Artapp Module 3

I.Title: Creativity, Imagination, and Expression in Art (Part 1)

II.Objectives

III.At the end of the lesson, the students would have:

1. distinguished art from nature;

2. characterize artistic expression based on personal experiences with art;
3. discuss the nature of arts preliminary expression; and
4. categorize works of art by citing personal experiences

IV. Text

It takes an artist to make art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. However, not every beautiful
thing that can be seen or experienced may be truly be called a work of art. Art is a product of man’s
creativity, imagination, and expression. No matter how perfectly blended the colors of a sunset are and
no matter how extraordinary formed mountains are, nature is not considered art it is not made by man.
Not even photographs or sketches of nature, though captured or drawn by man, are works of art, but
are mere recordings of the beauty of nature (Collins and Riley, 1931). An artwork may be inspired by
nature or other works of art, but an artist invents his own forms and patters due to what he perceives as
beautiful and incorporates them in creating his masterpiece.

Perhaps not everyone can be considered as artist, but surely, all are spectators of art. In deciding what
pair of shoes to buy, we carefully examine all possible choices with our budget and purchases the one
that satisfies our beauty and practical standards. We are able to distinguish what is fine from what is not
and what is good quality from poor. This gives us a role in the field of art appreciation.

Art Appreciation as a Way of Life

Jean Paul Sarte, a famous French philosopher of the twentieth century, described the role of art that
depicts the world in a completely different light and perspective, and the source is due to human
freedom (Greene, 1995). Each artwork beholds beauty of its own kind, the kind that the artist sees and
wants the viewers to perceive. More often than not, people are blind to this beauty and only who have
developed a fine sense of appreciation can experience and see the art the same way the artist did.
Because of this, numerous artworks go unnoticed, artists are not given enough credit, and they miss
opportunities. It sometimes takes a lifetime before their contribution to the development of art is
recognized. Hence, refining one’s ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose
of a artwork and recognize the beauty it possesses ( Collins and RIley, 1931).

In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his taste for things that are
fine and beautiful. This allows individuals to make intelligent choices and decisions in acquiring
necessities and luxuries, knowing that gives better value for time and money while taking into
consideration the aesthetic and practical values. ( Collins and Riley, 1931). This continuous demand for
aesthetically valuable things influences the development and evolution of art and its forms.

Frequenting museums, art galleries, performing arts theaters, concert halls, or even malls that display
art exhibitions that are free in admission during leisure time will not only develop an understanding of
the art, but will also serve as a rewarding experience. Learning to appreciate art, no matter what
vocation of profession you will have, will lead to a fuller and more meaningful life (Collins and Riley,
1931).

The Role of Creativity in Art Making

Creativity requires thinking inside a box. It is often used to solve problems that have never occurred
before, conflate function and style, and simply make life a more unique and enjoyable experience. In art,
creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. We say something is done creatively when we
have not yet seen anything like it or when it is out of the ordinary. A creative artist does not simply copy
or imitate another artist’s work. He does not imitate the lines, flaws, colors, and patterns in recreating
nature. He embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work, and calls it his own creative piece.

Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. When you thought was your own unique and
creative idea may not what it seems to be after extensive research and that someone else has
coincidentally devised before the idea is another part of the world. Filipinos are known to be imitators of
foreign works.

Art as a product of imagination, Imagination as a product of Art

Where do you think famous writers, painters, and musicians get their ideas? Where do ideas in making
creative solutions begin? It all starts in the human mind. It all begins with imagination.

German physicist Albert Einstein who made significant and major contributions in science and humanity
demonstrated that knowledge is actually derived from imagination. He emphasized this idea through his
words: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and
understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and
understand.”

Imagination is not constrained by walls of the norm, but goes beyond that. That is why people rely on
curiosity and imagination for advancement. Through imagination, one is able craft something bold,
something new, something better in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change.
Imagination allows endless possibilities.

In the artist’s mind sits a vast gallery of artworks. An artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can
be something that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938). The song that Beethoven composes is the product
of his imagination. Likewise, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibustirismo are the results of Rizal’s literary
genius.

In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination. Works of art like drawings,
paintings, music, poems and novels challenges people to do likewise and produce their own works.

Art as Expression

Art is often the result of deep emotions in man finding some avenue of release. Songs, poetry, novels,
drawings and paintings are often the product of someone’s pent emotions of joy, sadness, anger or
frustration.
Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for his work in aesthetics,
explicated in his publication The principles of Art (1938) that what an artist does to an emotion is not to
induce it, but to express it. Through expression, he is able to explore his own emotions and at the same
time, create something beautiful out of them.

V. Reference

Caslib et. al.Art Appreciation. Manila: Rex Bookstore, 2018, pp. 13-17