Art appreciation

Art is what we say it is.

Appreciation is what we make it.

Prepared by: Faith Valerie A. Lacara

Art appreciation, however, refers to the
exploration and analysis of the art forms that
we are exposed to. It can be highly subjective,
depending on an individuals’ personal taste and
preferences, or can be done on the basis of
several grounds such as elements of design and
mastery displayed in the piece. Art
appreciation also involves a deeper look into
the setting and historical implication and
background of the piece, a study of its origins
(Desirazu, 2020)

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CHAPTER 1
NATURE OF ART
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the topic/chapter, you must be
able to:
1. Define Art;
2. Aesthetics;
3. Discuss the nature of art.

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 prelude
Art is studied because “it is
the highest expression of
culture, embodying its ideals
and aspirations, challenging
its assumptions and beliefs,
and creating new visions and
possibilities for it to
pursue” (Sayre, XVI.)

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1 What is art?
“ Art is derived from the Latin word ars
meaning ability or skill. It covers
those areas of artistic creativity that
seek to communicate beauty primarily
through the sense. Art embraces the
visual arts, literature, music, and
dance.

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 PLATO
Plato (Ancient Greece) – Arts are
the representation of physical
objects. And physical objects are
the representation of “what is
most real, unchanging non-physical
Forms (triangle, square, Tree,
Ship, House, dog, etc.), artworks
present only an appearance the
Forms, which are grasped by reason
alone.

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 Leonardo da Vinci

“Art is the queen of all sciences communicating

knowledge to all the generations of the world.”

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2 aesthetics and its relationship
to cultural conventions
 AESTHETICS
Aesthetics is the philosophy of art and beauty. Aesthetics
consists of the sense of beauty. It is characterized by a
love of beauty. It is concerned more with pure emotion and
sensation and less with pure intellect; it means, broadly,
a devotion to beauty and primarily to beauty as found in
art and in whatever is attractive in the world around us.
So any study of beauty be it natural or man-made, can be
called aesthetic. The quest for beauty is inherent in
every individual.

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Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa (1503–19)
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Aesthetics is technically the study of beauty. It comes from
the Greek word “aesthesis” which means “sense of perception.”
Since we were young, we were taught to practice our senses –
sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, movement – and the other
two – balance and beauty. All these eight senses are
particularly anchoring on the judgment of subjectivity.

Subjectivity is often based on the sensory-emotional values or

the sentimentality of a specific work of art wherein one tries
to praise such beauty over the other. In reality, we can only
praise and criticize the material things because it is
perceptible to the senses, distinct from the immaterial.

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So, whether we say that aesthetics or appreciating beauty is always subjective, there
are standards to consider if one art is truly beautiful. According to Denis Dutton
(2003), art has distinct signatures to be considered beautiful. Throughout his study on
art, he identified six universal signatures in human aesthetics:
1. Expertise or virtuosity. Humans cultivate, recognize, and admire technical artistic
skills
2. Nonutilitarian pleasure. People enjoy art for art’s sake and do not demand that it
keep them warm or put food on the
table.
3. Style. Artistic objects and performances satisfy rules of composition that place them
in a recognizable style.
4. Criticism. People make a point of judging, appreciating, and interpreting works of
art.
5. Imitation. With a few important exceptions like an abstract painting, works of art
simulate experiences of the world.
6. Special focus. Art is set aside from ordinary life and made a dramatic focus of the
experience.
 Some scholars view aesthetics
as a theory of beauty.

AESTHETICS
While others said that aesthetic
is the appreciation of beauty.

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 Untitled (Yellow and Blue) by Mark Rothco
Green White
Cost: by Ellsworth
$46.5 million Kelly
Cost: $1.6 million

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3 Nature of Art
Nature of Art map
Art is
Art as Art and
everywhere
creation Nature
1 3 5

2 4 6

Art as expression Art and Art and beauty

and communication experience

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 Art is everywhere
Art as it is found everywhere is very much a part
of our lives. We cannot deny its presence even if
we want to. We find the art in the clothes we
wear, the furniture and furnishings, style of
houses and vehicles. We find art objects in the
home and in the community, in religion, in trade,
and in industry.

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Art is everywhere

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 Art as expression and
communication
No one can contain an intense emotion within the
self for long. The tension that results would
compel the person to unburden the self or share
the feeling with others. We express our emotional
state by some visible signs and activities. This
expression, however, is not only limited to the
revelation of emotions but also extends to the
personal and social values of the artist and the
penetrating psychological insights into reality
that are conveyed through the arts

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Art as expression and
communication

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Art as Creation
Humans have been led by an innate craving to create
objects that are delightful to perceive. The word
“creation” in this sense refers to the act of
combining and reordering already existing material so
that a new object is formed. As a creative activity,
art involves skill or expertness in handling materials
and organizing them into new, structurally pleasing,
and significant units. These skills do not just
happen. It is acquired through long training and
constant practice. Therefore, art is a planned
activity.
Art and Experience

It has been said that art is an experience because all

art demands experience; but probably it is clearer to
say that all art involves experience, that there can
be no appreciation without experience.

At least three major kinds of experiences are involved

in the artistic activity: a. An artist has an
experience that he/ she wants to communicate b. The
artist expresses the self -- that of creating the art
object or form. c. When the work is done, there is the
artist’s gratifying experience of having accomplished
something significant.
There is a varying combination of sensory, emotional, and
intellectual responses involved in experiencing art. These are
the experiences of the onlookers and listeners.

The sensory response happens when we feel a kind of delight or

joy in many forms of art using merely our senses. The
onlookers and listeners do not seem to need a deeper
understanding of what the artist has tried to express and how
he manages to achieve his purposes.

The emotional response is triggered by the recognition of a

familiar situation presented as the subject of the work. This
may stem from memories evoked by the subject.

The intellectual response is manifested in the delight of the

mind to some works of art because these works whose unique
arrangements of elements apart from the subject matter,
stimulate the intellect more than they do the emotions.
The Dying Gaul, or The Capitoline Gaul a Roman marble copy of a Hellenistic work of
the late 3rd century BCE Capitoline Museums, Rome.
Art and Nature
Art is not nature. A work of art is made by human
beings. Artists frequently find their inspiration and
subject matter in nature, as an artist do use nature as
a medium, but art in itself is not nature.
Art and Beauty
The desire for beauty and order around is another basic
human need. This provides the needed comfort and balance in
our lives. However, what we call beauty is relative. Our
concepts of beauty also change over time and beauty varies
among cultures, too.

Picasso, P. (1995). Garçon à la pipe

 Kayan Lahwi in Maynmar

T'boli at T'nalak
Watercolor Painting
Importance of Art
Art is relevant for a number of reasons:

1. Artworks are valuable sources of inspiration and aesthetic

experiences.
2. We commemorate certain occasions with paintings, songs, dances,
and dramatic plays to heighten their importance and keep records of
such events.
3. Through the artist’s work, we get a glimpse of the thoughts,
feelings, and beliefs of the people in their time and the forces of
their environment that influenced their works of art.
4. We value beautiful things as a consequence of our encounters
with the arts.
5. Out of the aesthetic experience we derive from arts, we may be
influenced to change our ways. They may transform us into highly
cultured, dignified and
respectable human beings.
Assumptions of Art

Our attitude towards the art may be influenced by these

assumptions:

1. Art has been created by various people, at all places

and times. Art exists because it is liked and enjoyed.

2. Art does not grow old.

3. Art is something to be seen or heard.

4. Art is the product of human’s imaginations and skills

in doing things.

5. Nature is artful. Its beauty and artistry could be

enhanced.
END OF CHAPTER 1