MODULE 1 THE NATURE OF ART

Lesson 1 Defining Art

Lesson 2 Assumption of Arts

Lesson 3 Scope and forms of Arts

Lesson 4 Functions of Arts

 MODULE 1
The Nature of Art

 INTRODUCTION
Art Appreciation is a subject required in the General Education
program that concerns with the cultivation of aesthetic tastes while exposing the
students to the principles, history, and philosophy of the arts. Art appreciation
belongs to the Humanities and from the etymology of the subject, “humanus”, this
course is offered so that students will not forget they are human beings; for man is
not only a rational being, but also a being endowed with affective faculties that
enables them to appreciate beauty or that which is considered beautiful.

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. Clarify misconceptions about art

2. Identify the scope and forms of art
3. State the value of art to man and in society

 DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

There are four lessons in the module. Read each lesson carefully then answer the
task/activities to find out how much you have benefited from it. Instructions as to
the submission of outputs are posted on Google Classroom. If there are points of
clarification or those that you need further explanation/elaboration, post your
concerns on our Messenger group chat so that everyone can benefit from the
discussion. I will respond immediately to your concerns.
Lesson 1

 DEFINING ART

What is Art?

Defining what is art can be tricky. Even scholars and artists themselves define art
differently form one another depending on their own experiences, knowledge base
and personal aesthetics. There is also the tendency to define art based on the
value judgment. Value judgment as to what is art depends upon one’s perception
of beauty (Pederson, 2021). When something is beautiful to look at, it is art. But
then, defining or setting the standards of beauty is another dilemma that one has
to clarify.

In its etymology, the word ‘art’ is akin to the Latin word “ars” which means art,
skill, or craft. The first recorded use of the word came from 13 th -century
manuscripts. However, some scholars believed that the word art and its other
variants (Artem, eart, et al.) probably existed since the founding of Rome
(Marder, 2019).

The Webster Dictionary (as cited in Nery & Cruz, 2018) defines art as “ The human
ingenuity in adapting natural things to man’s use.” This suggests that the term art
is used to refer to God-made creations that are transformed to man-made objects
by way of man’s ingenuity. Apart from this definition, Nery and Cruz (2018) also
cited synonymous terms relating to art or pointing to a definition thereof:

1. Cunning - ingenuity in inventing or devising

2. Artifice – the technical skill especially in imitating things in nature
3. Craft – implies expertness in workmanship
4. Skill – referring to the technical knowledge and proficiency
Such definition only points to art as man made devices or things that were made
for human utility. It may make sense since the prehistoric era, man had created
tools for his survival- granting that the definition of art is anything man-made for
his use. However, this definition is very limiting.

The Definition of Art through the Ages

The evidence that there is no universal definition of art is reflected in the
historical definition of what can be classified as art. Take note however, that what
is illustrated in this discussion is the idea of ART as a western notion or how art is
as perceived by the Western culture. The definition of art after all, is limited by
culture and era. The following illustrates this decree:

Classical meaning of art (Renaissance Era). The original classical

definition of art, extracting it from its etymology (as cited in the earlier
discussion), “ars” meaning “skill” or “craft” leads to the definition of art as :
“The product of a body of knowledge, most often using a set of skills.” So, in this
definition, if art is a product of skill, artists would not be viewed as how we
perceive them today. No wonder, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo endeavored
to elevate the status of artists because in their time, they were viewed merely as
artisans (interior decorators).
Post-Renaissance meaning of art. As mentioned, the artists like Da
Vinci and Michelangelo were viewed as artisans and craftsmen. To distinguish
themselves, these artists established academies during the Renaissance era. By
the 19th century, with the establishment of various art academies in Europe,
defining art as a demonstration of technical skills was not enough. There must be
the presence of “aesthetic component” or it has to be something considered to be
“beautiful”. By this century, there came to be a distinction between the fine arts
or arts which are created for its aesthetic value (art for art’s sake) such as painting
and sculpture and the applied arts (the lesser form of art) such as crafts and
commercial design work, the ornamental or decorative arts such as textile design
and interior design. Applied arts are recognized for its functionality or usefulness.
It is the academy of fine arts that dictated the standards of what can be
considered as art ; congruently, the aesthetic values that at art work should
possess or in other words what would be considered to be “beautiful” or “artistic”.

20th Century to Postmodernism. The birth of cubism (popularized

by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso) gave rise to other art movements that defied
the set standards of the academies. New art movements such as constructivism,
Dadaism, surrealism, and various styles of social realism broadened the theory and
practice of art. Artists suddenly gained greater freedom in their creations
according to their subjectivity (probably where the concept of art as self-
expression originated). Because of this, “art” started to become “indefinable”.

Defining art, much less identifying it in later years ( Post world War II ) became
even more problematic when the center of art was moved from Paris to New York.
American art movements like abstract expressionism, pop-art, and new art forms
like assemblage, graffiti, and installation art among others gave numerous styles of
reinterpretations of art; thus, came about Neo-Dada, Neo-expressionism, and Neo-
pop. This polytheism further blurred the definition of art. All of a sudden, even
the most mundane or ordinary object or concept became elevated to the status of
art.

The redefinition of art during the last three decades of the 20 th century saw a shift
from the Renaissance concept of art as skill to the postmodern concept of art as
“meaning”. The focus now is on the meaning of the work that was produced. In
addition, identifying what art is became dependent too on the experience of the
spectator of the art work – how the spectator experienced the art became a
critical component in its aesthetic value (Encyclopedia of Art, 2021).

A working definition of art. Although we cannot have a universal

definition of art and that as has been discussed, the meaning of art is limited to its
culture and era, we can at least have a working definition of art and somehow get
a sense of what can be considered as art. Based from the historical development
in the meaning of art, we can at least define art in this manner:

Art is created when an artist creates a beautiful object, or

produces a stimulating experience that is considered
by his audience to have artistic merit.

This working definition is broad enough to include most art forms, nut narrow
enough to exclude those “events” whose “artistic” content falls below accepted
levels. The word beautiful is included to reflect the presence of “aesthetic”
value; while the phrase “that is considered by his audience to have artistic merit”
is included to reflect the need for some basic acceptance of the artist’s efforts
(Encyclopedia of Art, 2021).

This definition expresses the same idea as the following cited at Lumen Learning
(2017) which states that , “Art is a highly diverse range of human activities
engaged in creating visual, auditory, or performed artifacts (artworks) that express
the author’s imaginative or technical skill, and are intended to be appreciated for
their beauty or emotional power (influence).

Why Do We Need to Study Art & Art Appreciation?

This subject, Art Appreciation may be frowned at by most freshmen as they enroll
in the general education courses. Questions like, “why do I have to take this
subject?”, “how is this relevant to my course?”.

Art Appreciation falls under the discipline of the Humanities. Humanities is an

academic discipline that studies the different aspects of the human society and
culture. The term humanities came from the Latin expression, studia humanitatis
(study of humanity), referring to an education fitted for a cultivated man, or
simply from the Latin word, “humanus” meaning human, cultured, or refined.
Humanities is basically an umbrella term that encompasses various subjects that
attempt to answer the question, “what makes us human?”

The English philosopher, John Stuart Mill argued that the undergraduate college
should not be a place of “professional education”. Instead, he hypothesized that
educational institutions should be a place to encourage students to become
“capable and cultivated human beings”. Before the students become lawyers,
engineers, physicians or any other professional, they are first, human beings. For
Mill, if people are to be made capable and sensible human beings using the
subjects under the humanities, then, they will make themselves capable and
sensible lawyers or physicians (Nery & Cruz, 2018).

So, why do we need to study art appreciation? If you look into your course
checklist in your major or field of specialization, you will notice that all your
subjects are geared towards the rational and empirical learning. Where in your
curricular program, as in , which subjects, arouses your sensibilities and allows
you to develop a taste for the good and the beautiful. Which subject reminds you
that you are a human being with sensibilities and endowed not only with a rational
mind but also with affective faculties that enables you to appreciate whatever
arouses your aesthetic pleasures? This subject is the study of art and art
appreciation.

THINK
Instruction: Explain the meaning of the following quotations from different
definitions of art by scholars and artists.
 1. “Art is a mediator of the unspeakable.”
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832)

2. “Art is a goddess of dainty thought, reticent of habit, abjuring all

obtrusiveness, proposing in no way to better others. She is, withal
selfishly occupied with her own perfection only – having no desire to
teach.”
(James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1834-1903)

3. “Art isn’t something you marry. It’s something you rape.”

(Edgar Degas, 1834-1907)

4. Art is a mad search for individualism.”

(Paul Gauguin, 1848-1903)

5. Art is the signature of civilization.”

(Jean Sibelius, 1865-1957)

Rubric for this Activity

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