THE MEANING AND
IMPORTANCE OF ART
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:
Explain the meaning, nature, and importance of arts in our lives.
Determine the subject of art and its functions.
Reflect on the functions of art with regard to their personal
contributions to the development of art.
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.
THE NATURE OF ART
Art has been existent since men lived
together.
In fact, in nearly every country, art can be
found in primitive societies.
THE NATURE OF 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.
THE NATURE OF ART
A true artist does not imitate but rather
interprets it in his own way by selecting the
essential features of the subject and rejecting
the minor ones.
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
Art is derived from the Latin word ars, meaning
“ability or skill.”
J.V. Estolas
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
Art is derived from the Latin word artis, which
means craftmanship, skill, mastery of form,
inventiveness, and associations that exist between
form and ideas, between material and technique.
A.Tan
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
Art is the product of man’s need to express himself.
F. Zulueta
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
Art is concerned with the communication of certain
ideas and feelings by means of sensuous medium,
color, sound, bronze, marble, woods, and film.
C. Sanchez
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
Art is that which brings life in harmony with the
beauty of the world.
Plato
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
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
D E F I N I T I O N S O F A R T AC C O R D I N G
T O VA R I O U S AU T H O R S
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
F O U R ( 4 ) E S S E N T I A L S O F A RT S
Art must be man made.
Art must be creative, not imitative.
F O U R ( 4 ) E S S E N T I A L S O F A RT S
Art must benefit and satisfy man and man must
make use of art in practical terms.
Art is expressed through a certain medium or
material by which the artist communicates
himself to his fellow.
THE NATURE OF ART
All the art we see and hear have purpose;
they occupy some place in our judgement.
THE NATURE OF ART
We can communicate through paintings, songs,
dances and dramatic plays to highlight and heighten
the importance of certain events, keep them in
memory and indulge in pleasure. We also build
monuments to remind us of the heroic deeds of
great men.
THE NATURE OF ART
Artworks are also valuable sources of
inspiration.
We are delighted by the books we read and
moved by the music we hear.
THE NATURE OF ART
Paintings, sculptures, and plays capture
and stimulate critical thinking.
Modern architectural designs inspire us to
plan and construct our houses beautifully.
THE NATURE OF ART
Through an artist’s work, we get a glimpse
of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the
people who lived in the period the artwork
was produced and external factors that
influenced the artwork.
THE NATURE OF ART
Our aesthetic experiences can change our
ways and behaviour. They transform us into
highly-cultured, dignified, and respectable
human beings.
The arts can beautify our humanity.
THE NATURE OF ART
Arts is called humanities because it brings out the
good and the noble in us.
Through arts, we come to know the changing image
of man as he journeys across time, searchers for
reality, and strives to achieve the ideals that create the
meaning of life.
THE NATURE OF ART
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 works of art for one’s
admiration and satisfaction.
THE SUBJECT OF ART
In any art form---painting, music,
sculpture, architecture, or dance---there
is always a subject that serves as the
foundation of the creation of the art
work.
THE SUBJECT OF ART
A subject of art is usually anything
that is represented in the artwork.
It is varied---it may be a person,
object, scene or event.
THE SUBJECT OF ART
Representational or objective arts
Non-representational or non-objective arts
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
These are artworks that depict something
easily recognized by most people.
Examples:
Painting Sculpture Graphic Arts
Literature Theatre Arts
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
The Fruit
Gatherer, 1950
© Fernando
Amorsolo
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
Carcass-
Cornucopia,
1987 © Agnes
Arellano
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
Graphic
Designs
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
Literature
REPRESENTATIONAL OR OBJECTIVE
ARTS
Theatre Arts
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL OR NON-
OBJECTIVE ARTS
These are artworks that have no
resemblance to any real subject. 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 elements.
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL OR NON-
OBJECTIVE ARTS
Granadean Arabesque, 1958 © Joya
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL OR NON-
OBJECTIVE ARTS
THE SUBJECT OF ART
Some contemporary painters have shifted their interest
to the work of an art as object itself, an exciting
combination of shapes and colors that fulfills the aesthetic
need without having to represent images or tell a story.
Many modern paintings have a purely visual appeal; so
difficult that literal-oriented spectators cannot appreciate
them.
THE SUBJECT OF ART
On the contrary, traditional sculptures and
paintings have subjects. When looking at a
traditional painting or a statue, one expects
to recognize the subject---a man, a dog, or
landscape.
REFERENCE:
Ariola, M. (2014). Introduction to Art
Appreciation 2nd Edition. C & E Publishing,
Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
