ART
- meant to stimulate thoughts and allow viewers to think critically and creatively
- started since the days of the caveman. Existed since man learned to draw and before he could even start to talk as shown by the
early paintings in the prehistoric period.
- In the present, we can feel the presence of art everywhere.
- encompasses many meanings, including ability, process, and product.
* Ability and things that stir us; it is creativity
* Process- art encompasses acts, such as drawings, painting, sculpture, designing buildings, and using camera to create
memorable works.
* Products - art is the completed work—an etching, a sculpture, a structure, a tapestry, a portrait, a song.
- For Indo-European speaking people known as ARYAN, the root word AR means, to "put together."
- In Latin, "ARS" meaning ability or skill. Skill may be inherent or acquired.
Interrelationship of the Arts
- Arts are closely interrelated because artists have the same purpose: the revelation of values.
- Every artist must use some medium that can be formed to communicats that revelation (content) about something (subject matter)
* Appropriation- when artists combine their medium of another art or arts but keep their basic medium clearly dominant
* Synthesis - when artists combine their medium in more or less of a balance with the medium of another art or arts
* Interpretation - when artists use another work of art as their subject matter.
Some purposes of Arts
- To Create Beauty
- To Provide Decoration
- To Reveal Truth
- To Immortalize
- To Express Religious Values
- To Express Religious Values
- To Record and Commemorats Experience
- To Create Order and Harmony
Functions of Arts
- Functional - Art according to its usefulness.
* Religious - original function of the art. Used for iconic presentation to glorify a religious figure.
* Secular - commemorative purposes like portraiture and monuments.
- Non-functional - art for art's sake and functions to give pleasure in contemplation of beautiful and further leads to contemplation
where artwork comes before meaning and its usefulness.
Specific Functions of Art
* The Personal Function - may have been created out of a need for self expression or simply for personal delight.
- can be used as therapy
- expressing religious values. Expresses the relation of human life to the divine, through the use of visual form.
Ex. "The Last Supper", "The Pieta", "The Crucifixion" (Pictures)
* The Social Function - "Man is a social being", "No man is an island". By nature, man seeks company or vise-versa.
- Seen through painting and sculpture. Statues of heroes or rulers as tribute to their good deeds, leadership, and heroism.
Through the arts, the community would introduce to the younger generation whom to emulate.
* The Physical Function - works of art that are made to perform certain works or service.
- easier to understand because of their commonality and usefulness
- fill in the utilitarian needs of the community to live comfortably.
Ex. Architectural designs, community planning, streets and roads, civic centers, industrial and commercial areas.
Basic Ingredients of Art
* Subject - refers to the aspect of work that can be described. A landscape painting, a sculpture of a young woman, a lithograph of
a cat.
Genre - It is the "What" of the artwork.
- A french word meaning "kind" or "type"
Content is the impact or meaning of this work. It is a much bigger concept
* Form - (or design), is the visual organization of the art work -how the artist has used line, shape, value, color, etc. Form gives
substance to a subject on an idea, it is the all-encompassing framework of artistic expression.
* Symbolism - Symbolism uses objects, figures, or colors to represent abstract ideas or emotions, while iconography is the
broader study of the subject matter and symbolic meaning in visual arts which literally "writing of images"
Purposes of Art
- It asserted that there that there is something about the essence of art that transcends human occupation with usefulness.
- In order to understand and appreciate art better, it may be helpful to ask why it was created and what was its purpose
Some of the purposes of arts are the following:
1. To create Beauty
- Art has always added beauty to our lives.
- Artist have considered nature as the standard of beauty
- Standards of beauty in and of themselves are by no means universal - for beauty is in the eye of the society’s beholder
2. To provide Decoration
- Art have been used to create pleasing environments
- Paintings, sculptures and photographs find their way into room, courts and garden for use as decoration
3. To reveal Truth
- Artist have pursued truth and attempted to reveal it, truth about how the world looks, how it works
- The “ ugly truth” just like the “ beautiful truth” validates the human condition
4. To Immortalize
- An artist can defy mortality by creating works that will keep his talents and his tragedy in the public’s consciousness for decades
5. To Express Religious Values
- Art has been used to express hopes for fertility, to propitiate gods, to symbolize great religious events and values and to command
heavenward the souls of the departed.
6. To Record and Commemorate Experience
- Art has been used to inform future generation of what and who have gone before them
- Art also convey the personal experiences of an artist and record his impression in ways that here words cannot for posterity
ex. Prehistoric paintings, Edsa shrine
Pre historic Painting
7. To Create Order and Harmony
- Artist make use of composition to put order in the diverse context of his works.
- Composition is the aesthetic arrangement of elements within a work of art
ex. Japanese sand garden, these gardens frequently accompany pavilions and at the service of Zen
Japanese sand garden
Functions of Arts
- Arts are important to all of us because they provide information and enjoyment, build self-confidence, promote cultural and
spiritual upliftment and provide avenues for discovery of spiritual and emotional dimension of life.
- The functions of the art refers to the on intended utilization the artwork and are classified according to three categories personal,
social, and physical functions
Functional - Classification of the art according to its usefulness
- The original function of art was religious because it was used for icon presentation in order to glorify a religious figure
- It is functional it is a commemorative purposes like portraiture and monuments
Non- Functional - other classification of art which is “ art for art’s sake “
- Function to give pleasure in contemplation of the beautiful and further leads to contemplation where artwork
comes before meaning and its usefulness
Specific Functions of Art
The Personal Function
- Work of art have been created out of a need for self- expression or simply for personal delight
- Sometimes artist was merely trying to savor an aesthetic experience both for himself and for the viewers
- Work of art can be used to bring order to a disorganized world yet it could also cause confusion
Ex. The statue of Venus a goddess of roman mythology, her statue has no arm but it is considered to be national treasure
- Art can be used as therapy, it can help someone express himself through his emotions, manage addiction and lift self-esteem
- This therapeutic value is apparently manifested in Music. It has been proven to work in many people’s lives
- Art dates back from the past that of expressing religious values. It expresses relation to human life to the divine through the use of
visual form. ex. The last supper painting, The Pieta, The Crucifixion
The Social Function
- Man is a social being
- No man is an island
- By nature man seeks company or vise-versa.
- Those that transcend beyond the intrinsic value to art’s social benefits
- It influences social behavior of people.
- Other aspect of art’s social function is seen through painting and sculpture. They create statutes of heroes or rulers as a tribute to
their good deeds, leadership and heroism.
- Through the arts, the community would introduce to the younger generation whom to emulate
The Physical Function
- This function are said to be easier to understand because of their commonality and usefulness
- This fills the utilitarian needs of the community through the objects or structures they create that help people in the community to
live comfortably
- These are shown in architectural designs community planning, street and roads, civic centers and commercial areas
The Basic ingredients of arts are;
Subject
The Form
and The Symbolism
Subject
- Since time is immemorial, the subject of art is noticeable, apparent at least reflects some sort of visual experience.
- Categories of subject with which artist work are called genre
- Genre is a french word means “ kind” or “type”
- Genres include religious or mythological subjects, portraiture, still life, landscape, non- objective life.
- Genre is the “what” of artwork
- Subject are images and themes from ordinary life
- The imagery in abstract art may no longer fully resemble the original scene or things from which it was derived yet we cannot say
that these works are without a subject.
- Non-objective art may make no reference whatsoever to the natural world no pretext to representing it, yet they have a subject
even from only one perspective
- A distinction is often made between subject and content whereas subject refers to the aspect of work that can be described,
content refers to work’s array of intangible aspects, emotional, intellectual, psychological, symbolic elements.
- Content is much bigger concept than the subject
- Content is the “why” of an artwork
- Content includes the reason behind its appearance, meaning behind the symbolism
Form
- Form is the sum total of how the what is presented
- In the context of art the word form has more than one meaning
- It refers to the totality of a composition or design- the arrangement or organization of all its visual elements
- This gives substance to a subject on an idea
- The all encompassing framework of artistic expression
- It signifies the totality of technical means and materials employed by the artist, as well as all of the visual strategies and pictorial
devices used to express and communicate
- The appearance of a work of art is a “what” the form is the “sum total of how the what is presented
- The word form used to discuss dimensional shapes (spheres, cylinders, cubes, pyramids) or work of arts such as sculpture or
architecture.
Symbolism / Iconography
Symbolism - vital component of a work’s content
- Sometimes it is indecipherable or unnoticeable to a viewer
-Symbols convey ideas, beliefs, message or ideology underlying works of arts, investigating their significance enriches our
understanding of the meaning and purpose the work
Iconography - is the study of symbols which literally means “writing of images”
Some shapes have invaded our consciousness in such a way as to carry with them immediate associations. Some of them have
symbolic resonance that raises them above their actual configuration. Take for instance the shape cross fpr Christians or the Chinese
symbol yin and yang. Like the simple shape of an apple with a bite taken out symbolize the worldwide “ apple brand”
Principles of Artistic Composition/ Design
Composition - it is the process or act of composing or organizing the elements of art
- its principles such as proportion and scale, unity or harmony, balance and rhythm
- with the use of these principles of organization, beautiful works are created by the artist
1. Proportion
- is the comparative relationship of the parts or our composition to each other and to the whole.
- According to the principle of the golden section states that a small part must relate to a larger part as the larger part relates to the
whole
- Henri Matisse in his “ Large Reclining Nude” toyed with the body’s proportions. Each part is appealing even sensuous, but in
combination, the proportions and ultimately the whole, are unrealistic, the head is too small, the torso is too long, the shoulder and
the arms are too massive. Matisse’s violation of realistic proportions is intentional. His interest in the interplay of pattern and lines
led to distortions that infused the forms with emotions, personal meaning and absorbing designs
Scale- refers to the relative size of an object in comparison to similar object, its surroundings, or human dimensions.
- Scale affects how we experience and altering our perception of space and proportion
2. Unity
- refers to the cohesion of elements within a work of art, creating a sense of wholeness.
- A composition achieves unity when all its part contribute meaningfully to the piece
- It is established through a pleasing relationship between the different elements, making them appear as they belong together
- Unity in variety critical aspects of this concept
- Each element in a work of art is essential and must function cohesively to form a single entity
- Repetition of angles, curves, shapes, lines and colors can create a harmonious effect.
3. Balance
- is a fundamental principle in art and nature, contributing to stability and harmony.
- Not only crucial for creating visually pleasing composition but also essential for ensuring the functionality of objects and spaces.
- a work of art exhibits balance when its visual or actual wights including color masses are arranged to achieve harmony.
Blance in design
- classified as formal or informal and both types play a crucial role in creating visual harmony.
- Each type has unique characteristics that contribute to a piece or structure’s overall aesthetic and functionality
Formal balance
- also known as symmetrical
- achieved when both sides of a composition are identical
- Seen in objects of the same size and shape arranged on either side of a central point, resulting in perfectly balance and harmonious
arrangement.
Informal balance
- also called as occult balance
- more challenging thank its formal counterpart, but the result are often more dynamic and engaging
- achieved when objects of equal weight or attraction are position at varying distances from the center
Good balance
- Whether formal or informal, produces a feeling of stability and response.
- achieving this sense of stability requires more than just horizontal balance, vertical balance is equally important
4. Rhythm
- is a fundamental principle that adds a sense of movements and flow to any design, helping to guide the viewer’s eye senselessly
and enjoyably
- Created through the regular repetition of sensory impression whether visual or tactile, produce a continuous and harmonious
experience.
- Rhythmical patterns help the eye move effortlessly from one part of a room or design to another, fostering a sense of continuit.
5. Emphasis
- Crucial principle that ensure certain elements stand out, giving them the proper importance about the whole
- allows for a focal point to be created, drawing the viewers attention and preventing the design from becoming a center of interest
in a room, highlighting one part or design while subordinating the rest
- In visual arts emphasis can be achieved in various ways such as through size, position or color
Color is another powerful tool for creating emphasis
- colors can produce a vital center of interest
Basic Elements of the Arts
Elements of the Arts
- elements of the arts are the essential building blocks for all artistic creations
- without elements it would be impossible to conceive a piece of artwork
- Whatever art is, artist relies on the seven elements to bring their visions to life
- These are Line, shape, value, color, texture, space, time and motion
1. Line
- lines are the shortest distance between two points but they can also imply a connection between points even when they are not
physically joined.
- Lines can serve as tool of infinite variety
2. Shape
- plays a crucial role in defining the structure of a composition
- shapes are formed when lines enclosed an are, creating a flat space that can standout against the background
3. Value
- refers to the relative degree of lightness or darkness of a surface or color
- It is essential to create a composition’s depth, mood and contrast
4. Color
- the most complex and frustrating element of art
- capable of evoking a wide range of emotions and sensory experience
- humans perceive color because of ambient light, which comes from sources like the sun or artificial lighting and reflects on surface
around us
- color has 3 primary properties hue, value, and intensity
Hue - refers to the pure color perceived in the spectrum such as re, blue or yellow
Value - describes the lightness or darkness within a hue
Intensity - refers to the brightness or dullness of a color.
5. Texture
- the surface characteristics of materials as experienced through touch like in sculpture and architecture
- in drawing and painting artist often creates an illusion texture.
- textures allows artist to enhance the sensory experience of their work
- Actual texture - type of texture that the tactile and physical meaning when you touch an object, you can feel the roughness,
smoothness, sharpness, hardness or softness
6. Space
- to explore ways to ways visually and psychologically extend the space of a rectangle, a canvas into a vast universe
- to transcend the space at their fingertips to defy its limitation.