Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter-I Gec-5
Chapter-I Gec-5
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
This chapter introduces the importance of art as part or component of our dynamic
civilization and art as an essential form of expression and communication in our daily existence.
The meaning of art covers its etymological to modern definition and how man sees it variably
and relatively from person, time, and place. The assumptions tackle the principles and sources of
appreciating art and establish the margin and boundary of the responsibility and duty in fulfilling
what man is capable of doing
The arts are indescribable to define and difficult to gather into a conceptual net, but we
would probably agree that the arts enhance daily experiences. Art has touched everyone. Art is
all around us, being universal as it can be found in all cultures. We are certain that we do not
want to be without the arts, yet we are [ushed to define them and sometimes even to understand
them. Art has a particular importance in our lives. All the art that we receive through our senses
have a purpose, as well as expression; they occupy some place in our judgment.
These days, art plays a vital part in developing the intellect of the younger generation to
build up a positive character and appreciate natural aesthetics. An artistically tending student
has a constructive turn of mind and artistic ways in every work he or she performs. Above all,
such a student steadily develops unbiased, responsive and inventive mind full of creativity and
dormant talent.
In general, there is no debating he belief that the arts have never been more important
to our society and should be fully integrated into our lives, our community and education as a
whole.
MEANING OF ART
The word “art” is rooted in the 13th century French word art, which means skill as a result
of learning or practice, and the Latin word ars, meaning ability or practical skills.
The word art covers many meanings, including ability, process, and product. As ability, art
is the human capacity to make things of beauty and things that stir us; it is creativity. As process,
art encompasses acts, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, designing buildings, singing, dancing,
and using the camera to create images or memorable works. As product, art is the completed
work – an etching, a sculpture, a structure, a musical composition, choreography, or a tapestry.
Art concerns itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means of a
sensuous medium – color, sound, body, words, and film. This medium is fashioned into a symbolic
language marked by beauty of design and coherence of form. It appeals to our mind, arouses our
emotions, kindles our imagination, and enchants our senses (Machlis, 1963).
Many known personalities define art in various ways. According to Plato, “Art is that
which brings life in harmony with the beauty of the world.” For John Dewey, “Art is an attitude
of spirit, a state of mind – one that demands for its own satisfaction and fulfilling, a shaping of
matter to new and more significant form.” For Oscar Wilde, “Art is the most intense mode of
individualism that the world has known,” and for Elbert Hubbard, “Art is not a thing – it is a way.”
From the various definitions above, art has four essentials.
ASSUMPTIONS OF ART
There are principles and bases of appreciating a work of art since it is in art that man can
communicate one’s individually and way of life.
Art is Universal.
Art is everywhere; wherever men have lived together, art has sprung up among them as
a language charged with feelings and significance. The desire to create this language appears to
be general, and art as a cultural force can be pervasive and potent. Art has no limit, and it rises
above cultures, races, and civilization. It is timeless because it goes beyond the time of our own
existence.
1. Personal
It is being used to provide comfort, happiness, and convenience to human beings.
The artist tries to express his personal feelings through the artwork.
2. Social
Art is used for public display and celebration; it is used to affect collective
behavior. It bridges connections among people. Art conveys sense of family, community,
or civilization.
3. Cultural function
Art helps preserve, share, and transmit culture of people from one generation to
another.
4. Aesthetic Function
Art becomes influential for man to be aware of the beauty of nature. Aesthetics is
when there is the real feelings of appreciation to nature’s beauty and are manifested
through appreciation and enjoyment when in contact with the artwork.
5. Spiritual Function
An artist may create a work of art to reinforce the religious or spiritual support of a
culture.
1. Art as mimesis (Plato). According to him, art is an imitation of the real that was an
imitation of the ideal. Art is an imitation of an imitation.
2. Art is representation (Aristotle). According to him, the aim of art is not to represent
the outward appearance of things but their inward significance.
3. Art for art’s sake (Kant). Art has its own reason for being. It implies that an art object
is best understood as an autonomous creation to be valued only for its success as it
organizes color and line into a formally satisfying and beautiful whole.
4. Art as an escape. The ceremony of doing or creating art touches the deepest realms
of the mind and the sacred dimension of the artistic creative process. The sacred level
of art not only transforms something into art but also transforms the artist at the very
core of his or her being.
5. Art as functional. Art serves a function. Art is meant to be used, to enrich lives to be
spiritually potent, to educate, to support or protest existing power structures, to
entertain, and so on.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
3. Digital Art
It is the art that is made with the assistance of electronic devices, or intended to
be displayed on a computer, which is the most important element in digital art.
4. Applied Arts
a. Fashion design – is the art of applying design, aesthetics, and natural beauty
to clothing and its accessories.
b. Furniture design – is a specialized field where function and fashion collide.
c. Interior design – is enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier
and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space.
d. Graphic design – it is an artistic process of effective communication. Designers
combine words, images, and symbols to create a visual representation of
ideas.