ARTS 1100 - 1st Term Exam Reviewer

based on the reviewer, sir himself, had sent

Art

It is all around us. Some people may think or say that they are not engaged into the field but it is certain that encounters are inevitable. 

Ars

A craft or specialized form of skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery.

Art

Comes from the Latin word, "ars," which means skill or craft.

Arts in Medieval Latin

Any special form of book-learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology.

Arts in the Renaissance Period

The word reacquired a meaning that was inherent in its ancient form of craft. Artists saw their activities merely as craftsmanship, devoid of a whole lot of intonations that are attached to the word now.

Arts in the Seventeenth Century

This was when the problem and idea of aesthetics, the study of beauty, began to unfold distinctly from the notion of technical workmanship, which was the original conception of the word “art”.

Eighteenth Century

This is when the word has evolved to distinguish between the fine arts and the useful arts.

Fine Arts

Not delicate or highly skilled arts, but ‘beautiful’ arts. This is something more akin to what is now considered art.

Assumptions of Art

Art is universal, Art is not nature, and Art involves experience

Art is universal (Assumption of Art)

Art has always been timeless and universal, spanning generations and continents through and through.

Art is not nature (Assumption of Art)

Art is man’s expression of his reception of nature. Art is man’s way of interpreting nature. 

Art involves experience (Assumption of Art)

Unlike fields of knowledge that involve data, art is known by experiencing. In order to know what an artwork is, we have to sense it, see or hear it.

Functions of Art

This means to find the purpose of the art.

Classifications of the Functions of Art

Personal, Social, and Physical

Personal (Classifications of the Functions of Art)

Public display or expression.

Social (Classifications of the Functions of Art)

Celebration or to affect collective behavior.

Physical (Classification of the Functions of Art)

Utilitarian.

Personal Functions of Art

Highly subjective. The function depends on the artist who created the artwork so it may vary from an artist to another.

Purpose of the Personal Function of Art

Self-expression, Entertainment, and Therapeutic Value

Self-expression (Personal Function of Art)

The artist wants to express herself/himself or she/he wants to communicate an idea to the audience.

(Example/s of) Self-expression Function of Art

Dancing, music, poetry, painting are some great examples of this function.

Entertainment (Personal Function of Art)

The artist wants to entertain her/his audience.

(Example/s of) Entertainment Function of Art

Visual arts are some of the examples.

Therapeutic Value (Personal Function of Art)

Art becomes therapeutic when it is being used to lessen stress, improve happiness, or overcome a traumatic experience.

(Example/s of Function of Art) Therapeutic Value

Painting is the best example here.

Social Functions of Art

Art serves as a tool to address collective interests or issues, where its function goes beyond self interest.

Physical Functions of Art

Art is created to serve a utilitarian purpose.

Philosophical Perspectives of Art

Art as an Imitation, Art as a Representation, Art as a Disinterested Judgement, and Art as a Communication of Emotion

Art as an Imitation (Philosophical Perspective of Art)

Plato believes that everything in this world is just a mere copy of the “perfect” things which can only be found in the World of Forms.

Plato, The Republic

(Example of) Art as an Imitation

Art as a Representation (Philosophical Perspective of Art)

For Aristotle, art is an aid to philosophy in revealing the truth.

Aristotle, Poetics

(Example of) Art as a Representation

Art as a Disinterested Judgement

Immanuel Kant considered the judgment of beauty, the cornerstone of art, as something that can be universal despite its subjectivity.

Immanuel Kant, Critique of Judgement

(Example of) Art as a Disinterested Judgement

Art as a Communication of Emotion

For Tolstoy, art plays a huge role in communicating to its audience emotions that the artist previously experienced.

Leo Tolstoy, What is Art?

(Example of) Art as a Communication of Emotion

Elements of Visual Art

Line, Shape and Form, Space, Color, and Texture

Line (Element of Art)

Point moving at an identifiable path; an element of art that is used to define shape, contours, and outlines, also to suggest mass and volume.

Shape and Form (Element of Art)

The space occupied by the object of art.

Shape (Element of Art)

Refers to two dimensions: height and width.

Form (Element of Art)

Refers to three dimensions: height, width, and depth.

Categories of Shape

Geometric, and Organic

Space (Element of Art)

Three-dimensionality of a sculpture or architecture: height, width, and depth. You can walk around them, look above them, and enter them

Color (Element of Art)

Helps in enhancing the appeal of the artwork. Its effect has range, allowing the viewer to make responses based on memory, emotion, and instinct, among others.

Texture (Element of Art)

Can either be real or implied just like line and space. This element in an artwork is experienced through the sense of touch (and sight). This element renders the art object tactile.

Textures in two-dimensional plane

Can be implied using one technique or a combination of other elements of art. By creating this visual quality in the artwork, one can imagine how the surface will feel if it was to be touched: rough, smooth, hard, soft, hairy, leathery, sharp, dull, etc.

Principles of Art

Balance, Scale and Proportion, Emphasis and Contrast, Unity and Variety, Harmony, Movement, Rhythm, Repetition and Pattern

Balance (Principle of Art)

Refers to the distribution of the visual elements in view of their placement in relation to each other.

Scale (Principle of Art)

Pertains to the size in relation to what is normal for the figure or object in question.

Emphasis (Principle of Art)

Allows the attention of the viewer to a focal point, accentuating or drawing attention to these elements or objects.

Unity (Principle of Art)

A sense of accord or completeness from the artwork.

Harmony (Principle of Art)

The elements or objects achieve a sense of flow and interconnectedness.

Movement (Principle of Art)

Refers to the direction of the viewing eye as it goes through the artwork, often guided by areas or elements that are emphasized. Focal points: lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.

Rhythm (Principle of Art)

Created when an element is repeated, creating implied movement. Variety of repetition helps invigorate this type of principle of art as depicted in the artwork.

Repetition (Principle of Art)

Lines, shapes, and other elements may appear in an artwork in a recurring manner

Pattern (Principle of Art)

The image created out of repetition

Subject

Basic idea contained in the work of art. The topic, focus, or image presented in an artwork. Could be a place, person, thing, or idea.

Types of Subject

Representational, and Non-Representational

Representational (Subject of Art)

also called Objective or Figurative.

Representational (Subject of Art)

These are subjects or images that look as close as possible to their counterparts in the real world. Easily identified and recognized by the audience because they may have encountered/seen/experienced the image or event represented in the artwork.

Non-Representational (Subject of Art)

also called Non-Objective or Non-Figurative.

Non-Representational (Subject of Art)

These are subjects or images that do not refer to any object, person, place, or event in the physical world. They do not rely on imitation or representation. The audience/observer may have some difficulty in identifying or recognizing the subject in this type of art subject.

Sources and Kinds of Subject

Nature/Environment, Still Life, Mythology, Religion, and History

Nature/Environment (Source and Kind of Subject)

An artist may draw inspiration from his/her interaction with the physical world. He/She may depict different kinds of subjects such as people, animals, plants, landscape, seascape, and even cityscape.

Still Life (Source and Kind of Subject)

Artists may draw inspiration from inanimate subjects such as food, flowers, plants, candles, glass, books, and so on.

Mythology (Source and Kind of Subject)

Some paintings, sculptures, and even literary works depict and/or visualize the heroic encounters, beauty, wit, vanity, and other qualities of the characters, heroes, gods, and goddesses.

Religion (Source and Kind of Subject)

Several visual arts and literary works depict different beliefs, specifically their God/superior being and other biblical figures.

History (Source and Kind of Subject)

Historical events also serve as sources of subject in art.

Different Levels of Meaning in Art

Factual, Conventional, and Subjective

Factual Meaning

This refers to the literal meaning or the narrative content of an artwork which can be easily recognized and/or understood just by looking at the subject matter or elements presented in the work.

Conventional Meaning

As the name implies, this refers to the meaning which is embedded in a particular object/image/color (usually accepted/agreed upon by a certain culture or group of people).

Subjective Meaning

This refers to the meaning given by the audience/observer in relation to his/her personal views, feelings, and ideas.