Lesson 1:

Assumptions and Nature of Arts

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
a. Define and explain art;
b. Define and identify assumptions and nature of arts; and
c. Categorize works of art by citing personal experiences.

II. CONCEPT NOTES

Art has been created by all people at all time in all countries. If you want to appreciate art, you should
first experience it. Making meaning involves understanding of our surroundings and making our experience.
Art, at its root, is an expression and the artist is an expresser, translating in order to create meaning. Art
expresses, translate, act, acknowledges and reveals. Art transfers and art intervenes.

Art Appreciation which is the assumptions of art. These assumptions include art as universal, art as not
nature, and art involves experience.

To learn more about art assumptions and nature of arts, read and write the following concepts in your
Batang Gapan Notebook.

Ways of defining Arts

Mimesis:
Art is the representation or replication of something beautiful or meaningful.

Formalism:
Art is the arrangement of lines, colors, shapes, and other aesthetic elements.

Expression:
Art is the expression of subjective experiences and emotions.

Etymology
The term “art” is related to the Latin word “ars” meaning, art, skills, or craft. The first known use of the
word comes from the 13th century manuscripts. However, the word art and its many variants (artem, eart, etc.)
have probably existed since the founding of Rome.

Philosophy of Art
1. Art as Representation or Mimesis. Plato first developed the idea of art as “mimesis,” which, in Greek,
means copying or imitation. For this reason, the primary meaning of art was, for centuries, defined as the
representation or replication of something that is beautiful or meaningful.

2. Art as Expression of Emotional Content. Expression became important during the Romantic movement
with artwork expressing a definite feeling, as in the sublime or dramatic. Audience response was important,
for the artwork was intended to evoke an emotional response. This definition holds true today, as artists look
to connect with and evoke responses from their viewers.

3. Art as Form. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was one of the most influential of the early theorists toward the
end of the 18th century. He believed that art should not have a concept but should be judged only on its
formal qualities because the content of a work of art is not of aesthetic interest. Formal qualities became
particularly important when art became more abstract in the 20th century, and the principles of art and design
(balance, rhythm, harmony, unity) were used to define and assess art.

Basic Assumption of Arts

Assumption is a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without a proof. It is something
that you accept as true without question or proof. Many assumption has been written about arts and some of
these are:

1. Art has been created by all people at all times, in all countries and it lives because it well-liked enjoyed.
Naturally, arts linger on, particularly if it is popular and loved by the people.
Example: The works and writing of Dr. Jose Rizal and the movie, The Ten Commandments

2. Art involves experience. In order to experience something, you have to make use of your five senses.
Hence, there can never be appreciation of art without having experience it.

3. Art is not nature; nature is not art. Art is made by man and nature of God. However, it can be enhanced by
man. The enhanced beauty and artistry of nature, then, can be classified as an art.

4. Art is cultural. Art is a work of humans and anything that has been created by human is part of culture. Art
becomes cultural when it depicts people’s way of life, religious practices, norms and traditions etc.

5. Art is a form of creation. Art is something that is created with imagination and skills, and that is beautiful
or that expresses important ideas of feelings. According to the word’s most basic definition, an artist is
simply a person who creates arts.

6. Art is subjective. Henceforth, it cannot be measured by its significance level of skill which it is created.
Example: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” meaning, every individual has his/her own perception
and/or interpretation about the subject. It would never be the same for every individual.

Nature of Arts

1. Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artworks, expressing
the author’s imaginative or technical skills, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.

2. Art represents reality. Representation is the use of signs that stand in for and take the place of something
else. It is through representation that people organize the world and reality through the act of naming its
elements.

3. Art is an expression. The expression contained in the form is an attempt to translate the unnamed and
unknown.
4. Art serves as a means of communication of emotions. The purpose of the works of art are to
communicate political, spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty, to explore the nature of
perception, and to generate strong emotions.

5. Art matters. The art matters because it allow us to express ourselves and illustrate the world around us in
a different light, helping us to gain understanding of people and society, and give us hope while living in this
world. Also it illustrates the human experience.

6. Art is universal. Literally, art can be found in every corner of the world. Art is everywhere and it is
embedded into the way of life of the people.
Example: Foreign arts displayed in museums throughout the world, paintings such as the Mona Lisa,
Sistine Chapel and photos of well-known places are readily viewed. We have also some foreign performers
performing in the country.

7. Art is creation. It is the combination of already existing materials elements into new forms which become
the realization of a preconceived idea.