Subject and Content of Art PDF

**[SUBJECT AND CONTENT OF ART]** **THREE BASIC COMPONENTS OF ART** 1. **SUBJECT**: visual focus or image that may be extracted from examining the artwork; the "WHAT" 2. **CONTENT**: the meaning that is communicated by the artist or the artwork; the "WHY" 3. **FORM**: the development a...

**[SUBJECT AND CONTENT OF ART]** **THREE BASIC COMPONENTS OF ART** 1. **SUBJECT**: visual focus or image that may be extracted from examining the artwork; the "WHAT" 2. **CONTENT**: the meaning that is communicated by the artist or the artwork; the "WHY" 3. **FORM**: the development and configuration of the artwork. How the elements and the material or medium are put together; the "HOW"         **  Subject of art** is what an artist chooses to present in his/her art. It is the expression of artist's view of  his/her existence in his/her art.  - It is the theme or topic of the artist in his/her art. The term subjects in art refers to the main idea that is represented in the artwork. - The subject in art is basically the essence of the piece. To determine subject matter in a particular piece of art, ask yourself: - What is actually depicted in this artwork? What is the artist trying to express to the world\... what is his or her message? And how are they conveying that message? **[TYPES OF SUBJECT]** 1. **Representational Art: Figurative Art** : have subjects that refer to objects or events occuring in the real world : figures depicted are easy to make out and decipher 2. Non-representational Art : art forms that do not make a reference to the real world , whether it is a person, place, thing, or even to a particular event. : stripped down to visual elements, such as shapes, lines and colors that are employed to translate a particular feeling, emotion or even concept **:NUMBER 1A by Jackson Pollock** **NON-REPRESENTATIONAL ART AND ABSTRACT** \*they exist in a spectrum **Head of a Woman, Mougins by Pablo Picasso 1962** \*even if abstract, representational art yan For Non Rep Art, a higher level of perceptiveness and insight might be required to fully grasp the feeling, emotion, or concept behind the work. For Rep Art, its easier to infer the subject matter because from the figures depicted in the artwork, there is already a suggestion as to its implication. **[SOURCES AND KINDS OF SUBJECTS]** 1. **[Nature]** **PHYSICAL ENVIRONTMENT: Artists have always been fascinated with the beauty of their physical environment. They would observe nature on its beautiful and restful mood; and apply pigments on canvass on varying textures and colors.** ***SALISBURY CATHEDRAL FROM THE MEADOWS BY JOHN CONSTABLE 1831*** ***ANIMALS*** ***PEOPLE*** ***LANDSCAPES*** ***- The most common inspiration and subject matter for art.*** ***-Could be the subject and content of both literary and visual arts*** ***THE HAY WAIN BY JOHN CONSTABLE 1821*** 2. **[History]** 3. **[Greek and Roman Mythology]** The Greek and Roman mythology are also rich of art subject. Stories from Greek and Roman mythology centers on the gods, goddesses and heroes. 4. **[Judeo-Christian Tradition]** 5. **[Sacred oriental texts]** Religion has played an enormous role in inspiring works of visual arts, music, architecture and literature through ages. During the prehistoric era, the medieval and the present time, there was no difference between religion and art. **CALERUEGA CHURCH IN NASUGBU BATANGAS** **BLUE MOSQUE/ SULTAN AHMED MOSQUE IN ISTANBUL TURKEY** 6. **[Other works of art]** **[\*EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU IS A SOURCE OF ART]** - Filipino contemporary artists are now **conscious** of their indigenous roots - Filipino artists are veering away from the influences of colonizers. - Filipino artists are conscious that they are no longer subject to western concepts and ideas and forms ***THAT WE MAY BE DONE AND KAWANGIS KO SILA*** **Prevalent themes in the c0ontemporary art scene are responses to:** 1. Social 2. Economic and 3. Political Issues 4. Ethnic and Indigenous Concerns 5. Current Events ** 5 main subjects that artists have been exploring in art for centuries:** 1. 2. rivers, etc. **MOUNTAIN RETREAT BY BOB ROSS** 3. GUSTAVE COURBET 1845 4. 5. **Some subjects in the Visual Arts that continue to be favored are still:** 1. Life 2. Landscapes 3. Genre scenes 4. Portraits 5. Philippine fiestas and landmarks **[CONTENT IN ART]** : THE meaning or message that is expressed or communicated by the artwork. **LEVELS OF MEANING:** 1. **FACTUAL MEANING:** most rudimentary level of meaning for it may be extracted from the identifiable or recognizable forms in the artwork and understanding how these elements relate to one another 2. **CONVENTIONAL MEANING: ACKNOWLEDGED INTERPRETATION** using motifs, signs and symbols and other cyphers based on its meaning :established through time, strengthened by recurrrent use and wide acceptance by its viewers or audience 3. **SUBJECTIVE MEANING:** stem from viewer's or audience's circumstances that come into play when engaging with art **(what we know, learned and experienced; what values we stand for)** **: meaning may not be singular, rather multiple or varied** **CREATION OF ADAM FROM THE CEILING OF SISTINE CHURCH BY MICHELANGELO 1814** **Subject: BIBLICAL ART** **Factual Meaning: Creation Story** **Conventional Meaning: Man was created in the image and likeness of god** **Subjective Meaning: endowment of intellect to man from GOD** **[WAYS OF PRESENTING THE SUBJECT]** A. Realism - It concerns with the depiction of subjects as they appear in everyday life. - It is the attempt to portray the subject as is. The artist selects, changes, and arranges details to express the idea he wants to make clear. - The artist main function is to describe accurately what is observed through the **senses**. **Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin** was an 18th-century French realist. He is considered a master of still life. (PORTRAIT) **Woman cleaning turnips** by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin **Ilya Yefimovich Repin** was a leading Russian painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic school. His realistic works often expressed great psychological depth and exposed the tensions within the existing social order. **They did not Expect Him** by Ilya Yefimovich Repin **Ivan the terrible and his son Ivan, Tretyakov Gallery (1885)** B. Abstraction - It refers to art unconcerned with the literal depiction of things from the visible world - It means to move away or separate. Abstract art moves away from showing things as they really are. The artwork is not realistic. **Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky** was a Russian painter, and art theorist. He is credited with painting of the first purely abstract works. **Composition VII** by Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky a. Distortion It is the ALTERATION OF THE ORIGINAL SHAPE of an object, image or other form of representation The subject is in misshaped condition **Distortion Painting by Laurtent Chipdi** b. Elongation \- the subject or painting is being LENGTHENED or extended \- The subject is lengthened for protraction or extension. c. Mangling It shows subjects or objects which are cut, mutilated, lacerated or hacked. d. Cubism \- objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form \- Subjects are shown in basic geometrical shapes. uses cone, cylinder, sphere or other pictorial elements **Three Muscians by: Pablo Picasso** e. Abstract Expressionism \- uses large canvasses \- lack of refinement in the application of paint, strong color uneven brush and rough texture **Untitled By: Jackson Pollock** C. Expressionism - It presents the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas **Edvard Munch** was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. **The Scream by Edvard Munch** **Egon Schiele** was an Austrian painter. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele\'s paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism. **Tod und Mädchen (Death and the Maiden) by Egon Schiele** D. Futurism - It emphasizes and glorifies themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed and technology - Its' works aims to capture the speed and force of modern industrial society and to glorify the mechanical energy of modern life. **Umberto Boccioni** was an Italian painter and sculptor. Like other Futurists, his work centered on the portrayal of movement (dynamism), speed, and technology. **Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni** E. Surrealism - It tries to reveal a new and higher reality than that of daily life. They claim to create a magical world more beautiful than the real one through art. It came from the slang of super realism. - It uses arts a weapon against the evils and restrictions that surrealists see in the society - It is a combination of distortion and realism **Max Ernst** was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst is considered to be one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism. **L\'Ange du Foyer (The Fireside Angel) by Max Ernst** **Salvador Dalí** was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres. **The Persistence of Memory (1931) by Salvador Dalí** F. Fauvism - Themes are either ethical, philosophical or psychological. - It uses extremely bright color - Most of the fauves tried to paint pictures of COMFORT, JOY AND PLEASURE G. Dadaism - A protest movement formed in 1916 by a group of artist in Zurich, Switzerland. They try to provoke the public with outrageous forms of arts. Came from the French word "dada" meaning "hobby horse". Dadaist reacted to what they believe were outworn traditions in art and the evils they saw in the society; shows outrageous pieces of writing, poetry and art exhibitions On April 9th, 1917, just over 100 years ago, Marcel Duchamp achieved what was perhaps the most brilliant and absurd art event of the 20th century. The story is legend. Duchamp, wanting to submit an artwork to the "unjuried" Society of Independent Artists' salon in New York---which claimed that they would accept any work of art, so long as the artist paid the application fee---presented an upside-down urinal signed and dated with the appellation "R. Mutt, 1917," and titled Fountain. H. Symbolism The presentation of an invisible sign such as an idea or a quality into something visible. **"The Death of the Gravedigger" (1895-1900)** **By: Carlos Schwabe** **In \"The Death of a Gravedigger,\" an old gravedigger is inside the grave he\'s dug, looking up at a beautiful dark angel who is holding a green light and his heart. The symbolism is not lost in the audience. The angel is the angel of death and she\'s holding the gravedigger\'s heart and soul. His time has come.**