Humanities and Art

Appreciation: An Introduction

“Appreciation of works of art requires

organized
effort and systematic study”
 
-Dr. Arbert C. Barnes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. understand the importance of Humanities and Art Appreciation in

every individual’s life;
2. gain a general knowledge of the creation and functions of arts; and
3. recognize the certain purpose of art as well as its classification and
discuss their characteristics.
 Input

 Meaning and Importance of Humanities

Etymologically, the term “Humanities” is from a Latin word humanus which means educated. It refers

to the learning of arts such as architecture, dance, literature, music, painting, theatre, and sculpture

(Sanches, 2011).They are branches of knowledge that focuses on the human opinions, and relationships

(Machlis, 2003). As a branch of learning, the artwork is considered as the material object while its

creativity and appreciation is the formal object (Menoy, 2009& Marcos, et al., 2010).

Likewise, Humanities is more concerned on how a person expresses his/her feelings. These feelings

can be in facial manifestations or body movements. Laughing, crying, clenching our fists, curling our

toes, stretching out our fingers, and crossing our arms are representations of humanities (Menoy, 2009).
 Input

As a branch of knowledge, Humanities explores on human conditions through the use of

analytical, critical, or theoretical methods. These methods are in the form of ideas and

words that help makes our life more meaningful. Moreover, Humanities can also be as the

study on how an individual documented and processed his/her experiences particularly in

connecting to others (Stanford University, 2016).Imparting humanities as an academic

science is designed to let our learners (particularly the new generations) become creative

and artistic individuals. Humanities help the students to connect with the community

through art exposure like museum outings, concerts, theatre performance, etc. (Marcos,

2010).
 Description of Art Appreciation

When we look around, we see a lot of things that relate to art. Art can come in the
form of many items such as posters, paintings, portraits, covers, and more. People look
at art in different ideas that they want to know more about or may be studying. Art can
shows ideas about the past, what is currently happening and what may happen in the
future. It can also show meaning, love, boredom, and creativity (Ramos, 2012). Art
can be meaningful because of the colors, shapes, and depictions it can create.

 Art Appreciation is a way to motivate ideas and allows individuals to illustrate

their feelings when they viewed an artwork. It helps develops critical and innovative
skills in thinking and teaches essential qualities in listening, observing, and responding
to multiple viewpoints It also requires an ability to differentiate what is apparent and
what is not (Gargaro & Jilg, 2016 and Sanger, 2012).
 The Creation of Arts

In our life, we experience so much fragmentation of our thoughts and feelings. But, by
creating arts, it brings things back together. We merely make art because of so many reasons,
and we enjoy the process of it.

 The word “art” is from a Latin arti, which means craftsmanship, inventiveness, mastery of
form, skill. It includes literature, music, paintings, photography, sculpture, etc. It serves as an
original record of human needs and achievements. It usually refers to the so-called “fine arts”
(e.g., graphics, plastic, and building) and to the so-called “minor arts” (everyday, useful,
applied, and decorative arts). It is the process of using our senses and emotions in making
creative activities (Marcos, 2010). It is a human capability to make things beautiful (e.g.,
buildings, illustration, designing, painting, sculpture, and Photography) through the production
of his/her imagination depending on the preparation, theme, medium, and values used.
 The Creation of Arts

 Significantly, the word artist comes from the French word artiste and the Spanish
artista, which means “performer.” It is someone who creates art that is merely trades
and professions by which different people make their livings (Goines, 2004).

 Artist is most often refers to those who create within a context of the fine arts
such as acting, dancing, drawing, filmmaking, painting, sculpture, writing,
photography, and music. They are those who use imagination, and a skill to
construct works that may be judged to have aesthetic importance. Creativity is a
characteristic of an artist that progressed in the extent of his/her life to express
feelings. These are all processed in three significant phases namely: Creation of
Forms; Creation of Ideas; and Creation of the Materials (Sanchez, 2011).
 The Creation of Arts

a. The Creations of ideas. Artists are usually impressionable persons. They used their
experiences as their basis in the making of dance, picture, a poem, or a play or a song. For
example, a composer may write a song on the developing romance between a man and a
woman, or on the pains of a broken-hearted.

b. The Creations of the Materials. The artist uses different materials or mediums to give
form to an idea. For example, a painter uses pigments; a sculptor uses wood, metal or stone;
an author uses words; and a composer who uses musical sounds to determine the notes.

c. The Creations of Forms. There are diverse forms used by the artists in expressing their
ideas. It is a medium of artistic expression recognized as fine art. This form is used to
explain the physical nature of the artwork like in metal sculpture, an oil painting, etc.​
 Functions of Arts

From the very beginning, arts have been part of human history. It described, defined, and deepened the
human experience. In the Prehistoric period for example, peoples performed songs and dances to gratify their
ancestors. Likewise, hunters brushed different figures on the walls of caves to depict their day to day
experiences. Arts also serve several functions which are item outcome to its purpose (Menoy, 2009),
namely:

 1.Individual Function- The artists perform arts because of the passion of their respective art forms. A singer
presents a concert for free because of his advocacy and the love of singing. For example, Regine Velaquez
(Asia’s Songbird) is well-known for possessing extensive vocal range.

 2.Social Function- Man associates with others through his art performance that arouses social
consciousness. Examples of this association are the choral singing, group dancing, public art exhibits and
other practices.
 Functions of Arts

3.Economic Functions- Arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life of people assumes an
essential role as a direct and indirect contributor to state economies. Example of this is by generating economic
vitality in under-performing regions through crafts, tourism, and cultural attractions.

4.Political Functions- Art provides a forum for ideas that will lead to employment, prestige, status, and power.
During election period, for example, the candidates created their artworks (poster) which expresses their
propaganda, agendas and political views about making a stable society.

5.Historical Functions- Art is an essential technique for information to be recorded and preserved. It serves to
document or reconstruct historical figure and events. Most arts that are in Museums, for example, are filled with
amazing stories about the world most excellent and most creative people who brought us the treasures. By looking
at a work of art’s colors, materials, and symbolism, we can learn about the story and culture that produced it in the
past.
 Functions of Arts

6.Cultural Functions- Art is an articulation and transmission of new information and values. Example, when you
think of Manila, you probably think of Fort Santiago, Luneta Park, and its world-renowned churches, or the famous
Intramuros.

7.Physical Functions- Buildings are artistically designed and constructed to protect their occupants and make their
life inside more meaningful. Architects, Industrial and Graphic Designers, and Interior Decorators share
responsibility in building environment that balance forms and functions.

8.Aesthetic Functions- Any artwork means beauty. It is visual spice for gracefully adorned interiors and can bring
out the most elegant features of different décor elements. It reasonably reproduced visual images which
communicate through fantastic persuasions and meaningful words.
 Purpose of Art

 Creativity or imagination is the primary basis of art. Art is created

when an artist produces a stimulating experience that is
considered by his audience to have artistic merit. The artwork is
the visual expression of an idea or experience of an artist, through
the use of a medium (Frank, 2011). It allows expression of the
individuality of the artist. Through artistic endeavors, we can
share what is important to us with others and can learn about the
values of feelings of those sharing art with us. Some purposes of
art are the following (Marcos et al., 2011).
Purpose of Art
1.Create Beauty- Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, and intuitions. It is the
communication of concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone. The
Artist has considered nature as the standard of beauty. The example of beauty can be in a
snowy mountain scene, and the art is the photograph of it shown to the family.
2.Provide Decoration- Artworks are used to create a pleasing environment. It is
intended to beautify things to please and amuse the viewers through its colors and
patterns.
3.Reveal Truth- Artwork helped to pursue truth and attempted to reveal about how the
world works. It is a kind of language that allows artists to send a message to the souls of
the recipients that help change their attitudes, their sensibility, and their ethics.
 Purpose of Art

4.Express Values- Arts can illuminate our inner lives and enrich our emotional
world. Through arts, the artist will be encouraged to develop their creativity,
challenge, and communication skills. It also promotes self- esteem and
wellness.

5. Commemorate Experience- Art serves to convey the personal experiences of

an artist and record his impression in his work.

6. Create Harmony- An artist makes use of the composition to put an order in

the diverse content of his work.
 Classifications of Art
Many changes in the arts took place during the early modern period. Its
classification can be on many characteristics, including form, shape, function, use,
or social context. Works of art are classified in many different ways, namely:

1.Visual Arts- These arts are those forms that create works which are primarily
visual (forms perceived by the eyes). The man can take the beauty of nature through
a piece of paper so that other people may take time appreciating the captured image.
Examples of these arts include:

a. Painting- This form of visual art aims to evoke an emotion from the viewers.
It is practice by applying colors or other media to a surface with a brush or other
objects.
 Classifications of Art- Visual Arts

b. Sculpture- This form of visual arts characterized as the art of representing an

imagined or observed objects in hard materials such as glass, metals, or wood in three
dimensions.
c. Architecture- This form of art provides us the physical structure we lived. It is a
profound expression of human culture in a particular period, and it will endure and
outlive us in forms of monuments that future generations will study and strive to
understand.
d. Drawing- This form of art enhances the way we see the world around and conditions
us to capture its details in a two-dimensional medium. This has been a critical element of
art throughout history and in the contemporary art world.
e. Photography- This form of art is a process of creating portraits by recording radiation
on a radiation-sensitive medium, such as electronic image sensors or photographic films.
 Classifications of Art1- Performing Arts

2.Performing Arts- These arts are those forms in which the artists used his/her
own body, face, and presence as a medium. Examples of these arts are as
follows:
a. Theatre (Drama) - This form of art uses performers to present the experience
of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place and time.
b. Music- This form of art helps to express our mood and feel the way through
our emotions and ideas. Based on a study, different types of music may be
suitable to different moods though classical music is still recommended as the
most calming music option.
 Classifications of Art- Performing Arts

c. Dance- This form of art is expressed through body movement which entails
social interaction, or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.
d. Film- This form of art allows us to explore the complexities of the human
situation. This is used to work out our emotions, to make history comes alive,
science is explained, and literary works are brought into life.
e. Installation Art- The fundamental nature of this form of art is the participation
of the spectators. In this work of art, viewers become active and navigate the
work in an environment that they can experience visually. It also has the capacity
of passing on particular information about any significant event around the world
and interactively represents documentary issues.
 Classifications of Art- Performing Arts

f. Opera- This form of art helps to tell stories through music. This is also
performed with a full orchestra composed of the various musical
instrument sections. In this art form, singers and musicians perform a
dramatic work by combining text (called a libretto) and musical score.

g. Stagecraft- This form of art is a technical aspect of theatrical

production. This includes constructing and arranging scenery, hanging and
focusing of lighting, the design of costumes, makeup, and procurement of
props, stage management and recording and mixing of sound.
 Classifications of Art1- Literary Arts

3. Literary Arts- These arts centered on creative writing and other

composition processes which intended to read. These include prose and
poetry (e.g., novels, short stories, sonnet, ballad, epic, and essay).
 The Value of Arts in the Educational System
 Knowing and practicing the arts disciplines are fundamental to the development of
the minds and spirits of the students (National Art Education Association, 1994).
Arts are inseparable from education. When early humans drew images on the walls
of the caves, the artworks have been the means of recording human experiences and
of making sense of the world. It educates us on how early people lived and survived.
Thus, without the skills in the arts, no one can claim that he/she is professionally
trained.

 There are several reasons for the arts to be included in an educational system. It
is evident that involvement in the arts has been shown to help students in their
academic, personal, and social development. Listed below are other details for this
assertion.
 The Value of Arts in the Educational System
1. Arts are worth studying because it served to connect our imaginations with the most
profound questions of human existence.
2. Arts are always used because it helps to present issues and ideas to teach, persuade,
and entertain people.
3. Arts are integral to every person’s daily life because it helps shape our spiritual,
political, economic, cultural, and social environments.
4. Arts are refreshing because it offers unique sources of enjoyment and it investigates
relationships between thought and actions.
5. Arts develop students attitudes because it teaches self-discipline, reinforces self-
esteem, fosters the thinking skills and creativity and values the importance of
teamwork and cooperation.
 Class Activities
 a. Musical Strokes

1.Divide the class into four groups and talk about how music can evoke feelings that through art.

2.Let the students listen to a particular tune. Ask what feelings the students think the musician was trying to
convey. Instruct them to draw or sketch in a paper the emotions they hear from the music. Let them choose
different colors in the making of their art and talk about why the students made the selections they did.

3.As a class, let the students share their artwork. It is interesting to see how students perceive the meaning of
music and how they show feelings in art.
Extended Activity:

 b. Catchy and Creative Art-Slogans

 Art-Slogans are powerful marketing tools that can motivate your clients to support
your brand. It is an advertising tag-line or phrase that advertisers create to express the
importance and benefits of their product visually.

 Let the students do their creative art for advertisement. Let them use one size of
cardboard or cartolina in making the art-slogan. Below are examples of a catchy
product/company slogan:
 Extended Activity:
 Choose any of the following slogans listed below and make an art-logo out of it.

1. Adidas- Impossible is Nothing

2.Disneyland- “The happiest place on Earth”
3. IBM- “Solution for a small planet”
4.Volkswagen- “Think small”
5.Canon EOS- “What we mean is what you see”
6.Nikon- “At the heart of the image”
7.Energizer- “Keep going and going and going”
8.Diesel Jeans- “Be stupid”
9.Jaguar- “Grace, space, pace”
10.AT&T- “Reach out, and touch someone”
11.m&m- “Melts in your mouth not in your hands”
12.Coca-Cola- “Twist cap Refreshment”
13.Visa- “It’s everywhere you want”
14.Burger King- “Have it your way”
15.Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) – “Finger licking good”
THANK YOU!!!