Art Subject Matter PDF

 Objectives Differentiate representational and non-representational art. Discuss the difference between an artwork’s subject and content. Identify the subject matter and specific examples of art. Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some of the most...

 Objectives Differentiate representational and non-representational art. Discuss the difference between an artwork’s subject and content. Identify the subject matter and specific examples of art. Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some of the most recognizable works of art.  The Subject of An Artwork The term subject in arts 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, one may be guided by the questions: 1.What is depicted in this artwork? 2. What is the artist trying to express to the world? 3.What is his or her message? 4. How are they conveying that message?  The Subject of An Artwork In artwork, the subject matter would be what the artist has chosen to paint, draw or sculpt. The subject matter or topic is entirely up to the artist. Whether the message is understood by others is another story, and whether the artist discloses the meaning of it or not is also a personal choice. Some artists don't like to assign a strict explanation of their art so that they are not imposing on the viewers own narrative and concept of the work.  The Subject of An Artwork Some artworks have subjects, and some do not. The art pieces which use a specific subject is called representational art or objective art; while those that have no subjects are called non-representational or non- objective art.  Representational Art Representational art refers to art which represents something, whether that be a tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art which is clearly identifiable as something which already exists in life. Representational art does not need to be a completely realistic depiction of the subject; there will often be varying levels of abstraction.  Representational Art Planting Rice by Fernando Amorsolo Apple Blossoms by Kristina Joy  Non- representational Art Non-representational or non-objective art, on the other hand, refers to compositions which do not rely on representation or mimesis to any extent. Abstract art, nonfigurative art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art are related terms that indicate a departure from reality in the depiction of imagery in art. Meaning in nonrepresentational art is highly subjective and can be difficult to define. We can focus on the elements of the artwork (form, shape, line, color, space, and texture) in terms of the aesthetic value of the work, but the meaning will always be personal to the viewer unless the artist has made a statement about his or her intentions. Non- representational Art Composition VII by Wassily Kandinski  1. Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. “Nature” refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general.” It is considered the most used source of art.  2. People They are considered the most interesting subject of an artwork which may be real or imagined. An artist’s thoughts, moods and even the genre of a certain artwork Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David may be depicted by people by means of clues as takeaways. People as subjects may be presented as individuals or groups and may perform tasks as how they do Christ in the Storm on the Sea of in their everyday life. Galilee by Rembrandt van Rijn  3. History It is the depiction of factual events that occurred in the past whose purpose is either to remember important events of long ago or to teach the learners about the lessons of the past. Bonifacio Monument by Guillermo Tolentino The Making of the Philippine Flag by Fernando Amorsolo www.pinterest.ph A Biringan Tale: Legend of Carolina 4. Legends Artworks based on legends present to viewers of the art something tangible even when unverified. Art brings life to these stories. Si Malakas at si Maganda by Marcelo Chan A Biringan Tale: Legend of Carolina  5. Religion Religion has played an enormous role in inspiring works of visual arts, music, architecture, and literature through ages. Artists used as inspiration the The Hand of God by Auguste Rodin religious texts as the Bible, Quran, and Torah in conveying their ideas and beliefs through their art works. It was also established that art is considered the handmaid of religion. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci  6. Mythology These are sources of subjects that come from the stories of gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse, and Egyptians. These so-called deities of the mythological world depict present humanlike behaviors. Medusa by Luciano Garbati  7. Dreams and Fantasy The wonder of the unconscious is what is being expressed by art works under this subject source. These works of art somehow explain to the viewers the content of the art piece including the hidden meaning behind each work. The unconscious is being made to be understood by this source of subject. Artworks by Josephine Wall and Barbara Devlin  8. Technology The modernity of the present is also an inspiration being used by artists as a source of subject. The wondrous use of machines, the towering The WEEE Man Source: law_kevin/weburbanist.com skyscrapers, state of the art robotics technology, top of the line transportation machineries as cars, ships, and motorcycles to name a few are sources of subjects of interest under technology. Humanity Drowning in Technology by Elizabeth Elkin  1. Naturalism Naturalism in art refers to the depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting. Naturalism is a type of art that pays attention to very accurate and precise details and portrays things as they are. Artworks in naturalism always depict pieces showing the idealized human form. One would immediately recognize that these images were Hay Making by Jules Bastien-Lepage imitated from the human form.  2. Realism Realism in the arts is generally the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding speculative fiction and supernatural elements. In the visual arts, illusionistic realism is the accurate depiction of lifeforms, perspective, and the details of light and color. Realism is the most popular way of presenting art subjects. The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet  3. Abstraction Abstraction finds its roots in ‘intuition’ (of the artist) and ‘freedom’ (for the artist as well as for the viewer). It is the capability of the artist to use their imagination to look beyond what we can physically see and translate intangible emotions onto the canvas. It is also the ability of the audience to then try to connect to the artist’s intention and free their own mind of visual restrictions. This is a method of presenting the subject where the artist moves away from reality. The artist usually alters the shapes and colors in rendering a particular art piece. Abstraction may be in these forms: distortion, elongation, mangling, and cubism.  A. Distortion Distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or another characteristic) of something. In the art world, a distortion is any change made by an artist to the size, shape, or visual character of a form to express an idea, convey a feeling or Art pieces of Henrietta Harris enhance visual impact.  B. Elongation Elongation is when the art subject is lengthened, protracted, or extended. High Aspirations by Ernie Barnes  C. Mangling Artists show the subject as cut, lacerated, mutilated, or hacked with repeated blows. The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso  D. Cubism This is the presentation of abstract figures using a cone, cylinder, sphere, triangle, square, cube, and circle in place of real pictorial elements. 'Factory, Horta de Ebbo' by Pablo Picasso  4. Symbolism This is the use of a visible sign of an idea to convey to the viewers, readers, or audiences the message of his work. In this way, mystery is advocated by an artwork making it more interesting to the viewers. The key to eliciting symbolic art involves studying the background and personality of the artist and his inspiration in producing the said piece of work. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci  5. Fauvism Fauvism is the name applied to the work produced by a group of artists (which included Henri Matisse and André Derain) from around 1905 to 1910, which is characterized by strong colors and fierce brushwork. The paintings Derain and Matisse exhibited were the result of a summer spent working together in Collioure in the South of France and were made using bold, non-naturalistic colors (often applied directly from the tube), and wild loose dabs of paint. The forms of the subjects were also simplified making their work appear quite abstract. source: artsy.net  6. Dadaism Dadaism is a protest movement in the art that is playful and experimental. “Dada” means a “hobby horse”. Dadaism is most often nonsensical. Marcel Duchamp is the famous painter using this method. It is considered a revolt against tradition because it does not follow the principles in art and shows the wickedness of society in its presentation. The aim of this method is to shock and provoke its viewers. Fountain by Duchamp  7. Futurism This was developed in Italy about the same time as cubism appeared in France. Futurist painters wanted their works to capture the mechanical energy of modern life. The Futuristic Art of NASA source: artsy.net  8. Surrealism This method mirrors the evils of the present society. Surrealism means super realism, influenced by Freudian psychology which emphasizes the activities of the subconscious state of the mind. The art movement began in Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre Breton. It emphasized the activities of the subconscious mind mostly exemplifying violence and cruelty. The surrealist’s aim is to reveal the deep and ugly part of human nature. Harlequin’s Carnival by Joan Miro  9. Expressionism This features art works describing pathos, morbidity, chaos or even defeat and was introduced in Germany from 1900 – 1910. Expressionists believe that man needs spiritual rebirth for him to correct defects that ruin the society. The Night (Die Nacht) by Max Beckmann