ART APPRECIATION REVIEWER
Assumptions of Arts
(Ariola, 2018)
Art is universal
In every country of the world, art exists
because it is important to people’s lives. It is
the oldest and most important means of
expression developed by man in any culture.
In fact, man learned to draw before he could
even start to talk as evidenced by some early
paintings in caves and trunks of trees –
shown in prehistoric times. Art has been
created by all people of the world at all times;
it has lived because it is liked and enjoyed.
The elements and forms of art apply to all arts
everywhere.
Art is cultural
Art contributes to the understanding of past
and present cultures. Through art, people
learn about their culture’s values and
strengthen their culture’s identity. Through art,
the people feel proud of their customs,
traditions, and beliefs because they give a
sense of belonging. The artists’ work such as
painting, sculpture, music, dances, ceramics,
prints and others are records of their society’s
culture. They create within the person’s
sensitivities toward their community, their
country and the world around them.
Art is not nature
Art is not nature because it is man-made. Art
is man’s interpretation of what he perceives
as art. Nature, such as the mountains, the
volcano, lakes, rivers, and land terrain are
made by God and not by man. Thus, art, and
not nature, is made by man all the time.
Art is an expression of the mind
According to Jeff Lee (2016), art is a form of
expression of the deepest emotion of the
minds. According to him, the egoic mind
(conscious mind) and the echoic mind
(unconscious mind) together make up the
totality of thinking. Artistic expression may be
expressed 100% in conscious minds but
those who are extremely artistic or
right-brained individuals, they may be more
creative and are able to recognize the value
of linking seemingly unrelated thoughts or
ideas, methods, and concepts because of
their frequent practice.
Art is a form of creativity
Art is a product of the imagination that
entertains, pleases and inspires people. The
various artworks of artists reflect the artist’s
power of creativity. Artists create artwork
about anything they want, imagine or see
around them. The artists use their imagination
to
create any artwork using strange shapes and
different kinds of links and colors. Color
expresses the artist’s personal feelings and
moods. Colors symbolize ideas. It brings art a
particular meaning, mood, and feeling in an
artwork. The artist’s choice of color expresses
the beauty and elegance of the artist’s work
and also the feeling the artist has at that
moment. He does all this as a consequence
of his creative mind and imagination.
Therefore, we can say that art is creative, not
imitative; artworks are produced by human
creative skill and imagination.
Art involves experience
When a work is finished in a satisfactory
manner, an experience occurs. Likewise,
when a problem is solved or a game is
played, or a conversation is rounded out
satisfactorily; experience does occur.
Fulfillment and consummation of an act
conclude the experience.
In all experiences, every successive part
flows freely. Artists use their experiences to
ventilate their feelings through the works that
they make. Some artists focus on societal
problems, issues, and concerns. Some of
them use expressionism to communicate
strong and intense feelings. They reflect in
their works on the brink of socio-cultural
problems because of their experiences. For
example, Ang Kiukok, a famous
Filipino-Chinese painter likes to dwell on
subject matters showing the “harsh,
disturbing, morbid” realities happening in
the Philippines. Due to his experiences, he
likes to express anger as well as frustration in
his paintings. Emotion is the moving and
cementing force of his artwork. In like
manner, the painting of Vincent Van Gogh, the
“Starry Night” is an expression of feelings
based on his experiences. In his artwork, he
displayed stars swirling in the sky. He used
bold jagged strokes, gloomy colors to convey
strong and strange feelings. The lines, colors
and shapes express his feelings about the
scene in his paintings. The expressions of the
artists are shown in the way they express
their feelings towards their artwork.
Who decides whether art is "good" or "bad"?
"Taste" in art and entertainment can often
represent societal hierarchies, prejudices, and
inequalities.
modern in fifty years time. Even so, it is
traditional to say that "Modern Art" means
works produced during the approximate
period 1870-1970. This "Modern era" followed
a long period of domination by
Renaissance-inspired academic art, promoted
by the network of European Academies of
Fine Art. And is itself followed by
"Contemporary Art" (1970 onwards), the more
avant-garde of which is also called
"Postmodern Art".
Art is not meant to be looked at only for what
it is. It is meant to stimulate thought because
it allows viewers to draw their own emotions
and pull from their personal experiences when
viewed. It is very powerful in this way and it
naturally develops critical and innovative
thinking skills. Art also teaches many
important qualities such as listening,
observing and responding to multiple
perspectives.

Part of the job of a critic is to refuse the

categorization of art as "high" or "low."

By challenging and redefining these

assumptions, critics can level the playing field
to include work from all walks of life.

“Seeing something again is an important

aspect of art. You don’t ever see all at one
time. You could see it indefinitely, and there
would always be something you haven’t seen,
because art is a product of the intuitive—the
most powerful instrument within us. The
intuitive sense is the most accurate sense we
have.” — Louis I. Kahn

There is no precise definition of the term

"Modern Art": it remains an elastic term,
which can accommodate a variety of
meanings. This is not too surprising, since we
are constantly moving forward in time, and
what is considered "modern painting" or
"modern sculpture" today, may not be seen as