ARTAPP REVIEWER (PRELIMS)

The Creation of Arts and Art Appreciation

*Etymologically, the term "Humanities" is from a Latin word humanus which means educated.

*It refers to the learning of arts such as architecture, dance, literature, music, painting, theatre, and
sculpture (Sanches, 2011).

*It is a branch of knowledge that focuses on human opinions, and relationships (Machlis, 2003).

*These feelings can be in facial manifestations or body movements.

*These methods are in the form of ideas and words that help makes our life more meaningful.

*Moreover, Humanities can also be a study on how an individual documented and processed his/her
experiences particularly in connecting to others (Stanford University, 2016).

*Imparting humanities as an academic science is designed to let our learners (particularly the new
generations) become creative and artistic individuals.

*Humanities help the students to connect with the community through art exposure like museum
outings, concerts, theatre performances, etc. (Marcos, 2010).

The Creation of Arts

*In our life, we experience so much fragmentation of our thoughts and feelings.

*But, by creating arts, it brings things back together.

*It includes literature, music, paintings, photography, sculpture, etc. It serves as an original record of
human needs and achievements.

*It usually refers to the so-called "fine arts" (e.g., graphics, plastic, and building) and to the so-called
"minor arts" (everyday, useful, applied, and decorative arts).

*It is the process of using our senses and emotions in making creative activities (Marcos, 2010).

*It is a human capability to make things beautiful (e.g., buildings, illustration, designing, painting,
sculpture, and Photography) through the production of his/her imagination depending on the
preparation, theme, medium, and values used. For many people art is a specific thing; a painting,
sculpture or photograph, a dance, a poem, or a play.

*They are mediums of artistic expression.

*Webster's New Collegiate dictionary defines art as "The conscious use of skill and creative imagination
especially in the production of aesthetic objects."

*Yet art is much more than a medium, or words on a page.

*Joseph Brodsky hints at a definition of art in his poem "New Life":"Ultimately, one's unboundcuriosity
about these empty zones,about these objectless vistas,is what art seems to be all about."

*Art is uniquely human and tied directly to culture.

*It takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.

*Along these lines, art history, combined with anthropology and literature, are three main sources in
observing, recording, and interpreting our human past.

*Visual art is a rich and complex subject whose definition is in flux as the culture around it changes.

*Because of this, how we define art is in essence a question of agreement.

*In this respect, we can look again to the dictionary's definition for an understanding of exactly what to
look for when we proclaim something as 'art'. Significantly, the word artist comes from the French word
artiste and the Spanish artista, which means "performer."

1. The Creations of Ideas. Artists are usually impressionable persons. They used their experiences as
their basis in the making of dance, picture, poem, or a play or a song. For example, a composer may
write a song on the developing romance between a man and a woman, or on the pains of a broken-
hearted.

2. The Creations of the Materials. The artist uses different materials or mediums to give form to an
idea. For example, a painter uses pigments; a sculptor uses wood, metal, or stone; an author uses
words, and a composer uses musical sounds to determine the notes.

3. The Creations of Forms. There are diverse forms used by the artists in expressing their ideas. It is a
medium of artistic expression recognized as fine art. This form is used to explain the physical nature of
the artwork like in metal sculpture, oil painting, etc.

Art Appreciation

When we look around, we see a lot of things that relate to art. likewise, the color and design of our
clothes, designs of buildings and vehicles, interior designs, landscapes, music from the radio – all of
these are art.

People look at art in different ideas that they want to know more about or maybe studying. Art can
shows ideas about the past, what is currently happening, and what may happen in the future. Works of
masters, like Van Gogh, da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Mozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Edgar Allan
Poe, Abueva, Amorsolo, and Tolentino, are monuments of great men who lived their lives to fulfill their
vision. Their art lives for our generations to study, enjoy, and appreciate.

Art Appreciation is a way to motivate ideas and allows individuals to illustrate their feelings when they
viewed an artwork.

Functions and Purposes of Arts

From the very beginning, arts have been part of human history. It described, defined, and
deepened the human experience. Arts also serve several functions which are item outcome to
its purpose (Menoy, 2009), namely:

Individual Function - The artists perform arts because of the passion of their respective art
forms. A singer presents a concert for free because of his advocacy and the love of singing. For
example, Regine Velaquez (Asia’s Songbird) is well-known for possessing an extensive vocal
range.

Social Function - Man associates with others through his art performance that arouses social
consciousness. Examples of this association are choral singing, group dancing, public art
exhibits, and other practices.

Economic Functions - Arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life of people
assumes an essential role as a direct and indirect contributor to state economies. An example of
this is by generating economic vitality in under-performing regions through crafts, tourism, and
cultural attractions.

Political Functions - Art provides a forum for ideas that will lead to employment, prestige,
status, and power. During the election period, for example, the candidates created their
artworks (poster) which expresses their propaganda, agendas, and political views about making
a stable society.

Historical Functions - Art is an essential technique for information to be recorded and

preserved. It serves to document or reconstruct historical figures and events. Most arts that are
in Museums, for example, are filled with amazing stories about the world's most excellent and
most creative people who brought us the treasures. By looking at a work of art’s colors,
materials, and symbolism, we can learn about the story and culture that produced it in the past.

Cultural Functions - Art is an articulation and transmission of new information and values. For
example, when you think of Manila, you probably think of Fort Santiago, Luneta Park, and its
world-renowned churches, or the famous Intramuros.

Physical Functions - Buildings are artistically designed and constructed to protect their
occupants and make their life inside more meaningful. Architects, Industrial and Graphic
Designers, and Interior Decorators share responsibility in building an environment that balances
forms and functions.

Aesthetic Functions - Any artwork means beauty. It is a visual spice for gracefully adorned
interiors and can bring out the most elegant features of different décor elements. It reasonably
reproduced visual images that communicate through fantastic persuasions and meaningful
words.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Purposes of Arts

*Creativity or imagination is the primary basis of art.

*Art is created when an artist produces a stimulating experience that is considered by his
audience to have artistic merit.

*The artwork is the visual expression of an idea or experience of an artist, through the use of a
medium (Frank, 2011).

*It allows the expression of the individuality of the artist.

*Through artistic endeavors, we can share what is important to us with others and can learn
about the values of feelings of those sharing art with us.

*Some purposes of art are the following (Marcos et al., 2011).

Create Beauty - Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, and intuitions. It is the
communication of concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone. The Artist has
considered nature as the standard of beauty. The example of beauty can be in a snowy
mountain scene, and the art is the photograph of it shown to the family.

Provide Decoration - Artworks are used to create a pleasing environment. It is intended to

beautify things to please and amuse the viewers through its colors and patterns.

Reveal Truth - Artwork helped to pursue truth and attempted to reveal about how the world
works. It is a kind of language that allows artists to send a message to the souls of the recipients
that help change their attitudes, their sensibility, and their ethics.

Express Values - Arts can illuminate our inner lives and enrich our emotional world. Through
arts, the artist will be encouraged to develop their creativity, challenge, and communication
skills. It also promotes self-esteem and wellness.

Commemorate Experience - Art serves to convey the personal experiences of an artist and
record his impression in his work.

Create Harmony - An artist makes use of the composition to put an order in the diverse content
of his work.

Forms of Arts and its Value in the Educational Institutions

Forms of Arts

Many changes in the arts took place during the early modern period. Works of art are classified
in many different forms, namely:

Visual Arts - These arts are those forms that create works which are primarily visual (forms
perceived by the eyes). Examples of these arts include:

Painting - This form of visual art aims to evoke an emotion from the viewers. It is the practice by
applying colors or other media to a surface with a brush or other objects.

Sculpture - This form of visual arts characterized as the art of representing an imagined or
observed object in hard materials such as glass, metals, or wood in three dimensions.

Drawing - This form of art enhances the way we see the world around and conditions us to
capture its details in a two-dimensional medium. This has been a critical element of art
throughout history and in the contemporary art world.

Photography- This form of art is a process of creating portraits by recording radiation on a

radiation-sensitive medium, such as electronic image sensors or photographic films.

Installation Art - The fundamental nature of this form of art is the participation of the
spectators. It is a profound expression of human culture in a particular period, and it will endure
and outlive us in forms of monuments that future generations will study and strive to
understand.
Performing Arts - These arts are those forms in which the artists used his/her own body, face,
and presence as a medium. Examples of these arts are as follows:

Theatre - This form of art uses performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event
before a live audience in a specific place and time.

Music - This form of art helps to express our mood and feel the way through our emotions and
ideas. Based on a study, different types of music may be suitable for different moods through
classical music is still recommended as the most calming music option.

Dance - This form of art is expressed through body movement which entails social interaction,
or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.

Opera - This form of art helps to tell stories through music. In this art form, singers and
musicians perform a dramatic work by combining text (called a libretto) and musical score.

Stagecraft - This form of art is a technical aspect of theatrical production. These include prose
and poetry (e.g., novels, short stories, sonnet, ballad, epic, and essay).

The Value of Arts in the Educational System

Knowing and practicing the arts disciplines are fundamental to the development of the minds
and spirits of the students (National Art Education Association, 1994). Arts are inseparable from
education. When early humans drew images on the walls of the caves, the artworks have been
the means of recording human experiences and of making sense of the world. It educates us on
how early people lived and survived. Thus, without the skills in the arts, no one can claim that
he/she is professionally trained.

There are several reasons for the arts to be included in an educational system. It is evident that
involvement in the arts has been shown to help students in their academic, personal, and social
development.

1. Arts are worth studying because they served to connect our imaginations with the most
profound questions of human existence.

2. Arts are always used because it helps to present issues and ideas to teach, persuade, and
entertain people.

3. Arts are integral to every person’s daily life because it helps shape our spiritual, political,
economic, cultural, and social environments.

4. Arts are refreshing because it offers unique sources of enjoyment and it investigates
relationships between thought and actions.

5. Arts develop students attitudes because it teaches self-discipline, reinforces self-esteem,

fosters thinking skills and creativity, and values the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

01M1.3L2 EXPLORE 1 | The Western Art History

*Historically speaking, the human instinct to create art is universal.

*Art is an approach of a human being to communicate his/her beliefs and express ideas about
his/her experiences.

*It also provides valuable insights into the past and existing cultures.

*It helps us to understand how others have lived and what they valued (Annenberg Foundation,
2017).

*The history of art reflects the remnant of civilization, the study of artworks, and the lives of
artists illuminate much about our shared past.

*It helps us to discover, authenticate who made a particular art object (Meyer, 2009).

*It also helped us to appreciate the stylistic and recognized development of artistic practices on
a large scale and within a broad historical viewpoint.

*The history of art also covers the entire history of humankind since prehistoric times.

*Art is a product of man's emotional and intellectual connection with the world.

*It also aimed to produce a message which will either provoke an unexplainable consciousness
within the hearts of its viewers or incite wisdom among inquisitive minds.

Art in Prehistoric Civilization

*The term "prehistoric" relates to the time before written history.

*Specifically, the writing developed in ancient Mesopotamia before 3000 B.C.E., so this period
includes visual culture (paintings, sculpture, and architecture) made before that date (Zucker,
2015).

*The oldest recognized decorative art forms come from Africa date back to 100,000 BC.E.
Prehistoric art has four main periods: Stone Age, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.

*The remaining artifacts of this period are small sculptures and cave paintings.

*During these early times, different forms of art were created and performed as a sign of
communication or adoration to the deity.

*This practice shows how cultural and religious factors played little to the development of the
art forms that made the ancient society so famous until now.Ancient people often represented
their worldviews and beliefs through visual images.

*Art emerged with the appearance and the dispersal of entirely modern people through Africa,
Asia, Australia, America, and Europe.

*Paintings, sculptures, engravings, and potteries are expressions of beauty and complex social
and spiritual systems.

*Many archaeologists have identified Stone Age art, namely: petroglyphs (rock carvings and
engravings); pictographs (graphic imagery, symbols); ancient sculpture (totemic statues, ivory
carvings); and megalithic arts (performs or any other works associated with the formation of
stones).The oldest European cave art is the El Castillo Cave (Cave of the Castle) in Spain.

*Other old cave painting sites in France include Lascaux, Grotte de Cussac, Pech Merle, Cave of
Niaux, and Font-de-Gaume.

Stone Tools for Art Making

*Stone is formed based on the composition of minerals on it.

*It is classified as Mineral growth, Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Volcanic.

*Sedimentary rocks shaped through the deposition and compression of particulate matter.

*On the other hand, Metamorphic rocks changed as a result of extreme temperature and
pressure.

*Volcanic rocks are from molten igneous magma (Prindle, 1994).The tools made of stone were
the instruments by which early man developed and progressed.

*All human culture founded on the ingenuity and brainpower of our early ancestors in creating
sophisticated tools that enable them to survive.

*The oldest human tools were a simple stone chopper, such as those unearth at Olduvai George
in Tanzania.

*It is the first cutting device and considered the oldest type of tool made by humans.

*The tool contains a rounded stone struck some blows with a similar stone used as a pounder,
which created a serrated crest that served as a chopping blade.Bifacial tools.

*It is a hand ax prehistoric stone tool flake with two faces or sides.

*These tools may be oval, triangular, or almond-shaped in form and characterized by axial
symmetry.

*The cutting edge could be straight or jagged and is used as a knife, pick, scraper, or weapon.

*The technique was distinctive of the hand-ax tradition of the Lower Palaeolithic period and the
Acheulian culture.Flake tools.

*These are hand tools used during the Stone Age.

*They are usually formed by crushing off a small or large fragment then used as the tool.

*Both cores and flakes could be as stone tools.

*These are a stone tool created by striking a long narrow flake from a stone core.

Medieval Arts in Europe

Medieval art is portrayed in Pietistic painting (religious art) displayed in Ceramics, fresco and
mosaic paintings, Goldsmith and Silversmith, Stained Glass, illuminated manuscripts,
metalwork, Tapestry, and Heraldry in churches.

1. Illuminated Manuscripts (Illumination) - They were colorful religious texts which often use
gold and silver as their main feature. The artist who produced the impressive artwork on
illuminated manuscripts was called Illuminators.

2. Metalwork - Metalworkers were very skilled in creating religious objects for church
decorations. Experts in Bronze art produced beautiful jewels, sculptures, and even church
doors.

3. Silversmith and Goldsmith - They were excellent artists who created new shapes of jewelry.
The Medieval church demanded to employed silversmiths and goldsmiths in the church to
produce e2222 with small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials.

4. Paintings - Artists who were skillful in Iconography uses Fresco and panel painting with the
religious theme during the medieval period. Likewise, Panels is a painting that showed on
several pieces of wood that joined together.

5. Bayeux Tapestry - It is embroidery in colored wool. It is consists of eight long strips of

unbleached linen, sewn together to form a continuous panel of 230 feet long and 20 inches
high.

6. Ceramics - They were hand-shaped cooking pots, jars, and pitchers.

7. Stained Glass - It creates the primary form of art where small pieces of glass are arranged to
form pictures or patterns which are held together by strips of lead and supported by a hard
frame.

8. Heraldry - It is the manner of designing coats of arms and insignia. Specimens of coats of
arms were worked using embroidery, paper, painted wood, stonework, and stained glass.

Famous Artists in Western Europe

During the Middle Ages, artists developed into the Gothic visual art style. The Medieval painters
and sculptors were founders of the movement towards greater realism. Most famous artists
during the medieval period were Donatello, Giotto, Leon Battista Alberti, Cimabue and Filippo
Brunelleschi.

Donatello (also known as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi). He was the son of Nicolo di Betto
Bardi, a wool merchant in Florence. His most famous works of art include David, Mary
Magdalene, Madonna, Salome, Zuccone, and St. Mark, St. John the Evangelist, and St. George
and the Dragon.

Giotto di Bondone (1266 - January 8, 1337) was an Italian artist. He painted the frescoes for the
Cathedral of San Francesco in Assisi and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. In 1300 he was invited by
Pope Benedict XI to paint a mosaic over the entrance to St Paul's Cathedral.

Leon Battista Alberti. He was born in Genoa on February 14, 1404, in Italy. As an Architect, he
was hired by Pope Nicholas V in the renovation of the papal palace and of the Roman bridge of
Acqua Vergine. He died in Rome on April 25, 1472.

Giovanni Cimabue. He was born in Florence in 1240. He devoted all his time wrapping his
paper and his books with photographs of horses, houses, people, and other various things he
dreamt up. He made mosaics .as well as paintings, which include the frescoes of New Testament
scenes in the upper church of St. Francis of Assisi. He died in 1302.

Filippo Brunelleschi. He was born in 1377 in Florence, Italy. He was the son Brunellesco Di
Lippoo, an Italian lawyer and his mother was Giuliana Spini. He was a sculptor and goldsmith in
one of the Florentine workshops. He died on April 15, 1446.

Fra Angelico (also known as Beato Angelico, which means "Blessed Angelic One”). He was born
in 1395 in Florence, Italy. As a Painter, his most famous works of art include the Annunciation,
The Madonna and Saints, and the Transfiguration of Christ painting.

Lorenzo Ghiberti. He was born in 1380 in Florence, Italy. He was admitted to the Gold Guild and
started his apprenticeship as a goldsmith in 1392. He started work on the East Doors of the
Baptistery of San Giovanni. The Bronze doors (known as the “Gates of Paradise”) had 10panels
depicting scenes from the Old Testament. He died in 1445.

Most Common Paintings in Classical Greek

*During the classical era, most paintings were discovered in panels, tombs, and vases.

*It portrays natural symbols with dynamic masterpieces about battle scenes, mythological
figures, and everyday scenes.

*It also discloses a grasp of linear perspective and naturalist illustration (Rayos, 2018).

*Familiar paintings in classical Greek are as follows:Kerch Vase Painting.

*Kerch Vase is red-figured pottery named after the place where it discovered.

*The most common motifs were scenes from the life of women, mythological beings, or
mythical stories or events.

*This type of painting used a technique known as polychromy which combined different colors
especially the brilliant one in an artistic manner.

*The shapes commonly found are:Krater (it is a bowl used for mixing wine and
water)lebesgamikos (a container with high handles and lid use to carry bridal bath)lekanis (a low
bowl with two horizontal handles and a small, broad foot)pelike (a wine container)Panel
Painting.
The Difference between Aesthetic Arts and Crafts

*Aesthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means “perception.” It is a branch of
philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the 18th century by Alexander
Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This term also refers to the principles governing the nature
and appreciation of beauty, especially in visual art (Rader, 1979).

*On the other hand, the term “craft” comes from a German word kraft which means “power” or
“ability.” It usually employed in branches of the decorative arts or associated artistic practice. It
tends to produce things for various human purposes, and tend to exhibit their prettiness around
a goal external to the object itself (Dutton, 1990).

*Arts and Crafts started during the 19th century in Europe as design reform and as a social
movement motivated by William Morris.

Types of Arts and Crafts

Artists may have unique skills and perceptive abilities, but they are also people with needs and
the motivation to meet those needs. Creating different works of art that are accepted by one’s
audience can lead to an artist’s social acceptance and recognition.

Textile Crafts. The word textile is from a Latin phrase texere which means “to braid" or "to
construct." These also refer to any craft where you work with fabric, yarn, or surface design. It
uses plant or any synthetic fibers in creating practical or decorative objects. These include the
following:

Cross-stitch - Stitching can also be a form of natural pain relief. It is a popular form of counted
thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a
picture.

Crochet - It is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a
crochet hook.

Sewing - It is the crafts of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and
thread.

Weaving - It is a fabric production method in which yarns are interlaced at right angles to form a
fabric or cloth.

Tatting - It is a technique for handcrafting particularly in making durable lace which is

constructed by a series of knots and loops.

Shoemaking - It is the process of making footwear.

Lace - It is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by
hand.

Macramé - It is a form of textile-making which requires very few tools and just some pure
knowledge of basic knotting.

Millinery - It is the designing and manufacture of hats.

String Art - It is an arrangement of colored thread strung between points to form an abstract
geometric design.

Wood Crafts. These refer to a skill that pertains to the woods, especially in making one's way
through the woods or in hunting, trapping, etc. It also relates to subsistence lifestyles with
implications of hunting-gathering (Horace, 1906). These include the following:

Carpentry - It is a skilled trade in the cutting, shaping, and installation of building materials
during the construction of buildings.

Marquetry - It is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer (thin slices of wood) to a
structure to form decorative designs.

Woodturning - It is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects.

Wood carving - It is a form of woodworking to form a wooden figure or objects by using a knife
or a chisel.

Cabinetry - It is a skill in making a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and drawers for
keeping various objects.

Upholstery - It is the work of building cushion and cover furniture.

Metal Crafts. These refer to the art of executing artistic designs in metal for both practical and
aesthetic purposes. These arts are designed for decorative items or functional objects that are
beneficial and useful to us all. These works are of bronze, silver, gold, tin, copper, lead, brass,
and iron. These include the following:

Jewelry - It is a form of personal adornments, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and
bracelets.

Metal Casting - It is a process by which a liquid material (bronze, copper, glass, aluminum, and
iron) is poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then
allowed to solidify.

Welded Sculpture - It is an art form in which the statue is made using welding techniques.
Paper or Canvas Crafts. It refers to an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making
backpacks, tents, marquees, and other sustainable items. These include the following:

Bookbinding - It is the process of physically assembling a book from some folded or unfolded
sheets of paper or other material.

Card Making - It is a hand-made technique for producing greeting cards.

Collage - It is a technique where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms,
thus creating a new whole.

Origami - It is a Japanese cultural art of paper folding.

Paper-Mache - It is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes

reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive.

Scrapbooking - It refers to a method of arranging, preserving, and presenting personal and

family history in a book form.

Rubber Stamping - It is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment applied to an
image or pattern that carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber.

Plants Crafts - These refer to skills using plant parts as the medium. These include the following:

Corn Dolly Making - It relates to the making of shapes and figures (known as ‘dollies’) from
straw (such as barley, oats, and wheat).

Floral Design - It is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create a pleasing and balanced
composition.

Pressed Flower Craft - consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and
exclude light and moisture.

Principles of Understanding Artistic Design and Composition

Principles of Understanding Artistic Design

Art principles are created by combining art elements. Whether analyzing or composing artwork,
one must have a complete understanding of how art principles are created (Elsen, 1981).

1. The Principles of Harmony

*When all of the elements of art interact well in an artwork, visual harmony is attained.
*This is accomplished by using similar types of geometric shapes, lines, or colors within a work
of art to create a unified composition.

*Likewise, using various cool or warm colors would help to produce a harmonious work of art.

2. The Principles of Variety.

*A stable composition will also demonstrate the principle of variety.

*It is accomplished by using differing colors, lines, and shapes within an artwork to make key
areas stand out.

*Artists can use this idea to direct a viewer's eye to a place within the art that he or she wants
to emphasize.

3. The Principles of Balance.

*It refers to the symmetry of opposing visual forces.

*It is created in a work of art when colors, forms, shapes, or textures are combined
harmoniously.

4. The Principles of Movement.

*It is the way that an eye moves throughout a work of art.

*In this work of art, our eye moves up through the pattern in the rippling surface of the water to
the two paddlers.

*An artist creates a visual movement to drive the eye to the focal point of the artwork.

5. Principles of Emphasis

*It refers to the need for an artist to create a focal point within an artwork.

*This artistic point is an essential part of a work of art, and the viewer's eye should be drawn to
that area.

6. Principles of Proportion.

*This principle is created when the sizes of elements in an artwork art are combined
harmoniously.

*The artist usually tries to make all of the parts in a composition relate logically to each other to
depict the human form within the proper proportion.
7. Principle of Rhythm.

*It refers to the use of visual pattern within a work of art.

*Models within an artwork are created by repeating certain colors, lines, or shapes in specific
areas.

*It can also be used to form a variety of texture within a work of art.

Composition of Art
To appreciate art, we need to study it. We need to understand the basic concepts of art so as to
know its essence.

1. Subject Matter- The artist’s subject matter is an object, a person a scene, or an event that the
work of art depicts. An art that has a subject matter is called representational or objective art.
An art that has no subject matter is called non-representational or non-objective art.

In representational art, we see recognizable figures or objects. Abstract art, likewise, depicts
recognizable objects. However, in abstract art, the appearance of objects in not realistically
presented.

Subjects of art could be:

Interesting Person(s)

Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

“Song to Celia” by Ben Jonson

The Human Form

Venus de Milo

Michaelangelo’s David
Activities of Man

Amorsolo’s Planting of Rice

Commemorative Events

Manohar’s Painting of Jahangir Receives a Cup from Khusrau

Juan Luna’s Blood Compact

Interesting Animals

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Brancusi’s Bird in Space

Common Objects

Still Life

Edward Weston’s Cabbage Leaf

Nature

Claude Monet’s A Field of Poppies

Deity

Armida Nyoria (Japanese Buddhism

 On the other hand, non-representational or non-objective art does not depict recognizable
objects. Through the creative arrangements of sounds, tones, and pitches, a musical
composition is created, not representing anything, yet able to move us deeply. For the non-
representational artists, art’s power to communicate rests on the language of art itself, in the
elements of colors, line, shape, and figures.

2. Form

*The specific quality or shape of artistic expression is its form.

*It includes all the visual aspects of the work that can be isolated and described.

*It is also the shape by which the artist projects his subject matter.

3. Content

*What the artist is trying to express or communicate is the content of his work.

*It tells the work of art is all about, the artist's subject matter.

*It is the meaning or the theme expressed by the artist.

*Through the content, the artist's attitude toward his subject is revealed.

*The artistic value of the substance or the content of an artwork can be measured by its
originality, its imaginative quality, its sincerity, and its truth.

4. Medium

*It is a means by which an artist translates his feelings and thoughts into form.

*It could also refer to the substance the artistic work is made from.

*The creative arts are classified according to more specific categories that are related to their
medium or technique.

5. Technique.

*How well an artist knows and uses his medium in achieving what he wants is his technique.

*It is how he selects and arranges his materials to achieve a specific effect.

*It is mixing or putting together the substance into the form.

*This is what makes one artist's work different from another.

*Artists working on similar subjects using the same medium accomplish different effects
because they employ their techniques.

Motivated Functions of Arts

The motivated purposes of art are intentional and conscious actions on the part of the artist. Art
may bring political change or comment on life in a society. It may also convey specific
propaganda, or just as a form of communication (Holly, 2002). The primary motivated functions
of arts are as follows:

1. Art for Acting- Art may pursue to bring about a certain emotion, to relax, or to entertain the
viewer.

2. Art for Healing- Art is utilized by art therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists as
art therapy. The end product is a method of curing, through creative acts.

5. Art for Political Change- One of the essential functions of the art of the early twentieth
century has been to use visual images to bring about legislative modification.

6. Art for Propaganda (Commercialism)- Art is utilized to influence popular ideas or moods
delicately.

7. Art for Communication- Art has a goal, directed toward another individual. For example, a
graphic is a form of art for communication in which the artist expresses his/her emotions,
feelings, and moods.