Art Appreciation Lesson 1 PDF

WHAT IS ART: Introduction and Assumptions Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students must have: understood the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at fully realizing his end. differentiated art history from art appreciation. clarified misconceptions...

WHAT IS ART: Introduction and Assumptions Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students must have: understood the role of humanities and arts in man’s attempt at fully realizing his end. differentiated art history from art appreciation. clarified misconceptions about art. characterized the assumptions of the arts. engaged better with personal experiences of and in art. Why Study the Humanities? Why Study the Humanities? Man has cultivated the land, altered the conditions of the fauna and flora in order to survive. Man also marked his place in the world through his works. Man has constructed infrastructures that tended to his needs, like his house, sharpen swords and spears, employed fire in order to melt gold. The initial meaning of the word “art” has something to do all these crafts. What is art? What is Art? The word “art” comes from the ancient Latin, ars which means a “craft or specialized form of skill, like carpentry or smithying or surgery.” -(Collingwood, 1938) What is Art? In Medieval Latin, Ars came to mean something different. It meant “any special form of book-learning, such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology” (Collingwood, 1938). The Trivium: Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic Astrology in the Middle Ages What is Art? It was during the seventeenth century when the problem and idea of aesthetics, the study of beauty, began to unfold distinctly from the notion of technical workmanship, which was the original conception of the word “art.” Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer What is Art? The fine arts would come to The House of Death mean “not delicate or highly by William Blake skilled arts, but ‘beautiful’ arts” (Collingwood, 1938).  “The humanities constitute one of the oldest and most important means of expression developed by man” (Dudley et. Al., 1960). The Galloping Wild Boar found in the Cave of Altamira, Spain.  What is Appreciation? What is Appreciation? recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something and sensitive understanding of the aesthetic value of something. (Oxford Dictionary, 2020) an ability to understand the worth, quality, or importance of something : an ability to appreciate something and sensitive awareness (recognition of aesthetic value) (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2020)  The knowledge and understanding of the universal and timeless qualities that identify all great art. The more you appreciate and understand the art of different eras, movements, styles and techniques, the better you can develop, evaluate and improve your own artwork.  Art History Art Appreciation The study of the The knowledge and evolution of understanding of vs. artistic forms and the universal and ideas in different timeless qualities cultures across that identify all time. great art. Assumptions of art Assumptions of Art 1.Art is Universal 2.Art is Not Nature 3.Art involves Experience  Art is Universal Art has always been timeless and universal, spanning generations and continents through and through. The Iliad is an epic poem about the Greek conquest of the city of Troy. It is from Greece, written by Homer, and discusses the adventures of the Greek people of their time. It is the oldest and most popular work in Greek literature. Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other Homeric epic. The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon; it is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature, while the Iliad is the oldest.  Art is Universal Age is not a factor in determining art. An “…art is not good because it is old, but old because it is good” (Dudley et. Al.,1960).  Art is Universal The first assumption then about the humanities is that art has been crafted by all people regardless of origin, time, place, and that it stayed on because it is liked and enjoyed by people continuously.  Art is not Nature Art is man’s expression of his reception of nature. Art is man’s way of interpreting nature. Art is not nature. Art is made by man, whereas nature is given around us.  Art involves Experience Art is just experience. By experience, we mean the “actual doing of something” (Dudley et. Al., 1960). Unlike fields of knowledge that involve data, art is known by experiencing.  Art involves Experience Dudley et. Al. (1960) affirmed that “[a]ll art depends on experience, and if one is to know art, he must know it not as fact or information but as experience.  Art involves Experience A work of art then cannot be abstracted from actual doing. We have to sense it, see or hear it, and see AND hear it.  Art involves Experience “Years ago, Gertrude Stein was asked why she bought the pictures of the then unknown artist Picasso. ‘I like to look at them,’ said Miss Stein” (Dudley et. Al., 1960).  An important aspect of experiencing art is its being highly personal, individual, and subjective. In philosophical terms, perception of art is always a value judgement.  Degustibus non disputandum est (Matters of taste are not matters of dispute) One should also underscore that every experience with art is accompanied by some emotion.  Conclusion Humanities and the art have always been part of man’s growth and civilization. Art is present in every part of the globe and in every period time. This is what is meant by its universality.  Conclusion Art not being nature, not even attempting to simply mirror nature, is the second assumption about art. Art is always a creation of the artist, not nature. Finally, without experience, there is no art. The artist has to be foremost, a perceiver who is directly in touch with art.  This Ends Our Lesson 1!  Answer the following on a 1 whole sheet of paper: 1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist will you be and why? 2. Why is art not nature? 3. Why is art ageless and timeless? 4. Why does art involved experience?