Art - Ars in Medieval Latin came to mean something different.

it meant "any
- is something that is perennially around us. special form of book learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology"
- Despite the seemingly overflowing instances of arts around people, one still (Collingwood, 1938).
finds the need to see more and experience more, whether consciously or - It was only during the Renaissance Period that the word reacquired a
unconsciously. meaning that was inherent in its ancient form of craft.
- One whose exposure to music is only limited to one genre finds it lacking - Early Renaissance artists saw their activities merely as craftsmanship,
not to have been exposed to more. devoid of a whole lot of intonations that are attached to the word now.
- Plato had the sharpest foresight when that beauty, the object of any love, - It was during the seventeenth century when the problem and idea of
truly progresses. aesthetics, the study of beauty, began to unfold distinctly from the notion of
- As one moves through life, one he discussed in the Symposium locates technical workmanship, which was the original conception of the word "art."
better, more beautiful objects of desire (Scott, 2000). - It was finally in the eighteenth century when the word has evolved to
- One can never be totally ultimately beautiful. Content with what is just distinguish between the fine arts and the useful arts.
before him. - The fine arts would come to mean "not delicate or highly skilled arts, but
- Human beings are drawn toward what is good and ultimately beautiful. ‘beautiful' arts" ‘(Collingwood, 1938).
- This lesson is about this yearning for the beautiful, the appreciation of the "The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most important means of
all-consuming beauty around us, and some preliminary clarifications on expression developed by man" (Dudley et·al., 1960).
assumptions that people normally hold about art.
Human history
Why Study the Humanities? - has witnessed how man evolved not just physically but also culturally, from
- For as long as man existed on this planet, he has cultivated the land, altered cave painters to men of exquisite paintbrush users of the present.
the conditions of the fauna and the flora, in order to survive. - Even if one goes back to the time before written records of man's
- Through his bare hands, man constructed infrastructures that tended to his civilization has appeared, he can find cases of man's attempts of not just
needs, like his house. crafting tools to live and survive but also expressing his feelings and
- He sharpened swords and spears. thoughts.
- He employed fire in order to melt gold. - The Galloping Wild Boar found in the cave of Altamira, Spain is one such
example.
- The initial meaning of the word "art" has something to do with all these - In 1879, a Spaniard and his daughter were exploring a cave when they
crafts. saw pictures of a wild boar, hind, and bison.
- The word "art" comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a "craft or - According to experts, these paintings were purported to belong to Upper
specialized form of skill, like carpentry or smithing or surgery" Paleolithic Age, several thousands of years before the current era.
(Collingwood, 1938) - Pre historic men with their crude instruments already showcased and
- Art then suggested the capacity to produce an intended result from manifested earliest attempts at recording man's Innermost interests,
carefully planned steps or method. preoccupations, and thoughts.
- To them, art only meant using the bare hands to produce something that - The humanities, then, ironically have started even before the term has been
will be useful to one's day-to-day life. coined.
- Human persons have long been exercising what it means to be a human
long before he was even aware of his being one.
- The humanities stand tall in bearing witness to this magnificent - When we listen to a kundiman or perform folk dances, we still enjoy the
phenomenon. way our Filipino ancestors whiled away their time in the past.
- Any human person, then, is tasked to participate, if not, totally partake in - We do not necessarily like a kundiman for its original meaning.
this long tradition of humanizing himself - Or just as one of the characters in the movie Bar Boys thought, kundiman
makes one concentrate better.
Assumptions of Art - The first assumption then about the humanities is that art has been crafted
Art is universal. by all people regardless of origin, time, place and that it stayed on because it
- Literature has provided key works of art. is liked and enjoyed by people continuously.
- Among the most popular ones being taught in school are the two Greek - A great piece of work will never be obsolete.
epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. - Some people say that art is art for its intrinsic worth in John Stuart Mill's
- The Sanskrit pieces Mahabharata and Ramayana are also stapling in this Utilitarianism (1879), enjoyment in the arts belongs to a higher good, one
field. that lies at the opposite end of base pleasures.
- These works, purportedly written before the beginning of recorded history, - Art will always be present because human beings will always express
are believed to be man's attempt at recording stories and tales that have themselves and delight in these expressions.
been passed on, known, and sung throughout the years. - Men will continue to use art while art persists and never gets depleted.
- Art has always been timeless and universal, spanning generations and
continents through and through. Art is not nature.
- In country and in every generation, there is always art. - In the Philippines, it is not entirely novel to hear some
- Oftentimes, people feel that what is considered artistic are only those which consumers of local movies remark that these movies produced locally
have been made long time ago. are unrealistic.
- This is a misconception. - They contend that local movies work around certain formulas to the
- Age is not a factor in determining art. detriment of substance and faithfulness to the reality of the movies.
- An "...art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good" (Dudley et - These critical minds argue that a good movie must reflect reality as closely
al., 1960). as possible.
- In the Philippines, the works of Jose Rizal and Francisco Balagtas are not - Paul Cezanne, a French painter, painted a scene from reality
being read because they are old. entitled We and Grinding Wheel in the Forest of the Château Noir.
- Otherwise, works of other Filipinos who have long died would have been - The said scene is inspired by a real scene in a forest around the Château
required in junior high school too. Noir area near Aix in Cezanne's native Provence.
- The pieces mentioned are read in school and have remained to be with us - Comparing the two, one can see that Cezanne’s landscape is quite different
because they are good. from the original scene.
- They are liked and adored because they meet our needs and desires. - Cezanne has changed some patterns and details from the way they were
- Florante at Laura never fails to teach high school students the beauty of actually in the photograph.
love, one that is universal and pure. - What he did is not nature. It is art.
- Ibong Adarna, another Filipino masterpiece, has always captured the - One important characteristic of art is that it is not nature.
imagination of the young with its timeless lessons. - Art is man's expression of his reception of nature.
- When we recite the Psalms, we feel in communion with King David as we - Art is man's way of interpreting nature.
feel one with him in his conversation with God. - Art is made by man, whereas nature is a given around us.
- It is at this juncture that they can be considered opposites. - When one claims that he has experienced falling in love, getting hurt, and
- What we find in nature should not be expected to be present in art too. bouncing back, he in effect claims that he knows the (sometimes) endless
- Movies are not meant to be a direct representation of reality. cycle of loving.
- They may, according to the moviemaker’s perception of reality, be a - When one asserts having experienced preparing a particular recipe, he in
reinterpretation or even distortion of nature. fact asserts knowing how the recipe is made.
- This distinction assumes that all of us see nature, perceive its elements in - Knowing a thing is different from hearing from others what the said thing is.
myriad, different, yet ultimately valid ways. - A radio DJ dispensing advice on love when he himself has not experienced it
- One can only imagine the story of the five blind men who one day argue does not really know what he is talking about.
against each other on what an elephant looks like. - A choreographer who cannot execute a dance step himself is a bogus.
- Each of the five blind men was holding a different part of the elephant. - Art is always an experience.
- The first was touching the body and thus, thought the elephant was like a - Unlike fields of knowledge that involve data, art is known by experiencing.
wall. - A painter cannot claim to know how to paint if he has not tried holding a
- Another was touching the beast's ear and was convinced that the elephant brush.
was like a fan. - A sculptor cannot produce a work of art if a chisel is foreign to him.
- The rest were touching other different parts of the elephant and concluded - Dudley et at (1960) affirmed that art depends on experience, and if one is to
differently based on their perceptions. know art, he must know it not as fact or information but as experience."
- Art is like each of these men's views of the elephant. - A work of art then cannot be abstracted from actually doing.
- It is based on an individual's subjective experience of nature, it is not - To know what an artwork is, we have to sense it, see or hear it, and see and
meant, after all, to accurately define what the elephant is really like in hear it.
nature. - To fully appreciate our national hero’s monument, one must go to Rizal Park
- Artists are not expected to duplicate nature just as even scientists with their and see the actual sculpture.
elaborate laboratories cannot make nature. - In order to know Beyonce’s music, one must listen to it to actually
- Once this point has been made, a student of humanities can then ask experience them.
further questions such as: What reasons might the artist have in creating - A famous story about someone who adores Picasso goes something like
something? Why did Andres Bonifacio write "Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa"? this: "Years ago, Gertrude Stein was asked why she bought the pictures of
What motivation did Juan Luna have in creating his masterpiece, the the then-unknown artist Picasso.
Spoliarium? In whatever work of art, one should always ask why the artist - 'I like to look at them,' said Miss Stein" (Dudley et al., 1960). At the end of
made it. What is it that he wants to show? the day, one fully gets acquainted with art if one immerses himself in it.
- In the case of Picasso, one only learns about Picasso's work by looking at it.
Art involves experience. - That is precisely what Miss Stein did. In matters of art, the subject's
Getting this far without a satisfactory definition of art can be quite weird for perception is of primacy.
some. - One can read hundreds of reviews about a particular movie, but at the end
- For most people, art does not require a full definition. of the day, until he sees the movie himself, he will be in no position to
- Art is just experience. By experience, we mean the "actual doing of actually, talk about the movie.
something" (Dudley et al., 1960). - He does not know the movie until he experiences it.
- When one says that he has an experience of something, he often means
that he knows what that something is about.
- An important aspect of experiencing art is it's being highly personal, - No matter how perfectly blended the colors of a sunset are and no matter
individual, and subjective. In philosophical terms, perception of art is always how extraordinarily formed mountains are, nature is not considered art
a value judgment. simply because it is not made by man.
- It depends on who the perceiver is, his tastes, his biases, and what he has - Not even photographs or sketches of nature, though captured or drawn by
inside him. man, are works of art, but mere recordings of the beauty in nature (Coffins &
- Degustibus non disputandum est (Matters of taste are not matters of Riley, 1931).
dispute). - An artwork may be inspired by nature or other works of art, but an artist
- One cannot argue with another person's evaluation of art because invents his own forms and patterns due to what he perceives as beautiful and
one's experience can never be known by another. incorporates them in creating his masterpiece.
- Finally, one should also underscore that every experience with art is - Perhaps not everyone can be considered an artist, but surely, all are
accompanied by some emotion. spectators of art.
- One either likes or dislikes agrees or disagrees that a work of art is - In deciding what pair of shoes to buy, we carefully examine all possible
beautiful. choices within our budget and purchase the one that satisfies our beauty and
- A stage play or motion picture is particularly one of those art forms that practical standards.
evoke strong emotions from its audience. - We are able to distinguish what is fine and beautiful from what is not and
- With experience comes emotions and experiences. feelings, after all. what is good quality from poor.
- Feelings and emotions are Concrete proofs that the artwork has been - This gives us a role in the field of art appreciation.
Humanities and the art have always been part of man’s growth and - In one of your encounters with art through museum visits, musicals, and
civilization. plays, among others, have you ever felt disconnected from an artwork? Was
- Since the dawn of time, man has always tried to express his innermost there a point in time when you did not understand what message the art was
thoughts and feelings about reality through creating art. trying to convey? If yes, write the name of the artwork in the box and attach
- Three assumptions on art are, its universality, it’s not being nature and its an image of the artwork, if possible. Explain why you think you did or did not
need for experience. understand the art using the space provided on the next page.
- Art is present in every globe and in every period time.
- This is what is meant by its universality. Art Appreciation as a Way of Life
- Art not being nature, not even attempting to simply mirror nature, is the - Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous French philosopher of the twentieth century,
second assumptions about art. described the role of art as a creative work that depicts the world in a
- Art is always a creation of the artist, not nature. completely different light and perspective, and the source is due to human
- Finally, without experience is no art. freedom (Greene, 1995).
- The artist has to be foremost, a perceiver who is directly in touch with art. - Each artwork beholds beauty of its own kind, the kind that the artist sees
and wants the viewers to perceive.
CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION, AND EXPRESSION - More often than not, people are blind to this beauty and only those who
- It takes an artist to make art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis. have developed a fine sense of appreciation can experience and see the art
- However, not every beautiful thing that can be seen or experienced may the same way the artist did.
truly be called a work of art. - Because of this, numerous artworks go unnoticed, artists are not given
- Art is a product of man's creativity, imagination, and expression. enough credit, and they miss opportunities.
- It sometimes takes a lifetime before their contribution to the development - For instance, the campaign ad "It's More Fun in the Philippines", used by
of art is recognized. the Department of Tourism (DOT) boomed popularity in 2011, but later on it
- Hence, refining one's ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply was found out that it was allegedly plagiarized from Switzerland's tourism
understand the purpose of an artwork and recognize the beauty it possesses slogan "It's More Fun in Switzerland," back 'in 1951.
(Collins & Riley, 1931). - In DOT's defense, former DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. claimed that it
- In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop was "purely coincidental." Thus, creativity should be backed with careful
his taste for things that are fine and beautiful. research on related art to avoid such conflicts.
- This allows individuals to make intelligent choices and decisions in acquiring
necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better value for time or money Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a Product of Art
while taking into consideration the aesthetic and practical value (Collins & - Where do you think famous writers, painters, and musicians get their ideas?
Riley, 1931). Where do ideas in making creative solutions begin? It all starts in the human
- This continuous demand for aesthetically valuable things influences the mind. it all begins with imagination.
development and evolution of art and its forms. - German physicist Albert Einstein who had made significant and major
- Frequenting museums, art galleries, performing arts theaters, concert halls, contributions in science and humanity demonstrated that knowledge is
or even malls that display art exhibitions that are free in admission during actually derived from imagination.
leisure time will not only develop an understanding of the art, but will also - He emphasized this idea through his words: "Imagination is more important
serve as a rewarding experience. than knowledge.
- Learning to appreciate art, no matter what vocation or profession you have, - For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while
will lead to a fuller and more meaningful life (Collins & Riley, 1931). imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know
and understand."
The Role of Creativity in Art Making - Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm but goes beyond
- Creativity requires thinking outside the box. It is often used to solve that.
problems that have never occurred before, conflate function and style, and - That is why people rely on curiosity and imagination for advancement.
simply make life a more unique and enjoyable experience. - Through imagination, one is able to craft something bold, something new,
- In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. and something better in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate
- We say something is done creatively when we have not yet seen anything change. Imagination allows endless possibilities.
like it or when it is out of the ordinary. - In an artist's mind sits a vast gallery of artworks.
- A creative artist does not simply copy or imitate another artist's work. - An artwork does not need to be a real thing but can be something that is
- He does not imitate the lines, flaws, colors, and patterns in recreating imaginary (Collingwood, 1938).
nature. - Take for example a musician who thinks of a tune in his head. The making of
- He embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work, and calls it his this tune in his head makes it an imaginary tune, an imaginative creation, an
own creative piece. imaginary art (Collingwood, 1938).
- Yet, being creative nowadays can be quite challenging. - It remains imaginary until he hums, sings, or writes down the notes of the
- What you thought was your own unique and creative idea may not what it tune on paper.
seems to be after extensive research and that someone else has - However, something imaginary does not necessarily mean it cannot be
coincidentally devised before the idea in another part of the world. called art.
- Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality through creation.
- In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires - Description actually destroys the idea of expression, as it classifies the
imagination. Imagine being in an empty room surrounded by blank, white emotion, making it ordinal and predictable.
walls, and a floor. - Expression, on the other hand, individualizes.
- Would you be inspired to work in such a place? Often, you will find coffee - An artist has the freedom to express himself the way he wants to. Hence,
shops, restaurant, and libraries with paintings hung or sculptures and other there is no specific technique in expression.
pieces of art placed around the room to add beauty to the surroundings. - This makes people's art not a reflection of what is outside or external to
- This craving and desire to be surrounded by beautiful things dates back to them. but a reflection of their inner selves.
our early ancestors (Collins & Riley, 1931). - There are countless ways of expressing oneself through art.
- Cave walls are surrounded by drawings and paintings of animals they - The following list includes, but is not limited to, popular art expressions.
hunted: wild boars, reindeers, and bison (Figure 8).
- Clays were molded and stones were carved into forms that resemble men Visual Arts
and women; burial jars were created with intricate designs on them. - Creations that fall under this category are those that appeal to the sense of
- These creative pieces were made not only because they were functional to sight and are mainly visual in nature.
men, but also because beauty gave them joy (Collins & Riley, 1931). - Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire to reproduce things that
they have seen in the way that they perceived them (Collins & Riley, 1931).
Art as Expression - We will not be too strict on the definition since there are other artistic
- There may have been times when you felt something is going on within you, disciplines that also involve a visual aspect, such as performance arts,
you try to explain it but you do not know how. theater, and applied arts, that will be discussed in detail later on.
- You may only be conscious about feeling this sort of excitement, fear, or - Visual arts is the kind of art form that the population is most likely more
agitation, but you know that just one word is not enough to describe the exposed to, but its variations are so diverse—they range from sculptures
nature of what you truly feel. that you see in art galleries to the last movie you saw.
- Finally, you try to release yourself from this tormenting and disabling state - Some mediums of visual arts include paintings, drawings, letterings,
by doing something, which is called expressing oneself (Collingwood, 1938). printing, sculptures, digital imaging, and more.
- Suppose this feeling is excitement. It is frustrating to contain. such feeling,
so you relieve it by expressing through shouting or leaping in excitement. Film
- An emotion will remain unknown to a man until he expresses it. - The film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in
- Robin George Collingwood, an English philosopher who is best known for order to create an illusion of movement.
his work in aesthetics, explicated in his publication The Principles of Art - Filmmaking focuses on its aesthetic, cultural, and social value and is
(1938) that what an artist does to an emotion is not to induce it, but to considered as both an art and an industry.
express it through expression, he is able to explore his own emotions and at - Films can be created by using one or a combination of some or all of these
the same time, create something beautiful out of them. techniques: motion-picture camera (also known as movie camera), animation
- Collingwood further illustrated that expressing emotions is something techniques, Computer-Generated Imagery (CG1), and more.
different from describing emotions. - Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond the scope
- In his example, explicitly saying "I am angry" is not an expression of an of our imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its
emotion, but a mere description. viewers.
- There is no need in relating or referring to a specific emotion, such as
anger, in expressing one's emotion.
- The art of filmmaking is so complex it has to take into account many shapes complete the masterpiece. Buildings should embody these three
important elements such as lighting, musical score, visual effects, direction, important elements—plan, construction, and design—if they wish to merit
and more. the title architecture (Collins & Riley, 1931).
- That is why in famous film festivals and awards such as the Metro Manila
Film Festival and Oscars, a long list of categories is considered to recognize Dance
excellence in the art of filmmaking. Dance is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the musical
accompaniment.
Performance Art - It has been an age-old debate whether dance can really be considered an
- Performance art is a live art and the artist's medium is mainly the human art form, but here we primarily describe dance as a form of expression.
body which he or she uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art - Dancing is a creative form that allows people to freely express themselves.
such as visual art, props, or sound. It has no rules.
- It usually consists of four important elements: time, where the performance - You may say that choreography does not allow this, but in art expression,
took place, the performer's or performer's body, and a relationship between dancers are not confined to set steps and rules but are free to create and
the audience and the performer(s) (Moms Learning, n.d.). invent their own movements as long as they deem them graceful and
- The fact that performance art is live makes it intangible, which means it beautiful.
cannot be bought or traded as a commodity, unlike the previously discussed Literary Art
art expressions. Artists who practice literary arts use words—not
Poetry Performance paint, musical instruments, or chisels—to express
- Poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions not by using themselves and communicate emotions to the readers.
paint, charcoal, or camera, but expresses them through words. However, simply becoming a writer does not make one a
- These words are carefully selected to exhibit clarity and beauty and to literary artist. Simply constructing a succession of
stimulate strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow, and the list goes on. sentences in a meaningful manner is not literary art.
- It uses a word's emotional, musical, and spatial values that go beyond its Literary art goes beyond the usual professional,
literal meaning to narrate, emphasize, argue, or convince. academic, journalistic, and other technical forms of
- These words, combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of writing. It focuses on writing using a unique style, not
the delivery, add to the artistic value of the poem. Some poets even make following a specific format or norm. It may include both
poems out of their emotions picked up from other works of art, which in turn fiction and lion-fiction such as novels, biographies, and
produce another work of art, through poetry. poems. Examples of famous literary artists and their
works include The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint
Architecture Exupery and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
- As discussed, art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while Theater
architecture is the making of beautiful buildings. Theater uses live performers to present accounts or
- However, not all buildings are beautiful. so, and colors are not beautifully imaginary events before a live audience. Theater art
expressed. performances usually follow a script, though they should not
- Thus, not all buildings can be considered architecture. be confused with literary arts. Much like in filmmaking,
- Take, for example, the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux where the functionality theater also considers several elements such as acting,
of the theater remains, but the striking balance of the lines, colors, and gesture, lighting, sound effects, musical score, scenery, and
props. The combination of these elements is what gives the Some forms of art expression include visual arts, film, performance art,
strongest impression on the audience and the script thus poetry performance, architecture, dance, literary arts, theater arts, and
becomes a minor element. Similar to performance art, since applied arts
theater is also a live performance, the participation of the viewer is an
important element in theater arts. Some genres of theater include drama,
musical, tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.
Applied Arts
Applied arts is incorporating elements of style and design into everyday items
with the aim of increasing their aesthetical value. Artists in this field bring
beauty, charm, and comfort into many things that are useful in everyday life
(Collins & Riley, 1931), industrial design, interior design, fashion design, and
graphic design are considered applied arts. Applied is often compared to fine
arts, where the latter is chiefly concerned on aesthetic value. Through
exploration and expression of ideas, consideration of the needs, and careful
choice of materials and techniques, artists are able to combine functionality
and style.
Art is a product of a man's creativity, imagination, and expression. An
artwork may be inspired by nature or other works of art, but an artist
invents his own forms and patterns due to what he perceives as beautiful
and incorporates them in creating his masterpiece. Perhaps not everyone
can be considered an artist, but surely, all are spectators of art, which gives
us all a role in the field of art appreciation. Refining one's ability to
appreciate art allows him to deeply understand the purpose of an artwork
and recognize the beauty it possesses. Creativity is what sets apart one
artwork from another. 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. While through imagination, an artist is able to
craft something bold, something new, and something better in the hopes of
creating something that will stimulate change. In the same way that
imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination. Lastly, through
expression, an artist is able to explore his own emotions while at the same
time, create something beautiful out of it. Expressing emotions is something
different from describing emotions. Description actually destroys the idea of
expression, as it classifies the emotion, making it ordinary and predictable.
Expression, on the other hand, individualizes the artist.