WHAT IS A WORK OF ART?

A work of art is an imaginative, deliberate

creation.
It is a ready-made object that appeals
where its presentation is its most
important aspect.
It has CONTENT, SUBJECT MATTER
and should be ORGANIZED with a
strong significant form.
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
A WORK OF ART?
Identifying Art Conceptually

Art should be made by an artist;

Intended to be art by an artist;

Experts agree on it as work of

art.
Identifying Art Perceptually

 Artistic form refers to the elements that

we perceive - lines , colors, shapes
organized structurally in living organic
order.
Identifying Art Perceptually

Classical Artists = Unified Structure.

Contemporary Artists = Loose

Classical Artists = Unified
Structure.
Classical Artists = Unified
Structure.
Classical Artists = Unified
Structure.
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Contemporary Artists = Loose
Identifying Art Perceptually

 Participation Works of art are

created, exhibited and preserved to be
perceived with individual sustained
attention.
To appreciate and understand fully a
work of art, requires our participation
Participation and Artistic Form

Strong artistic form is a pre requisite if

our attention is to be grasped and
sustained. It makes our participation
possible.
Values, Subject Matter and
Content
Values and Subject Matter
 Anything that is related to a human
interest is a value.

Positive Values/ Negative Values

Values can be the Subject Matter of a

certain Art Form
Values and Subject Matter
 Anything that is related to a human
interest is a value.
Values and Subject Matter
Positive Values/ Negative Values
Content
Content of a work of art is what is
revealed about a subject matter

Underlying meaning behind the subject

matter and its themes
What do you think is the message being
conveyed in the following art works?
 What do you think is the message
being conveyed in the following art
works?
THE LANGUAGE OF ART:
ELEMENTS, COMPOSITION
AND CONTENT
THE LANGUAGE OF ART:
ELEMENTS, COMPOSITION
AND CONTENT
The visual arts have PLASTIC
ELEMENTS that are composed or
organized according to principles of Unity,
Balance, and Rhythm, among others.
The COMPOSITION of the elements
creates the CONTENT of the work—even
if this content is an abstract image and not
a common subject.
A. Elements of Visual Art

Line
Shape
Color
Chiaroscuro
Texture
Space
Mass
Time and Motion
Perspective
A. Elements of Visual Art

1. LINE –
Curved or Straight
Slender or Thick
Dark or Bright.
Delicate
Tentative
Elegant
Assertive
Forceful
Brutal
Lines
A line is the mark left a by a moving point,
curved or straight, slender or thick, dark or
bright.
Lines
Lines imply action because they are created
by action. In sculpture, and other three-
dimensional media, lines are perceived edges
as we move about rounded forms.
A. Elements of Visual Art
◦ to outline shapes,
◦ to evoke forms and movement,
◦ to imply solid mass, and for its own
sake.

◦ In groupings, lines can create

shadows and even visual illusions.
Types of Line and their Meanings

Horizontal lines - They express ideas of

calmness, repose, serenity and quiescence.
Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines
Types of Line and their Meanings

Vertical lines - They express ideas of

action, force and dynamism.
Vertical lines
TYPES of Line and their
Meanings
Diagonal lines - They express ideas of
movement and action. They give
animation.
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines
 CHARACTERISTICS of Line

STRAIGHT LINES CURVE LINES

Rigidity Grace
Shows Limit Movement
Seriousness Flexibility
Goodness and Joyousness and
Strictness. (Polygons, grace. (A woman’s
Walls, Furniture). body,)
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
Lines as Art
A. Elements of Visual Art

2. SHAPE –
It refers to the inner structure as well as
the visible shapes of objects
SHAPE
SHAPE
Itis the interaction
between the interior
and exterior portions
of an object
SHAPE

Shape may be
communicated by
dominant lines that
enclose specific
areas, by patches of
color or texture.
SHAPE

In architecture or
sculpture, shape is
created when it is
perceived against its
environment.
A. Elements of Visual Art

3. COLOR –
 property of light that serves as a tool
for composition which relates to the
artists perceptive experience: cold or
warm, advancing or retreating, light or
heavy, attractive or repulsive, in tension
or in suspension.
Color plays a decisive role: it describes,
generalizes, compares and helps in the
experiencing any work of art
COLOR
COLOR
COLD/ RETREATING WARM/ ADVANCING

COLOR
COLD/ RETREATING WARM/ ADVANCING

COLOR
ATTRACTIVE REPULSIVE

COLOR
Dimension (Properties) of
Attributes of Color
Value. refers to the lightness/ darkness of
a certain color.(light blue, dark blue)
Hue. A characteristic of color that gives
a specific name to a certain color. (red,
yellow, blue are our primary colors)
Saturation. Applies to purity of hues in
comparison to their appearance in the
spectrum.
Color
Value - lightness/
darkness of a certain
color.(light blue, dark
blue)
Color
Hue - specific name
to a certain color
Color
Saturation - purity
of hues
A. Elements of Visual Art
4. Light and Shadow (Chiaroscuro) –is
a means of modeling a figure in depth, a means of
articulating form.

Bright light tends to be stimulating, while low levels

are quieting

Warm-colored light is generally cheerful, cool-light

is depressing or quieting.

Strong contrasts of brightness and darkness are

emphatic and dramatic, and they attract attention.
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Bright light tends to be stimulating, while low levels are quieting
Warm-colored light is generally cheerful, cool-light is depressing
or quieting
Chiaroscuro
Strong contrasts of brightness and darkness are
emphatic and dramatic, and they attract attention
A. Elements of Visual Art
5. Texture – Refers to the surface
quality, roughness or smoothness, of an
object that appeals to the perceptive
senses.

The sense of sight and touch are involved.

SMOOTH and ROUGH
Texture
 Tactile texture –
Three-dimensional
manifestation of
structure, related to the
sense of touch.
 Smooth textures are
usually unobtrusive
and undemanding.
 Smooth textures seem
to be cool, tranquil,
precise and friendly.
Texture
Visual texture -
Two-dimensional
manifestation related
to the sense of sight.
Rough textures attract
attention.
They look warm and
informal, irregular
and harsh.
A. Elements of Visual Art
6. Space – is an art element concerned
which is concerned with making all parts
functional so that all parts of the work of
art will contribute to make the whole
complete work of art.

Space exist as tangible in architecture,

while it is an “illusion” in the graphic
presentation.
Space
Space
Space
A. Elements of Visual Art
7. Mass – In painting, mass refers to the large area or
form of color. Mass is a reflection of weight. It shows
or implies bulk, size or magnitude. (light or heavy).
Mass
Mass
A. Elements of Visual Art
8.Time and Motion –
Refer to the movement and flow of objects
in space and time.
They provide us with the chance to develop
and grasp the vision of our ideas.
Time and motion represent a certain period
or an impression of movement. (be it
ancient, moving, fast or object in
balanced).
Time and Motion
Time and Motion
A. Elements of Visual Art
9. Perspective – Achievement of special
effects in painting, to suggest depth,
especially to embody the artist’s meaning
in the form.
PESPECTIVE
Linear Perspective
– refers to the
relative diminution in
apparent size of
objects as they are
located at greater
distance from the
viewing point
Linear Perspective
Aerial Perspective
Aerial Perspective –
refers to the apparent
change in color and
distinctness of
objects viewed at a
distance.
B. COMPOSITION

 The act of organizing the plastic

elements of art. . It takes place according
to aesthetic principles such as:
 Proportion and Scale,
Unity
Balance
Rhythm and Harmony.
B. COMPOSITION

 Proportion and Scale is the comparative

relationship of the parts of a composition
to each other as a whole.
Unity is oneness or wholeness. A work of
art achieves unity when its parts seem
necessary to the composition.
Balance refers to the visual or actual
weights or masses distributed in such as a
way they achieve physical or visual
harmony.
Proportion and Scale
is the comparative
relationship of the
parts of a
composition to each
other as a whole.
Unity
isoneness or
wholeness. A work
of art achieves unity
when its parts seem
necessary to the
composition.
Balance
refers to the visual or
actual weights or
masses distributed in
such as a way they
achieve physical or
visual harmony.
Balance
Balance
B. COMPOSITION

 Rhythm is the orderly progressions or

repetition of sensory impressions of things
or events in a work of art.
Harmony is the adaptation of the visual
elements to each other, the agreement
between parts of a composition.
Rhythm
isthe orderly
progressions or
repetition of sensory
impressions of things
or events in a work
of art.
Rhythm
Harmony
isthe adaptation of
the visual elements to
each other, the
agreement between
parts of a
composition.
Harmony
C. CONTENT
- refers to what is contained in a work of
art,
its lines or forms,
its subject matter
its underlying meaning or themes
C. CONTENT
It is the thing conveyed in an artwork.
Content is embedded in the artistic form.
It is the interpretation—by means of an
artistic form—of the subject matter.

Every work of art must have a content and

therefore every work of art must have a
subject matter.
 THE SUBJECT STYLE AND
FUNCTION OF ART
Subject - whatever is represented in a
work of art
◦ It may be a person, object, scene or event.
◦ Some arts have subject; other do not
Subject
REPRESENTATIONAL OR
OBJECTIVE ARTS
Subject
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL OR
NON-OBJECTIVE ARTS
 Subject
1. Nature
2. History
3. Mythology
4. Religion
5. Sub– Conscious
6. Experience
 Styles of Art
1. Realism
2. Surrealism
3. Abstract
4. Dadaism
5. Impressionism
6. Pointillism
7. Fantasy
8. Pop Art