CONTEXT OF

CONTEMPORARY
ART

CHAPTER 2 LESSON
SUMMARY
 TOPICS INCLUDE
Context of Contemporary art
Classification of Contemporary Art
Fundamentals of Contemporary Art
Disciplines of Contemporary Art
The Art World
-Government Agencies and
Institutions
-The Art Market
 The Context of Art
 Context consists of all of the things about the artwork that might
have influenced the artwork or the maker (artist).

It refers to factors that surround the work of art. when the
work was made; where it was made (both culturally and
geographically); why it was made; and possibly some other
details or information.
 It includes a host of conditions such as historical events, economic
trends, contemporary cultural developments, religious attitudes,
social norms, other artworks of the time, among others.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

Refers to the historical, social, political and artistic
climate or period in which the artist was working when
the artwork was created.
 Classification of Context
PRIMARY CONTEXT
 Pertains to the artists his/her attitudes, beliefs, interests and
values, education and training, biography (including psychology)
 This includes the artists intentions and purposes for making
his/her art.

SECONDARY CONTEXT
- Addresses the external conditions in which the work was
produced; the apparent function of the work, religious and
philosophical convictions, socio-political and economic
structures, and even climate and geography.
How certain things or processes take on this
value is part of the study of art. A thing
becomes art when it is charged with meaning
and value based on the following criteria:

AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE
-Are our responses towards phenomenal like
enchantment, fear, awe, terror or guilt all that it takes
to name something as art, or consider something as
artistic, pleasant or enchanting, or something be a
thing or commodity?
 CONSENSUS OF THE ART WORLD
- The network of institutions (schools, museums,
galleries, commercial market systems, and professions)
which exercises the power to set the terms with which
the public is made to perceive art.
 CULTURAL PRACTICE and SHARED MEANING
- every culture creates art, and each has its own standards of
representation, its own cultural context, and own aesthetic
conventions.
Material Conditions- refer to human labor power
and means of production (tools, equipment, buildings,
technologies, knowledge, materials and other resources) the
social and technical relations of production (property, power,
and control relations governing society’s productive assets), and
relations between social classes.
 ART IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT
 It begins in one’s locality, in the regional sense. It is the place where
personal and group identities are nurtured as individual experiences
are accumulated and collective memories are commemorated.
It is viewed that the regions is the key identity market.
 Regionalism in art celebrates local tradition and pride of place.
 Negros is one of the areas where there is a string regional art
tradition, they produced artists that have contributed to their lively
art scene.
 Bacolod and Dumaguete are both hailed as centers in the local art
industry, as many galleries and artist’s group are found their.
 Baguio City is recognized as the regional center of artistic production
in the Cordillera region.
 Davao is considered as the aesthetic laboratory and cultural hub of
many Mindanao artists.
 FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENTS
OF ART
 The source of all art is human imagination or creative
thinking. This process begins with an idea or concept, which is
given physical form through the imaginative use of materials
or media.
 Creativity is the ability to bring forth something new that has
value. It is usually thought of as a central to the making of art.

- In the interpretation of contemporary artwork,

there is no single and correct meaning. The assignment
of meaning differs from person to person, as people are
honed by individual experiences and prejudices and
each possess varying social and cultural backgrounds
which assure no one correct interpretation.
 The Three Fundamental Components
and the Process of Analysis
Fundamental Object of Analysis Process of Analysis
Component of Art

FORM Technique Imagination

LANGUAGE Meaning Interpretation

MODE of Political Economy Ideology

PRODUCTION

Refer the definition of each component on the e-book, page 17

DISCIPLINES OF ART
 The Four Foundational Art disciplines are
A. ART PRODUCTION
B. ART CRITICISM
C. ART HISTORY
D. AESTHETICS

A. ART PRODUCTION
Is the process of responding to observations, concepts,
emotions, and other experiences that we encounter in the
world and interpreting these responses by creating artworks
that employ human skill, intuition and imagination to raw
materials or medium with appropriate tools and technique of
execution.
  Art Production is the presentation of ideas and feelings
by creating expressive images through the application of
tools and mastery of techniques to a material.

B. ART CRITICISM
- Help us defer our judgment process and understand why we
respond the way we do.
- Involves learning other criteria for judgment beyond our
personal likes and dislikes.
- Means describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating
works of art for the purpose of understanding and
appreciating art.
- Seeks answers for the perception and description of works
of art, what they mean through analysis and interpretation.,
knowing their worth and value through judgment.
Four-step Process in Art Criticism
1st step
DESCRIPTION (What do you see?)
-in this step, you collect information about the subject
of the artwork. ( MAIN SUBJECT MATTER.pdf )
-use the elements and principles of art (line, color,
shape, texture, value, space, form)
2nd step
ANALYSIS (How is the work organized?)
- in this step, it deals with the work’s compositional
qualities. The art elements and art principles that organize
them.
-How are elements of art arranged in this artwork?
- describe the formal properties (balance, contrast,
emphasis, unity, pattern, movement, rhythm)
3rd Step
 INTERPRETATION (What message does this artwork
communicate?)
- this step deals with the content of the work. Assumptions and
guesses are made about the possible meaning of the work.
-what is the meaning of the work?
- What mood (playful, sad, joyful, mysterious, peaceful,
terrifying) idea (truth, pride, honor courage, wisdom, authority,
compassion, tension, relaxation) does it express?
4th Step
 JUDGMENT (Is this a successful work of art?)
- Judging a work of art means making a decision about its success or
lack of success.
- In this step, one expresses the success or failure of the artwork and
establishes its value in society.
-Do you think this is a successful work of art? Why or why not?
-What is the value or relevance of the artwork in contemporary society?
 C. ART HISTORY
 It is the study of art, past and present, and its
contributions to cultures and society.
 The primary purpose of art history is to establish the
timeline and sustain the systematic sequence of events in
the development of culture and traditions of art.
 Purpose of art history is to (refer the definition of each
on page 20 in your e-book)
Range of forms:
a. Attribution e. Function
b. Authenticity f. Style
c. Iconography g. Psychology
d. Provenance h. Connoisseurship
Range of forms:
a. Attribution - where, when, why and by whom was the work
made
b. Authenticity – scholarly verification is made to document and
affirm the attribution of the artwork.
c. Iconography - the meaning of the objects, symbols and motifs of
the artwork
d. Provenance - the history of the ownership of the artwork, who
were the previous owners, what were the circumstances behind
the transfer of ownership across generations
e. Function – the general function of the artwork, why was it
created?
f. Style - remarkable characteristics or qualities that identify the
work.
g. Psychology - what personal factors help the artist to his or her
time and the work to a particular social or cultural tradition?
h. Connoisseurship - how does intensive study of the work reveal
or help resolve the problems of authorship, ownership and
physical condition.
 D. AESTHETICS
 Refers to the nature, beauty, and value of a work of art.
 It is a branch of Philosophy that examines the nature,
meaning, and value of art and other things, from an
aesthetic point of view.
 The study of aesthetics help us understand what
distinguishes art form other kinds of phenomena, the issues
that such differences give rise to, and how one may justify
judgments about art objects.

The THREE AESTHETIC THEORIES OF ART CRITICISM

IMITATIONALISM,
FORMALISM,
EMOTIONALISM
 IMITATIONALISM and LITERAL QUALITIES
- It is the realistic presentation of the subject matter
-People with this point of view feel that an artwork should imitate life-
that it should look life-like –before it can be considered successful.
- this is often seen in portraiture where skill of artists like Fernando
Amorsolo is assessed through their ability to depict human faces and their
identity by brush stroke.
FORMALISM and FORMAL QUALITIES
- Places emphasis in the formal qualities and the arrangement of the
elements of art using the principles of art.
- Critics said that it is composition is the most important work of art.
- How do the Elements cone together to create balance?

EMOTIONALISM and EXPRESSIVE QUALITIES

- this Theory focuses in the content of the work of art. Some critics
claim that no object can be considered art if it fails to arouse an
emotional reaction from the viewer.
THE ART WORLD

CONTINUATION OF
THIS TOPIC IS ON
THE OTHER FILE