GE3 Art Appreciation Chapter 1 PDF

# GE3 Art Appreciation ## Table of Contents - Art and Humanities - Art - Art Appreciation - Nature of Art - Assumptions of Art - Functions of Art - Philosophical Importance of Art ## Humanities Humanities comes from the Latin word, "humanitas". It generally refers to art, literature, music, arch...

# GE3 Art Appreciation ## Table of Contents - Art and Humanities - Art - Art Appreciation - Nature of Art - Assumptions of Art - Functions of Art - Philosophical Importance of Art ## Humanities Humanities comes from the Latin word, "humanitas". It generally refers to art, literature, music, architecture, dance and the theatre which human subjectivity is emphasized and individual expressiveness is dramatized. ## How important is humanities? - The fields of knowledge and study falling under humanities are dedicated to the pursuit of discovering and understanding the nature of man. - The humanities deal with man as a being of purpose, of values, loves, hates, ideas and sometimes as a seer or prophet with divine inspiration. - The humanities aim at educating. ## What is Art? - Art is the product of man's inventiveness and creativity. - It is the result of a conscious will or effort to create artworks or objects with function. - A man transforms and takes inspirations from nature in creating something functional and valuable. He uses his genius in transforming trees into paper, woods, and crafts and expresses his imagination, ideas, feelings or emotion into a sculpture or painting, into a poem or musical composition. ## What is art? - **Ancient world**: no idea of art just as we have in our modern world. ART = using their hands to create something functional that they can use in their day to day life. - **Renaissance Period**: word "art" = word "craft". - **17th century**: questions arise regarding the idea of beauty and aesthetic, the study of beauty. - **18th century**: word art was conceived as related to fine arts. ## Aestheticians definitions of art: - **Herbert Read**: art is an attempt to create pleasing forms: Artist intention is to please with regards to his creation. In general, artists' works should please or give aesthetic pleasure to the viewers. - **Ernst Cassirer**: Art is the enjoyment of forms. Meaning art gives high regards to viewer experience rather than the artist intention. The enjoyment we get from the artwork should be independent from the artist's intention. - **Susanne Langer**: Art molds our actual life of feelings, by giving form to the world, it articulates human nature, sensibility, energy, passion and mortality. Artists in his creation does expresses certain human condition through his feelings and emotions. ## Art Appreciation **Art appreciation (aesthetic education)** - capacity to understand works of art and experience a certain enjoyment in creating arts - deals with our encounter with the artworks and the artists and how we are affected with it - Any artwork will prompt us with valuable aesthetic emotion, admiration and inspiration. - Art appreciation puts us into the heights of good taste. Aesthetic taste ability to detect and evaluate the aesthetic properties of an object. - Some people naturally developed sense of aesthetic appreciation. Example: when you easily notice any distinction or similarity from artworks that other people might not notice or you can easily appreciate even the small or complicated details that perhaps might not be of interest for some. - **David Hume**: The ability to appreciate things or developing good taste can be acquired or if you don't have this natural ability, it can still be learned overtime. ## Nature of Art ### Imagination - Imagination is envisioning ideas that are not present in reality. - Imagination is visualizing the impossible or things that are not present in our senses. - Dream is a form of imaginative thinking, things perceived in dreams are unreal and no assurance to happen in real life. - Example from a surreal dream: a giant bird with square wings in a rainbow color swimming in a huge swimming pool. - **Albert Einstein**: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. - Exercises like storytelling can evoke "new worlds" for listeners. - Fantasies and fairy tales were the result of imagination. ### Creativity - Creativity uses imagination to represent new ideas and create a physical embodiment which is beneficial and with value. It is the unveiling of the impossible to possible. - Through creativity, the production of valuable products is involved. (Mumford, 2003). - **Robert Sternberg**: The production of something original and worthwhile. - The valuable result of creativity can either be intangible like new ideas and musical composition or tangible object like sculpture or painting. ### Can creativity be learned? - Yes - **George Land's study** reveals that we are naturally creative and as we grow up we learn to be uncreative. - Creativity is a skill that can be developed and a process that can be managed. - Creativity begins with a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering a way of thinking. - You can learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information. - Learning to be creative is akin to learning a sport. It requires practice to develop the right muscles, and a supportive environment in which to flourish. ## Expression - Art is an expression of an individual, making known his thoughts or feelings. - It means that the work of art reflects the artist's personality, background or even personal circumstances. - The central focus of any expression comes from within an individual and it can be an expression of ideas or feelings through words, actions, or any artistic activities. - **Collingwood** from his Principles of Art: An artist do not let any emotion keep him from persuasions but rather expresses it. - Expression is an avenue for the artist to explore more about his emotion and creating something beautiful out of them. ## Assumptions of Art ### Art is Universal - Art immortalizes man and his marvelous achievements. - No matter on what era or location, art exists. That is why art is universal. - There is a sense of timelessness about art which makes us feel it is not old, it does not grow old. (Duley and Falicy 1973). - Art will never be outdated because man experience enjoyment and find pleasure in it. - As long as human beings continue to express themselves through the arts, and use it for the integrity of diverse culture and appreciates its utilitarian functions, art will play its important worth from generation to generation. ### Art is not Nature - **Art**: made by man using his skills, craftmanship, creativity and imagination. - **Nature**: divine model, work of God, or God made ### Art is not Nature - Nature was not designed by God to represent and to express anything. - Art and nature are two different things, art is not nature and nature is not art. - Art is man-made, nature is God made. - Artists open our eyes and ears so that we can see and hear the reality in nature and introduce us to new visions in life. - Artists can create artworks that are close to nature, but some artists create new artistic reality of their work by using various elements that would challenge us intellectually and visually, still it is not nature, it's art. ### Art Involves Experience - Experience is the actual doing of something. The perfection of art appreciation will never be possible without experiencing art. All art requires experience. - One cannot say that the painting of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' is breathtaking not unless he saw and experience it by himself. - One can never experience art just by hearsay alone. No one can speak of pains and hurt from a failed relationship, the heightened emotions of falling in love not unless he experienced it for himself. - If we really want to know a specific work of art, we should experience it by ourselves. - There's an easy access today regarding art criticism, literary criticism, film analysis, book review and others, needless to say that these available informations are all interesting and useful but these are all considered little knowledge compared when someone has a direct experience of art. - The first and last demand of art is experience. (Dudley and Faricy 1975). ### Two Characteristics of Experience - **Experience of art is subjective** - Our judgment of art is highly personal and individual. Any claims that his/her experience with art is better than others proves to be impossible. - Not everybody will agree with our own judgment and experience with art. - We cannot convince others with our own conceptual reasoning regarding art experience just to prove that our art experience is better than the other. - According to the study of Edward A. Vessel, G. Gabrielle Starr and Nava Rubin, "Differences in subjective experience may arise not only from differences in the emotions that a given artwork evokes, but also from how different individuals weigh these emotions." - **Art experience is accompanied by emotional response** - Initial reaction in such experience of art is inevitable. - We may either like or dislike it. - We can say that it's beautiful or it's not good at all. - Others will say it's frustrating, and some will say it's great. - All of us are pre-occupied with different concerns or have different moods, we show lack of interest at times. For this reason, our reaction to arts differ from one another. - Understanding the art is necessary like in the case of art movement like abstract impressionism or total abstraction. If we do not have any experience with any of these works or knowledge about the intention of the artist, confusion and struggle will become our initial reaction. - Constant exposure and receptive attitude toward art will in the end lead us into more mature understanding of the arts. ## Functions of Art ### What is art for? - The answer to this question gives the FUNCTION of an art work. - Every art form has definite function since it satisfies particular needs. - To find meaning in art, it must have or serve a utilitarian purpose and be capable of serving the purpose for which it was designed. - Different art forms has its unique functions and different reasons for being created. - **Architecture**: directly and almost entirely functional because buildings and other structures are always built for some special purpose. - **Music and Dance**: used for ritual and worship of the gods, for social activities, festivities, celebration and entertainment. Therapy and meditation for others. - **Painting and Sculpture**: maybe used to narrate events, to portray people or events, to instruct (as in case of Christian Art), to commemorate individuals or history events and to serve as vehicles for personal expression of a vision of nature and its beauty. ### 1. Personal or Individual Function - Artists have their personal reason as they try to express themselves. - An artist may create out of a need for self-expression, or gratification. She/he might have wanted to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. - Perhaps the artist was trying to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. - **Fernando Amorsolo** painted "Mango Pickers, 1936" (and others) to showcase the life and real experience of Filipinos working in the field (especially in Bicol) and for more audience to appreciate the beauty of nature. - Some OPM singers render concerts for free because of their passion for music and because of their generosity. ### 2. Social Function - Art is an avenue to extend an artist's sense of belongingness and connection with people. - Art gathers man as one family and community, through celebration like festivities, choral singing or group dancing in religious rituals. - Architectural structure like houses are built to unite families. - Churches play an important role for communal worship. ### 3. Economic Function - Any art production will definitely involve money. - Reproduction of any art works that would still become highest-paid, or even the reproduction of songs by great singers like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston will gain millions of dollars. - Film industries like the movies of Coco Martin and Vic Sotto spent millions of pesos for the production. - **J.K. Rowling**, the author of the best-selling Harry Potter series, became one of the most highly paid woman in British history. ### 4. Political Function - Using visual images that portrays political change was the defining functions of art in the twentieth-century. - Art movements flourish during the modern period because they wanted to erase cultural differences in order to produce new universal values with regards to art. - Arts became the political medium to promote their political programs and political status. ### 5. Historical Function - Paintings, sculptures, architectural works, and other art forms serve to record historical figures and events. - It commemorates great people in history, almost all parks in the country has the statue of Rizal and murals painted in it. - History is available anywhere and is not just limited in history book or literary arts alone. Other art forms like paintings, architecture and sculpture are avenue to go back to history and learn from it. - Monuments of heroes, landmarks and cultural heritage serve as records of our history. ### 6. Cultural Function - Tangible representations of one culture like architectural structures like buildings, sculpture like furniture and intangible representations like music, dance and language or literary piece form part of a nation's culture. - These cultural representations through art forms serve as a channels to share and transmit from one generation to another generation. ### 7. Religious function - Artforms like architecture, music, dance and sculpture play an important role in one cultural spirituality. - People from the past worshipped their gods through sculptures with music and dance. - Nowadays, people are gathered in an architectural structure like churches, arenas and other venues to worship and they incorporate music and dance. ### 8. Physical function - Our health is our priority, architectural structure like hospitals, physical therapy center and laboratories are there to assist us for health care. - Music and dance perform an important role when our bodies need to rejuvenate and revitalize, one example is zumba dance and reflective music for yoga. - Painting therapy was proven as therapeutic by some cancer patient. - Art therapy is generally understood as a form of therapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication. ### 9. Aesthetic Function - Beautification adds appeal and excitement like displays of paintings in an empty area on a wall. - Interior design in the National Museum is a breath taking experience of beauty. - Fashion always aims for beauty that is appealing to the eye. - Film industries, Opera's and Theater provide extravagant and beautiful props and costumes for its realistic impact and appeal.. ## Philosophical Importance of Art ### What is Philosophy? - It conveys a variety of meanings. - Sometimes it is a way of expressing one principle in life and deepest beliefs in life. - The way we respond emotionally to art and how we are affected by the arts are somehow connected to some of the basic philosophical importance of art. ### 1. Plato's Theory of Imitation or "Art as Mimesis" - Plato's view of reality explains that ideal is only true and arts are just imitation or copy of the truth, therefore for him literature and poetry are not true, they are imitations of the ideal. - According to his masterpiece, "the Republic", ideas are the ultimate reality, artists are imitators and arts are pure imitation. - A thing, before it takes into practical shape came first from ideas therefore idea is original and the thing is copy of that idea. - Art was problematic for Plato because for him all art forms are imitative and replica of idea. He considered art as a dangerous means that will cause total confusion and conflict to the society. It provided insignificant replacement for the real entities that can only be attained through reason. ### The Idea Of A "Chair" - Plato's idea of a chair explains his reasoning about art as an imitation of an imitation. For him, arts deal with pure illusion or an imitation of an imitation. - The idea of a chair clearly explains his argument that arts can be twice removed from reality. - The idea of a chair was conceived in the mind of a carpenter therefore the carpenter's chair is the result of the idea of chair in his mind. To give physical shape to the idea on his mind, he used objects like wood and other objects in creating a chair. - The painter then came into the scenario and imitate the chair of the carpenter in his picture of chair. - Plato's reasoning about art as imitation of an imitation or twice removed from reality was clearly explained in the idea of a chair. - For him, arts and artist (including poets) should banish to prevent people especially youth from corruption of minds and eventually leads them away from cultivation of the intellect. ### Plato as Moralist - As a moralist, Plato disapproves of poetry because it is immoral, as a philosopher he disapproves of it because it is based in falsehood. - Philosophy is better than poetry because philosopher deals with idea and truth, whereas poet deals with what appears to his illusion. - He believed that truth of philosophy was more important than the pleasure of poetry. ### 2. Aristotle's Theory about Art as Representation - As a dedicated disciple and student of Plato in Philosophy, Aristotle does not agree with his teacher regarding his theory about arts and artists in that particular period. - Aristotle considered art as an agent in Philosophy in revealing truth. For him, the kind of imitation that art does is to aid people to the fundamental truths. - In his "Poetics", Aristotle points out that poetry is a literary representation. Thus, every art form like music, dance, painting and sculpture represents possible versions of reality. - Aristotle believes imitation is in-born instinct in men and there is a natural pleasure in such imitation. It is this pleasure in imitation that enables the child to learn his earliest lessons in speech and conduct from those around him, because there is a pleasure in doing so. - Aristotle disagree about his teachers' concept that art is an imitation of an imitation or art is twice removed from reality and hence unreal/illusion of truth. - For him poetry and literature are philosophical in nature. We don't intentionally cry when watching drama or reading a tragic literary work, there's a sudden switch of emotion that strike our innermost feelings. - This release of emotion is results to a pleasurable emotion called aesthetic emotion. We enjoy the representation of tragic events because it offers an "artistic taming of the horrible". ### Catharsis - Aristotle disapproves the idea of Plato that poetry destroy the minds of the youth and that it leads to weaker state of people or destroying the emotional state of a person. - For him, catharsis is the result from the encounter with literature or poetry and other art forms. - These art forms can arouse a certain emotion like fear, pain or pity and brings about healthy and pleasurable experienced called catharsis. ### Aristotle on Morality in Representation - So far, as moral nature of poetry is concerned, Aristotle believed that the end of poetry is to please; however, teaching may be given. - Such pleasing is superior to the other pleasure because it teaches civic morality. Therefore, all good literature gives pleasure that is not divorced from moral lessons. ### 3. Art for Art Sake or L'art Pour L'art by Immanuel Kant - Being the most influential philosopher in the history of western philosophy, Immanuel Kant developed the theory Art for Art Sake. - According to Kant there is an autonomous aesthetic standard in art. - In his "Critique of Judgement", Kant recognized that the judgement of beauty can be universal despite its subjectivity. - Art should be separated from other considerations like morality, function and pleasure. - The argument raised in the theory "art for art sake" is that any judgement in any art forms should not focus on the external purposes that satisfies man, like moral aspect or political commentary. Instead, value is intrinsically defined by the aesthetic impression. - Aesthetic philosophers from the 19th century said that the role of art could be nothing less than to create beauty or to expose beauty. - Art should stand independently and should be free from all scrutiny of other advantages, rather art stands for beauty alone.