ART Appreciation -Midterm Coverage part 1

ART APPRECIATION -Philosophical Perspective of Arts

Philosophical perspective points to the nature of art, including such concepts as interpretation,
representation and expression and form. It is closely related to aesthetics, the philosophical
study of beauty and taste.
Some of these philosophical perspectives are:
1. Art is mimesis (PLATO).
Mimesis is derived from the Greek word “mimos) meaning to imitate. Mimesis is
a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings which include
imitation, representation, mimicry, imitation, receptivity, nonsensuous similarity, the act of
resembling, the act of expression, and the presentation of the self.(Gebauer, 1992)
Mimesis was an idea that governed the creation of works of art, in particular,
with correspondence to the physical world understood as a model for beauty, truth, and
the good. Plato contrasted mimesis or imitation with diegesis or narrative. After Plato, the
meaning of mimesis eventually shifted toward a specifically literary function in Ancient
Greek society and its use has changed and been reinterpreted many times since.
According to Plato, all artistic creation is a form of imitation: that which exists, in
“the world of ideas” is a type created by God; the concrete things man perceives in his
existence are supernatural representations of this ideal type. Therefore, the painter, the
tragedian and the musician are imitators of an imitation, twice removed from the truth
Example, God created a bed; the artist created a bed; the artist in turn, painted the bed in
this canvass.
2. Art as representation (ARISTOTLE).
Similar to Plato’s writings about mimesis, Aristotle also defined mimesis as the
perfection, and imitation of nature. Art is not only imitation but also the use of
mathematical ideas and symmetry in the search for perfect, the timeless and
contrasting being with becoming. Nature is full of changes but art can also search for
what is everlasting (Auerbach, 1953)
Aristotle’s Poetics is often referred to as the counterpart to his Platonic conception
of poetry. Poetics is his treatise on the subject of mimesis. Aristotle was not against
literature. As such, he stated that human beings are mimetic beings, feeling the urge to
create texts art that reflect and represent reality. Aristotle thought of drama as being an
imitation of an action and of tragedy as falling from a higher to a lower estate and so
being removed to a less ideal situation in more tragic circumstances than before. He
posited the characters in tragedy as being better than the average human being and
those of comedy as being worse.
3. Art for Art Sake (KANT).
In the minds of late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century philosophers,
the role of art could nothing less than to create beauty. The beautiful, for Emmanuel Kant
(1724-1804), is that which without any concept is recognized as the object of necessary
satisfaction. In other words, the appropriate stance of the spectator, perceiving beauty is
one of indifference. This indifference does not imply, as it would in the contemporary
sense today, that one is uninvolved; it simply means acknowledging that the beauty
possessed by the object is necessary and that the agreement as to the beauty would
be universal. In contradiction, taste is always ordered upon the indifferent but this
indifference is also the key to the recognition of the universality of beauty. The status of
aesthetic judgment is not empirical but logical, based upon the powers of human reason
and rationality, which excludes internal and external purposiveness or interest. Kant
introduces purposiveness without a purpose, allowing the mind of the one who
 contemplates art freely to an unrestricted play of the mental faculties.(Wilette, 2010).

Kant wrote in the Critique of Judgment, “ Forjudging of beautiful objects as such,

taste is requisite; but for beautiful art, for the production of such objects genius is
requisite. In a very famous statement, he asserted that” genius is the talent or natural gift
which gives the rule to art.
Subject of art INPUT
To a majority of people, the appeal of most works of art lies in the representation of
familiar objects. Their enjoyment of painting, sculpture, and literature comes not from their
perception but from the satisfaction they get out of recognizing the subject or understanding
the narrative content.
Subject of art refers to any person, object, scene or event described or represented in a
work of art. It may refer to a visual focus or the image that may be extracted from examining the
artwork while content is the meaning that is communicated by the artist or the artwork.
How the elements and the medium or material are put together is the form. In simple terms,
the subject is seen as the What?; the content is the Why? and the form is the How?

There are 2 types of subject of art as follows:

1. Representational or Objective. Representational art or figurative art represents
objects or events in the real world, usually looking easily recognizable. Example:
painting, sculpture, graphic arts, literature and theater arts.
2. Non-representational or non-objective. Those arts without any reference to
anything outside itself (without representation). It is non-objective because it has no
recognizable objects. It is abstract in the sense that it doesn’t represent real objects in
our world. It uses content and is concerned with how the artwork is depicted.

Sources of subject art:

1. Primary sources-provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic
under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the
events or conditions being documented. These may include autobiographies, memoirs
and oral histories.
2. Secondary sources interpret and analyse primary sources. Because they are
often written significantly after events by parties not directly involved but who have
special expertise, they may provide historical context or critical perspectives. These
may include pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources.

Some of these sources of art subject are:

1. Nature
2. History
3. Greek and Roman mythology
4. Christian tradition
5. Other works of art

Kinds of Subject
Artists usually draw their arts through the different kinds of subject. These include:
1. Still Life-These are groups of inanimate objects arranged in an indoor setting,
Example: flowers and fruits arrangements; dishes, food, pots and pans, and musical
instruments
2. Landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes- Artists have always been fascinated
with their physical environment. Example: Fernando Amorsolo is a well-known for
having romanticized Philippine landscape.
3. Animals-They have been represented by artists from almost every ages and places.
In fact, the earliest paintings are representation of animals on the walls of caves. The

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 carabao has been the favorite subject of Filipino artist. The dove stands for the Holy
Spirit in representation of the Holy Trinity.
4. Portraits- Portraits are realistic likeness of a person in sculpture, painting, drawing or
print.
5. Figures-The sculptures’ chief subject has traditionally been the human body, nude or
clothed. The body’s form, structure and flexibility offers the artist a big challenge to
depict it in a variety of ways ranging from the idealistic as in the classical Greek
sculptures to the most abstract.
6. Everyday life-Artists have always shown a deep concern about life around them.
Many of them have recorded in paintings their observation of people going about their
usual ways and performing their usual tasks.
7. History and Legends- History consists of verifiable facts, legends of unverifiable
facts. Example: Malakas at Maganda and Mariang Makiling are among the
legendary subjects which have been rendered in painting and sculpture.
8. Religion and Mythology- Most of the world’s religions have used the arts to aid
in worship, to instruct, to inspire feelings of devotion and to impress and convert non-
believers. Myths try to explain the relationships between gods and humans.
9. Dreams and Fantasies- Dreams are usually vague and illogical. Artists especially
the surrealists have tried to depict dreams as well as the grotesque terrors and
apprehensions that lurk in the depths of the subconscious

Different Levels of Meaning

A subject matter has three different levels of meaning:
1. Factual meaning- the literal meaning or the narrative content in the work that can be
directly apprehended because the objects presented are easily recognized. Examples:
stones, river, house
2. Conventional meaning- refers to the special meaning that a certain object has in a
particular culture or group of people. Example: flag symbol of a nation, cross for
Christianity
3. Subjective meaning- any personal meaning consciously or unconsciously conveyed by
the artist using a private symbolism which stems from his own association of certain
objects, actions, or colors with past experience.

The Artist and Artisan

An artist is considered to be a person with the talent and the skills to conceptualize and
make creative works. Such artists are singled out and prized for their artistic and creative
ideas. Their artworks can take many forms and fit into numerous categories such as
architecture, ceramics, drawing, painting, music, photography, print, digital art, sculpture and
many others. An artist is dedicated only to the creative side, making visually pleasing work
only for the enjoyment and appreciation of the viewer but with no functional value.
An artisan is essentially a manual worker or a craftsman who makes items with his or
her hands and who through skill, experience and talent can create things of great beauty as
well as being functional.

What is the difference between Artist and

Artisan? Definitions of Artist and Artisan:
Artist: An artist is a person who performs any of the creative arts. Artisan:
An artisan is a skilled worker who makes things by hand.
Characteristics of Artist and Artisan:
Artistic Value:
Artist: The object has a clear artistic value. Artisan:
The object has an artistic value.
Functional Value:

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 Artist: The object has no functional value. Artisan:
The object has a functional value.
Object:
Artist: The object has a lot of aesthetic value and is appreciated for this quality as it
pleases the individual.
Artisan: The object though utilitarian has certain aesthetic attributes to it.

The National Artist Award of the Philippines

The National Artist Award is the highest distinction bestowed upon Filipino Artists whose
body of work is recognized by their peers and more importantly by their countrymen as
sublime expression of Philippine music, dance, theatre, visual arts, literature, film and media,
arts, architecture and design. These are artists who have promoted Filipino cultural identity
and dignity through their art. Administered by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Sentrong
pang Kultura sa Filipinas) through proclamation no.1001 dated April 2 1972 by then President
Ferdinand E. Marcos, the government of the Philippines confers the award to deserving
individuals as recommended by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The National Artist Award for Architecture has only been bestowed to three notable
architects. Each of them has contributed, through their body of work, a style of architecture that
has elevated the standards of architecture in the country. Their architecture, modern and
contemporary for their period are at the same time a symbol of Filipino architecture.

GAWAD NG MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN AWARD (GAMABA)

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
In April 1992, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award
was institutionalized through Republic Act No. 7355. Tasked with the administration and
implementation of the Award is the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the highest
policy-making and coordinating body for culture and the arts of the State. The NCCA, through
the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Executive Council, conducts the search for the finest
traditional artists of the land, adopts a program that will ensure the transfer of their skills to
others, and undertakes measures to promote a genuine appreciation of and instill pride
among our people about the genius of the Manlilikha ng Bayan.

MODULE 8- Medium and Techniques of Artist

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

Explain the difference between medium and techniques used by the artist in their artworks;

Recognize the different techniques related to visual arts specifically painting; and Appreciate

the application of the medium and techniques used in various artworks.

INPUT: A medium is the material used by an artist to express his feelings or thoughts.
Oftentimes, the matter of selecting the medium depends entirely on the artist himself. He
normally selects the materials that can be handled with ease, that would suit his plan and
adequately bring out the qualities he wants to show.
Example of medium includes pigment in painting, words in literature, body movements in
dance, stone, metal or wood in sculpture, sounds in music, etc.

Technique is the manner in which the artist controls his medium to achieve the desired
effect and the ability to fulfill the technical requirements of his particular work of art. An artist
knowledge of his medium and his skill in making it achieve what he wants it to make up what
it is called technique. For example, a poet’s technique is his way of putting words together to
express an emotion or narrate a story. A pianist’s technique is his skill in handling the
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instrument and in interpreting a musical composition. Artists differ from one another in
techniques even if they use the same medium.

The Medium of the Visual Arts

Many mediums have been used by painters:

1. Encaustic-The medium for the powdered color is hot wax which is painted onto a wood with
a brush. It is then smoothed with a metal instrument resembling a spoon then blended and
set over a flame to soften and set the colors onto the wood. This technique is rarely used
today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhH7wxXrGSY

2. Fresco- It is the most noble and monumental, and is adapted to large wall surfaces. It entails
painting on freshly spread moist or wet plaster. The pigment is mixed with water, and layers of
plaster are applied to the surface. While the final layer is still wet, the artist applies the colors to
penetrate to the wet plaster. Examples include Roman wall paintings a n d Michelangelo’s
Sistine Chapel ceiling.

3. Tempera- In this method, the pigment is mixed with egg and applied to a very hard smooth
surface usually several layers of rubbed plaster ( Gesso ).

Venus by Sandro Botticelli

4. Oil painting- It is the most popular medium today because the pigment comes ready-mixed
with tubes. It dries slowly so that if the artist is dissatisfied he can repaint his errors or scrape all
off for a fresh start. Powdered colors are mixed with a fine oil usually linseed oil.

The Scream by Edvard Munch

5. Water color-Powdered pigments are mixed with gum-arabic or a similar substance that will
help them adhere to a surface. The artist then mixes them with water and applies them to a
ground usually paper.

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6. Mosaic- The design by small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic called tesserae,
embedded in wet mortar which has been spread over the surface to be decorated. This was
often used to decorate walls floors, and ceilings.

7. Acrylic- Acrylics are artificial compounds developed in the 20th century. The binder used
includes water and the paints can be thinned with water.

8. Collage-The word collage comes from the French word “coller” meaning to paste. In this
technique photographs, news clippings or other objects are pasted on the painting surface
and may be combined with painted areas. One of the first example was executed by Pablo
Picasso.

9. Drawing- The materials and methods of drawing are the most basic tools of the artist or
designer. Work that is intended to be executed in almost any materials-paint, stone, steel, paper
or fabric, may be first envisioned in a drawing. However this basic character of drawing skills
may tend to trivialize what can be a highly developed art in its own right.

10. Printmaking- A print is anything printed on a surface that is a direct result from the
duplication process.