The Humanities

The term humanities comes from the Latin word humanus which means civilized, refined,
cultured or disciplined. It refers to a group of cultural subjects presenting the total experiences of man as
expressed in his arts such as architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, dance, music, cinema, etc. using
a particular material called medium.

● Painting - creating meaningful images on flat surfaces using colored pigments (solid
material) mixed with vehicle (liquid material)
● Architecture-designing and constructing buildings for a particular function using single or
mixed materials
● Sculpture - forming objects out of tangible materials such as stone, metal, wood, etc.
● Literature-recording experiences in life using words in any language Music-using sound
of varying pitch to compose songs
● Dance-communicating ideas using parts or the whole body
● Cinema - producing moving three-dimensional images on the screen involving complex
technical process and acting crew completely controlled by a director

The subject humanities or sometimes called the arts includes areas in which human subjectivity
is emphasized and individual expressiveness is celebrated and given importance. It brings to
enlightenment man's search for identity and significance specially his thoughts and feelings and how he
communicates them. It stresses the worthiness of man and recognizes his creative expressions.

As stated by Zulueta (1994), the humanities or the arts are records of man's experiences, his
values, his sentiments, his ideals, and his goals. They are ultimately the channeling of man's feelings and
thoughts using a concrete medium such as stone, words, parts of the body, sound, etc. Exposure to the
arts provides enjoyment when a person understands and appreciates what is being communicated,
especially if that person is much familiar with the idea showcased by the artist.

According to Andres (1980), if a man is to live like a human being, his heart and mind must be
nourished, and the best spiritual nourishment comes from the humanities. It is in the humanities course
where the creative expressions of the heart and mind of man are analyzed and given value in order for
him to understand what it means to be human. Exposure to the humanities makes the person eventually
appreciate humanity and the arts as record or man's experiences and how he reacts to these
experiences. Man has always been questioning the meaning of his existence specially that in the modern
times when man's traditional functions seem to be replaced by machines. By studying our humanity we
will realize what it means to be human as we compare ourselves with machines. Another reason why we
have to study the humanities is to be able to appreciate artists whose role is to record and preserve their
personal point of view towards life experiences and the cultural heritage at a particular place and time
when they flourished as artists.

With the knowledge of the humanities, persons would be able to bridge the gap and break the
fences that may exist between peoples of the world. Individuals at different places, cultures and times
could reach out to one another in common bond of compassion and understanding. This understanding
will reinforce a deep sense of recognition for human creativity and resourcefulness as innate in the
human personality. This learning can be achieved by direct experiences as different cultures, forms, and
styles of art are studied. Humanities or the arts are important in preparing man in assuming his
responsibilities and enjoying life specially in this fast changing world as he also recognizes his self worth.

The humanities and the sciences do not have the same emphasis. The sciences are focused on
the outside or external world of man which can be experimented, measured, and manipulated. On the
other hand, subjects in the humanities deal with man's inner or internal world that cannot exactly be
observed, dissected, and experimented. For instance, a mother's love and a child's hatred could not
precisely be fathomed or measured using a thermometer. The approach in studying the humanities is
subjective since it is more concerned with perceptions, feelings, and intuitions while that of the sciences
is concrete and objective. Salvador Gonzales claims that science educates our minds and hearts while the
humanities educate our feelings and sensitivities so that we may use our minds without forgetting that
we are human beings.

However in these modern times, both the sciences and the humanities are much essential for
the development of the complete man as he takes his position in this puzzling and changing world.

Art

The word art is derived from the Latin word ars meaning ability or skill. It deals with areas of
creativity that seek to communicate beauty specially derived through the senses. Art creation is an
activity involving skill and imagination. Form which is the visible and content, the invisible component,
are the two interlocking aspects of art as the inner man tries to find an avenue of expression.

Bogart (1978) says that a work of art is a record of a particular artist's view of the time and place
where it was produced. It is a concrete embodiment of an idea or feeling resulting from an unusual
experience using a sensuous medium such as sound, stone, words, etc. It is a channel of a personal
interpretation of life and nature. It is intuition and an evidence of man's impressions towards anything in
a mysterious world.

The world's arts are considered treasury of humanity's past and are regarded as "humanity's
footprints in the sands of time" because they are tangible proofs of man's expression of his thoughts and
feelings as he resides anywhere and anytime. Arts constitute one of the oldest and most important
means of man's expression as he discovers realities in his environment. They convey the artist's personal,
psychological, and social insights. To an artist, art is a vision and an inspiration. To the onlooker or
audience, art is a revelation of the soul of the artist. The work of art is the link between the artist and
the onlooker at a certain place and era.

Other definitions of art:

● Art is that which brings life in harmony with the beauty of the world. -Plato
● Art is an attitude of spirit, a state of mind - one which demands for its own satisfaction
and fulfilling, a shaping of matter to new and more significant form. -John Dewey
● Art is a product of man's need to express himself. -F. Zulueta

Generally, arts may be grouped into major or minor. Major arts are those that appeal more to
the senses of sight, hearing, and touch and they have great appeal because of their effect and dignity.
Major arts include music, sculpture, painting, literature, and architecture. On the other hand, minor arts
are those that are less meaningful and pleasing to the senses but more functional or useful such as
industrial arts, decorative arts, graphic and popular arts,

Whether major or minor, arts are valuable in people's lives because of their practical purposes
and as a source of aesthetic experience which may transform their lives and make them highly cultured
and noble human beings.

Truths About Art

1. Art is made by man.

Art has been created by all people at all times. It can be found everywhere as long as there are
people. It is never exhausted as long as humanity exists. As people travel and reside in a place, they
deposit behind a particular culture after leaving the place. This culture is evidenced in their artworks
such as literature, architecture, sculpture. etc. At the same time, these people learn other cultures.
When we see the artworks later, we want to know the people and period of their existence.

Artworks are showcases of the past places, times, and cultures. They are tangible creations of
man.

2. Art is not nature.

Nature is made by God while art is made by man, and no matter how close the replication of
nature is, there are always modifications in the art forms. Art and nature are opposites and that is why
viewers should not always insist and expect to find in art exactly what they see in nature. Nature is
decaying and fleeting. undergoing stages of development, and always recreating itself. On the other
hand. art is unchanging, not submitting to the law of decay, and having only one form. However in some
ways, art is used to improve nature. Example of such art is landscaping.

3. Art creation and appreciation involve experience.

Experience is the actual doing of something which involves sensory. emotional, and intellectual
aspects of man. Without experience, there could be no meaningful creation and appreciation of art
because experience is the basis of creation. A familiar experience shared by both artist and onlooker
facilitates better appreciation by onlookers. If a person has not ridden a carabao, for instance, he does
not appreciate the riding experience which ought to be personal. The pleasure in listening to a concert
could not be derived from other people's description but from personally attending or involving in the
concert. The viewer's perception may kindle an experience similar to that which the artist tried to convey
in his artwork. The impact of that familiar experience may become a source of another aesthetic
experience. Therefore, both creating and appreciating of art involve experience.

Creativity and Artistry in the Global Society

Global society is characterized by multi-culturalism. It is a society of people with diverse sets of

lifestyle, language, traditions and beliefs. These people live in a time where it is natural for foreign
influences to permeate a nation's culture. Living in a global society means adapting to other people's
way of life while preserving and protecting one's own culture and identity. Significantly, the artists in a
global society keep the vision of the individual's uniqueness. This vision is realized through art and art
itself is vision fulfilled. This desire to be unique is part of man's creative nature.

Man is a creative being. To create means to generate something voluntarily from imagination
which manifests itself in the projection of images. Man possesses creative powers as he conceives an
appropriate image from nothingness to something concrete and meaningful such as a poem, painting, a
piece of music. sculpture, dance, etc. which is termed as artwork. This artwork is generally meant to be
contemplated. The art creation is the language in images by which man transparently conveys his
perception about himself, his fellow men, his environment, and the world as a whole.

Art creation is a process involving three phases as stated by Sanchez (2002).

1. Creation starts with something abstract or invisible such as thoughts and feelings
resulting from an extraordinary or unusual experience through any of the five senses
(sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch).

2. Then, the artist uses medium which is the material in order to make the invisible
concrete or visible as he applies a personal technique of manipulating the medium.

3. Finally, form results from the creative process. The artwork is the thing to behold. It
may be a movie, building, essay, novel, painting, song, etc.

Global artists are more conscious of their social and moral obligations. Their arts are more
functional to serve the ever-changing needs of the society. Global people recognize that it is vital to the
society that the artistic, cultural, social and even economic goals must have a high degree of
compatibility. A multi-cultural society understands that this compatibility will allow people to survive and
grow creatively, The arts can build this understanding (Scotese, 1985).

The Role of an Artist

An artist is a gifted individual who exhibits an exceptional skill in any of the arts. His task is to
preserve thoughts and feelings through his art and open people's eyes and ears to new visions of life so
that they could see and hear nature clearly and distinctly. The discovery of realities around him is the
focal point of interest that an artist communicates in his art.

Sanchez (2002) categorizes artists into two groups. They could be creators or performers. The
creator directly handles his medium to concretize his own concepts. Examples are painters, sculptors or
architects. The performer interprets another artist's work. Examples are dancers, actors or singers.
However, some artists could be both creators and performers.

By nature, an artist is different from other people because of his creativity, sensitivity, and
temperament. Because he is keen to harmony of sounds, shapes, colors, ideas, he is more alert and
observant and can detect special values in the ordinary everyday world which have little appeal to
non-artists. Using nature as storehouse of ideas and hard work as a tool, an artist builds for himself a
significant accomplishment through his artwork.

The greatness of an artist is determined not by the monetary value spent for creating his art but
by his grip upon truth and by the quality of effort which reveals his technical skill, personal worth, and
unique personal vision that could stand the test of time.

Developing Appreciation of an Artwork

Whether onlookers like a work of art or not, they tend to evaluate or judge that work. Art
viewers express why they like or do not like a particular artwork. Each viewer has personal reasons why
he considers an artwork beautiful or unappealing. Appreciating involves giving comments on how the
artist considers inhis work the elements of line, color, texture or shapes. The viewers point out the
merits of the artwork giving comments on the magnitude or impact of the work of art to them.

The following are what to be considered in appreciating or evaluating artwork:

1. Discovering the space or time used by the artist

2. Considering the medium or materials used

3. Deciding what the subject is and how it is presented

4. Identifying the elements and how they are organized

5. Evaluating the artist's sincerity, universality, and craftsmanship

Aesthetic Judgment

Aesthetics is the study of beauty although beauty is a relative and subjective thing and is not
always essential in art. What may be beautiful to one person may not be pleasing to others. Objects of
beauty give pleasure when perceived. This experience is called aesthetic pleasure.

To judge a work of art, one must consider both its objective and subjective aspects. The
judgment is justified or unjustified and never true or false. In order to judge the artwork objectively, one
must first get rid of prejudices and personal sentiments that may have been caused by ignorance, race,
environment, religion, traditions or taboos.
There are three basic factors in judgment- making in an appreciation:

1. objective merits of the work

2. skill, techniques, and originality of the artist

3. personal interpretation of the evaluator.

One can verify the intrinsic value and the objective merits of an artwork through considering the
following:

1. a critical study of the properties of beauty (order, proportion, unity. balance, clarity, harmony,
emphasis);

2. the general agreement of the art experts and other recognized authorities in aesthetics;

3. time factor which is the arbiter in telling whether a work of art is good or bad, or can stand
the test of time in the case of classical arts.

To make art evaluation simpler, Estolas (1995) gives some guidelines in understanding a work of
art. Here are questions to answer to aid a viewer's understanding of an artwork specially visual arts:

1. What did the artist make? What is it about?

2. What is the function of the artwork?

3. What is the artwork made of?

4. How is the material organized or put together?

5. What is the personality, mood or style of the artwork?

6. What is your judgment of the artwork? How good is it?

7. How does the artwork make life more meaningful?

Test Exercise A: Answer TRUE or FALSE.

True 1. The concern of humanities is the importance of human thoughts and feelings.

False 2. Art may be a thing of no beauty.

True 3. Great works of art can help us know people and life of other times and places.
False 4. Looking is the way of enjoying music.

False 5. There can be meaningful appreciation of art without experience.

False 6. Art and nature are the same.

False 7. A work of art can exist without medium.

True 8. Literature makes use of words as medium.

False 9. The artist's creative ability is always developed and not inborn.

True 10. Art is a treasury of humanity's past.

True 11. The main goal of humanities is the development of man and society.

True 12. An artwork serves as a link between the artist and beholders at different places and time.

False 13. Art may not be personally seen or heard in order to be enjoyed.

True 14. Almost all art draws its strength from its concern with human ambitions, dreams, and struggles
in life.

True 15. The work of art is a revelation of the soul of the artist.

1. The meaning of the root word humanus is civilized, refined, cultured, or disciplined.

2. Experience is the actual doing of something where art concepts are based

3. The art of designing and constructing buildings with a purpose is architecture.

4. Using the body to communicate an idea or feeling is the art of dance.

5. The word art comes from Latin which means ability or skill.

6. The study of beauty is called aesthetics.

7. Recording experiences in life using words is the art of literature.

8. A gifted individual who exhibits an exceptional skill in any of the arts is the artist.

9. Creating meaningful images on flat surfaces using pigments mixed with vehicle is painting.

10. Forming objects using any tangible material is the art of sculpture.
Certain principles underlie all the arts. These principles are the characteristic features and are true of
every art. They are the bases when one evaluates or judges an artwork.

1. Background (Where is the artwork from?)

There is no art without background. All art is created by man resulting from man's thoughts and
feelings. So, the origin of every artwork is always the inner man trying to find an avenue for expression.
When we see an artwork, we usually ask what it is all about, what it is for and we want to discover the
place of origin and the person or group of people who created it with the influences that helped to
shape it. We also would like to know what other works and events are contemporary with it because
works of art can help us know and understand the people and life of other times and places.

Some arts are representational which means they depict or describe a person, object, scene or
situation. These are arts with subject. Examples are painting. sculpture, literature and theater arts. Other
arts are without subject and they are called non-representational. Examples are architecture and some
musical pieces. They do not present identifiable objects or symbols.

Subject is the term used for whatever is represented in a work of art. It is not always essential to
art. Subject could be a person, thing, event or situation depicted by the artist. Painting, sculpture,
literature, and the theater arts are generally classified as representational although there are paintings
and sculptures without subjects. Music, architecture, and many of the function arts are generally non
representational because they do not present stories or references of identifiable objects or symbols.
Rather, they appeal directly to the senses through their sensuous and expressive elements.

Subject has three levels of meaning interpretation:

a. factual-literal presentation

b. conventional-special meaning related to a culture or religion

c. subjective -personal intention of the artist understood only through his interpretation

Also, artworks have practical usefulness. Arts of this nature are called functional or applied arts
because they are designed to directly affect people. Examples are architecture, weaving,
furniture-making, textile, and a few crafts. On the other hand, art which is concerned with the creation
of objects of imagination for its own sake without relation to function or utility is called non-functional
or fine arts.

Examples are painting, music, sculpture, literature and theater arts which seem more to amuse
people. Whatever function art has, the function influences and determines the form. However, art
demands something beyond functions as it reaches out to the human spirit.
2. Medium (What is it made of?)

A work of art can exist only through a medium. Therefore, there is no art without medium
because it is the material the artist uses in creating his art. Medium is the vehicle by which an artist
externalizes and communicates his thoughts and feelings. It is essential to all art because the names
designated to artists are derived from the medium used. The artist's selection of medium is part of his
artistic inspiration.

The nature of each medium determines the way it can be worked and turned into an artwork.

The mediums are:

● colored pigments-in painting

● any tangible thing such as stone, wood, metal, etc.-in sculpture
● various building materials-in architecture
● sound-in music
● words-in literature
● parts of the body-in dance

According to medium, art can be classified into three groups:

a. Visual or Space Arts-occupy space and can be seen

b. Tonal or Time Arts- expressed in time and can be heard

c. Combined Arts-can both be seen and heard

3. Composition or Organization (How are the elements put together?)

All art is composed of certain raw materials or elements (shapes, tones, words or colors of which
a particular art is organized) that are arranged according to some pattern to express meaning. The
elements also serve as the bases in evaluating or judging the artwork.

The two interlocking compositions of art are form and content. Form refers to the visual aspect
which provides a sensuous delight to the eyes of the viewer. It has to do with colors, sound or words.
Content is the intended meaning or message underlying the form which is described as insight or lesson
learned from the artwork A message is to be discovered and rediscovered by onlookers of an artwork as
they perceive and appreciate what lies beneath sounds, words, texture, and colors.

4. Style (What is the nature of the artwork?)

All art has style which is defined as the nature of the finished form resulting from the artist's
training, temperament and outlook in life. It is generally a reflection of the artist's personality as he
applies a special technique in creating his art. It is the distinctive quality of a work of art which relates it
to other artworks. Style refers to the development of peculiar forms in art that are related to particular
historical periods, but applies also to individual works of a single artist. It is the unique way an artist does
a particular thing by which he is known. It is style that makes the difference in artworks among artists of
the same medium and subject in their artwork.

Styles are certain common denominators of treatment and emphasis in artworks appearing
consistently in a given age or period. However, they change just as the fashion in clothes changes with
the passing of years. It is style that makes the difference in artworks among artists of the same medium
and subject in their artwork

The development of art styles can be traced back from the past to the present through different
periods. Each period or era has distinctive characteristic features of artworks reflecting the state or
condition of humanity that created them. They reveal the basic urges and aspirations of people in
different places and periods of time. Prehistoric artworks were created before man knew how to read
and write. Primitive arts are those which are not affected by modernization and are usually inspired by
superstitious beliefs and magic.

The following are the major stylistic periods, their approximate dates, and general
characteristics:

Greek Golden Age 500 B.C. - 410 B.C. Classicism, Humanism

Medieval 320 A.D. - 1400 A.D Holiness, Godliness, Sacredness

Renaissance 1300 - 1590 Secularism, Worldliness,

Exploration

Baroque 1600 - 1750 Extravagance, Ostentation,

Grandeur

Neo-classic 1700 - 1800 Elegance, Orderliness, Formality

Romantic 1775 - 1890 Sentimentalism, Individualism,

Rebellion

Modern 1900 - present Abstraction, Scientism,

Expressionism
 Comparative Characteristic of Art Styles

Archaic or Primitive Classical Romantic Modern or

Contemporary

Daring Calm Restless Confusing

Original Ideal Sentimental Distorted

Sacred Traditional Revolutionary Wild

Symbolic Natural Experimental Eclectic

A Mental Image A Visual Image A Multiple Image A Fragmental Image

The artistic history of Greece began in the Minoan pre-historical civilization and later gave birth
to Western classical art styles in the ancient Hellenistic Period. Greek art exhibits classicism and
humanism and is seen and felt mainly in their architecture, sculpture, painted potery, and literature.
Man was put on a pedestal and became the center of all things. Their architecture in the form of Doric,
Jonic and Corinthian columns seen in temples were dedicated to mythical gods and goddesses.

Medieval art spans over one thousand years of art history in Europe including Early Christian Art,
Byzantine Art, Romanesque Art, and Gothic Art. Its distinctive style was more focused on spiritual
expression rather than physical beauty. The Medieval man was generally sober, religious, and concerned
more of his soul's salvation.

The Renaissance meaning "rebirth" was more of a cultural and political movement that began in
Florence, Italy in the late Middle Ages. It encompasses many secular, intellectual, and worldly pursuits
based on classical sources. Painting was at its peak in the hands of many-talented great masters such as
Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, etc. Painters formulated the laws of linear and aerial perspectives and
the mathematics of representing three-dimensional reality on flat surfaces. Sculptors became interested
in the human body and represented it realistically. The "universal man" was the Renaissance ideal being
trained in the body, mind and spirit for his exalted position in society.

Baroque which means "rough pearl" was Western cultural style exemplified by grandeur, drama,
opulence, lavish ornamentation and an overall sense of awe to generally express triumphant power and
control.
 Neo-classic style of the 18th century emphasized formal pattern and discipline and simply a
nostalgia for classical ideals. It was the pursuit of perfection by means of rules and order which appealed
to the sophisticated courtly taste. Rococo was the prominent decoration style which tended toward
gracefulness and charm.

Romanticism is a complex, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the middle of
the 18th century in Western Europe. It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social norms, stressing
strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience. It legitimized the individual imagination as a critical
authority which permitted freedom from classical notions of form in art.

Modern or contemporary art refers to artistic works of the 19th century up to the present. Past
traditions are thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation with new ways of seeing with the characteristic
style of abstraction.