Assumptions-and-nature-of-arts

Chapter 1: Assumptions and Misconceptions on the Nature of Art

Learning Outcomes

  • Discuss the nature of art’s preliminary expressions.

  • Characterize artistic expression based on personal experience with art.

  • Clarify misconceptions about art.

  • Differentiate art history from art appreciation.

  • Differentiate art from nature.

  • Categorize works of art by citing personal experiences.

  • Characterize the assumptions of the arts.

Art Imagination and Expression

Difference Between Imagination and Expression in Art Studies

  • Imagination: An abstraction of certain thoughts or feelings producing good art based on reality or experience (Hollick, 2014).

  • Expression: An automatic response to thoughts/feelings.

  • Unexpressed imagination is not considered art.

Expression of Art: Positive or Negative

  • Art can be classified as Constructive Art or Destructive Art.

Etymology and Definition of Art

  • Etymology: The word "art" is derived from the Latin term "ars," meaning skill, talent, or ability.

  • Definition:

    • Art is a skill in making or doing something (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1995).

    • It is the expression of creative skill and imagination across different genres for aesthetic appreciation and emotional impact (Oxford Online Dictionary, 2020).

Misconceptions About Art

  1. Belief that only some are artists, while others are not.

  2. The notion that art is solely for the rich and famous.

Creativity and Art Appreciation

Creativity Defined

  • Creativity is a metacognitive skill—a form of divergent thinking that generates relationships, integrates concepts, and elaborates information with fluency, flexibility, and originality (Johnson, 2010).

  • It is an unstructured, free-flowing process that enables the creation of art.

  • Art is valued because it provides pleasure, cultivates the imagination of past experiences, and evokes feelings to appreciate beauty.

Differentiating Art from Craft

  • Misconception: Art and craft are interchangeable terms.

  • Art Characteristics:

    • Expression of feelings and emotions.

    • Primarily about beauty rather than utility.

    • Result of imagination and a psychological process.

  • Craft Characteristics:

    • Involves work with materials.

    • Focuses more on functionality than on beauty.

    • It is the realization of artistic expression with a utilitarian and mechanical creation process.

Humanities

Definition of Humanities

  • Derived from the Latin words "humanus" and "humanitas," meaning humans.

  • The field of humanities allows for critical and creative thinking to comprehend global values and cultures, providing clarity for the future.

  • Areas of study include philosophy, history, religion, art, literature, language, and music.

Art as the Center of the Seven Fields

  1. Philosophy: Love of wisdom (from Greek "philos" and "Sophia").

  2. History: Derives from the Latin "historia," meaning to document past events.

  3. Religion: From Latin "religare," meaning to bind.

  4. Literature: From Latin "littera" or "litteratura," meaning letter or knowledge of books.

  5. Language: From Latin "lingua," meaning tongue.

  6. Music: Derives from Greek "mousa," referring to the muse or goddesses of music; highlights the artistic appreciation of songs and poetry.

Nature and Art History

Elements of Art

  • The seven essential elements of art:

    1. Line: Defines shapes and contours, signifies volume and perspective.

    2. Shape: A two-dimensional design formed by a closed line, can be filled with color or patterns.

    3. Texture: The surface quality (actual or implied) of an artwork.

    4. Form: The three-dimensional aspect, created with shading and perspective on a 2D surface.

    5. Space: Organization of the artwork, can be positive or negative.

    6. Color: Influences emotions and has symbolic value, includes various theories.

    7. Value: Relates to light and dark shading in artwork.

Nature is Not Art But Its Source

  • Art made by humans, regardless of how closely it resembles nature (Zulueta, 1994).

Art Genres

  • Misconception: Art lacks plural forms.

Classification of Art

  • Verbal Arts: Involve literature and oratory using words (poetry, fiction, essays).

  • Non-verbal Arts: Involve motor skills and do not use language.

  • Mixed Art: Combines verbal and non-verbal elements (e.g., advertisements, theater).

Art History

  • Art history begins with human evolution, significant expressions reflecting legacies throughout civilization.

  • Art has historically accompanied humanity’s quest for power, security, and survival.

Pre-Historic Period

  • Nomads: Early ancestors used primitive art for survival, including stone tools and animal skin usage.

Cro-Magnons

  • Known for cave paintings depicting their hunting lifestyles, also reflected cultural beliefs (Rafferty, 2020, Coppock, 2000).

  • The earliest art evidence found in cave paintings in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Mesolithic Age

  • Improved tool-making techniques emerged.

  • Advances in fishing and domestication of dogs for food.

Neolithic Age

  • Transition from nomadism to settled farming communities.

  • Growth of pottery-making for storage and expansion of animal domestication.

Ancient Period

  • Art represented architectural achievements (temples, tombs) symbolizing power.

Significant Contributions

  1. Ziggurat of Ur (2700 BCE): Constructed as a votive offering.

  2. Ishtar Gate (575 BCE): Built in Babylon.

  3. Pyramids of Giza (2000 BCE): Tombs for Pharaohs.

  4. Mortuary Temples of Hatshepsut (1500 BCE).

  5. Bust of Nefertiti: Sculpted during the Amarna Period (1300 BCE).

  6. Bronze Age: Advanced pottery in Minoan and Mycenaean cultures (1500-1200 BCE).

Greece

  • Produced great monuments (Parthenon, Acropolis), democratic culture, and impactful theater.

  • Athenian pottery depicted daily life.

Metal Ages

  • Egyptians utilized copper for ornamentation; the Hittites smelted iron, marking the Iron Age.

Medieval Period

Early Medieval (410 CE - 1024 CE)

  • Featured arts from various cultures, including illuminated manuscripts and decorative patterns.

Late Medieval (1300 CE - 1500 CE)

  • Development of forms with shadows, emphasizing width and height, rebirth of classical culture.

Modern Period

  • Renaissance to Modern Transition: Mannerism challenged traditional rules.

Baroque Period

  • Art used as a tool for religious and political expression.

Rococo Period

  • Highly decorative art theme during Louis XIV's reign.

Periods of Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution (1760-1850)

  • Neo-classical art revived classical grandeur.

  • Emphasized imagination and individuality during Romanticism, shifted focus to reality and realism in the works of famous artists (Courbet, Daumier, Millet).

  • Recognition of photography and arts and crafts movement introduced.

  • Emergence of various modern art movements (Cubism, Dada, Surrealism).

Contemporary Period

  • Began with Abstract Expressionism (1945) and Pop Art (1960s).

  • Expansion of art into consumerism and advertisements leading to postmodernism and deconstructivism since the 1970s.

Summary of Art Movements

  • Art evolution from drawing in ancient times to the complex movements through the Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, and to contemporary reflective of societal changes.