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The humanities are very much present in the Philippine college curriculum because of the merits they
render to humanizing the Filipino student who, in the future, will join the work force and take up
different roles in the society. By the term humanities, we generally mean art, literature, music and
theatre, areas in which human values and individual expressiveness are celebrated. As Dudley, Faricy and
Rice put it,

The hmnittgs engage 'both our intellectual and our intuitive, emotional se 1263... and this sets them
apart from those areas which aim at being rigidly empirical, objective, factual. Delight and pleasure in
the arts can arise from casual sensualism in the aural, tactile or visual empem'ences they evoke. But the
knowledge of how the (art)works which afford us these pleasures come into being, the understanding of
the artist’s use of a medium in making a personal tatement, and the sharing of that expewence-these
deepen and broaéen our enjoyment at both the level of understanding and the level of feeling {1}).

Art, which is an important component of the humanities, takes life for its subject matter, with man as its
main component. It relates to almost everything that surrounds man today, other people and other '
times. As such, it is a powerful record of everything human that evolves

through the ages.

This book aims to develop artistic literacy among college students. Artistic literacy involves more than
just associating a work of art with personal experiences. Art viewers can fully understand, and appreciate
the importance of artworks only if they have the necessary knowledge not only to see, view and hear
but also to interpret artworks. An artistically hterate person inay not know how to paint but when he /
she views a

painting, knows “how to respond to it appropriately and sensitively; how to make discerning judgments
about it; how to understand the history, techniques and many styles of painting and its major
practitioners; and

where to go to see good examples of paintings” (Wright 131).

By learning how to describe, analyze, interpret and judge artworks3 students can acquire an artistic
vocabulary that is essential to artistic literacy. With the aim of'developing artistic literacy among
humanities students, we arranged the topics in this book following the order below;

Definition What is the art form all abozlt? Mediums What is it made of .9 Elements and Organization
How is it put together? Process How is it done? Examples What are the aesthetic qualities of the
artwork? Exercises How well do I understand the topic?

The arts disciplines discussed in the following chapters include the visual arts (painting, sculpture,
architecture, photography, digital and installation arts); and the combined arts (music, theatre and
cinema).

To maximize learning from this book, the reader is advised to keep an open mind to the new things
he/she Will discover and interact with the learning material by answering the exercises in each section.
He/She is also advised to check the recommended artworks in the Internet, visit art exhibitions, view
film festivals and attend concerts.

Enjoy learning about the arts!

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Cr V CWhat %hey Say 84% 98

43.2. has been defined in different ways since the time of the ancient Greeks. Hippocrates (c. 460-400
BCE), Greek philosopher says, “Life is short, art endures.” Man indeed does not live forever but the work
of art that he leaves behind lives on to communicate something to the people who view the artwork at
different spaces and time. Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German mathematician and physicist, asserts,
“True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.” Einstein, who is in the field of
science, which requires critical and systematic thinking, here looks at art and regards it as a creative
endeavor that results from an irresistible urge. Emphasis is given to the word “true” to describe art. This
suggests there are those that cannot qualify as “art.”
'John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), US president, relates art to the basic hlfnan truths as he says, “Art
establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstone of our judgmen .” Assigning art
the role of being the “touchstone of our judgment” certainly puts it above other things, even Kennedy’s
own field, politics.

How do humanists themselves define art? Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), a Spanish artist and father of
modern art says, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” According to Oscar Wilde
(18541900), English poet and playwright, “It is through art, and through art only,‘ that we can realize our
perfection; through art and art only that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual
existence.” If you compare the last two definitions of art, Which comes from an artist and , a poet, you
will notice how the individual persori' holds on to art. as if it were a protective shield in all its might and
power that can save man from destruction. l

The above definitions of art show us how important art is and how it can aid man in his pursuit of higher
goals and perfection. P0pe John Paul II articulates this in his letter to artists:

Every genuine art in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a
wholly valid appTOCLCh to the realm offaz'th, which gives human experience its ultimate meaning.