Module Art 01 What is Art PDF

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What is art?

1 What is Art? This first lesson in appreciation deals with the meaning of art and how art affects our lives. You will also explore your personal ideas and feelings about art.

Learning Outcome At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: 1. explain the meaning of art in your lives 2. discuss the definitions of art 3. explore your personal ideas and feelings about art Etymology of Art The word Art originally comes from the Aryan root word “ar” which means “join,” or “put together.” From the Greeks, the word Art is artizein, meaning “to prepare”. Latin terms are and artis mean everything that is artificially made or composed by man. The word art is often used to describe the visual arts, which consists of painting and sculpture; the performing arts like music, dance, film and theatre; the literary arts which includes poetry, short story and novel; and the industrial art which covers architecture. Combined arts or mixed arts are a combination of two or more basic arts like dance, drama and film. Nature of Art 1. Art is everywhere. It is found in museums, galleries, in garments and accessories we wear, designs of houses built for us, styles of vehicles, melody and sound of music, different food delicacies, rhythmic movement of dance, etc. 2. Art is a human activity that promotes enjoyment and satisfaction to us viewers and it lessens the drabness and weariness of everyday life. The doer of these “artworks” is called the “artist” and 9

he produces his works with great skill because his intention of creating his works of art is to share them to others and to satisfy their aesthetic interest. 3. Art is concerned with the expression of man’s thoughts and emotions as beautiful or not beautiful. Leo Tolstoy, in his essay “What is Art?” says that: “Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression.” Art is a means that enables us to express our emotions, intellect and ideas. Through art, we can communicate to the world our inner feelings and our creativity that only exists within our minds. Views of Art 1. Aristotle, Greek (384-322 BC) “A work of art should be evaluated based on mimesis (imitation), how faithfully the artists recorded what they saw in the natural world. world.” For Aristotle, the works of art are best judged according to likeness or resemblance. Art, however is not mere copying but it is how the artist presents his artwork better or worse than what the object or man usually was, or it does not fall short the average standard. 2. Plato, a Greek, 2500 years ago, believed that art depended on harmony created by symmetry and proportion. This ancient Greek temple combined both ideas beautifully. Example: The Parthenon. Its construction started in 477 B.C. and was completed in 432 B.C. by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates with Phidias, Greek Building Online (www.greatbuildings.com /) 3. Leonardo da Vinci - “The individual artist should engage in intellectual activity of a higher order and attempt to capture the inner life - the energy and the pow power er – of a subject”

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What is art?

Example: Head of Leda, 1505-1507, Leonardo da Vinci, Da Vinci drawingsofleonardo.org drawingsofleonardo.org)) (www.drawingsofleonardo.org

Georgia O’Keeffe, American, 1887 – 1896 “I have painted what each flower is to me and I have painted it big enough so that others would see what I see see." Example: Red Poppy, 1927, Artworks of Georgia O’Keeffe (www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/okeeffe okeeffe_georgia georgia.html) 4. John Dewey said, “Art is an attitude of a spirit , a state of mind – one which demands for his own satisfaction and fulfilling, a shaping of matter to new and more significant form” Example: Parenthesis Flower, 1995. Wax, Plexiglas. 5"x5"x1"([email protected]) 5. Leon Battista Alberti quotes, “A man can do all things if he but wills them.” Example: Façade Façade, 1472-92 Sant'Andrea, Mantua, ALBERTI, Leon Battista Italian architect (b. 1404, Genova, d. 1472, Roma), Web Gallery of Art 6. John Ruskin, English, 1819-1900, said, “Fine art is that in which the hand hand, the head and the heart of man go together.” Example: John Ruskin's Study of Gneiss Rock, Glenfinlas, 1853. Pen and ink and wash with Chinese ink on paper, Ashmolean John John_Ruskin) Ruskin) Museum, Oxford, England (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John 7. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) said this about art, “My opinion is that the best thing would be to work on till art lovers feel drawn toward it of their own accord, instead of having to praise or to explain it.” Four Common Points of Art From the definitions of art: (1) art is a product of man

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(2) art is creative (3) art is shared to satisfy others (4) art is expressed in different styles through certain media that enable the artist to communicate his idea and feelings to his viewers or recipients. Major Themes of Art 1. The Human Form Art using the human form as its theme is broken down into three categories: the portrait, the human figure and narratives. The portrait usually focuses on one person. The artist concentrates on showing important, beautiful and interesting or famous people. 2. The Natural World The natural world can be expressed in these three areas: plants, animals, landscapes. Artists celebrate the wonders of the living world around us. Laurel leaves were created by the Greeks and adapted by the Romans, as a symbol of respect and value. 3. The Spiritual World The spiritual artwork may be seen in three categories: images of heroes and religious figures, ritual objects and places of worship. Every culture believes in the higher power that oversees all beings. The art of Egypt is heavily influenced by spiritual and religious ideas and culture that extends back thousands of years

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What is art?

References Cathey, A. L. (1990). The nature of art. USA: Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publishing Data. Chaudhari, M (Retrieved from buzzle.com on March 5, 2011) Tagore, R. (2010).What is art? LLC: Kessinger Pulishing. Reprint. Tolstoy, L. (graf) Jone, W. G What is art? Russia: Bristol Classical Press. www.artshow.com/.../WorkshopDisplay www.greatb greatb greatbuildings.com uildings.com www.dra dra drawingsofleonardo.org wingsofleonardo.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure Figure Figuredrawing environental-audit.net absolutearts.com www.humanitiesweb.org www.fg-a.com/background backgrounds.htm

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