JUSTINE AMIEL LACERNA

ANTHONY GERARD YAPCENGCO

FARID (BANSIL) YOUNIS

1. According to the School of Life YouTube video, what was the original purpose of art in medieval
European and Asian societies?

In the School of Life YouTube video, it is explained that in medieval European and Asian societies,
the original purpose of art was not primarily to create beautiful objects for aesthetic appreciation or to
express individual creativity, but rather to serve religious and political purposes. In Europe, for example,
art was mainly commissioned by the church and was intended to communicate religious teachings to a
largely illiterate population. Medieval art often depicted biblical stories and religious figures, and was
designed to inspire devotion and awe in the viewer. In Asia, art was similarly used as a means of conveying
religious and political messages. For example, in China, art was commissioned by the emperor and was
used to communicate his authority and power to the people. In Japan, art was often created for the ruling
samurai class and was used to express the values of loyalty, duty, and honor. Overall, the School of Life
video suggests that art has always served a social purpose, and that its role has evolved over time to
reflect changing cultural values and beliefs.

2. What is the significance of the statement, “l’art pour l’art”?

The phrase "l'art pour l'art," which translates to "art for art's sake," refers to a 19th-century
French philosophical movement that emphasized the inherent merit of art, separate from any social,
moral, or political reasons. This phrase is significant because it expresses that art should exist for its own
sake alone, independent of any other goals or functions. It implies that art should not be utilized to achieve
a goal, like spreading a specific message or fulfilling a particular need in society. In contrast, it suggests
that art be produced and valued for its aesthetic merits and the joy it imparts to the senses and the mind.
The philosophy of "l'art pour l'art" has been influential in modern art movements such as Impressionism,
Symbolism, and Abstract Expressionism, which prioritize artistic experimentation and the exploration of
form and color over representational or narrative content.

3. What was Duchamp’s point with his work, “Fountain”?

Duchamp's point with "Fountain" was to challenge the traditional definition of art and the notion
of what could be considered a work of art. He was part of a movement called Dada, which emerged in
response to the horrors of World War I and rejected conventional values and artistic practices. Duchamp
aimed to disturb the art community and refute the notion that art must be attractive or aesthetically
pleasing with "Fountain." He desired to convey the significance of artistic intention above the actual object
as well as the place of the artist in society. Duchamp was challenging the notion of creative uniqueness
and authenticity by entering a mass-produced item as a work of art. In a way, "Fountain" was Duchamp's
means of expressing that art is more than just a physical thing; it also refers to the context in which it is
shown and the concepts it conveys. One of the most well-known and significant pieces of modern art
came to represent the Dada movement.

4. What was the point of Rothko’s classic paintings from the 1950s (e.g. Mark Rothko: Classic Paintings
(nga.gov))
 Mark Rothko's classic paintings from the 1950s, such as those featured in the National Gallery of
Art's exhibition "Mark Rothko: Classic Paintings," were characterized by large, abstract fields of color. The
point of these paintings was to create an immersive experience for the viewer, one that emphasized the
emotional and spiritual power of color. Rothko believed that color had the ability to evoke deep feelings
and moods, and that his paintings could create a sense of transcendence and contemplation in the viewer.
In his iconic paintings, Rothko aimed to distill form and color to their purest forms. He sought for his
audience to react emotionally to the colors and how they interacted with one another, engaging with the
paintings viscerally. Rothko frequently referred to his works of art as "dramas" and thought they might
express a sense of the sublime and indescribable. Abstract Expressionism, a broader creative style in the
United States in the 1940s and 1950s, included Rothko's great paintings. This movement aimed to develop
a brand-new, distinctly American type of art while emphasizing individual expression and emotional
intensity. The intense use of color and form in Rothko's paintings made them some of this movement's
most well-known and essential works.

5. What does the School of Life video mean by “art is a sophisticated tool”?

The school of life said that art is a sophisticated tool that has helped humans reveal our inner
selves, emotion, and our view of the world. It also enabled us to give our opinion in the world, such as
politics.

7. Moving beyond the humor of the Roman Garcia video (“A Brief Art History”), what things in art
changed over time? What has stayed constant, or keeps recurring?

As time passed by, art, craft, and even architectural techniques changed and developed. The
way we used and had the purpose of art also changed. Arts and crafts helped us humans, and it is still
recurring. With the help of art, humans designed many sculptures and architectural techniques in
buildings. Another thing that is constant is our change and development with art.

8. According to John Berger (“Ways of Seeing,” Part 1), how does the camera change the way we see
art?

We can see the painting once in one place with the human eye. While with the camera can
change to any size, anywhere, and for any purpose.

9. According to Berger, how do mechanical reproductions distort the meaning of works of art?

Before, when we went inside a church, it gave a lot of meaning when we saw the paintings
inside that give the building’s memory. He said, “everything around the image is part of its meaning. Its
uniqueness is part of the uniqueness of the single place where it is. Everything around it confirms and
consolidates its meaning.” The example that he gave is “the icon.” Now with the mechanical
reproduction of art, we can see such paintings or art inside our homes. The image now comes to us that
removes its meaning and uniqueness. He said that it became information of a sort. The image now
travels and becomes transmittable.

10. What does Berger mean by this statement: “A lot more is possible but only if art is stripped of the
false mystery and the false religiosity that surrounds [art]”?

What he meant by this is that instead of treating and valuing art/paintings as relics whose sole
worth is determined by time and authenticity translated into monetary value, we should actually start
paying more attention to the paintings themselves and what they entail, and the fact that they are
paintings meant to hold some sort of messages and/or ideas, interpreting them with our own abilities.

11. How do paintings “lend themselves to easy manipulation”? What ways of manipulation does
Berger show?

According to Berger, paintings “lend themselves to easy manipulation” due to the fact that they
are because of the silence and stillness present within the paintings and because their meanings aren’t
attached to them anymore. He also mentioned that movement and sound were some ways that
paintings could be manipulated; through moving the field of vision and focusing on one part of the
painting instead of the whole, and adding sounds to possibly change the atmosphere therefore
impacting how the painting itself is delivered to the viewer.

12. Why was Berger so critical of the commentary from a book on the painting by Frans Hals (see
Regents of the Old Men’s Alms House - Frans Hals Museum)?

He was critical of the commentary because he does not agree with the subtle message that the
commentator was hinting at, of which being: that the commentator doesn’t want other viewers of the
painting to formulate their own thoughts on the painting.

13. What does Berger mean by “mystification”?

Mystification, in this case, is a concept that essentially pertains to mystifying or blurring the
possible real meanings, messages and ideologies behind art/paintings.

14. What was so significant about the children’s interpretations of Caravaggio’s painting (Supper at
Emmaus, 1601. See Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio | The Supper at Emmaus | NG172 | National
Gallery, London)?

The importance behind the children’s interpretations lies within the fact that people are able to
understand the subtle meanings or ideas behind art/paintings without mystification being present, and
in Berger’s own words: “as though pictures were like words rather than holy relics”; meaning that they
were able to actually understand a part of the painting rather than viewing the painting as either
something that’s glorified or as a simple object valued for its history, or both.