THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF ARTS

CONCEPTS:
1. The term humanities refer to the arts – the visual arts such as architecture, painting, sculpture,
music, dance, theatre or drama, and literature. They are the branches of learning concerned with
human thought, feelings, and relations.
2. Art, as term is taken from the Italian word, “artis”, which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery of
form, inventiveness and the association that exist between form and ideas and between material
and techniques. From the Aryan root “ar” which means to “join” or “put together”; from the
Greek words “artezein,” which means to prepare, and “arkiskein,” meaning to put together.
3. Art, like love, is very important in our lives as it is concerned with the communication of certain
ideas and feelings by means of a sensuous medium – color, sound, bronze, marble, words, film,
and literature.
4. The subject of art is varied. Some arts have subject called representational arts; others do not
have subjects which are non-representational or non-objective arts.
5. All arts have functions for people since they satisfy a particular need for them.
6. Visual arts, or space arts are those that we perceive with our eye and which occupy space.
7. Auditory or time arts are those that can be heard and are expressed in time.
8. Combined arts are those that can be both seen and heard and these exist in both space and time.

Chapter 1
The Nature, Meaning, Importance of Art and Art Appreciation

The Nature of Art

 Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest and most important means of
expression developed by man. Since men have lived together, art sprung up. In fact, in nearly
every country, art shows itself in primitive societies. In every age or country, there is always art.
Art has been created by all people at all times; it has lived because it is liked and enjoyed. A true
work of art is made by man himself not imitatively but creatively.
 A true artist does not imitate nature but rather interpret it in his own way by selecting the
essential features of the subject and rejecting the minor ones.

Art has been defined in various ways. Hereunder are some of the definitions given by various
authors:
1. Art is derived from the Latin word “ars,” meaning ability or skill.-J.V. Estate
2. Art is taken from the Italian word “artis,” which means craftsmanship, skill, mastery of form,
inventiveness, and the associations that exist between form and ideas, between material and
technique. —A. Tan
3. Art is a product of man’s need to express himself.—F. Zulueta
4. Art is concerned itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means of
sensuous medium, color, sound, bronze, marble, words, and film. — C. Sanchez
5. Art is that which brings life in harmony with the beauty of the world. — Plato
6. 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
7. Art is the skillful arrangement or composition of some common but significant qualities of
nature such as colors, sounds, lines, movements, words, stones, wood, etc., to express human
feelings, emotions, or thoughts in a perfect meaningful and enjoyable way ~Panizo and Rustia

From the definitions above, there are four (4) common essentials of art:
(1) art must be man-made
(2) art must be creative, not imitative
(3) art must benefit and satisfy man-man make use of art in practical life through artistic principles, taste
and skill.
(4) art is expressed through a certain medium or material by which the artist communicates himself to his
fellows.

 Art has a particular importance in our lives. All art that we see and hear have a purpose as well
as expression; they occupy some place in our judgment.
 We can communicate through paintings, songs, dances and dramatic plays to highlight and
heighten the importance of certain events and to keep them memorable and pleasurable. We also
build monuments to remind us of the heroic deeds of great men.
 Artworks are also valuable sources of inspiration and aesthetic and delightful experience.
o We delighted by the books we read and we are moved by the music we hear.
o We also get deep satisfaction from them.
o We enjoy a masterpiece of painting, sculpture or a play became they capture our
attention.
o We are inspired to plan and construct our houses beautifully when we are stimulated by
modern architectural design.
 Through the artist’s work, we get a glimpse of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the people in
their time and the faces in their environment that influenced their artwork.
 Out of the aesthetic experiences we derive from the arts, we may be influenced to change our
ways and behavior. They may transform us into highly-cultured, dignified, and respectable
human beings. The arts may beautify our humanity.
 This explains why the arts are called the humanities. They bring out the good and the noble in
us.

Art appreciation is the ability to interpret or understand man-made arts and enjoy them either
through actual and work-experience with art tools and materials or possession of these work s of art for
one’s admiration and satisfaction. Art appreciation therefore deals with learning or understanding and
creating arts and enjoying them.
The Subject of Art
  In any art form — be it painting, music, sculpture, architecture, or the dance — there is always a
subject that serves as the foundation of the creation of the work of art.
 The subject of art is varied.
 A subject of art is usually anything that is represented m the artwork. It may be a person, object,
scene, or event.
Artworks that depict something easily recognized by most people are called representational or objective
arts. Painting, sculpture, graphic arts, literature, and theatre arts are generally classified us
representational, although some paintings and sculptures are without subjects. Music and dance may or
may not have subjects.
Artwork t hat has no resemblance to any real subject are called non-representational or non-objective
arts. They do not represent anything and they are what they are. They rather appeal directly to the senses
primarily because of the satisfying organization of their sensuous and expressive elements.

Traditional sculptures and paintings have subjects. When looking at a painting or a statue, one expects to
recognize the subject to know what it is about — a man, a dog, a landscape.

The Functions of Art

 Every art form has definite functions since it satisfies particular needs.
 To find meaning in art, it must have or serve a utilitarian purpose and be capable of serving the
purpose for which it was designed.
 Obviously, architecture is directly and almost entirely functional because buildings and other
structures are always built for some special purpose.
 Music and the dance were used for ritual and worship of the gods and for social and folk
entertainments of the people as well as for military purposes.
 Painting and sculpture may be used to narrate events, to portray people or events, to instruct (as
in the case of Christian art), to commemorate individuals or historical events and to serve as
vehicles of personal expression of a vision of nature and its beauty.
 Metal works such as gates, grills, lamps, Christian religious objects, armor, weapons, tools,
ceramics, glassware, strained glass, mosaic, tilework, textile, and furniture are among the many
types of arts or crafts. Each of these examples is made for some definite and specific use.

To sum up, there are four main functions of art. These are:
1. Aesthetic function — Through art, man becomes conscious of the beauty of nature. He benefits
from his own work and from those done by his fellowmen. He learns to use, love, and preserve
them for his enjoyment and appreciation.
2. Utilitarian function — With the creation of the various forms of art, man now lives in comfort and
happiness. Through art, man is provided with shelter, clothing, food, light, medicine, beautiful
surroundings, personal ornamentals, entertainment, language, transportation, and other necessities
and conveniences of life. Art not only enriches man’s life but also improves nature through
 landscape gardening, creation of super highways and through propagation and conservation of
natural resources.
3. Cultural function — Through the printed matter, art transmits and preserves skills and knowledge
from one generation to another. It burdens one’s cultural background and makes man more
civilized and his life more enduring and satisfying.
4. Social function—Through civic and graphic arts, man learns to love and help each other.
International understanding and cooperation are fostered and nations become more unified,
friendly, cooperative, helpful, and sympathetic.

The Scope of Art

 Various authors classify arts in different ways. According to Manaois, there are two (2) general
dimensions of arts, namely
(1) Fine Arts or Independent Arts - Fine arts are made primarily for aesthetic
enjoyment through the senses, especially visual and auditory. Fine arts or aesthetic arts
are music, painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, dancing and drama..
(2) Practical Arts or Useful or Utilitarian Arts - Practical arts are intended for practical
use or utility. It is the development of raw materials for utilitarian purposes. Practical arts
or useful arts are industrial art, applied or household art, civic art, commercial art, graphic
art, agricultural art, business art, distributive art, and fishery art.

According to Custodiosa Sanchez, arts consist of visual arts, literature, drama and theatre, music, and
dance. Visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes. They may be classified into two groups,
namely:
1. Graphic arts - include painting, drawing, photography, graphic process (printing), commercial
art (designing of books, advertisements, signs, posters and other displays), mechanical process, in
which portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded on a two-dimensional surface.
2. Plastic arts - include all fields of visual arts for which materials are organized into three-
dimensional forms such as structural architecture, landscape architecture, (gardens, parks,
playgrounds, golf course beautification), city physical planning and interior arranging (design of
wallpaper, furniture), sculpture, crafts, industrial design, dress and costume design, and theatre
design.

Josefina Estolas grouped arts into major and minor arts.

 Major arts include painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, music and dance.
 Minor arts include the decorative arts, popular arts, graphic arts, plastic arts, and industrial arts.

She also grouped arts into:

 Visual arts (graphic arts, plastic arts)
 Performing arts, (theatre, play dance, music)
 Literary arts (short stories, novels, poetry, dramas)
  Popular arts (film, newspaper, magazine, radio, television)
 Gustatory art of the cuisine (food preparation, beverage preparation)
 Decorative arts or applied arts (beautify houses, offices, cars and other st ructures).

Panizo and Rustia (1995) classified arts into two (2) major divisions:
(1) According to Purpose - arts are classified into practical arts or useful arts, liberal arts, fine arts,
major arts, and minor arts.
(2) According to Media and Forms - include plastic arts, phonetic arts, kinetic arts, pure airs, and
mixed arts.
Practical or useful arts are directed to produce artifacts and utensils for the satisfaction of human needs.
- Handicrafts (basket weaving, mat weaving, etc.), embroidery, ceramics, iron and metal crafts, tin
can manufacture, etc., are examples of these arts.
Liberal arts are directed toward intellectual growth, such as in the study of philosophy, psychology,
literature, mathematics, and sciences.
Fine arts are focused towards creative activity for the contemplation o1f the mind, and the uplift of the
spirit. Painting, sculpture, and architecture are examples of these arts.
Major arts are characterized by actual and potential expressiveness such as music, poetry sculpture.
Minor arts are concerned on practical uses and purposes, such as interior decoration and porcelain art.
Plastic arts arc developed through space and perceived by the sense of sight. Such arts include sculpture
and decorative materials.
Kinetic arts involve th e element rhythm. Dance is a type of this art.
Phonetic arts are directed toward sounds and words as media of expression. Examples are music, drama.
Pure arts take only one medium of expression like sound in music and color in painting.
Mixed arts take more than one medium such as the opera which combines music, poetry and drama.

The Origin of Art

 Art is viewed as a reflection of creative and ingenuity and inventiveness within a culture. It is
seen not only in terms of its styles and craftsmanship but its functional interaction with all the
elements that constitute human life and culture.
 Art started during the primitive time when superstition and beliefs in the spirits are still very
common in every culture. Art is tribal and indigenous that every ritual and ceremony is
accompanied by dancing, painting, music, and poetry. The primitive art is symbolic. For
instance, the primitive people dance to entertain, to worship their gods and goddesses, or to
invoke success and blessings.
 Music and poetry are directed towards the life and works of their ancestors as well as legendary
origins of heroes, heroines and gods.
 Primitive people painted their bodies, caves, and some parts of their dwelling to symbolize and
represent something.
 Sculpture of gods, goddesses were usually made of wood and clay. The origin of this art is
probably connected with sorcery and magic.
 All arts originated in the temples of the East and West. These arts pertain to gods, goddesses,
religious animals, demons, priests, kings and queens.