UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

CHAPTER 1
Philosophies of Art
Education
 Intended Learning Outcome

By the end of this chapter, you

must be able to:
•Explain the guiding
philosophies of art education.
 Art is defined as a piece of
creation made out of one’s
imagination and skill or an
expression of emotions (feelings or
sentiments) and that is beautiful. It
is also a medium for articulating
ideas and interpretations of the
human experience.
 On the other hand, philosophy
originated from the Greek, by way of
Latin, philosophia which mean “love of
wisdom”. It is the rational, abstract,
and methodical consideration of
reality as a whole or of fundamental
dimensions of human existence and
experience.
 Plato and Aristotle developed the
philosophical views on art.
Philosophy of Art is the study of the
nature of art, including concepts such
as interpretation, representation and
expression, and form. It is closely
related to aesthetics, the philosophical
study of beauty and taste.
PHILOSOPHIES
OF ART
 MIMETIC/REALISM (PLATO)

• It posits that art’s

primary function is to
imitate or represent
reality faithfully. It
contends that the
value of art lies in its
ability to capture the
truth and beauty of the
natural world.
• Beacons the capacity “Mona Lisa”
of art to imitate reality. Leonardo da Vinci captures the essence of
human beauty.
 EXPRESSIVISM

• It emphasizes the artist’s

emotional or psychological
expression as the primary
purpose of art. According to
this view, art serves as a means
for artists to convey their inner
feelings, thoughts, and
experiences, inviting viewers
to connect with the artist on
an emotional level. “The Starry Night”
• Emphasizes the emotional and Vincent Van Gogh expresses inner turmoil and the
intensity of his emotional experiences through the
communicative power of art. swirling, turbulent sky and the vivid, contrasting
colors in the painting.
 FORMALISM (Wassily Kandinsky)
• It argues that the aesthetic
value of art is derived from its
formal elements (composition,
colour, line, shape, and
texture) and their
arrangement, irrespective of
its content or context. It
believes that art should be
analyzed and appreciated
based solely on its visual or
structural aspects.
• Directs one’s attention “Composition VII”
towards the formal elements Wassily Kandinsky invites viewers to
that compose an artwork. engage with the painting on a purely
visual and abstract level.
 INSTITUTIONAL THEORY (George
Dickie)

• It asserts that something

becomes art when it is
designated as such by the
institutions and practices
within the art world, such as
museums, galleries, and critics.
According to this view, the
context and the role of the art
world are paramount in
determining what qualifies as
art. “Fountain “
Duchamp, presenting a common,
• Examines how art is defined by everyday object (urinal) within an art
cultural institutions. gallery context, emphasizing the
influence of institutions in shaping our
understanding of what qualifies as art.
 POSTMODERNISM

• It emphasizes the multiplicity

of interpretations and often
incorporates elements of past
styles, re contextualizing them
to blur the boundaries
between high and low culture.
• Questions the existence of a
single objective meaning in art,
deconstruct and reassemble
familiar visual language to
provoke thought and
“Untitled Film Stills”
discussion.
Cindy Sherman adopts various
personas and cinematic aesthetics
to challenge the fixed notions of
identity and representation.
 Learning
Activity No. 1
Direction: Study the artworks below. Identify the philosophy of
art that is being employed in each art and explain how it was
being applied in the painting. Write your answers inside the table.
 Learning
Activity No. 2
Direction: Choose one philosophy of art which you would like to
consider in making your artwork. Using whatever available
painting you have, draw your own artwork.
 Learning Activity No. 3

Direction: Think of term/s that

has something to do with art or
you can relate to art. Write your
answers on the Spider Web
Organizer.