ART APPRECIATION

Table of Contents
UNIT 1: Introduction to Art Appreciation
Lesson 1 What Is Art? Introduction and
Assumptions
Lesson 2 Art Appreciation: Creativity,
Imagination and Expression
Lesson 3 Functions and Philosophical
Perspectives on Art
Lesson 4 Subject and Content
Lesson 5 Artists and Artisans
Lesson 6 Elements and Principles of Art
 Lesson 1:
What Is Art?
Introduction and
Assumptions
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the student should be
able to:
1. Understand the role of humanities and arts in
man’s attempt at fully realizing his end;
2. Clarify misconceptions about the art;
3. Characterize the assumptions of arts; and
4. Engage better with personal experiences of
and in art.
LESSON PROPER
What Is Art?
- The word “art” comes from the ancient Latin ars which
means a “craft or specialized form of skill, like carpentry
or smithying or surgery” (Collingwood, 1938).
- Art then suggested the capacity to produce an intended
result from carefully planned steps or method.
- Arts in Medieval Latin came to mean something
different. It meant “any special form of book-learning,
such as grammar or logic, magic or astrology”
(Collingwood, 1938).
- The fine arts would come to mean “not delicate or highly
skilled arts, but ‘beautiful’ arts” (Collingwood, 1938). This
is something more akin to what is now considered art.
Assumptions of Art:
1. Art is Universal – Art has always been timeless
and universal, spanning generations and
continents through and through.
2. Art is not nature – Art is man’s expression of his
reception of nature. Art is man’s way of
interpreting nature.
3. Art involves experience – Unlike fields of
knowledge that involve data, art is known by
experiencing. A work of art then cannot be
abstracted from actual doing. In order to know
what an artwork is, we have to sense it, see or
hear it, and see AND hear it.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• Why do people have difficulty in
coming up with a single definition of
art?
• “Art is subjective. It depends on how
one perceives the art work.” To what
extent do you agree with this
statement?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• How can we see art in our everyday
lives?
• If you were an artist, what kind of
artist would you be? Are there
specific themes or messages that you
would want your art to contain?
ANSWER KEY
Let’s Work on This:
1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist would you be?
Answers may vary.
2. Why is art not nature?
Art is man’s expression of his reception of nature. Art is man’s way
of interpreting nature.
3. Why is art ageless and timeless?
Art has been crafted by all people regardless of origin, time, place,
and that it stayed on because it is liked and enjoyed by people
continuously. A great piece of work will never be obsolete.
4. Why does art involve experience?
A work of art then cannot be abstracted from actual doing. In
order to know what an artwork is, we have to sense it, see or hear
it, and see AND hear it.
LESSON SUMMARY
• Humanities and the art have always been part of
man’s growth and civilization.
• Since the dawn of time, man has always tried to
express his innermost thoughts and feelings
about reality through creating art.
• Three assumptions on art are its universality, its
not being nature, and its need for experience.
• Without experience, there is no art. The artist has
to be foremost, a perceiver who is directly in
touch with art.
 Lesson 2:
Art Appreciation:
Creativity, Imagination,
and Expression
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the student should be
able to:
1. Differentiate art from nature;
2. Characterize artistic expression based on
personal experiences with art;
3. Discuss the nature of art’s preliminary
expression; and
4. Categorize works of art by citing personal
experiences.
LESSON PROPER
Art Appreciation as a Way of Life:
• Art as a creative work that depicts the world
in a completely different light and perspective,
and the source is due to human freedom
(Jean Paul Sartre as cited in Greene, 1995)
• Hence, refining one’s ability to appreciate art
allows him to deeply understand the purpose
of an artwork and recognize the beauty it
possesses (Collins & Riley, 1931).
The Role of Creativity in Art Making:
• In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from
another.
• An artist embraces originality, puts his own flavor into
his work, and calls it his own creative piece.

Art as a Product of Imagination, Imagination as a

Product of Art:
• Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the
norm, but goes beyond that.
• An artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can be
something that is imaginary (Collingwood, 1938).
• Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality
through creation.
• In the same way that imagination produces art, art also
inspires imagination.
Art as Expression:
• Robin George Collingwood, an English
philosopher who is best known for his work in
aesthetics, explicated in his publication The
Principles of Art (1938) that what an artist
does to an emotion is not to induce it, but
express it.
• Some forms of art expression include visual
arts, lm, performance art, poetry
performance, architecture, dance, literary
arts, theater arts, and applied arts.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• In the present context, why is being
creative becoming more of a
challenge?
• In what ways can imagination
produce art? In what ways can art
inspire imagination?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• If given a chance, what art field are
you going to explore? Why?
• How can you utilize the arts to
express yourself, your community,
and your relation to others?
ANSWER KEY
Let’s Work on This:
Answer the following questions as precisely yet
as thoroughly as possible.
1. What art field will you explore? Why?
Answers may vary.
2. How can you utilize the arts to express
yourself, your community, and your relation to
others?
Answers may vary.
LESSON SUMMARY
• Art is a product of a man’s creativity, imagination, and
expression.
• Refining one’s ability to appreciate art allows him to deeply
understand the purpose of an artwork and recognize the
beauty it possesses.
• Creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another. A
creative artist does not simply copy or imitate another
artist’s work.
• While through imagination, an artist is able to craft
something bold, something new, and something better in
the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change
• Through expression, an artist is able to explore his own
emotions while at the same time, create something
beautiful out of it.
 Lesson 3:
Functions and Philosophical
Perspectives on Art
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the students should be
able to:
1. Distinguish between directly functional art
and indirectly functional art;
2. Explain and discuss the basic philosophical
perspectives on the art;
3. Realize the function of some art forms in daily
life; and
4. Apply concepts and theories on beauty and
aesthetics in real-life scenarios.
LESSON PROPER
Functions of Art:
• Roughly and broadly, the functions of art are
classified into three: personal (public display or
expression), social (celebration or to affect
collective behavior), and physical (utilitarian).
Does Art Always Have to Be Functional?
• The value of a work of art does not depend on
function but on the work itself.
• Despite these, efficiency cannot be mistaken as
beauty. While it certainly determines beauty in
some works of art, an efficient functional object
is not necessarily beautiful.
Philosophical Perspectives on Art:
I. Art as an Imitation.
- For Plato, when one ascribes beauty to
another person, he refers to an imperfect
beauty that participates only in the form of
beauty in the World of Forms.
II. Art as a Representation
- Aristotle considered art as an aid to
philosophy in revealing truth. It allows for the
experience of pleasure. art also has an ability
to be instructive and teach its audience things
about life; thus, it is cognitive as well .
Philosophical Perspectives on Art:
III. Art as a Disinterested Judgment
- Kant considered the judgment of beauty, the
cornerstone of art, as something that can be
universal despite its subjectivity. Kant
mentioned that judgment of beauty, and
therefore, art, is innately autonomous from
specific interests.
IV. Art as a Communication of Emotion
- Art plays a huge role in communication to its
audience’s emotions that the artist previously
experienced.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• Does art necessarily have an end?
• When an artist creates a work of art,
does he have an end in mind?
• Do all artworks have a function?
Does the function make an object a
work of art?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• What art form/artwork has
changed something in your life?
Why?
• Do you think that art can be a
catalyst for change?
ANSWER KEY
Let’s Work On This:
1. What art form/artwork has changed something in your life?
Why? Account for the experience.
Answers may vary.
2. Does art always have a function? Why? Support your
response. Provide your own example.
Answer: While some arts are functional, there are some which
are not. The value of the artwork is not dependent on its
function but on the work itself.
3. If an artwork ceased to have a function, will it remain an art?
Why?
Answer: Yes. Art demands so much more than efficiency.
LESSON SUMMARY
• Art has remained relevant in our daily
lives because most of it has played some
form of function for man.
• The different functions of art may be
classified as either personal, social, or
physical.
• Art may serve either as imitation,
representation, a disinterested judgment,
or simply a communication of emotion.
 Lesson 4:
Subject and Content
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of the session, the students should be
able to:
1. Differentiate representational art and non-
representational art;
2. Discuss the difference between an artwork’s
subject and its content;
3. Identify the subject matter and content of
specific examples of art; and
4. Enumerate the sources of the subjects of some
of the most recognizable works of art in
Philippine art history.
LESSON PROPER
• The primary stage of engaging with art is its
perception.
• Subjectivity is illustrated in the way that
selective perception renders one or two
details more prominent than others,
prompting the viewer to focus on some details
as essential or as standouts.
• In the arts, there are also observable qualities
that the artwork holds that will point to its
subject, and sometimes even to its content.
Types of Subject:
• Representational art – have subjects that
refer to objects or events occurring in the
real world.
• Non-representational art – does not make a
reference to the real world, whether it is a
person, place, thing, or even a particular
event. It is stripped down to visual
elements such as shapes, lines, and colors
that are employed to translate a particular
feeling, emotion, and even concept.
Sources and Kinds of Subject:
• Often, even a singular source of inspiration
can yield multiple translations.
Content in Art:
• To recognize and grasp the message of the
artwork, the viewer may sometimes need
to go beyond what is visible.
• There are various levels of meaning –
factual, conventional, and the possibility of
a variety of meanings.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• What are the hurdles of accessing art
in terms of its subject and content?
• Where do artists source their
subjects?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• Why do you think that in the
Philippines, people are not
engaged in art activities?
• How important is perception in
engaging in art?
ANSWER KEY
Let’s Work on This:
1. What are the hurdles of accessing art in terms of its subject and
content?
Answer: The notion that in order for one to appreciate art, one
must be ale to extract a specific image and derive a certain
meaning from the work.
2. Where do artists source their subjects?
Answer: Artists can source their subjects from nature, religious
connections, and history.
3. Name an example of an artwork and speculate on the content
of the artwork based on its factual, conventional, and subjective
meanings.
Answers may vary.
LESSON SUMMARY
• One may begin by looking at perceivable
features of the artwork. Taking note of
what is apparent will provide clues as to
what the intended meaning of the artist
might be.
• Knowing more about the context of its
creation—from the artist’s inspiration,
reference or source, will prove useful in
understanding the meaning of the artwork.
 Lesson 5:
Artists and Artisans
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Outline the history of the emergence of artists and
artisans;
2. Recognize and critically discuss the function of state
sponsorship in the field of arts and culture through
the National Artists Award and the Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA);
3. Identify and define the different individuals and
groups who take on varied roles in the world of art
and culture; and
4. Classify the practices of artists in terms of form,
medium, and technique.
LESSON PROPER
• Early on, artists were embedded in the
development of culture, and in turn, art was
nurtured by the varying cultures in which it
existed.
The Artisan and the Guilds:
* The practice of artists was not grounded on the
idea of individual capacities or success; rather, in
the commitment to work together as a collective.
Guilds were a type of social fellowship, an
association structured with rules, customs, rights,
and responsibilities. With a lifetime commitment to
a particular trade, an artisan develops immense skill
and expertise in his craft.
The Artist and His Studio:
• The site that saw the shift from a craftsman to an
independent artist was a very personal space for the artist
himself, which is the studio.
Other Players in the World of Art:
• In the last century, some of the roles that have been
existent since the beginning of art history have been
properly dealt with—ascribed with a name—and
legitimized into a sophisticated network of relationships
and exchanges. This network is what we call the art world.
• What must be recognized is that, as Becker contended,
there are numerous people who either work in consent or
dissension, and in doing so, continuously (re)-define,
(in)validate, maintain (or abolish), reproduce, and circulate
the “cultural category of art, and to produce the consent of
the entire society in the legitimacy of the art world’s
authority to do so” (Irvine, 2013).
Production Process:
• The process of creating an artwork does not
necessarily follow a linear progression.
• The process is essentially tripartite: (1)
preproduction, (2) production, and (3)
postproduction.
Medium and Technique:
• Medium is the mode of expression in which the
concept, idea, or message is conveyed.
• The technique of the artwork shows the level of
familiarity with the medium being manipulated.
Engagement with Art:
• The defining roles and nature of exhibitions have had an
interesting evolution, changing alongside the demands of
the society that purports to partake in its display.
• The art exhibition, by its nature, holds a mirror up to
society, reflecting its interests and concerns while at the
same time challenging its ideologies and preconceptions.
Awards and Citations:
*After an artist has spent considerable time in honing his
skills, establishing the relevance of the body of his works,
and even gaining respect from his colleagues in the art
world, he may be considered or nominated for awards and
citations.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• What makes the art world a complex
system?
• Why does the process of creating an
artwork have an anarchic dimension
to it?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• How relevant still are the awards
National Artists and GAMABA, not only
to the art world, but also to the Filipino
society as a whole?
• What do you think is the role of the
artist in the 21st century society?
ANSWER KEY
Let’s Work on This:
1. What do you think is the role of the artist in the 21st century
society?
Answers may vary.
2. How relevant still are the awards National Artists and
GAMABA, not only to the art world, but also to the Filipino
society as a whole?
Answers may vary.
3. Analyze and critique state-sponsored recognition for artists
and cultural workers. What do you think are some of the
considerations that must be addressed with regard to these?
Answers may vary.
LESSON SUMMARY
The evolution of the artist throughout
history is one of the most interesting
progressions in the affairs of man.
 Lesson 6:
Elements and Principles of Art
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Enumerate the different elements of visual and
auditory art;
2. Differentiate the principles of art;
3. Provide examples of the interrelatedness of some of
the elements and principles of art;
4. Explain the relevance of the elements and principles
of art in the study of art and its products (artworks);
and
5. Illustrate examples of hybrid art and dissect what art
forms are combined therein.
LESSON PROPER
Elements of Art: Visual
• These elements of art are generally produced when
something is done to the medium after the technique
is carried out.
• To enumerate, the elements of art and design are the
following: line, shape and form, space, color, and
texture.
Planes and Perspectives:
• Picture plane is the actual surface of the painting or
drawing, where no illusion of a third dimension exists.
• Aside from this technique, linear perspective changed
the way pictorial representation was done.
Elements of Art: Auditory
• Perhaps one of the most widespread forms of art, whose
intersection in daily life is most perceptible, is music.
Music is sound organized in a specific time.
• Some of the common elements of music are the
following: rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, timbre,
and texture.
Principles of Art:
• The principles of art will provide explicit ways in which
these elements are used, how they are manipulated, how
they interact, and how they inform the overall
composition of the artwork to assist the artist in
conveying his intention.
• These principles are: balance, scale and proportion,
emphasis and contrast, unity and variety, harmony,
movement, rhythm, and repetition and pattern.
Combined or Hybrid Art:
• In combined arts, improvisation is often
tapped in addition to practical and logical
considerations of creating an artwork.
• Another movement that is reminiscent of the
motivations of the Renaissance, and whose
emergence is hinged on the frontiers of
science and technology, is called hybrid arts
DISCUSSION POINTS
• In two-dimension artworks such as paintings,
cite the elements and principles of art that
when utilized in the composition of the
artwork, will help simulate or suggest the
three-dimensional space.
• How can hybrid artworks expand imagination?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• To what extent does the knowledge of
the principles of art relevant to the
knowledge of the elements of art?
• What is the relevance of combined arts
and hybrid art in the 21st century?
ANSWER KEY
1. What are the elements of art?
line, shape and form, space, color, and texture
2. In two-dimension artworks such as paintings,
cite the elements and principles of art that when
utilized in the composition of the artwork, will
help simulate or suggest the three-dimensional
space.
3. What is the relevance of combined arts and
hybrid art in the 21st century?
Answers may vary.
LESSON SUMMARY
The elements and principles of art
are essential to any artwork. Some
of them will be more obvious than
others, becoming the anchors in
which the viewer may latch on to
engage with the artwork.