Week 3: How did art begin?

Art Period

These are specific lengths of time in

history with a prominent movement,

trend, or creed in artistic practice.

Art Movement

These are sets of distinguishable

styles and artistic tendencies often

characterized by a major trend in

techniques or approach. Usually they

end with -ism, to suggest a certain

attitude or ideology.

Prehistoric

Cave paintings

- Venus figurines, which are

considered portable structures

- Romans: the competitor of Greece

created realistic structures of human

figure

Middle Ages

The “death” of artistic freedom due

to canonical standards of visual

interpretation

- The rise of Gothic art

- Popular art: Stained glass windows

and illuminated manuscripts

Renaissance

It means "rebirth” Revival of artistic

genius

- Rebirth happened because artists and

thinkers looked back at classical

Greek and Roman ideas to revive

learning, science, and art. The time of “Masters” e.g.,

Donatello, Da Vinci, Michaelangelo,

Raphael, and Van Eyck

Baroque

Grandiose and ornate art

- Artistic innovation: "spotlight effect"

called chiaroscuro or in extreme

usage, it is called tenebrism

- Artists to note: Caravaggio (Italy),

Velazquez (Spain), Poussin (France),

and Antonio Gaudi (designer of

"Sagrada Familia" chapel in

Barcelona)

Ex. San Agustin Church in Paoay,

Ilocos Norte

19th Century / Romantic Period

Emergence of "isms"

- Post-impressionism,early

expressionism, and symbolism

Ex. Juan Luna’s Spoliarium

Neoclassicism

an art movement in

18th to 19th Century that revived

classical Greek and Roman styles

Romanticism

dramatic scenes and

strong emotions, often in nature and

heroic moments

Realism

everyday life and ordinary

people shown accurately

Art Nouveau

flowing lines and

decorative designs in art and

architecture

Impressionism

captured light and

color with loose brushstrokes

outdoors

Photography

new medium that

changed how reality was recorded

and seen

20th Century Modern Art

Art became non–representational

- Garish colors explored in Fauvism

- Abstracted sculptures emerged

- Simplified forms in paintings by

Picasso and Matisse Art movements:

Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism,

Expressionism Mondrian's purely

geometric art

Dadaism:

the art movement that

defies logic

Surrealism:

stepping into the

dreamworld American art blossoms:

Jackson Pollock became famous as

"Jack the Dripper" and paved the

way for American Abstract

Expressionism

Contemporary

a very diverse art scene the rise of

appropriation, photographyderived

works, graphic style of art,

experimental works, multimedia and

multi- modal art

Art Criticism

analyzing, interpreting, and judging a

work of art to understand its

meaning, technique, and value

Why do we criticize Art?

to understand its

meaning, appreciate its techniques,

and evaluate its impact or value.

- It helps us think deeply, form

opinions, and connect with the ideas

or emotions the artwork expresses.

Art Criticism by James Elkin

He argues that criticism used to be

passionate and judgmental, but now

many critics favor neutral, vague

descriptions over strong opinions.

- _____ also points out that art

criticism is not well studied or

agreed upon as a defined discipline,

so its meaning and role are unclear

Methods in Reading Art

are filters that help you appreciate

aspects of art in different lenses.

- There are some "filters" that are

more effective than others, especially

when we talk about context and

content.

- Depending on what the art is talking

about and where it is from, we can

read it in a non-biased way

Formalism and Style

It basically gives importance to the

formal qualities (art elements,

materials, and design principles) as

basis for the meaning of art

- How the artwork is made rather than

what it means or its historical context

Iconography

symbols, and motifs to uncover their deeper meaning in art.

It focuses on the subject matter

primarily over form. When using this

method, you will answer questions

like: who is this person the artist

painted and what does it represent?

Why did the artist choose this image

and what for?

Contextual Approaches

schools of

thought and philosophical

movements which place an artwork

within a certain parameter.

- For example, Marxism is about art

in relation to economics. On the

other hand, Feminism is bent toward

the societal context of art wherein

gender becomes a strong factor in the

forces behind an artistic creation.

Biography and Autobiography

It considers the life and context of

the artist. This approach is based on

the assumption that the artist's life,

beliefs, choices, and personality are

directly connected to the works that

he or she creates.

Semiotics

From the Greek word "sema," which

means sign. Hence, an artwork or art

form is assumed to be composed of a

set of signs that may have significant cultural and contextual meanings

beyond itself.

Psychoanalysis

is concerned about the unconscious

mind in relation to the artist, the

viewer, and the cultural context it is

involved in.

Aesthetics and Psychoanalysis

Individual notions of what is

considered acceptable, beautiful, or

attractive in works of art are in part

influenced by psychological factors.

This approach then connects

psychology to one's constructed

philosophy of art.

Basic Semiotic Plane

This refers to the literal elements of

the artwork, such as lines, shapes,

colors, textures, and overall

composition. It encompasses the

tangible aspects of the image that

you can see with the naked eye

Iconic Plane

considers the representational

aspects of the artwork

- involves studying the resemblance

between the image and its real–world

referents

- explores how the visual

representation of subjects contributes

to the overall meaning and impact of

the artwork.

Contextual Plane

This plane situates the artwork

within its broader cultural, historical,

and social context. It considers

factors such as the artist's

background, the prevailing artistic

movements of the time, and the

socio–political climate in which the

artwork was created.

Axiological Plane / Evaluative Plane

explores the

values and beliefs embedded in the

artwork, as well as the cultural

norms and ideologies it reflects or

challenges. It involves examining the

moral, ethical, and aesthetic

principles that underpin the artwork's

creation and reception. In this plane,

one can evaluate the painting

whether it's beautiful or not, what

will make these things beautiful.