meaning for life.
Art appreciation is the ability to interpret or understand man-made arts and enjoy them
either through actual and work – experience with art tools and materials and possession of
these works of art for one’s admiration and satisfaction. Art appreciation therefore deals with
the learning or understanding and creating arts and enjoying them.

The Subject of Art

In any art form – be it painting, music, dance, sculpture, architecture, theatre or
literature – there is always a subject that serves as the foundation of the creation of the work of
art. The subject of art is varied. A subject of art is usually anything that is represented in the
artwork. It may be a person, object, scene or event.
Artworks that depict something easily recognized by most people are called
representational or objective arts. Painting, sculpture, graphic arts, literature, and theatre arts
are generally classified as representational art, although some paintings and sculptures are
without subjects. Music and dance may or may not have subjects.
Artworks that have no resemblance to ant real subject are called non-representational
or non-objective arts. They do not represent anything and they are what they are. They rather
appeal directly to the senses primarily because of the satisfying organization of their sensuous
and expressive elements.
 Some contemporary painters have shifted their interest to the work of art as an object I
itself, an exciting combinations of shapes and colours that fulfils the aesthetic need without
having to represent images or tell a story. Many modern paintings have purely visual appeal; so
difficult that literal-oriented spectators cannot appreciate them.
Traditional sculptures and paintings have subjects. When looking at a painting or a
statue, one expects to recognize the subject to know what it is about.

The Functions of Art

Every art form has definite functions since it satisfies particular needs. To the layman, art may
have little function. To find meaning in art, it must have or serve a utilitarian purpose and be
capable of serving the purpose for which it was designed. Obviously, architecture is directly and
almost entirely functional because buildings and other structures are always built for some
special purpose. Thus, architecture allows man to express his yearnings for beauty. In a
building, the purpose is very clear for its construction is designed according to the principles of
functionalism. Music and the dance were used for ritual and worship of the gods and for social
and folk entertainments of the people as well as for military purposes. Painting and sculpture
may be used to narrate events, to portray people or events, to instruct (as in the case of
Christian art), to commemorate individuals or historical events and to serve as vehicles of
personal expression of a vision of nature and its beauty. Metal works such as gates, grills,
lamps, stained glass, mosaic, tilework, textile, and furniture are among the many types of arts
or crafts. Each of these examples is made for some definite and specific use.

To sum up, there are four main functions of art. These are:
1. Aesthetic function – through art, man becomes conscious of the beauty of nature. He
benefits from his own work and from those done by his fellowmen. He learns to use,
love, and preserve them from his enjoyment and appreciation.
2. Utilitarian function – with the creation of the various forms of art, man now lives in
comfort and happiness. Though art, man is provide with shelter, clothing, food, light,
medicine, beautiful surroundings, personal ornamentals, entertainment, language,
transportation, and other necessities and conveniences of life. Art not only enriches
man’s life but also improves nature through landscape, gardening, creation of super-
highways and through propagation and conservation of natural resources.
3. Cultural function – through the printed matter, art transmits and preserves skills and
knowledge from one generations to another. It burdens one’s cultural background and
makes man more civilized and his life more enduring and satisfying.
 4. Social function – through civic and graphic arts, man learns to love and help each other.
International understanding and cooperation are fostered and nations become more
unified, friendly, cooperative, helpful, and sympathic.
The Scope of Art
Various authors classify arts in different ways. According to Manaois, there are two general
dimensions of arts, namely (1) fine arts or independent arts or (2) useful or utilitarian arts. Fine
arts are made primarily for aesthetic enjoyment through the senses, especially visual and
auditory. Practical arts are intended for practical use or utility. It is the development of raw
materials for utilitarian purposes.
Fine arts or aesthetic arts are music, painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, dancing and
drama. Practical arts or useful arts are industrial art, applied or household art, civic art,
commercial art, graphic art, agricultural art, business art, distributive art, and fishery art.
According to Custodiosa Sanchez, arts consist of visual arts, literature, drama and theatre,
music, and dance. Visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes. They may be classified
into two groups, namely: (1) graphic arts; and (2) plastic arts. Graphic arts include painting,
drawing, photography, graphic process (painting), commercial art (designing of books,
advertisements, signs, posters and other displays, mechanical process, in which portrayals of
forms and symbols are recorded on a two-dimensional surface. Plastic arts include all fields of
visual arts for which materials are organized into three-dimensional forms such as structural
architecture, landscape architecture, (gardens, parks, playgrounds, golf course beautification),
city physical planning and interior arranging (design of wallpaper, furniture), sculpture, crafts,
industrial design, dress and costume design, and theatre design.
Josefina Estolas grouped arts into major and minor arts. Major arts include painting,
architecture, sculpture, literature, music and dance. Minor arts include the decorative arts,
popular arts, graphic arts, plastic arts, and industrial arts. She also grouped arts into: visual arts
(graphic arts, plastic arts) ; performing arts, (theatre, play, dance, music) literary arts (short
stories, novels, poetry, dramas) ; popular arts (film, newspaper, magazine, radio, television) ;
gustatory art of the cuisine (food preparation, beverage preparation) ; and decorative arts or
applied arts ( beautify houses, offices, cars and other structures).

Panizo and Rustia (1995) classified arts into two (2) major divisions: (1) according to purpose
and (2) according to media and forms:

- According to purpose, arts are classified into practical arts or useful arts, liberal arts,
fine arts, major arts, and minor arts.
- According to media and forms, arts include plastic arts, phonetic arts, kinetic arts,
pure arts, and mixed arts.
 - Practical or useful arts are directed to produce artifacts and utensils for the
satisfaction of human needs. Handicrafts (basket weaving, mat weaving, etc.),
embroidery, ceramics, iron and metal crafts, tin can manufacturing, etc., are
examples of these arts.
- Liberal arts are directed toward intellectual growth, such as in the study of
philosophy, psychology, literature, mathematics, and sciences.
- Fine arts are focused towards the creative activity for the contemplation of the
mind, and the uplift of the spirit. Painting, sculpture, architecture are examples of
these arts.
- Major arts are characterized by actual and potential expressiveness such as music,
poetry, sculpture.
- Minor arts are concerned on practical uses and purposes, such as interior decoration
and porcelain art.
- Plastic arts are developed through space and perceived by the sense of sight. Such
arts include sculpture and decorative materials.
- Kinetic arts involve the element rhythm. Dance is a type of this art.
- Phonetic arts are directed toward sounds and words as media of expression.
Examples are music, drama, and literature.
- Pure arts take only one medium of expression like sound in music and color in
painting.
- Mixed arts take more than one medium such as the opera which combines music,
poetry, and drama.

The Origin of Art

Art is viewed as a reflection of creative and ingenuity and inventiveness within a culture. It is
seen not only in terms of its styles and craftsmanship but its functional interaction with all the
elements that constitute human life and culture. Art stated during the primitive time when
superstition and beliefs in the spirits are still very common in every culture. Art is tribal and
indigenous that every ritual and ceremony is accompanied by dancing, painting, music, and
poetry. The primitive art is symbolic.
For instance, the primitive people dance to entertain, to worship their gods and goddesses, or
to invoke success and blessings. Music and poetry are directed towards the life and works of
their ancestors as well as legendary origins of heroes, heroines, and gods.
Primitive people painted their bodies, caves, and some parts of their dwelling to symbolize and
represent something. Sculpture of gods, goddesses were usually made of wood and clay. The
origins of this art is probably connected with sorcery and magic.
All arts originated in the temples of the East and West. These arts pertain to gods, goddesses,
religious animals, demons, priests, kings, and queens.