Reviewer Art App Midterms PDF

Module 2 “ART” (classificatory approach) (evaluative approach) It is impossible to glean the nature of art through a general reference book because art has a tendency to be "uncontainable", and many factors, including idiosyncrasies and cultural variations impact how we look at...

Module 2 “ART” (classificatory approach) (evaluative approach) It is impossible to glean the nature of art through a general reference book because art has a tendency to be "uncontainable", and many factors, including idiosyncrasies and cultural variations impact how we look at it. What is certain is that it is appreciated by people. We are affected by its form, order, and truth. Art may be found in all origins of culture, in all languages and applications. Its most pleasant outcome is aesthetics. The famous definition of art in the classical sense is Plato’s: “Art is an imitation of reality.” However, the limit of this definition was tested when it comes to abstraction. You will learn in the next section some of the approaches to defining art. Art (CLASSIFICATORY APPROACH) One approach to defining art is classificatory. It is based on assigning traits to a certain work which helps in understanding what kind of art we are dealing with or whether the work fits within the standard classification. One example of classificatory approach distinguishing between art and non-art objects. The distinction is done by determining what an object is intended for - design or utility. An object meant as a beautiful product will automatically classify as art, while those that are created for utility will classify as non-art. Other means to classify is philosophical, like Plato's idea of mimesis or theory of imitation Art imitates reality (mimesis), according to Plato. He conceptualized one of the primary classification schemes of art based on the appearance of reality. So any objects that are not created in imitation of reality would not have been considered art. In Plato's the Republic, he called art as a copy of a copy of a Form. The way he puts it, art may be considered an illusion. Plato had a love-hate relationship with art. The evidence that he liked art is his paying close attention to it, and he practised it through his literary masterpieces. On the other hand, he was precautious about art's very powerful influence on the minds of people. To preserve the republic and its citizens, the arts must be controlled. We have a lot of categories for art that add volumes of pages to textbooks, explaining its nature. We have art movements that refer to a period's preferred technique or style and themes. We also have a classification based on subject matter -- portrait, still lives, and mythology; way of representation, such as realism and abstraction, and so on. On the other hand, Art (EVALUATIVE APPROACH) evaluative approach or judgment lead to the discovery of the theory of taste, which was proposed by David Hume in “Of the Standard of Taste”. In his theory of taste he mentioned the delicacy of taste of an individual, which he means simply as the degree of exposure of an individual to the kind of art he is observing. Taste is subjective and profoundly use our own subjectivity and pre-conceived notions of a subject in order to judge whether it is good or bad, which means, we are contending with our personal biases in dealing with judgment. Pitting two artworks against each other reveals certain values of art that we use to gauge. Our standards of taste: (a) inform us of our general choices, and (b) influence people to create art, are created both by individuals. If we rationalize our judgment, we should be able to manage our biases. One way to do this is to ask ourselves: "Does the work of art fulfill what it is set out to do?" Q. Why did Plato banish artists from the republic? - Plato, in his work “The Republic,” suggests that poets should be banished from the ideal state because he believed that they had the potential to corrupt citizens' minds with false and misleading ideas. - Concerns with the preservation of order in society.  Ways of Defining Art There is no one universal definition of visual art though there is a general consensus that art is the conscious creation of something beautiful or meaningful using skill and imagination. The definition and perceived value of works of art have changed throughout history and in different cultures. The Jean Basquiat painting that sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby’s auction in May 2017 would, no doubt, have had trouble finding an audience in Renaissance Italy > Etymology The term “art” is related to the Latin word “ars” meaning, art, skill, or craft. The first known use of the word comes from 13th-century manuscripts. However, the word art and its many variants (artem, eart, etc.) have probably existed since the founding of Rome. > Philosophy of Art The definition of art has been debated for centuries among philosophers.”What is art?” is the most basic question in the philosophy of aesthetics, which really means, “How do we determine what is defined as art?” This implies two subtexts: the essential nature of art, and its social importance (or lack of it). The definition of art has generally fallen into three categories : representation, expression, and form. Art as Representation - or Mimesis. Plato first developed the idea of art as “mimesis,” which, in Greek, means copying or imitation. For this reason, the primary meaning of art was, for centuries, defined as the representation or replication of something that is beautiful or meaningful. Until roughly the end of the eighteenth century, a work of art was valued on the basis of how faithfully it replicated its subject. This definition of "good art" has had a profound impact on modern and contemporary artists; as Gordon Graham writes, “It leads people to place a high value on very lifelike portraits such as those by the great masters—Michelangelo, Rubens, Velásquez, and so on—and to raise questions about the value of ‘modern’ art—the cubist distortions of Picasso, the surrealist figures of Jan Miro, the abstracts of Kandinsky or the ‘action’ paintings of Jackson Pollock.” While representational art still exists today, it is no longer the only measure of value. Art as Expression of Emotional Content - Expression became important during the Romantic movement with artwork expressing a definite feeling, as in the sublime or dramatic. Audience response was important, for the artwork was intended to evoke an emotional response. This definition holds true today, as artists look to connect with and evoke responses from their viewers. Art as Form - Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was one of the most influential of the early theorists toward the end of the 18th century. He believed that art should not have a concept but should be judged only on its formal qualities because the content of a work of art is not of aesthetic interest. Formal qualities became particularly important when art became more abstract in the 20th century, and the principles of art and design (balance, rhythm, harmony, unity) were used to define and assess art. History of How Art Is Defined According to H.W Janson, author of the classic art textbook, The History of Art, “...we cannot escape viewing works of art in the context of time and circumstance, whether past or present. How indeed could it be otherwise, so long as art is still being created all around us, opening our eyes almost daily to new experiences and thus forcing us to adjust our sights?” Throughout the centuries in Western culture from the 11th century on through the end of the 17th century, the definition of art was anything done with skill as the result of knowledge and practice. This meant that artists honed their craft, learning to replicate their subjects skillfully. The epitome of this occurred during the Dutch Golden Age when artists were free to paint in all sorts of different genres and made a living off their art in the robust economic and cultural climate of 17th century Netherlands.  During the Romantic period of the 18th century, as a reaction to the Enlightenment and its emphasis on science, empirical evidence, and rational thought, art began to be described as not just being something done with skill, but something that was also created in the pursuit of beauty and to express the artist’s emotions. Nature was glorified, and spirituality and free expression were celebrated. Artists, themselves, achieved a level of notoriety and were often guests of the aristocracy. The Avant-garde art movement began in the 1850s with the realism of Gustave Courbet. It was followed by other modern art movements such as cubism, futurism, and surrealism, in which the artist pushed the boundaries of ideas and creativity. These represented innovative approaches to art-making and the definition of what is art expanded to include the idea of the originality of vision. The idea of originality in art persists, leading to ever more genres and manifestations of art, such as digital art, performance art, conceptual art, environmental art, electronic art, etc. Quotes - There are as many ways to define art as there are people in the universe, and each definition is influenced by the unique perspective of that person, as well as by their own personality and character. For example: > Rene Magritte Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist. > Frank Lloyd Wright Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use. > Thomas Merton Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. > Pablo Picasso The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. > Lucius Annaeus Seneca​ All art is but imitation of nature. > Edgar Degas Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. > Jean Sibelius Art is the signature of civilizations. > Leo Tolstoy Art is a human activity consisting of this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands-on to others feelings he has lived through, and that others are infected by these feelings and also experience them. Conclusion Today we consider the earliest symbolic scribblings of mankind to be art. As Chip Walter, of National Geographic, writes about these ancient paintings, “Their beauty whipsaws your sense of time. One moment you are anchored in the present, observing coolly. Next you are seeing the paintings as if all other art, all civilization, has yet to exist. creating a simple shape that stands for something else, a symbol, made by one mind, that can be shared with others, is obvious only after the fact. Even more than the cave art, these first concrete expressions of consciousness represent a leap from our animal past toward what we are today—a species awash in symbols, from the signs that guide your progress down the highway to the wedding ring on your finger and the icons on your iPhone.”  Archaeologist Nicholas Conard posited that the people who created these images “possessed minds as fully modern as ours and, like us, sought in ritual and myth answers to life’s mysteries, especially in the face of an uncertain world. Who governs the migration of the herds, grows the trees, shapes the moon, turns on the stars? Why must we die, and where do we go afterward? They wanted answers but they didn’t have any science-based explanations for the world around them.” Art can be thought of as a symbol of what it means to be human, manifested in physical form for others to see and interpret. It can serve as a symbol for something that is tangible, or for a thought, an emotion, a feeling, or a concept. Through peaceful means, it can convey the full spectrum of the human experience. Perhaps that is why it is so important. Fine Art The idea of "art for the sake of art" emerged at the turn of the 19th century, when artists became increasingly inclined to use art as a freedom of speech instead of recording and reflecting historical and cultural happenings. In addition to this notion, the term 'fine art' has been used to distinguish works by artists who were the sole agent of creative expression from works created by commission. Fine art historically included painting, sculpture , architecture, music, and poetry. Works considered to be fine art are created primarily for aesthetics and from the innate desire for artistic expression. Genius Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person. Fine arts must necessarily be regarded as arts of genius. But genius is not anything that we can provide for ourselves. It is nature, and it is not physical and visible. The preceding rules of nature give the rules to art, for instance fine art. According to Kant, genius is a talent. Originality is its primary property and this (genius) cannot be learned according to some rules. The products of genius should embody exemplary quality and must serve that as a standard for other products. Finally, genius is not scientific and its systems are not defined by scientific method but provides the rule as nature. However, Genius can sometimes be overwhelming for others because of its power to stunt others' artistic growth. Or more appropriately, a stroke of genius that artists are compelled to rival. For instance, Michelangelo and Picasso had achieved enormous fame from their stroke of genius that others must equal as a response. They must create something big and explosive. In that case, modern art movements ensued. (From the video) How did the article describe genius (as implied)? The article from Rappler describes genius, particularly in the context of pop art, by highlighting the exceptional qualities and contributions of Roy Lichtenstein. It portrays him as a great modern painter who created some of the most vivid images in the Pop Art movement. His genius is implied through his ability to transform the language of comics into art, showcasing his profound visual culture, education, and expertise in art history. How different is it from the genius of Kant? The genius of Roy Lichtenstein, as described in the article, is rooted in his ability to transform popular culture elements, like comic strips, into high art. His genius lies in his innovative visual language and his impact on the Pop Art movement. In contrast, Immanuel Kant’s genius is philosophical. Kant is renowned for his profound contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. His genius is evident in his complex theories, such as the Critique of Pure Reason, where he explores the nature of human understanding and the limits of knowledge. In summary:  Lichtenstein’s Genius: Artistic innovation, transforming popular culture into art. Kant’s Genius: Philosophical depth, exploring human understanding and ethics. Both are geniuses in their own right but in vastly different fields and manners Standard of Taste The ancient theories of taste focused more on beauty and truth rather than the reactions or feelings from the beholder or audience of the work. The idea of taste has long been an issue for philosophers especially under the concept of beauty. They ask, "What do we do with beauty?"; "Can we, at least, measure beauty according to standards? David Hume was one of the philosophers who wrote a controversial treatise about taste. Controversial in a sense that he self-contradicted himself in the treatise. He first claimed that there is no accounting for taste, which means that there is no telling if our judgment of beauty is right or wrong because for Hume, sentiments are not fallible. However, he came to a stumbling block in his theory which led to the contradiction. He valued uniformity of sentiment among people to derive the idea of perfect beauty. After all, he believed that art must be subject to rules discovered by the artists of genius. What kinds of things does a person need to do to recognize a standard of taste according to Hume? (1) Delicacy -- all sense organs are able to perceive the ingredients of a work (2) Practice -- the beholder should be exposed to various works that use these senses (3) Good Sense -- the beholder uses reason to perfect his or her taste by comparing works with each other, to avoid prejudice. Is Art Subjective or Objective? Beauty is Subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. David Hume (1711-1776 CE). - “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: it exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty. One person may even perceive deformity, where another is sensible of beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others.” - Hume would also suggest that beauty remains inert until something is judged as having beauty and there is a shared agreement of beauty. Francis Hutcheson (1694 - 1746 CE). - Beauty is subjective - it is based on the experience of pleasure that we have when we look at or listen to certain things. There are two types of beauty - Absolute Beauty, the kind of beauty to be found in nature, and Relative Beauty, the beauty that characterizes art. The sensation we have of beauty is our perception of the similarities and differences between how close the imitation is to the reality. Alexander Baumgarten (1714 - 1762, CE). - It was Baumgarten who appropriated the word, aesthetics, and gave it its modern meaning: to “sense” beauty. He introduced the concept of judging beauty through our senses (instead of just the intellect), and of proposing that morals play a role in experiencing artwork, encouraging people to consider whether their morals influence their aesthetic experience. Clive Bell (1881–1964). - In his “The Aesthetic Hypothesis,” Bell contends, “The starting-point for all systems of aesthetics must be the personal experience of a peculiar emotion. The objects that provoke this emotion we call works of art; this emotion is called the aesthetic emotion -- It will be said that the objects that provoke this emotion vary with each individual, and that therefore a system of aesthetics can have no objective validity. However, we have no other means of  recognizing a work of art than our feeling for it. I have no right to consider anything a work of art to which I cannot react emotionally; and I have no right to look for the essential quality in anything that I have not felt to be a work of art. All systems of aesthetics must be based on personal experience - that is to say, they must be subjective.” Beauty is Objective. Beautiful things are inherently beautiful. Plato (427- 448 BCE). - Plato’s “Theory of Knowledge” contends that we are all born with knowledge, but when our souls became trapped in our bodies at birth, we forgot it. Learning then, is akin to remembering this Knowledge of Forms (definition: In many of his dialogues, Plato mentions supra-sensible entities he calls "Forms" (or "Ideas"). Forms are exemplars. For example, Plato believes that The Form of Beauty is perfect beauty, the Form of Justice is perfect justice, and so forth.”). Recognizing the beauty in a flower or a sunset, takes us one step closer to reclaiming this lost “Knowledge of Beauty.” Keep in mind though, the forms of beauty we perceive with our physical senses, are not real, but mimesis - the imitation or replicas of the Form of Beauty, itself. True knowledge of Beauty cannot be seen or heard, it can only be known by the mind. Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE). - An object’s form is the cause of its beauty. Aristotle’s notion of mimesis is similar to the view of Plato, since they both claim that art imitates nature. However, Aristotle did not think nature imitated the realm of the Forms. The Golden Mean. The Greeks believed there to be three "ingredients" to beauty: symmetry (definition: A sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance.), proportion (definition: Refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in an object.), and harmony (definition: All parts of an object relate to and complement each other.). St. Augustine (354 CE). - Augustine made a sharp distinction between the creations of God (ex nihilo) and the creations of artists (ex materia). God created matter, which was initially a formless void without beauty. Things become more beautiful as they possess more form, and less void - becoming more like God, who possesses perfect form. Therefore, something made by man will always contain less beauty than something made by nature, which is closer to God. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274 CE). - Everything that has being will have a degree of beauty, regardless of how small that degree appears. An object must exist, in some sense, in order for it to be beautiful; otherwise, it would be nothing. Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804 CE). - How are judgments about beauty possible? Judgements of beauty are often based on feelings; feelings which cannot be proven or measured. Thus, true aesthetic judgments must be free of desire - they must be disinterested if they are to be valid. - Kant is the founder of Formalism (definition: Formalism is the study of art by analysing and comparing form and style—the way objects are made and their purely visual aspects. At its extreme, formalism in art history posits that everything necessary to comprehending a work of art is contained within the work of art.) in aesthetics. George Hegel (1770 - 1831 CE).’ - Hegel proposed that the point of art is not to be realistic - it wasn’t meant to imitate or mirror everyday life—but to show us what divine and human freedom should look like. Such a sensuous expression of spiritual freedom is what Hegel called the “Ideal,” or true beauty.  He felt that art was the first stage in which the absolute spirit is immediately manifested to our sense-perception, and is thus an objective rather than a subjective revelation of beauty. (PPT NOTES) Art As Representation Plato first developed the idea of art as “mimesis,” which, in Greek, means copying or imitation. For this reason, the primary meaning of art was, for centuries, defined as the representation or replication of something that is beautiful or meaningful Art As Expression Of Emotional Content This became important during the Romantic movement with artwork expressing a definite feeling, as in the sublime or dramatic. Audience response was important, for the artwork was intended to evoke an emotional response. This definition holds true today, as artists look to connect with and evoke responses from their viewers Art As Man-Made Art is assumed by anthropologists as man- made since their perspective centered on the propagation of society and behavioral inheritance that led to the creation of something uniquely human which is art. It cannot be made by any other species to the degree of human sophistication. Needed to create Art: 1. Material 2. Organization 3. Evaluation Formalism In Art Art is treated as a composition where it contains and embodies elements of design, standard of beauty. It must always be done painstakingly through formal training. Art should be studied Context In Art Context is valued as either historical or cultural. Historically, art is considered as a product of recent or past dynamics – tension, rebellion, technological advancements and so on. The cultural context considers art as a product of cultural upbringing, making some universals towards taste and beauty impossible INSTITUTIONALISM It is the theory favored in the past centuries by what had constituted the art world like the church and the government. Together the two forces enforced qualities of art along the lines of morality, dogmatism, historical elements that were important to the state, love of country perhaps, and so on. There was no appeal to personal insights to art. INTENTIONALISM It is the theory that argues that art is made through intention. The artist creates out of this intention. There is no such thing as incidental art. Historical Perspective In Art It argues the value of art based on precedence and what has been established Ephemerality In Art It is a belief and theory that art is transitory and based on the lived moment. This is more applicable to performance art where the artwork is terminated when the performance finishes. Functionalism It is the belief and theory that all art has function, radiating or extending from its primary job which is to give aesthetic pleasure. Art is conceived as functional following the logic that if an  object does not have function, it is not valued. Therefore, art should have been lost a long time ago if it was not serving mankind a particular purpose. Conceptual Art It is more of a movement and approach to art-making, concentrating more on the idea evoked by art or the process instead of the outcome Evaluative Approach: Taste Universal Lens/Objective Lens Our nature is so constituted that certain features of works of art just happen to please all human beings. Our universal susceptibility to certain qualities ensures that there will be universal agreement that some works of art are more beautiful than others, and therefore objectively better. Subjective Lens Despite his efforts to ground aesthetic judgments about the value of works of art in a uniform human nature, Hume acknowledges that there will inevitably be some aesthetic disagreement (e.g. psychological makeup of individuals, shared cultural preferences- that interfere w/ a person’s otherwise natural ability to appreciate the beauty of a meritorious work of art) Example: AFRICAN SAVANNA HYPOTHESIS - 1990’s Survey by Alexander Melamid and Vitaly Komar - Most desirable painting in 14 different countries. - “A part of beauty is just a desire to live.” - Boils down to survival - We still like landscapes that resemble where early human RENE MAGRITTE “Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist” THOMAS MERTON “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time” PABLO PICASSO “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls” LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA “All art is but imitation of nature” EDGAR DEGAS “Art is not what you see but what you make others see” JEAN SIBELIUS “Art is the signature of civilizations” LEO TOLSTOY “Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands-on to others feelings he has lived through, and that others are infected by these feelings and also experience them” JEFFREY LEMIEUX AND PAMELA J. SACHANT “From the mind into the world” “Art can be thought of as a symbol of what it means to be human, manifested in physical form for others to see and interpret. It can serve as a symbol for something that is tangible, or for a thought, an emotion, a feeling, or a concept. Through peaceful means, it can convey the full spectrum of the human experience. Perhaps that is why it is so important” CONCLUSION All these various schools of thought about art make art all the more interesting, and a subject, topic or field worthy to be explored and embraced. The definition of art continues to evolve as human beings evolve. To put art in a box is simply impossible to do. To dive into the world of art is to dive into a plethora of worlds and imaginings. “Earth without art is simply ‘eh’. “ Art brings life to our human existence Module 03 This module deals with the bricks and mortar of visual art -- the basic elements of composition. These are foundational concepts that allow you to deal with concrete visual components. We will explore and examine compositional design through the works of selected artists and write a simple formal analysis on assigned artworks. For every image we perceive we encounter the basic elements of art - line, color, shape, mass, texture, space, movement. In Klee's painting, the plants and birds were painted in organic shapes. They appear two-dimensional, but their volume or mass made by the swelling and rounding of the shapes suggests how they look in three dimensions. The primary colors red, blue and yellow help define the images, and they rhythmically repeat across the plane. In addition, the space appears shallow, and movements are suggested by the posture of the birds and different positions and blade directions of plants. The above paragraph is a simple example of observation and analysis. The significance of analyzing works of art is the value that we can add to the works, and an understanding of how the composition works. The succeeding sections are divided according to the featured element of art. Basic Elements of Art 1. Lines that are mechanical are actual marks on a surface. In the picture plane, they go up, down, side-to-side, corner-to-corner, crisscrossing, arching, and so on. Lines outline the shapes of images. These shapes are further developed into visual mass through painterly effect. Lines have psychological and symbolic associations, expressed as follows: Vertical lines are associated with dignity, stature, stateliness, confidence, dominance and strength Horizontal lines are associated with restfulness, relaxation, tranquility, calmness, passivity, and indisposed condition Diagonal lines are associated with dynamic movement as it appears falling or rising. It is the line of tension and energy Curve lines are associated with elegance, softness, beauty and grace Zigzag lines are associated with nervous confusion, chaos, danger and violence Fauvism Movement created by matisse, used of wild color, comes from french word which means beast, expressive for the use of color Henri Matisse “I cannot copy nature in a servile way.” I extracted some lines from Notes of a Painter, written by Henri Matisse himself to illustrate his relationship with colors. It shows how the basic element can transpose subjects and impel an artist to modify or let colors succeed over other elements of design, and over other concerns of composition. In the light of his Fauve Philosophy, he was searching the most satisfying tones for his subject rather than searching the most conventional ones. Henri Matisse's Thoughts About Color. Here are what he wrote about colors in Notes of a PainterLinks to an external site. (1908): - I am forced to interpret nature and submit it to the spirit of the picture. - From the relationship I have found in all the tones there must result a living harmony of colors, a harmony analogous to that of a musical. - I have found in all the tones there must result a living harmony of colors, a harmony analogous to that of a musical composition.  - The chief function of color should be to serve expression as well as possible. - If at first, and perhaps without my having been conscious of it, one tone has particularly seduced or caught me, more often than not once the picture is finished I will notice that I have respected this tone. - The expressive aspect of colors imposes itself on me in a purely instinctive way. - I will not try to remember what colors suit this season, I will be inspired only by the sensation that the season arouses in me. - My choice of colors does not rest on any scientific theory; it is based on observation, on sensitivity, on felt experiences. - There is an impelling proportion of tones that may lead me to change the shape of a figure or to transform my composition. Short Biography of Henri Matisse Mature Years Matisse spent summer 1905 in Collioure, working with André DerainLinks to an external site. to create a new style of pure colors and bright light. The new style became known as Fauvism, after critic Louis Vauxcelles described the arrangement of works at the Salon d'Automne in 1905 - an important showcase for the new movement - as "Donatello among the wild beasts [fauves]." Matisse was soon known as the Fauvists' leader in the press, called "chief fauve" by Louis Vauxcelles and other critics. The Fauvist movement, though short-lived, forged one of modern art's two directions. In 1905, Matisse met Pablo Picasso at the studio of Gertrude SteinLinks to an external site.. The two artists began a lifelong friendship and rivalry, each artist representing a possible direction modern art could take after the death of Paul Cézanne. While Picasso deconstructed objects into Cubist planes, Matisse sought to construct an object's form through color. By 1907, painters were no longer working in the Fauve style, not even Matisse. He moved on to create simplified forms against flat planes of color. His interest in sculpture intensified as well, especially North African work, probably due to his experiences on a 1906 trip to Algeria. He used sculpture to resolve pictorial problems, especially those relating to the figure. He also acquired the support to open an art school in 1908, teaching approximately eighty students over three years. And he gained patronage from collectors of avant-garde art, including the Russian collector Sergei Ivanovich Shchukin, who eventually owned dozens of his paintings. From 1911 to 1916, Matisse focused on depicting the human figure in interior spaces decorated with Eastern rugs and souvenirs. While he was not drafted during World War I, the seriousness of world events affected his painting, muting his palette. Towards the end of the war, however, he returned to his bright colors, leading to his "Nice period" from 1917 to 1930. Many of these paintings make use of the white of the exposed canvas to suggest the bright light of southern France. In 1930, Matisse went through a time of artistic crisis and transition. Dissatisfied with the conservative direction of his work, he traveled first to Tahiti, then to America three times in three years. He spent much less energy on easel painting, instead experimenting with book illustration, tapestry design, and glass engraving. In 1931, he was commissioned to create a mural for the Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania, which he completed in 1933. Late Years and Death Matisse's separation from his wife in 1939, the arrival of World War II, and ill health, all added to Matisse's anxiety over the direction of his work. After major surgery in 1941, he was confined to a wheelchair. He turned to drawing and paper cut-outs, media that were physically more manageable and offered new potential for expression. Paper cut-outs symbolized for Matisse the synthesis of drawing and painting. The paper cut-outs encouraged Matisse to simplify forms even further, distilling the object's "essential character" until it became a symbol of itself. He used the paper cut-out technique to design stained glass windows for the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, France, and as a  medium in its own right in large-scale works. With the help of assistants, Matisse was able to continue working through his illness. On November 3, 1954, Matisse died of a heart attack. The Legacy of Henri Matisse Scholars in the 1950s described Matisse and Fauvism as a precursor of Abstract ExpressionismLinks to an external site. and much of modern art. Several Abstract Expressionists trace their lineage to him, though for different reasons. Some, like Lee KrasnerLinks to an external site., are influenced by his various media; Matisse's paper cut-outs inspired her to cut up her own paintings and reassemble them. Color field paintersLinks to an external site., such as Mark RothkoLinks to an external site. and Kenneth NolandLinks to an external site., were taken with his broad fields of bright color, as in the Red Studio (1911). Richard DiebenkornLinks to an external site., on the other hand, was more interested in how Matisse created the illusion of space and the spatial tension between his subject matter and the flat canvas. Others, like Robert MotherwellLinks to an external site., did not show Matisse's influence directly in their artwork, but were influenced by his view of painting color and form. Matisse's art continues to beguile not only artists, but also collectors, who have bought his paintings for as much as $17 million. And as several recent and upcoming blockbuster exhibitions suggest, he continues to be a favorite of the public worldwide. 2. Color is a property of light. As a wavelength, it is bounced off from surfaces into the eyes’ retina. Several wavelengths of light would enter into the retina at each viewing situations, resulting in color perception. Color perception is important to see color patterns, harmony, temperature and other associated visual phenomena. In art, the properties that concern an observer are the hue, value and intensity. Hue is the distinct quality of color that is determined by the color palettes in the color wheel. Hues can be adjusted in terms of lightness or darkness and brightness or dullness. Adding white pigment or water to a certain color X in painting will lighten color X. In contrast, adding black pigment to color X will darken it. The two processes will also adjust the quality of brightness. Value is the relative lightness and darkness, or tonality of a hue. Different range of values can be achieved in reference to light and dark or the presence or absence of light. For example, blue can be articulated as sky blue or navy blue in different lighting conditions. In painting, changes in values are simulated to fit the context of the subject matter. For example, in a landscape, dark hues represent a moody or stormy environment. In contrast, a well-lit landscape represents a sunny weather, and a more cheerful environment. Color Temperature Colors can also be described in terms of its temperature – warm or cool. Colors assimilate to the dominant colors they interact with. For example, a speck of blue, in the environment of a dominant red will be warmer. Conversely, a small amount of red will be cooler in the environment of a dominant blue. Color temperature is used to obtain the appropriate range of emotional association, with warmer being more inclined to a welcoming and affectionate atmosphere while cooler being inclined to coldness, aloofness and apathy. Sometimes the two temperatures are exploited lyrically to evoke a single emotion such as in the painting “Under the Red Umbrella”, where Leonid Afremov charged romantic and passionate feelings to the canvas. The painting shows a scene that brings together the warm hues – yellow, orange, and red, and cool hues – blue, violet and blue violet.  Color Harmony Color harmony is the pleasing visual effect that results from combining two or more hues. In principle, some colors look better together than others. To know which color goes with another, the following categories of color harmony are described. Monochromatic. Monochromatic is the easiest to conceive among the color harmonies since it only involves one color and its variations. This scheme is good for a single-subject painting since it brings an automatic focus on the image, and creates striking atmospheric effect. Analogous Analogous combination brings together colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel. This scheme is popular for its gentle effect and for being easy on the eyes. Generally, it creates a peaceful theme, mainly because it is seen a lot in nature. It may seem monochromatic at times, which is exploited in compositions that use low-key emotions. Triadic This color harmony uses strong contrast to achieve visual appeal. It involves colors that are equally distant to each other in the color wheel. This type of color harmony is best applied to cartoons and surreal subjects since this scheme evokes exciting and playful effects. Orange, green, and blue usually have a very cheerful effect and sit well even with advertising bills and posters. Complementary Colors that are opposite each other in the color wheel are called complementary. This color harmony is naturally pleasing to the eyes. But most of the time, this scheme is misapplied. The common understanding of people is that complementary harmony uses two colors equally. This does not achieve the pleasing effect of complementary harmony. It makes the composition too sharp and vibrant. The appropriate arrangement is that one color must dominate over the other. In this case, the weaker color must dominate over the stronger. Logically, the stronger color is already dominant. If it is assigned the dominant role in the composition it will be overbearing. An example of a good complementary arrangement in a composition is to draw on splashes of red in an immersive green environment. Constantin Brancusi masterfully rendered his sculptures by utilizing abstracted forms. He carved them directly on the material instead of working on a mold. Sculptors work on actual mass of solid forms unlike the painters. Their work significantly differs in technique from painting. Paintings deal with two-dimensional planes and need to imply depth for visual mass. In sculpture, the labor on stone, clay, casting material and other substances is like building a structure. The sculptor subjects the material to the real physical environment and the mass --to the experience of spectators moving around it or touching it. Shape Every object is composed of shapes. In fact, the basic structure of everything is shape. In design, shapes have 2 dimensions – length and width. Together, these dimensions create boundaries by setting off by negative shape from positive shape. The two terms are used to technically distinguish between the focused shape object and the defocused shape object – the former being a potential subject, and the latter as the context or background. In decorating, shapes are usually symbolic, pattern and texture-based. Two Types of Shapes Geometric and organic shapes are sometimes combined to create different perceptual experiences. 1. Geometric. These are shapes that exist in the human-made world. In a visual composition, an illustrator usually uses a ruler or compass (i.e. engineers and architects), or control the  outline of geometric shapes in a painterly way so that they would be regular and formal. Rectilinear and triangular forms are common in geometric compositions. 2. Organic. These shapes are present in nature. They are free-flowing and could either be simple as circular forms or complex like the shape of the clouds, trees and mountains. Two Dimensional Compositions In design we play shape together creating design relationships. Shapes also are modal and evocative. They trigger feelings, convey messages, engage the audience and create movements. The visual proximity of a design plan plays an important role. Objects that are placed side-by-side and on top of each other can eventually build up shapes. Brand logos Shapes are used in their purest forms in typography to create brand logos. A mix class or a single-class of shapes are used to design logos, depending on the image requirement. Some are single solid shapes. Some involve multiple shapes that are grouped together. Typography Typography is the art of written languages. The strokes leave an impression or reveal legible, readable and appealing characters and typefaces. Since letters are enhanced in sizes and length, they create shapes that comprise a unique combination of geometric and organic forms. Painting with shapes Shapes are used to paint both realist and abstract images, or to generally flatten our perception of space in other unique ways. The outline of a cartoon character is a good example of this. Children are more simplistic in their approach to form. Most often, the more effective and entertaining forms for them are flat geo-organic shapes that sit well with their fascinations. In more serious paintings in the realism tradition, shapes are being enhanced to reveal more roundedness in a subject. Mass Mass can either be applied or actual. Implied is subjective since the perceived mass is approached by how intuitively we take the object composed in an illusionistic way. Monumental masses in real life are referred to as actual mass. The experience of density and volume in actual mass is not simulated, and offers heightened impact in observers. Symbolic buildings being built to commemorate heroism and historical events are usually built with an enormous scale to capture the intended epic and climactic feel. This is usually achieved by constructing a long enormous staircase leading to the main area or by vertical articulation of the building. Some sculptures are created as less permanent mass owing to the material used such as mud bricks, ice, sand and foodstuff. But sculptures made of marble and bronze are considered as more permanent, considering its longevity. They are perceived with less impact and less weight, especially if the sculptural work is thinly articulated. The same is true with sculptural work that shows boney appendages, they appear weak and fragile. On the other hand, sculptures that are thick, bulky, compact and solidly looking are perceived with much strength and heaviness. Mass is paramount to Brancusi's thought and he is devoted to shaping a lump of material into poetic figures such as The Kiss. The Kiss is composed of two vertical figures that form a closed mass. Its mass can be viewed as an assembly of two volumes of entwined individuals. Brancusi abstracted their bodies by eliminating detailed protrusions. The only significant protrusions are the arms, because they carry the meaning of the work, along with the kiss which is sparsely represented. Many would speculate on the meaning of Brancusi's "kiss". Is it electrifying? Is it passionate? Does it have more to say about the moment when the lovers embrace? The various interpretation and the way the form makes us think is the beauty of expressive sculptures in the hands of a genius.  Brancusi sculpted using his signature ovoid shape. But his signature shape was not always accepted by the public. In 1920, he was forced to remove his sculpture Princes X by the organizers of the Salon des Independants in Paris for blatantly alluding to a phallic image. Vincent Van Gogh "I know nothing with certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." Knowing Vincent van Gogh means getting past the tortured,confused artist's stereotype and getting to know how he ingeniously used texture and space in his paintings. Vincent Van Gogh had created highly textured artworks. He densely applied oil paint and produced artworks with a rough texture and an elevated surface. He is considered a pioneer on this so-called impasto technique. But Van Gogh's impasto was not just about denseness but he also added feeling and movement. We see the motion in the swirling clouds of Wheat Field with Cypresses and Starry Night. Van Gogh describes the use of impasto in several letters. In a letter dated 2 September 1882 to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote: “Sometimes the subject calls for less paint, sometimes the material, the nature of the subjects themselves demands impasto.” Texture The way a surface feels or perceived by our senses is called texture. Texture creates visual details on surfaces. It can also draw and repel interests of the viewers from the object of observation, depending on the quality of texture. Shiny and gleaming textures easily attract attention while matte finish and dry textures are usually indistinct. Two types of texture are recognized in a design composition – (1) organic texture - Organic texture appeals to the eyes as it recalls the figurative images that we usually observe in everyday life. It usually appears random and free-flowing. (2) man made texture. - Man Made texture is manufactured and structured. These patterns appear as if engineered and calculated rather than spontaneous. Two Types of Texture 1. Actual Texture. This refers to the type of texture that can be seen and felt with the body (tactile). 2. Implied Texture. This refers to textures that are not felt but the visual technique of the artist helps the audience to imagine what the surface of the subject feels like if touched. Another not-so-common classification of texture is based on origin - nature or non-nature, such as the following: - Organic Texture. This kind of texture is environmental such as wood, water, grain, sand, stars in the sky - Manmade Texture. This texture is inspired by the industry and commerce such as napkins, textiles, wallpapers and tiles. Most often our texture vocabulary is derived from the material and finish products. But there are some texture terms that are coined. Space Space establishes the visual essence and dynamics of the composition. In a composition we label the quality of space as positive space or negative space. The former is the main focus of the composition or the image that makes the most sense. The latter is usually referred to as the ‘white space’ or the ‘empty space’ that surrounds the most important image. Negative space is integral in design since it frames the positive image in the composition. It also helps avoid visual clutter in order to create visual balance in the composition. Visual Cues In two-dimensional design, proximity, overlapping, light and shadow and perspective are the visual tools that help conceive the needed visual dynamics.  1. Proximity suggests relationships between figures, which would inform the kind of scale to apply on each element in the composition 2. Overlapping is the placement of figures one on top of the other. 3. Opacity is the transparency of a figure which when increased blurs the barriers between negative and positive spaces 4. Light and Shadow can give an object a three-dimensional appearance. The two qualities also suggest how far apart figures are from each other. 5. Perspective establishes the arrangement of figures as they appear in real life. The smaller the figure, the further away they get, and vice versa. Also, relative sizes of figures help in establishing perspective. Two systems of perspective are at work under the tenets of realism. Linear and Atmospheric Perspectives Linear perspective. Linear perspective is a technique used by artists to create the illusion of depth and space, using a group of objects' relative size and location. To achieve that effect, the development of a painting or drawing using linear perspective needs three important components: 1. Orthogonals (also known as parallel lines) 2. Vanishing point 3. Horizon line Atmospheric perspective Atmospheric perspective (or aerial perspective) refers to the manner in which the environment influences how we see objects as they recede into space. Atmospheric perspective means that we see an object with decreased visibility, meaning and color saturation as an object recedes into the distance relative to the viewer. Module 04 Subject, form, and content have always been the three fundamental components of a work of art, and are married in an inseparable way. In general, subject can be considered as the "what" (theme, emphasis, or image); form, as the "how" (development of the work, composition, or substantiation); and material, as the "why" (intention, communication, or meaning behind the work of the artist The connection between form and content is most important. With most stuff, a certain style seems obvious but then using another one becomes exciting. Because of these three things an art is created, you can never imagine an art without these things, unless you draw or execute a form, it will be a blank canvas or a paper, and you need a content to execute a form directly or indirectly. Form in Art Form is the collective name for the visual component or compositional elements of art. Art form lends itself into the basic mechanical or digital imaging necessary in two-dimensional art. In painting, the specific elements – line, color, shape, mass, texture, space and movement are executed through brushwork, style and technique. These elements build perceptible images leading to different associations brought by viewers’ visceral reactions to different strokes, edges, outlines, and painterly effects employed by the artist. However, sometimes form is incoherent and jarring to the extent of hiding or omitting the subject. This can be observed in abstract works. Under this condition, form becomes the only pervading concept. Such a condition takes viewers back to the underlying structure of art – focusing on the expressivity of pure forms. Without many questions the idea of ACTUAL form in art is understood, as these already inhabit the three-dimensional space of a room, gallery, or outdoor. This is not the case with painting or drawing and many artists use this three-dimensional play to create hypnotic examples of form in art that tease public perception. Many artists often play with the concept of vision and the three-dimensionality with the aid of a trompe l'oeil technique. Such images and murals give rise to the idea of depth within a two-dimensional surface, and to play with different geometric or organic forms.  Subject in Art We draw conclusions about an artwork’s substance based on apparent figures. Art in the traditional sense has always been about something important like beauty, life and mortality, war, governance, and religion. This is called the subject of the composition. Artists develop these themes into specific forms like butterflies, skulls, rifles, equestrian figures and the crucified Christ. When figures such as these are absent, the substance of art seems to blur. But we are led to another way of approaching substance, one that is lyrical. Modern artists have explored the subjects in-depth and dealt with them pragmatically. As a result, we have artworks with subjects that seem to challenge familiarity, or artworks that filter all associations with ideas, replacing them with feelings and sentiments that float out of lines, colors and shapes. Subjects are treated either as representational or as non-representational. It is also known as objective and figurative. It refers to artworks which present subjects that a viewer can recognize such as a human being , a tree or a house. Non-representational is also known as non-objective and non-figurative. This contains non-recognizable subjects. It is more inclined towards abstract things. Landscape, seascape, and Cityscape These groups of scenery subjects are formed by detailing elements such as landforms, water bodies and urban areas either as imagined or real places based on recollections of the artist. Landscapes contain landforms like mountains, hills, valleys, plateaus, and plains, viewed against a sky or broken up by water bodies. Traditional Chinese landscapes focus on pure landscapes with a sage sitting and gazing at a distance. Japanese landscapes are almost similar to Chinese, but it has developed its own tradition of painting for its emphasis on Japanese folk narratives. Seascape Seascapes are paintings of water bodies which are at least 2,400 years old. An example of which is Odysseus and the Sirens painted on vases in Ancient Greece. As with landscapes, the details of the ancient seascapes were part of a narrative. It was during the Renaissance period, at the height of the landscape genre that seascapes gained popularity in paintings. There were three common types of seascapes, the first is with pure water bodies like the sea and the ocean, the second was the history paintings with religious and mythological narratives similar to the Fall of Icarus (1568). The third types of seascape were those that depicted fishing and sea trade. Landscape Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction of nature landscapes — natural sceneries such as mountains , valleys, trees , rivers, and forests, particularly when the main emphasis is a broad view — with their elements arranged in a coherent framework. The 17th century featured the classic, or ideal, landscape which set scenes in the legendary and idyllic Arcadia of ancient Greece. The classical landscape 's leading practitioners were the artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain. In the 18th century Rococo era the focus of landscape art moved from Italy and the Netherlands to England and France. The French painters Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher developed outdoor lyrical and romantic scenes which glorified nature with precise detail and delicate coloring. Cityscape A cityscape (urban landscape) in the visual arts is an artistic depiction of the physical elements of a city or metropolitan area, such as painting, drawing, printing, or photography. It is the urban equivalent of a rural setting. Townscape is essentially synonymous with cityscape because it means the same difference in urban size and density.The Amsterdam Town Hall (now the Royal Palace) on Dam Square counts as the Dutch Golden Age's most important historical and cultural movement. The building is a symbol of the tremendous growth and development experienced by the city during the 17th century. Gerrit Berckheyded portrayed the Town Hall in all its glory, while at the same time conveying the hustle and bustle of the main buildings of the city square.  Portrait A portrait painting or sculpture represents the image of, or group of, a single individual or object. The subject of a portrait is generally considered a "sitter," because people will traditionally pose in front of the artist to have their portrait drawn. Artists will of course work from a photograph today, and not everyone needs to "pee" for a portrait. Portraits were often more than a pure image. They were used to illustrate the sitter 's strength, value, goodness, elegance, abundance, taste, learning or other virtues. Portraits is virtually always flattering. In the 18th and 19th centuries portraiture significantly developed as a genre. It was attributed to many reasons including: widespread use of oils and canvas; the rise in commerce which in turn produced a vast number of affluent middle-class businessmen and landowners; and the use of portraiture as a way of creating a permanent photographic record of individuals and families. Figure Painting A figure painting is a piece of fine art in any of the painting medium with the human figure as the primary focus, whether clothed or naked. Figure painting may also refer to the producing process of such a piece. Since the first stone age cave paintings, the human figure has been one of the frequent objects of art and has been reinterpreted in various ways throughout history. Michelangelo was responsible for possibly the most beautiful and popular of all figure paintings in art history-the biblical depictions on the Sixtine Chapel ceiling and altar wall in Rome. More than 300 figures make up the ceiling fresco alone. Edouard Manet, a French Impressionist artist from the 19th century, was one of the earliest painters of realistic figures. His themes included: women, dancers, mendicants and musicians as well as the aristocracy in Paris. His famous paintings of figures include Olympia (1863). The artistic influence of Manet on his contemporaries including Paul Gauguin and Paul Cezanne has been overwhelming, as it has been on later artists. Animal Portrait Animal portraits have been depicted in art since prehistory. The subjects range from animals in the wild to domesticated animals. Among the favorite animals to be depicted in the Renaissance century were dogs which bore a status symbol. Dogs most often complemented aristocratic portraits where they sit in attention or being caressed by their owner. In the Western culture, dogs represent loyalty, protection and guidance. Another famous animal painting was the equus paintings which featured horses in rural and working contexts (i.e. carriage business). In rural setting, horse depiction was coherent with the wildlife environment, which is contrasted by the working. In 17th century, animal painters would collaborate with other painters, such as landscapes and history painters to situate their animal subject in a kind of setting. On the other hand, landscape and history painters would collaborate with animal portrait to fill in the details of their scenery. Still Life Still life paintings use natural and man-made objects as subject matter. This emerged as a genre in Western painting in the late 16th century but its origin can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the Ancient Graeco-Roman art. Traditional still lifes in the 16th century depicted food and flowers as symbolisms of seasons and senses. In Roman times, the skull had come to represent mortality. This type of symbolism is called vanitas, a Latin term that alludes to futile and worthless things. Modern still lifes go beyond the two-dimensional canvas. In mixed-media fashion, some still life uses found objects. These are everyday objects that were made to show aesthetic effect on everyday life object, rather than demonstrate sublimity. History History painting may refer to mythical narratives such as folklores or past events. Under narratives are paintings either about fictional characters in their epic battle against an enemy or a war narrative involving the gods such as in paintings that depicted the Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad.  Historical events were featured in historical paintings, especially in the 20th century, capturing the most important details that define important affairs of the state, either using specific episodes or a more general scene. Sometimes, religious accounts are treated as historical events perused by believers and non-believers. More importantly religious accounts illustrated in paintings helped propagate religious dogmas. Everyday Life Subjects under the everyday life category draw the viewers’ attention to scenes and events from ordinary, casual encounters in market places, domestic settings, interiors, parties, hotels, and streets. This category of subject is also called genre art. It is identified with a light atmosphere and a turning back on regal representations. One of the goals of genre art is to underscore the little details that are easily ignored as people confront the humdrum of work and responsibilities. The genre scenes were already present in the medieval illuminated manuscript, until it had found its new popularity in the Flemish Baroque paintings. Ways of Representation Artists choose a particular way of representation for their subjects. Normally, they develop their skills by studying under a particular representation. Two artists will not render a subject in the same way. Even if they would paint using the same style and technique, their painting would be distinct from each other as there are idiosyncratic manners that go with style and technique. Add to that are the influences of the community, people, and events the artists are surrounded with. There are four traditional ways of representing subjects – realism, abstraction, distortion and surrealism. 1. Realism Realism represents the subject the way it appears in reality as perceived and experienced by the artist himself and the viewers. In other words, this way of representation creates a collective image and a universal understanding of the subject. A realist artist is bound to reveal details expected in a form. Part of his commitment to artistry is a depiction that is as accurate as possible. A bird, for example, entails wings, bick, legs, claws, and feathers. The artist, in turn, takes these details into his picture plain and develops each detail into its pre-existing form. 2. Abstract Abstract representation takes away the familiar in a subject. A tree may not look like a tree, but a scarce picture of it. The process of abstraction involves simplification, reorganization and fragmentation. These specific processes refer back to the cognitive process of abstract thinking where form is not necessary. In each process the subject becomes more distant from its pre-existing form. An organic shape, for instance, is transformed into geometric shapes, offering a plain and flat way of looking at the subject. In the next stage of abstraction, the subject is detached from its expedient organization. Multi-angular and hotchpotch compilation of forms in a picture plane is the outcome of this process. At the last stage of abstraction, the mind of the artist totally gives up the idea of forms leaving behind pure compositional elements without logical association with the original image. Not all the time, an artist would prefer complete abstraction. It is remarkable how abstract compositions can also be expressive. Such can be observed in the works of Jackson Pullock. 3. Distortion Images done in distortion appear out of proportion, jumbled and inconsistent. The reference for judging an image whether distorted or not is the human body. Viewers have a good idea of correct scale and proportion as normally they deal with mass everyday from fitting a new  shirt to fitting goods into the trunk of a car. Furthermore, instances where people need to move their bodies through different kinds of space will get them acquainted with scale and proportion. Artists use distortion for various reasons, to evoke – parody, playfulness, experimentation with form, and social hierarchy. At times, the use of distortion is done primarily to introduce ideal proportions, such as the case of the marble sculpture David. Its body must be over-lengthened, and its muscles must be over-articulated to satisfy a god-like image and a contraposto pose. In addition, proportions are also distorted to satisfy a conceptual demand. For example, in La Pieta by Michelangelo, Mary is oversized as to the breadth of her body. If Mary would stand in full height, her stature is also over-articulated. Overall, she is larger than the dead Christ on her lap. 4. Surrealism Surrealism is the product of illogical and incongruous image representation. Artists purposefully destroy spatial, temporal and matter-of-fact point of reference in the picture plane to achieve a dreamlike quality. Historically, surrealism is associated with an art movement that despised institutions – the church, government and the academe. It was spurred by the atrocities of war and violence, resulting putting the blame on all these institutions. Surrealism was also inspired by the theory on psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud. What artists explored under this principle were the subconscious of individuals, including that of themselves. Salvador Dhali had made a self-portrait based on the contents of his subconscious, thinking what he would likely retrieve from a subliminal self. Content in Art The content of an artwork includes the underlying meaning or theme tucked in the symbolism and imagery of form. It may also be referred to as the emotional or intellectual message of an artwork as it moves the viewers to feel a certain way or to recall feelings of hope, joy, excitement, sadness, insult, anger, and so on. Artworks also tapped on cognitive ability by provoking the minds of viewers to decode what the artists ciphered in the artwork. Once the audience successfully decode the underlying meaning they become more involved in the dialogue spurred by issues that the underlying meaning reveal. The Connotative, Symbolic, and Suggestive Marks of the Subject All humans feel a certain way as confronted by different scenarios that contain an emotional trigger. The emotional trigger can be any image, sound, or movement or passage from a book that affects a person by causing a bout of anxiety, depression, or guilt. Adults feel emotional when triggered by experiences that parallel their childhood pain or happiness. They react on account of these specific experiences which means varied reactions can be achieved by a single trigger, otherwise known as idiosyncratic responses. On the other hand, some ideas are buried in our mind beneath so many concerns. They come out potentially if there are mental triggers. The android game application called “4 pic 1 word” is an example of a game concept that uses a mental trigger that specifically taps on the mind’s logic to arrive at an interpretation. Mental triggers are quite powerful as a strategy to bridge the gap in thinking. In art, it is used to raise political issues and as a lead-in to how the artwork is intended to convey its effects. Philosophical triggers are those that elicit contemplation on the nature, essence, and reason of being of things. Any element from the artwork that has this capacity is a philosophical trigger that helps deepen the perception of observers to examine with an inward-looking lens the truth and meaning which are screaming to let loose and finding a way to an open pit in the minds of observers. Three paintings usually trigger philosophical thinking: Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, by Claude Monet, Viva la Vida by Frida Kahlo and Rocket to the Moon by Romare Bearden. Symbolic meanings are communicated through signifiers or distinct forms in terms of sound, image, or printed words. they are recognizable objects such as animals, plants, objects, etc. that are chosen to represent an idea. In Ancient Greece, mythological characters were the  usually symbols used to convey power and their domain. For instance, Poseidon was used to symbolize sea. Symbols may vary in reception as they are subjected to regional or cultural recognition. Finally, content can be communicated through suggestive marks which businesses exploit in order to craft the brand of their services or products. The suggestive marks influence the consumers perception of what is being sold by putting forward a familiar or a strong impression. For beverage companies, a curve bottle figure or round bubbles to represent carbonated drinks products are common prospects to achieve a more refreshing image. Triangles are fondly used to represent power and a company’s stability. Green, which is very staple for business, is tied with the idea of money and a good income standing. In paintings, suggestive marks are always communicated, though they are subtle and not given focus, but intended suggestive marks are studied profoundly including its subconscious effect on the observers and even listeners. Visual and auditory suggestions are particularly rich in subconscious triggers and what gets into the artworks are the artists’ manifestation of this subconscious as they themselves transfer it onto their artworks. The Difficulty in Reading an Artwork Reading or analyzing an artwork for the most part draws from phenomenological inquiry. The reading pace depends heavily on the various life experiences and background of the viewers. When observers pour subjectivity on a painting, they carry with them their own imaginations and fantasies. The same observational subjectivity extends to performance art. At first, a feeling of nostalgia may turn up. Then this can shift into dispiritedness or peace of mind. One way or the other, the analysis yields higher reasoning and looking in. With changes in reactions, one reading of an artwork might cause volatile responses. With a lot going on in the minds of observers, criticism can be varied and spread across schools of thought. The answer to this challenge is to create a mental list of meanings that the artwork evokes, and then judge on something that rises above firsthand impressions Module 04 part 2 A visual work as an iconic or pictorial sign has a specific and highly complex significance which emerges from the original use of the elements and resources of art. Needless to say, the sense, sense or structure of a work's meanings is not specified, nor is a work 's understanding a reduction process that reduces meaning to a description, statement, or a single insight. Throughout art, meaning is a network of conceptual, emotional, and sensory meanings expressed by the work and reacted to by the viewer, taking in the scope of its cultural context, creative practice and training, and human experience in a dialogic relationship with the work of art. Planes Understanding the picture may be difficult if the audience lacks insight into its fundamental meaning which can be perceived through image-making. Image interpretation should be approached across different layers of context, called planes. Another way to put it is, we need to retrieve the meaning of what we see from behind multiple doors. Pictorial Cue The artwork itself is an iconic or pictorial sign within the context of art. Cultural sign is one of the useful tools in communicating artworks to viewers. Generally speaking , people keep selling cultural signs when they need to convince others or make others understand their perspective. One way to understand how the three planes of visual analysis work is to learn: semiotic, iconic, and contextual. But first, we must realize how signs work. At our early development, we were introduced to a lot of visual information, and some of them are associated with strange meanings. First there was denotation, and then our knowledge of denotation became the bridge to branch out meaning that involved cultural and emotional response to the word or the image. So, our world is complex - a tree is not just tree but a "family tree". How would we locate the "heart of the city", or the "eye of the typhoon". We must also bring the matter to art, as a large cache of visual metaphors.  Metaphor and Semiotics A dictionary definition of the word metaphor is the "application of a name or descriptive term or phrase to an object or action where it is not literally applicable." Thus, the metaphor is itself a semiotic sign that gives meaning from what is referenced. In addition, the metaphor adds to other communication by linking a meaning to an unfamiliar object rather than just familiar ones. Semiotic Approach Semiotic-based approach demonstrates how the material aspects of work generate meaning within the whole. This approach studies signs that can be understood as any physical quality that may draw meaning from it. The Concept of Signs The concept of signs has been around for a long time, having been studied, among other things, by many classical philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, William of Ockham, and Francis Bacon. The term semiotics derives from the Greek root seme, as in semeiotikos (an 'interpreter of signs'). The basic semiotic plane in art encompasses the elements and what the observer perceives in the composition, together with their potential to convey meaning. Basic semiotic plane may be classified into the following categories: 1. Visual Elements. These elements have the potential to convey meaning and function in a manner that is related to or in interactions between these elements. Sometimes, contrast becomes more apparent than complementary relations. That is a part of the meaning of a work. examples: line, color, shape, mass, texture, space 2. Choice of Medium or Technique. Today artists are free to choose their medium. Technique is dictated on the type of medium or vice versa. There are media which allow the artist to be flexible and spontaneous, and there are media which compel them to exercise control. For example, fast-drying media imposes restriction. Others even follow a mathematical order. On the other hand, the artist may use longer-drying media such as oil on canvas to make adjustment and explore the medium and technique freely. 3. Format of the Work. Contrary to the traditional understanding that canvas shape has little to do with the image, the work format (dimension/orientation) is sometimes unified with the image form in the composition. For example, the Renaissance artist Raphael's Madonna of the Chair is a round-frame format. It shows continuous curves flowing around the frame and into the rounded body forms of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist. 4. Other Physical Properties or Marks of the Work. This refers to any marks, imprints, smudge or textural effects that add to the significance of the work. Line Semiotics In addition to triggering our mechanical associations with a line perception, it can be drawn as vertical , horizontal, diagonal, curve or zigzag. It also includes associations with body orientations, for example resting position, attentive position, running position, or bending position and other physical actions that demonstrate grace. If lines are drawn or appear in nature they represent different mental states, including: Horizontal lines suggest a sense of motionless rest and calmness. Vertical lines are called tall and show magnitude The horizontal and vertical lines, used together in a square or rectangular shape, express balance and reflect stability. Diagonal lines travel in one direction and show fluidity and motion. Shallow curves relax while deep curves are aggressive.  A series of diagonal lines with abrupt changes of direction offer confusion and throws off a sense of nervousness. Color Semiotics There has never been a single language of color, but a clearer and more cohesive approach to 'reading' and understanding colors is through different contexts in society. There is a reason why in a lot of sports gym red is a dominant color; this color has been cited to increase muscle strength and energy. It is partly innate and partly learnt how we react emotionally to colors. Emotions of Color Color perception will always have a visceral and emotional impact on the observer. When emotions are evoked, all aspects of psychology of color, semantics and physics are at work. At the bottom-line, our color experience affects our physiological condition. Color symbolism is abundant in literature, informed by color psychology and subjective interpretations of culture. The inclusion of color symbolism in whatever form of literature enhances reader experience. Even in films, colors have been used as instrument to deepen the characterization and narrative of stories. Color symbolism was used in The Wizard of Oz (1939) film. The film's grey tone to before the adventure began symbolized the dull life in the Gale farmhouse. Then, the transformation into technicolor or when the scene explodes into lush of gorgeous colors, the audience knew that a more exciting journey would happen. Socio-economic Colors can sanction socio-economic condition. In western society, purple became associated with wealth and royalty because it was more expensive to produce that hue than silver in Ancient Rome. Hence, the association was historically handed over to today. Cultural There may also be cultural origins in the meaning and symbolism given to colours. It is a common knowledge that China associates red with luck, whereas in Europe it symbolizes passion, or anger in North America. When you add other aspects of visual appearance to color such as silk or glossy appearance, such will yield a different interpretation compared to metallic or crystalline. In any given situation the actual meaning depends on the context in which the color is being used. Reading Shape and Texture Shape and texture work together like visual analogues. At the macro scale, the shape of objects guide our perception. On the other hand, texture guides us the micro details or the "shape" of surfaces that in reality are ignored as trivial. The meaning behind shape and texture are often powerful, especially when the two elements are combined. Shape gives configuration and texture gives detail - visual weight, realism and context. Ben Jones used a sculptural shape of head and arm unit, with detailed ethnic patterns that when seen from afar, the form is totally filtered out.  Meanings of Shapes Circles. Circles are continuous and never ending. They represent the eternal whole and there is an archetypal form in every culture that represents the sun, earth, moon, universe, and other celestial objects between them. Circles are used to suggest familiar objects, like wheels, balls, fruit of many kinds. They suggested completeness and roundness. Circles protect, persist, and constrain. They restrict what's inside, and keep things out. They offer both security and connectivity. Circles suggest fellowship, integrity and perfection.Circles protect, they persist, they constrain. They restrict what's inside, and keep things out. They offer both security and connectivity. Circles suggest fellowship, integrity and perfection. Squares. Most design projects are attracted to squares and rectangles because of their regularity and conformity. observing a square object reminds us of structures that are stable and easy to conceive because we trust spaces that have corners. Some would associated square with four directions. The square is also associated with community and integrity, and a foundational element. That is why a square easily connects with the idea of home. Texture Textures show a dramatic influence on the way we see things. A tattered texture implies a "marginalized" status, while silk signals opulence. While in seascape paintings a choppy sea symbolizes violence, a smoother, ripple-less sea, on the other hand, can represent a space for tranquility and meditation. We are hardwired to respond to every texture, and every culture has assigned a symbolism to it. Some paintings incidentally acquire a texture across time, changing the original message of its subject - or the way they are perceived. One example of this is Kazimir Malevich's work titled Black Square (1915). Its present texture is different from what was intended by the artist, and it is interesting to figure out what newer perceptions are attributed to the work today. Iconic Plane The iconic plane creates meaning from the symbolic. It is a second-level signifier and is considered unique beyond conventional signs. Iconic plane starts with perceiving a subject beyond the canvas. Joey Velasco used the Last Supper image in his painting Hapag ng Pagasa. Christ is breaking bread with grimy street children of Manila, posing both a socio-demographic reality and a unique expression of faith. Ideologies and moral values reveal important commentary, effectively relates with the viewer. Figuration This is an expression of iconic meaning that uses the body's proportion as an icon of idea. The Classical figuration figuration reflects ideal proportions believed to be achieved by Greek measurement. Positioning An object is seen in frontal, profile or three-fourth views in a painting. For every position, there is a corresponding meaning. Centered images are marked with strength and dominance while decentered images are -- with weakness and inferiority. A subject may appear formal or informal because of symmetrical and asymmetrical qualities resulting from certain positions of the subject. Gaze This expression of an iconic meaning uses the direction of looking by a subject in a painting or photography. Examining the gaze in a portrait painting can lead to various meaning. Some gazes are domineering. Some are mysterious, and some tend to show a disturbed status. Cropping This is a technique of rendering a picture, especially used in photography. But in painting, it refers to the way we isolate body parts. Feet, hand,s lips, nose and eyes are the usual parts that gain focus in painting. They express the soul of the subject. A focused scar on the face  may suggest fierce and dangerous life, suffering or ailment that is lived through by the subject. Serial Images This refers to images that use repeated subject in collage or in a series. It shows the subject's movement or progression through time and space. A good example of this is Andy Warhol's "Marily Monroe". Contextual Plane Contextual plane is the area where we look outside of the work of art to determine its meaning. It includes not only exploring the context in which the research was produced but also the context in which the research was and continues to be absorbed later. A thorough knowledge of a society 's history and economy, political and cultural conditions, past and present, is called upon in the conceptual plane. It carries with it a knowledge of literature and national and world art, mythologies, philosophies, and various cultures and world views. The work of art may contain direct or indirect references and allusions to historical figures and events, as well as to religious, literary and philosophical ideas and values which form part of the work 's meaning. An example of a work that used socio-political context is the People Power Monument. This monument depicts independence and democracy over a tyrant who at that time led the country into darkness. The creator expresses his feelings and thoughts about what happened at the time, a very sad and hopeless time for the nation, but through the power of faith, unity and bravery, Filipinos defeated the tyrant. Module 05 The preceding chapter has laid out the underlying creed of design. Design is always based on perception and knowing which impact is achieved or will be achieved as these principles are implemented. The formal principles that are taught in art school today were based on theoretical leaning of the Bauhaus movement. The latter was about modern and functional style following the dictum “form follows function.” The founder Walter Gropius radiated the idea of a “total artwork” consolidating all art forms in one house. Bauhaus had a significant influence on architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography. Students of the Bauhaus school were taught the principles of design and color theory, the two capital knowledge that the school imparted to the students as a blueprint to their artistic endeavor. After these students graduated, they could design almost anything. In the words of O’Connor (2013): “They can design anything from a dress to a kitchen stove.” Unity and Variety Imagine a group of gold fish joined in by a black fish. How does the new set up look like? The common response is that the group has an odd-man-out. Without mentioning, it is the black fish that does not belong to the group of gold fish, since the former is outnumbered. The same can be said if all students in this class are wearing their uniform except for a few. Essential to a visual composition is unity. Let us talk about unity as a leadership concept. An effort of one may not necessarily result in unity but if followers do concerted efforts, there is a veneer of unity. In the political arena, one particular unity which had happened in the past and was able to overthrow the Marcos regime was the historical EDSA People Power. The unity therein radiated in the people’s initiative to turn their voices into one big force. In art, unity exudes the same concept. The elements that go into the artwork must exhibit unity so that the mind will be able to read it the way it is attuned to. The unity in the artwork shows that the artist is paying attention to visual theme and not just putting in random details. Variety, in contrast to unity, is also an interesting element. As a common perception in art, too much unity is boring. To sidetrack to life, doing the same thing over and over again can be boring. Notice how people strive to look for a new engagement. An outdoors man and a mountaineer may find mountains uninteresting after 10 years of climbing, hiking, and trekking. He might consider shifting to water-sports for a change. In the same manner, a  fashion geek may change fashion statements every so often to look chic and trendy all of the time. In art, variety is a special tool to complement unity. Introduce blue in a dominant green picture plane and you will get an area of contrast and an area that incites new visual experience. For every variety you introduce, a new visual experience is made. Balance When you stand on one foot, you will find that your body is trying to adjust its posture – arms are flapping or thrusting and extending to the sides. This is your idea of balance. The weights on both sides of your body are being compensated by the act of flapping, thrusting, and extending of the arms to the sides. Now, what if you have been asked to hang a picture frame on a wall, and in the process, you seem to be inclined to fix the frame at the center of the spacious wall. What comes to your mind for doing so? It has a lot to do with the concept of balance. Your mind is attuned to balance even when you were an infant. When you find the center of an area it is the same as finding the right balance. When you find the center of something you feel that the weights on both sides of that center are held in check. This is the same as when you find no specific weights but empty spots on both sides of center. A balanced lifestyle has a lot in common with our topic, since the idea of a balanced lifestyle can still be accommodated by the concept of ‘weight’. How much weight or importance do you put on recreation, study, and work? You would know that you are living a balanced lifestyle if none of the is compromised, or when your work does not interfere with your day of fun and recreation and vice versa. However, in art, not all cases of balanced compositions are a result of an equal distribution of weights to either side of an implied center. Emphasis and Subordination To draw and gain attention are central to an individual’s health and good relationships. This is better understood as to notice and be noticed. To notice and be noticed are complicated matters to discuss here using psychology, owing to many social conventions and stigma. Although, attention seeking is quite another story, which is irrelevant to the main point here. Normal level of getting and drawing attention seems a little less than a nifty job. A person may gain attention by being loud, doing outrageous things, or being different. One specific example of the latter is dressing up contrary to the expected social norm like having mismatched clothing. Gaining attention is gratifying for some, while giving attention to someone might be grueling. One thing remains the same, people need attention to validate their existence. Or else, they will be deprived of its pleasant and warming effects. In art, attention is translated into visual selection