CHAPTER I

THE IMPORTANCE, MEANING, AND ASSUMPTIONS OF ART

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:

1. State the importance of art;

2. Differentiate art history from art appreciation;
3. Clarify misconceptions about art;
4. Differentiate art from nature;
5. Characterize the assumptions of art; and
6. Categorize works of art citing personal experiences.

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 IMPORTANCE OF ART

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 this period of advanced technology know-how and modernization, art is of vital

magnitude. We fight back to stabilize our lives while trying to maintain the swiftness of the
frenzied pace of living. Students who rise up with an artistic awareness perceive the world from
diverse viewpoints. This understanding shapes their behaviors, interpersonal and intrapersonal
communication, and performances. The artistic awareness is above any methodologies or
approaches. The milieu in which each child dwells, grows up, and functions is distinctive and
cannot be comprehensive. Creative sensibilities are to be developed and encouraged at home,
at school, in society, and finally, in the world, which plays a major role.

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.

Four (4) common essentials of art:

1. Art has to be man-made.

2. Art must be creative, not imitative.
3. Art must benefit and satisfy man.
4. Art is expressed through a certain medium or material by which the artist
communicates himself to his audiences.

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.

Art is not Nature.

Art is man-made; it is a creation of man utilizing his thoughtful skill and artistry, which
undergoes process and planning. Art is artificial because it is just an imitation or even an
appropriation of reality and nature. It is a representation of ideas, thoughts, and feelings that are
communicated in creative and artistic ways. Art that is created by God is divine, and art that is
created by man is superficial or temporary. Works of art are made by artists to adore the wonders
of life and the beauty of God’s creation.
Art can never be natural because it is momentary in the constant transformation of
change; it does not change by itself unless manipulated by its creator, which is a man. Artists
could make any work of art, but they definitely could not form nature. From man’s experiences,
we cannot even compare art with nature because it is something mysterious, and it is made by
the Divine Providence whose depth and mystery is beyond human understanding.

Art Involves Experience.

Art is a depiction of our experiences. It demands taking part. Art involves laying of
pigments, molding of clay, chipping of marble, casting of bronze, constructing of buildings,
singing of songs, playing roles on stage, acting and going through rhythmic movements in a
dance. Every art does something with some physical material, the body or something outside the
body; thus, the only way to find conviction and assertion is through immersion in the Arts. We
can only appreciate art if we spend time to look at it, listen to it, and feel its presence.
FUNCTIONS OF ART

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.

BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES OF ART

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

1. Visual Arts (2D, 3D)

a. Painting – it is the application of pigment (color) on any flat two-dimensional
surfaces.
b. Sculpture – it is the carving, modelling, casting, constructing, and assembling
of materials and objects into primarily three-dimensional works of art.
c. Architecture – it is the art and science of planning, designing, and constructing
buildings and nonbuilding structures for human shelter or use (3D).
2. Performing/Combined Arts
a. Music – is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound organized
in time.
b. Dance – is the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and
within a given space for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion.
c. Film – also called movie or motion picture, is a series of still images that when
shown on a screen creates an illusion of moving images.
 d. Theater – is a collaborative form of art that uses live performers, typically
actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event
before live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
e. Literary – is concentrating the writing, study or content of literature, especially
of the kin valued for quality or form.
f. Performance poetry – is poetry specifically composed for or during a
performance before an audience rather than on print mostly open to
improvisation.

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.