Nature of the Arts PDF

CvSU - Silang Department of Management NATURE OF THE ARTS GNED - 01 Lesson 1 – Introduction CvSU - Silang Department of Management Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang...

CvSU - Silang Department of Management NATURE OF THE ARTS GNED - 01 Lesson 1 – Introduction CvSU - Silang Department of Management Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management The word art etymologically comes from the Aryan root ar, which means ‘to join’ or ‘put together’. The Latin term sars, artis, mean everything that is artificially made or composed by man. Art constitute one of the oldest and most important means of expression Developed by man. Art particularly refers to the skillful arrangement or compositin of some common but significant qualities of nature such as sounds, colors, lines, movements, words, stone, and wood to express feelings, thoughts, imaginations, and dreams in an amazing, Meaningful and enjoyable way. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Art provides enjoyment and stimulation, particularly when people try to understand them. Art provides with an image of themselves to enable them to further understand their nature and provide them with a way to showcase their passions and desires, their potentials and their relationships with other people. When art is compared to other human activities, the uncultured will generally regard it as impractical it is not meant to meet the requirements of day to day living. To a lay person, deprived of a formal education, a painting or a sculpture have very little survival function. However, other forms of arts like architecture, weaving, and furniture-making serve functions that make man’s life better. Thus, they are classified as Functional art forms. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Painting, sculpture, literature, music, dance and theatre, though non-functional, serve purposes far beyond mundane survival functions. The human need for beauty and aesthetics transcends sensual amusement and to the cultured elevates human expressions, bringing it closer to the divine. Beethovens’s Moonlight Sonata, for instance, may not provide the person that much needed nourishment but listening to it does something to the human spirit, giving him hope and making him realize how amazing it is just to be alive.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management The Human need for expression. This seems to be built-in the human psyche: this need to express, to show, to exhibit what is hidden in man’s inner world. His thoughts, emotions, imaginations, dreams and aspirations are expressed in his art. The Social need for display, celebration and communication. It is not enough for man to express his inner world enough for man to express his inner world through his art, he needs to share and convey it to others too. In this way, others may know, may empathize and may realize that people are interconnected. The physical needs for functional objects. All art is man-made. In the effort to make human life better, objects are created(like the weel) which is also classified as art. All of technology is art. It is a careful combination of form and function. This is based on the premise that if an object is to perform its function, its form (design) should also allow it to do so.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management All art forms generally have the following functions: The Human need for expression. This seems to be built-in the human psyche: this need to express, to show, to exhibit what is hidden in man’s inner world. His thoughts, emotions, imaginations, dreams and aspirations are expressed in his art. The Social need for display, celebration and communication. It is not enough for man to express his inner world enough for man to express his inner world through his art, he needs to share and convey it to others too. In this way, others may know, may empathize and may realize that people are interconnected. The physical needs for functional objects. All art is man-made. In the effort to make human life better, objects are created(like the weel) which is also classified as art. All of technology is art. It is a careful combination of form and function. This is based on the premise that if an object is to perform its function, its form (design) should also allow it to do so. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Art: As Viewed by Philosophy Philosophy as a field of discipline has attempted to explain almost all aspects of human existence. Aesthetics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. It is concerned with the nature of art and used as basis for interpreting and evaluating individual works of art (“Aesthetics”,n.d.) in order for the arts to be completely understood, views of three famous philosophers are here undertaken , from Plato to Aristotle and lastly, Immanuel Kant.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Plato (428 – 347 BCE) Plato was a philosopher of Ancient Greece. He is known for his famous Dialogues that includes his equally famous teacher, Socrates. Plato was said to have loved and hated the arts at the same time. Using his Dialogues as basis Plato was seen as a good literary stylist and a great story teller. He is considered the arts as threatening. He saw how powerful the arts can be in shaping a person’s character. As such, Plato contended that although the arts can be used to train citizens to have an ideal society, using arts to accomplish this should be strictly controlled. As premise to his two theories of art, Plato explained that the physical world is a copy of a perfect, rational, eternal and changeless original. The originals are called the Forms. Beauty, Justice and even a circle are examples of these Forms or Ideas. Using this as basis, Plato presented his two ideas of the arts: Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Art is imitation. Plato explained that art is an imitation of physical things which in turn are imitations of the Forms. To put it simply, art is a copy of a copy which leads people farther from away the truth (or The Forms). At best, works of art are great for entertainment. Art is dangerous. According to Plato, art has power to stir emotions. So the art should not go uncensored Artist are people who have the ability to make a better copy of the true Form. As compared to other people, Plato saw the artists as having the skills, imagination and creativity that would enable them to make an almost perfect copy of the Forms  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE) Aristotle was also a famous philosopher of Ancient Greece. He was a student of Plato. Regarding the arts, Aristotle first distinguished between what is good and what is beautiful. He is stated that the good always present itself in some action while a thing of beauty may exist even in motionless objects or things. In certain conditions, however, the good may also be considered as beautiful. According to Aristotle, universal elements of beauty are manifested by order, symmetry and definiteness. In his poetics, he stated that physical manifestation of beauty is likewise affected by its size i.e ut should not be too big nor too small. Aristotle considered art as imitation or a representation of nature. In representing nature, arts demonstrated knowledge and discovery, for objects of the art show disposition, passion and action. Poetry, Music and Dance, according to Aristotle, imitates some aspects of human nature through Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Rhythm, harmony, melody and vocal sound. Certain kinds of music are successful in calming wild excitement and that tragedies are effective in stirring up emotions. His emphasis was on poetry, He stated that poetry was more philosophic, and serious than philosophy itself. Poets, according to Aristotle, imitated three things: 1. Things and events which have been or still are; 2. Things which are, said to be seen and are probable 3. Things which essentially are. Paintings and sculptures were seen by Aristotle as representation/imitation of ideas, imagination and reality (“Aesthetics” ,n.d.).  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) Immanuel Kant was a German, Enlightenment Philosopher. In 1763, he wrote a treatise on Aesthetics entitled, Observations on the Feelings of the Beautiful and the Sublime. His main interest was not in art itself but on beauty. Kant thought that beauty does not rest on properties of the objects or things but rather on the manner in which people respond to these objects or things. In other words, beauty is a matter of taste. Kant further explained that taste can both be subjective and universal: Subjective taste does not focus on the properties of the object itself but rather on the pleasure one experiences as he responds to it. For example: when looking at a painting, what matters is not what the painting is all about or how it is organized but rather the emotions that the painting is able to successfully arouse. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Universal taste is non-aesthetic and does not consider of the object itself but rather, the artwork is appreciated for what it is. For example: the painting of the Mona Lisa is admired because of its popularity and because it was created by Leonardo Da Vinci. For Immanuel Kant, beauty is a question of form and color is not important. Color, for hum has nothing to do with the properties of the object but is only used for its decorative function. What is important in beauty is the design and the composition. In Kant’s philosophy, there are two kinds of aesthetics responses: 1) Beauty results in pleasure if there is order, harmony, and symmetry and 2) beauty leads to a response of awe that overwhelms the viewers of the art Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Artists and Artisans An artist is a person who exhibits exceptional skills in the visual and/or the performing arts. Unlike other people, artists are more sensitive, very perceptive and more creative. They have the knack of interpreting ideas into an artistic form using as their medium. The words, pigments, clay, stone, musical notes or any combination that may best represent his message. What an artist creates has been defined as a formal expressions of the considered human experience. This definition focuses attention on two important components of the work, which are: form and substance. The artwork portrays the artist’s experience as subject matter, but it uses it after it has passed the artist’s sensibilities and has been carefully analyzed, felt and thought.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management An artisan, on the other hand, is a person who is in a skilled trade that involves making things by hand. He is a craft worker who makes or creates objects of great beauty by just using his hands. His creations may be functional or decorative like an earthen pot or ‘palayok’ for cooking or case for decoration. Other examples of artisan crafts are furniture, sculpture, glass figurines, metalwork, clothing, jewelry, food items, and handicraft. Handmade products of skilled artisans are priced more than commercial(factory- made) products, Artisans were the dominant producers of consumer products prior to the industrial Revolution. Locally, In places outside the urban areas, many artisans bound. Some of the well-known are the woodcarves of Paete, Laguna, the ceramic makers of Tiwi, Albay, the baskets weavers of Pangasinan and the Piña weavers of Kalibo, Aklan. These local artisans have created products that are recognized and sought after around the world, making the Philippines a nation of highly skilled artisans. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management The Art Forms Human expression through the arts may take several forms depending on the talent and creativity of the artist. Artistic skills and creativity may be for a particular art form like painting or dance of for two or more are forms. Artistic abilities may be an inborn talent or may have resulted from inspiration and years of training from an art master. Whatever is the source of the artist’s creativity, he may express it through his chosen art form. Art is basically expressed through the following art forms: Painting. This is the best described as the application of pigment to a surface. The various ways in which the paint is applied to create beautiful effects would depend on the unique technique employed by the artist and the kind of medium that was used.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Painting is a two-dimentional art form. Examples are Luna’s Spolarium and Botticelli’s inferno Sculpture This is an art form that is best described as three-dimentional. The sculptor creates a solid form using molding, carving, welding, casting and assembling. Some of the popular medium are clay, wood, stone, metal, ice, glass and plastic. Examples are Tolentino’s Bonifacio Monument and Michaelangelo’s David. Architecture This is the most functional of all the art forms. It involves creating designs for buildings and infrastructure. Architecture to be functional involves using the design to build the structure through the help of engineers, contractors and skilled workers.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management It is only after the structure is built will the art form be fully appreciated. Examples are the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila and Burjkhalifa in Dubai. Music This is the art of sound expressed through a song, through the use of instruments or a combination of both. It should express rhythm, harmony and melody that is soothing or appeals to the taste of its audience. Examples are Philippine’s kundiman and Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 Dance The art of body movements that is attuned to a musical piece. Body movements should be graceful and in rhythm with the accompanying musical piece. In the ancient times, dance is used as a form of worship. Examples are Philippine folkdances like Tinikling, Singkil, and the Ballet. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Literature The art of using words to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Literature make take the form of poetry, novel, short story, essay, epic and legends to mention a few. Examples are Homer’s lliad and Nick Joaquin’s Woman Who Had Two Navels. Theatre. The performance of drama. Typically, actors perform on stage in front of a live audience. Dialogues may be recited, sang or eliminated(pantomines). Theatre may be referred to as combined or performing arts. It may include music, dance, and literature. Examples are Phantom of the Opera and Noli me Tangere. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Appreciating the Arts After the overview of the Arts given in the previous pages, how then does one when looking at a painting or a sculpture, after watching a play or dance or when listening to music, can these artistic expressions be appreciated at a deeper more informed level? This study of the arts is aimed at engaging the audience/learners to have a relationship with the work that would make them understand art not only for itself but from the view of the artist, the period, the culture, and the society in which it was created. Courses designed for appreciating art aims for learners to have good art awareness that when they look at or experience a piece of art they would be able to: Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Appreciating art is essential to man's understanding of himself and his psychic need to seek expression. Art expression transcends time and space. Artworks of old still impact extant human societies, and world cultures. As man continues to create and seek avenues of expression, such creations will have its impact not only on the cultures and societies of today but also of the future. Art is here to stay. It is man’s legacy. It is the proof that he together with others have sought to express the workings of his mind and achieve immortality.  Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management The Scream, by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. It is the second most famous image in art history, after Leonardo's Mona Lisa. The painting presented here is one of four versions of The Scream that Munch created in his lifetime. The earliest painted version, from 1893, is in Oslo's National Gallery. Elsewhere in the city, the Munch Museum boasts the other painted version, from 1910, as well as a rendition in pastel from 1893. An entry in Munch's diary, dated 22 January 1892, recorded the inspiration for The Scream: "I was walking along the road with two friends - the sun went down - I felt a gust of melancholy - suddenly the sky turned a bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, tired to death - as the flaming skies hung like blood and sword over the blue- black fjord and the city - my friends went on - I stood there trembling with anxiety - and I felt a vast infinite scream through nature." The figure in The Scream, then, may be a kind of self-portrait of the artist, whose older sister, Sophie, had died when he was 13. Art historians have also suggested another source for it - a Peruvian mummy that Munch saw at the World's Fair in Paris in 1889. Looking closely at the painting it is hard to fully explain its universal appeal, According to scholars its success as an image articulated an important shift that occurred within Western culture around the turn of the 20th Century. Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management Lesson 1 – Nature of the Arts CvSU - Silang Department of Management 1. What do you think is the painting all about? 2. Why do you think did artist created this painting? 3. Did this painting affect your thoughts and feelings? In what ways? 4. Was the artist successful in conveying his message to you? Why? Why not? 5. Do you consider this work good? Why? Why not? 6. Should you even care about this painting? Explain your answer.