G-Arts Lesson 3 & 4 Handout PDF

LESSON 3: FUNCTIONS AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON ARTS Functions of Art–Introduction When one speaks of function, one is practically Aristotle – Greek philosopher claimed that...

LESSON 3: FUNCTIONS AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON ARTS Functions of Art–Introduction When one speaks of function, one is practically Aristotle – Greek philosopher claimed that every talking about the use of the object whose function particular substance in the world has an end, or is in question. An inquiry on the function of art is an telos in Greek, which translates into “purpose”. inquiry on what art is for. Alternatively, the answer Every substance, defined as a formed matter, to the question “what is it for” is the function of moves according to a fixed path toward its aim. A whatever “it” in the question refers to. Suppose one seed is bound to become a full-grown plant. A asks, what is the Rizal monument? Why was it cocoon can look forward to flying high when it erected in Rizal Park or what then was called morphs into a butterfly. A baby will eventually turn Luneta or Bagumbayan? Is it for pure sentimental into a grown man or woman. value? Or is it for aesthetic value? Or does it send a message to those who witness it? In this string of This telos according to Aristotle is intricately linked questions, the inquirer is hoping to get the function with function. For a thing to reach its purpose, it of the piece of art in Rizal Park. also has to fulfill its function. Man, in Aristotle's view of reality, is bound to achieve a life of When it comes to function different art forms come fulfillment and happiness, or in Greek eudaimonia. with distinctive functions. There is no one-to-one All men move toward this final and. However, correspondence between an art and its function. happiness the supposed and of man is linked with Some art forms are more functional than others his function which is being rational. One can only Architecture, for example, as an art is highly be happy when he is rational. This means that to functional just like most applied arts. A building as Aristotle plants can never be happy because they a work of art is obviously made for a specific are not rational, as well as tables and chairs Man's purpose. The Taj Mahal, a massive mausoleum of natural end, telos, is connected with his function, white marble built in Agra was constructed in which is his rationality memory of the favorite wife of the then emperor, Shah Jahan. On the other hand, jewelry-making as Moreover, the telos and function of a thing are both an art is known by its product. The name of the art related to a thing's identity. What makes a table a in these applied arts is basically denoted by its table is the fact that it does perform is function and specified function in this and other such functional thereby reaching its telos. If a table does not have arts. "… function is so important that it has usurped a surface on which we can put on our books of our the name of the art on the identification of plates and glasses, then it ceases to be a table. individual works" (Dudley et al. 1960). Other The same goes for the human being. What makes examples are paintings, poems, and statues. The a human being a human being according to some name of the art basically points toward the direction schools of thought is his capacity for thinking his of the product or its function. supposed function. Without this function, the human being ceases to be a human being. The On the other end of the spectrum, one can only telos, the function, and the “whatness” of a thing think of painting and literature as forms of art that are all interconnected. have the least to do with purely practical values. When one examines and thinks of a painting or a In contemporary life, the connection between the work of literature such as a poem or a novel one end, the function, and the “whatness” of a thing has looks at the value of the art in itself and not become closer and more interlaced, suggesting because of what it can do and benefit us. Unlike sometimes that the end is the function and vice practical arts where the value of the art (in pottery, versa, and that they determine what kind of thing a jewelry-making, architecture, and among others) in thing is. When one sees a new kitchen appliance in question lies in the practical benefits one gains the department store, one tries to know first what from it (a pot, a jewelry, or a house or building), functions the appliance has. After knowing these with painting and literature, one can only look at the functions, then one can claim to know the purpose value of the product of art in and for itself. A poem of the appliance and then begins to realize what is beautiful regardless of its possible ramifications appliance one is holding in his arms. in the society. Does art necessarily have an end? When an artist Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" has maintained its creates a work of art, does he have an end in popularity through the years regardless of its mind? What function does an artwork perform? application or practical benefit. This definitely is not Does it have any purpose? Do all artworks have a to say that paintings and literary works can have function? Does the function make an object a work any function. The two masterpieces of our national of art? hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo served as a catechist for Filipino revolutionaries to gather strength in rejecting the oppressive forces of the Spaniards in the Philippines in the nineteenth century. The novels ceremony is an example. Architecture, jewelry accrued value and as a consequence, function. making, and even interior design are all forms of This function as it turns out, may be over and arts that have physical function. beyond its literary worth. They are functional "in so far as they are designed to accomplish some Other Functions of Art definite end" (Du et al., 1960). In the case of Rizal's Music as an art is also interesting to talk about in novels, they spelled out a country's independence. relation to function. Music in its original form was They continue to be treasured even a hundred principally functional. Music was used for dance years after their supposed functions. and religion. Unlike today, when one can just listen Roughly and broadly, the functions of art are to music for the sake of music's sake, the ancient classified into three: personal (public display or world saw music only as an instrument to facilitate expression), social (celebration or to affect worship and invocation to gods. collective behavior), and physical (utilitarian). Let Music also was essential to dance because music us try to understand each of these three. assures synchronicity among dancers. Moreover, Personal Functions of Art music also guarantees that marches, in the case of warriors, were simultaneous. The personal functions of art are varied and highly subjective. This means that its functions depend on Today, music has expanded its function and the person–the artist who created the art. An artist coverage. Music is listened to and made by people may create art out of the need for self-expression. for reasons that were foreign to early civilizations. This is the case for an artist who needs to There is now a lot of music that has no connection communicate an idea to his audience. It can also whatsoever to dance or religion. Serenade is one be mere entertainment for his intended audience. example. People compose hymns of love to Often, the artist may not even intend to mean express feelings and emotions. Music is also used anything with his work. as a wonderful accompaniment to stage plays and motion pictures. Interestingly, a piece of music can Art may also be therapeutic. In some orphanages mean a multitude of meanings to different people, and homes for abandoned elders, art is used to proof that as an art, music has gone a long way. help residents process their emotions or while away their time. Recently, the use of adult coloring Sculpture, on the other hand, is another functional books to de-stress has been apparent too, now art form that has long existed for various purposes. with a lot of designs being sold in bookstores Just like music, from the early days of humanity, nationwide. These all fall under the personal sculptures have been made by a man most functions of art. particularly for religion. People erect status for the divine. In the Roman Catholic world, the Social Functions of Art employment of sculptures for religious purposes has remained vital, relevant, and symbolic. Art is considered to have a social function if and when it addresses a particular collective interest as Sculptures were also made in order to opposed to a personal interest. Political art is a commemorate important figures in history, Jose very common example of an art with a social Rizal's monument in Rizal Park and Andres function. Art may convey message of protest, Bonifacio's monument in Caloocan are common contestation, or whatever message the artist examples. At the University of the Philippines, the intends his work to carry. Often, art can also depict iconic statue Oblation by Guillermo E. Tolentino. social conditions. Photography, as an art form, has remained a pillar of the university and a delivers this kind of function by taking photos of constant reminder of the need to offer oneself up subjects in conditions that people do not normally selflessly for the country. Coins are also take a look at or give attention to. Pictures of manifestations of sculpting's function. Every coin in poverty may carry emotional overtones that may the Philippines features a relief of a famous hero or solicit action or awareness from their audience. personality. Recently, the Central Bank of the Moreover, performance art like plays or satires can Philippines produced special, commemorative also rouse emotions and rally people toward a coins for certain personalities like Pope Francis particular end. In these and more, the social and the Jesuit, Horacio de la Costa. function of art is apparent. Another art form that readily lends itself to multiple Physical Functions of Art functions is architecture. In fact, architecture might be the most prominent functional art form. The physical functions of art are the easiest to spot Buildings are huge, expensive, and not easily and understand. The physical functions of art can constructed and replaced. Unlike other forms of art be found in artworks that are crafted in order to like pots, furniture, poetry, or even paintings, serve some physical purpose. A Japanese raku buildings take so much time to erect and destroy. A bowl that serves a physical function in a tea lot of investments are put into making megastructures like the pyramids of Giza, the Philosophical Perspectives on Art acropolis, or the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages. One cannot simply dismiss taking into consideration the function of a building before Art as an Imitation construction. Plato (2000) in his masterpiece. The Republic It is also in architecture where one can find the particularly paints a picture of artists as imitators intimate connection of function and form. In and art as mere imitations. In his description of the planning out an architectural structure, one has to ideal republic, Plato advises against the inclusion seriously consider the natural conditions like of art as a subject in the curriculum and the topography and climate of the place of erection and banning of artists in the Republic. In Plato's the social conditions such as the purpose of the metaphysics or view of reality, the things in this building itself. In the Philippines, the climate is a world are only copies of the original, the eternal, huge factor in building a house. Spanish colonial and the true entities that can only be found in the houses were designed to allow for air to circulate World of Forms. Human beings endeavor to reach inside the house. Large windows were staples the Forms all throughout their life, starting with then. Capiz shells were also utilized to allow for formal education in school. From looking at light to enter the house even if the windows were "shadows in the cave," men slowly crawl outside to closed. Moreover, social conditions, such as behold the real entities in the world. For example, purpose, play a huge role in architecture. To the chair that one sits on is not a real chair. It is an Christians, a church is primarily a place of worship imperfect copy of the perfect "chair" in the World of and assembly. Regular ceremonies, where Forms. Much is true for "beauty" in this world. members of the church are expected to come When one ascribes beauty to another person, he regularly, are held inside the church. A huge, refers to an imperfect beauty that participates only spacious church, therefore, is necessitated by this in the form of beauty in the World of Forms. Plato social condition. Indeed, whenever art serves a was convinced that artists merely reinforce the particular function, the form has to be determined belief in copies and discourage men to reach for by the function. the real entities in the World of Forms. Does Art Have to be Functional? Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for While it has been shown that most arts are two reasons: they appeal to emotion rather than to functional, still there are some which are not. The the rational faculty of men and they imitate rather value of a work of art does not depend on function than lead one to reality. Poetry and painting, the art but on the work itself. The plays of Aeschylus and forms that Plato was particularly concerned with, the poetry of Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe are do not have any place in the ideal state that still counted as examples of great works of art Socrates (as the protagonist) in Plato's dialogue despite their not having a known function. In those envisions. First, Plato is critical of the effects of art, whose functions are ascertained, however, it is a specifically, poetry on the people of the ideal state. different story. A functional object cannot be Poetry rouses emotions and feelings and thus, claimed to be beautiful unless it can perform its clouds the rationality of people. Poetry has the function sufficiently. Consider a house that cannot capacity to sway minds without taking into even protect its resident from the nasty weather consideration the use of proper reason. As such, it outside or a spoon that spills food on it. Adequate leads one further away from the cultivation of the performance of function partly determines the intellect that Plato campaigned for. Likewise, beauty of a design in these functional art forms. Socrates is worried that art objects represent only the things in this world, and copy themselves of Despite these, efficiency cannot be mistaken for reality. As such, in the dialogue, Socrates claimed beauty. While it certainly determines beauty in that art is just an imitation of an imitation. A some works of art, an efficient functional object is painting is just an imitation of nature, which is also not necessarily beautiful. Art demands so much just an imitation of reality in the World of Forms. more than mere efficiency. What then really comprises beauty and art? What makes something The arts then are to be banished, alongside the truly beautiful? What really makes a work of art? practitioners, so that the attitudes and actions of What really is art? The next section attempts to the members of the Republic will not be corrupted provide different perspectives on the nature of art. by the influence of the arts. For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for the real entities that can only be attained through reason. Art as a Representation regardless of his condition. For Kant, every human being, after perception and the free play of his Aristotle, Plato's most important student in faculties, should recognize the beauty that is philosophy, agreed with his teacher that art is a inherent in a work of art. This is the kind of form of imitation. However, in contrast to the universality that a judgment of beauty is assumed disgust that his master holds for art, Aristotle by Kant to have. So, when the same person says considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing that something is beautiful, he does not just believe the truth. The kind of imitation that art does is not that the thing is beautiful for him, but in a sense, antithetical to the reaching of fundamental truths in expects that the same thing should put everyone in the world. Talking about tragedies, for example, aw. Aristotle (1902) in Poetics claimed that poetry is a literary representation in general. Akin to other art Art as a Communication of Emotion forms, poetry only admits to an attempt to represent what things might be. For Aristotle, all The author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, kinds of art, including poetry, music, dance, Leo Tolstoy, provided another perspective on what painting, and sculpture, do not aim to represent art is. In his book, What is Art (2016), Tolstoy reality as it is. What art endeavors to do is to defended the production of sometimes truly provide a vision of what might be or the myriad extravagant art, like operas, despite extreme possibilities in reality. Unlike Plato who thought that poverty in the world. For him, art plays a huge role art is an imitation of another imitation, Aristotle in communicating to its audience emotions that the conceived of art as representing possible versions artist previously experienced. Art then serves as a of reality. language, a communication device that articulates feelings and emotions that are otherwise In the Aristotelian worldview, art serves two unavailable to the audience. In the same way that particular purposes. First, art allows for the language communicates information to other experience of pleasure. Experiences that are people, art communicates emotions. In listening to otherwise repugnant can become entertaining in music, in watching an opera, and in reading art. For example, a horrible experience can be poems, the audience is at the receiving end of the made an object of humor in a comedy. Secondly, artist communicating his feelings and emotions. art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its audience things about life, thus, it is cognitive as Tolstoy is fighting for the social dimension of art. As well. Greek plays are usually of this nature. a purveyor of man's innermost feelings and thoughts, art is given a unique opportunity to serve Art as a Disinterested Judgment as a mechanism for social unity. Art is central to man's existence because it makes accessible In the third critique that Immanuel Kant wrote, the feelings and emotions of people from the past and "Critique of Judgement," Kant considered the present, from one continent to another. In making judgment of beauty, the cornerstone of art, as these possibly latent feelings and emotions something that can UNIT INTRODUCTION TO accessible to anyone in varied time and location, ART APPRECIATION be universal despite its art serves as a mechanism of cohesion for subjectivity. Kant mentioned that judgment of everyone. Thus, even at present, one can beauty, and therefore, art is innately autonomous commune with early Cambodians and their from specific interests. It is the form of art that is struggles by visiting the Angkor Wat or can adjudged by one who perceives art to be beautiful definitely feel for the early royalties of different or more so, sublime. Therefore, even aesthetic Korean dynasties by watching Korean dramas. Art judgment for Kant is a cognitive activity. is what allows for these possibilities. Kant recognized that judgment of beauty is subjective. However, Kant advanced the proposition that even subjective judgments are LESSON 4: SUBJECT AND CONTENT based on some universal criterion for the said judgment. In the process, Kant responded to the age-old question of how and in what sense can a In the Philippines, which is predominantly a non- judgment of beauty. which ordinarily is considered museum-going public, looking at art has always to be a subjective feeling, be considered objective been a tricky business. This is true not only for or universal. How is this so? For Kant, when one novices, but also at times, confronts the long-time judges a particular painting as beautiful, one in art aficionados. One of the major hurdles that effect is saying that the said painting has induced a spoils an individual's engagement with an artwork particular feeling of satisfaction from him and that is the notion that in order to appreciate it, one must he expects the painting to rouse the same feeling be able to extract a specific image, isolate the artist from anyone. There is something in the work of art or maker's intention, and unearth a particular that makes it capable of inciting the same feeling of meaning. Failure to do so automatically implies a pleasure and satisfaction from any perceiver, failure of comprehension and therefore, failure of the experience. This, however, relegates art engagement and Non-representational Art and Abstract Art therefore appreciation to the very few who had training and instruction in producing and in reading One source of confusion is the notion that non- art. This should not be the case. representational art is the same as abstract art. This is essential to discuss because it introduces The primary stage of engaging with art is its the fact that representational art and non- perception. Looking at art is much like any instance representational art is not a clear-cut divide; rather, of taking in information or stimulus that originates they exist in a spectrum. An abstract work of Pablo from the world around us. For most art forms, the Picasso is a great example to illustrate this. beginning of engagement is through looking at the Although he is more known for his paintings, he artwork. The eyes play a big role in mechanically also dabbled into other works including sculptures. making a vision possible. However, like any tool, it Cut metal that is hinged on a metal base, there is a is but one component. What makes the difference palpable distortion of the image-whatever it is- is the awareness in the process of looking where seems to be melting. Even without reading the title subjectivity is essential in navigating through the from the caption, mere seconds of looking at the artwork. Subjectivity is illustrated in the way that combination of lines, shapes, and colors of the selective perception renders one or two details sculpture will point to a head of a woman. Even more prominent than others, prompting the viewer with the abstraction of the image, this work is to focus on some details as essential or as arguably representational. As a guide, an artwork, standouts. Even the disposition or mood of the depending on the degree of distortion or viewer, his education, his background, and his abstraction, may be judged as leaning more toward exposure to varying contexts contribute to what one over the other. Abstract art is in itself a information is taken in and how they are departure from reality, but the extent of that interpreted. To herd all of these into coherence and departure determines whether it has reached the intelligibility, the relationships of visual details end of the spectrum, which is non-representational presented, the ideas and feelings that they cull, – a complete severance from the world. and other springs of information may be consulted. On the other hand, seeing a painting that has Types of Subject nothing in it but continuous drips of paint or splotches of colors either confounds the viewer or is readily trivialized as something that anyone with One of the most iconic and recognizable paintings access to materials can easily make. all over the world is the "Mona Lisa" done by The works of Jackson Pollock, who is known for his Leonardo da Vinci. Some questions are often "action paintings," are often subjected to these raised regarding this artwork, like "Who is Mona remarks. Using large-scale canvasses that were Lisa?" "Why was Leonardo da Vinci compelled to usually laid out on the floor or resting on a wall, paint her?" But as scholars attempt to solve the Pollock tilted his paint can and allowed paint to true identity of the sitter, it is relevant to note that drip. Assisting it with movement, he used other there is a consensus that the Mona Lisa-whoever implements such as hardened brushes, knives, she is based on a real person. sticks, and trowels to add detail, texture, and Portraits such as the "Mona Lisa" are good dimension to his paintings. There were no clear examples of what is called representational art. figures that jot out from the canvas; there were only These types of art have subjects that refer to drips and splashes. This kind of work can be objects or events occurring in the real world. Often, subsumed under the category of non- it is also termed figurative art, because as the representational. As the opposite of the previously name suggests, the figures depicted are easy to discussed type of subject, non-representational art make out and decipher. Despite not knowing who is also often termed non-figurative art Mona Lisa is, it is clear that the painting is of a Non-representational art does not make a woman that is realistically proportioned; only the reference to the real world, whether it is a person, upper torso is shown; a beguiling and mysterious place, thing, or even a particular event. It is smile is flashed, and the background is a stripped down to visual elements such as shapes, landscape-probably a view from a window. Pushing lines, and colors that are employed to translate a it even further, one can even imagine a scene in particular feeling, emotion, and even concept. which Leonardo da Vinci alternates between applying dabs of paint on the canvas and looking at It is in this light that representational works are the sitter in order to capture her features for the often favored because they are easier to recognize. portrait. Viewers find a greater degree of comfort when what they see registers as something familiar. They then continue to process this understanding, sometimes even becoming confident enough to share their insights with others. It can be argued then that an artist is faced with a strong persuasion Breaking nature into smaller parts is Jan van of creating works that veers toward Kessel the Elder who did numerous still lives and representational art. However, it is not simply an small-scale, highly detailed studies, and scientific issue of assumed preference; rather, it cuts across illustrations of flowers, insects, shells, fruits, matters relating to prevailing themes, norms, and garlands, and bouquets. practices of specific historical moments. Greek and Roman mythology were also ripe with Sources and Kinds of Subject references: from episodes that transport the viewer to heroic encounters of Achilles and Aeneas; warnings about man's folly like the vanity of Icarus; When hit with a wall or a block, the writer is often the wit and cunning of Odysseus; the beauty of advised to look back and take from what he knows. Aphrodite and the athleticism of Myron. From From there, a well and wealth of materials may be narrations in literature, artists, on the other hand, drawn. But for artists, where do they source the gave faces to Greek and Roman deities or the subjects of their paintings? What do they paint? gods and goddesses whose fates are seemingly as tragic as those of men. Some of the art forms they For non-representational art, a higher level of took on were wall paintings or frescos and perceptiveness and insight might be required to sculptural works such as busts, statuaries, and fully grasp the feeling, emotion, or concept behind ceramics and pottery, among others. the work. It is perhaps easier to infer where the subject matter comes from if the artwork is an Another integral aspect of human life is the distinct example of representational art. From the figure(s) relationship with a higher controlling power. If the depicted in the artwork, there is already a belief system of Greeks and Romans was suggestion as to its inspiration. polytheism with a multitude of gods and goddesses, the Judeo-Christian tradition stems However, in discussing the sources and kinds of a from a belief in a lone creator of the universe or subject in artworks, it is important to note that these what is called monotheism. This tradition had an two are often inextricably related. Often, even a immense influence in Western civilization singular source of inspiration can yield multiple especially in art. translations. A good starting point is, of course, nature. Guided by a host of styles and techniques, various media and art forms were also experimented with: There is nothing more rudimentary than human paintings, frescos, church architecture (over-all interaction with the physical world around the artist. plan of the space, stained glass windows, Early childhood often revolves around getting to tabernacles, and altars), sarcophagus, icons and know not just the body and what it can do, but also other carvings, vestments, tapestry, illuminated in getting accustomed to a multitude of sensory manuscripts, and other sacred scriptures, among prompts around the artist especially those situated others. in his environment. Unlike in Islam for example, practicing Jews and Artists throughout history have explored diverse Christians were allowed to depict their God and ways of representing nature: from plants to other important biblical figures: laying visual animals; the qualities of bodies of water and the foundations in inculcating the faith. But perhaps the terrain of landmasses; and even the perceivable influence of this tradition is most intriguingly cycles and changing of seasons. Often, these manifested in the architectural marvels that are depictions are seen as expressions of the sacred spread out all over the world. or the profane, sired by reality or supplemented by the artist's imagination. One artist who was attuned The formative years of church architecture can be with nature was Vincent van Gogh. He saw art and traced in the fourth and fifth century but different nature as inseparable, often finding solace and styles and plans were developed since then. happiness in painting in it (working in the middle of Prevailing ideas and philosophies became unspoiled fields) and painting from it (landscapes). resources that were used by architects to In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote "...if I felt no reimagine what the church should look like. For love for nature and my work, then I would be instance, Gothic churches were characterized by unhappy." (Van Gogh Museum, 1882) three things: soaring heights (ceilings), volume (flying buttresses and ribbed vaults), and light Other artists with a considerable number of (bright stained-glass windows, airy and pleasant landscapes and seascapes are Monet, Camille interiors). Gothic style architecture is often Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, and JMW Turner. In the attributed as the brainchild of Abbot Suger. There Philippines, National Artists for Painting Fernando is a definitive sense that pointed to the feeling of Amorsolo and Fabian de Rosa gained prominence awe on the part of the believer and the perceived from their painted rural scenes such as women in majesty and power of God-all of which happened the fields gathering harvest. Claude during the time when religion was at the heart of everyday life. This echoes her belief that "art was such as Simon Flores, Justiniano Ascuncion, and central to religious experience. Antonio Malantic who became the foremost portraitists of the time. Here, it is evident how History, as a resource for artists in search of during the Spanish colonial period, the subjects of subjects, brings into consideration events that are artworks, even the manner in which they are familiar and sometimes even common or shared in translated, were mostly dictated by the patrons who world context: the establishment of nations and commission them for religious and secular art. states (discovery, conquests, and colonization), and the resulting ideologies that they breed Content in Art (democracy, liberty, freedom, and rights). These works serve as documentary and commemorative artworks that illustrate subjects such as important As outlined in the beginning, in discussing works of leaders and figures; events as they were recorded art, the subject may simply be referred to as the to have happened; and representations of "what" what is readily seen and relates to the ideologies or values. artwork, its inspiration, and the many kinds of In the history of art, it is important to remember that translation. But apart from what is made explicit, to the source and kind of subjects were not merely a recognize and grasp the message of the artwork, product of the artist's inclination and choice. A the viewer may sometimes need to go beyond what closer examination of the various art movements is visible. Why was the artwork created in the first and artworks created within those movements will place? When this question is asked, we are after indicate that notions of freedom and independence, the meaning or message that is expressed or which are presumed to be enjoyed by artists, were communicated by the artwork. not without limits or restrictions. One of the foremost scholars that expounded on For instance, a particular kind of subject and the content analysis or how meaning is arrived at is art way it is visually translated may be traced in historian Erwin Panofsky in his seminal work relation to the art patrons (those who commission Meaning in the Visual Arts (1983). His methodology the artworks), the favored artistic style and canons, will be later identified as Iconology through the and more importantly, the norms and trends interpretation of iconography. prevailing in the artist's milieu. To take on the challenge of understanding the During the Spanish colonial period in the content of art, it must be reiterated that there are Philippines, art was predominantly various levels of meaning. Perhaps the most representational. During the first century of their common is what we call factual meaning. This dominance, art came as an aid for communication pertains to the most rudimentary level of meaning a means of propagating religion to locals who for it may be extracted from the identifiable or spoke a different language. The visual arts, from recognizable forms in the artwork and paintings to early sculptures such as santos and understanding how these elements relate to one other votive figures and icons, were created to another. Conventional meaning, on the other hand, assist Catholic ministry. Existing art and craft audience pertains to the acknowledged traditions persisted, with some augmented and interpretation of the artwork using motifs, signs, infused with foreign influences that were not limited symbols and other cyphers as bases of its to the Spanish culture through contact meaning. These conventions are established through time, strengthened by recurrent use and The momentum that secular (or non-religious) art wide acceptance by its viewers or and scholars later gained in the nineteenth century can also be who study them. Finally, when subjectivities are attributed to this contact, with the opening of the consulted, a variety of meaning may arise when a Suez Canal and the growth of export economy in particular work of art is read. These meanings stem agriculture. The consequence of these from the viewer's or audience's circumstances that developments was the rise of the middle class. come into play when engaging with art. When With their new-found economic and social mobility. looking at a particular painting for example, patrons of the art were no longer limited to the perception and meaning are always informed (and clergy, but brought about a demand coming from even colored) by a manifold of contexts: what we these wealthy ilustrado families. Of interest was the know: what learned; what we experienced; and the increase in demand for commissioned portraits (of values we stand for. It is therefore expected that an individual or an entire family), finding it meaning may not be singular, rather, a painting necessary to document themselves in light of their may communicate multiple meanings to its many elevated status. Wearing the most intricate and viewers. This is what we call subjective meaning of elaborate of garbs, significant adornments such as art. jewelry and embroidered implements, among others, completed the intended narrative. This Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" can be read artistic trend cemented the distinction of artists using various levels of meaning previously discussed. There, Adam is figured with an aged God, both of them with an arm stretched and their respective index fingers appearing to be fixed at an impending contact. Apart from God who is wearing a tunic, everyone else is in the nude. God is afloat, surrounded by drapery and figures presumed to be angels and cherubs. Adam on the other hand is earth-bound, sitting and reclined, positioned diagonally parallel to that of God. From a factual perspective, Michelangelo depicted a scene from the Creation Story, in particular, the creation of man. Apart from being a key element of Michelangelo's fresco at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the subject matter suggests that this is an example of biblical art. This work is indeed iconic, and this is asserted by the conventional meanings attached to it. Here, the specific poses of God and Adam (convex and concave postures, respectively) allude to the correspondence of the body and the commonly held belief that man was created in the image and likeness of God.