THAT’S ART, SO

WHAT???
I’M NOT AN ARTIST, I
DON’T KNOW HOW TO
APPRECIATE ART!
 WHAT IS ART FOR: FUNCTIONS, RELEVANCE AND
SIGNIFICANCE

“I’m not an artist, I don’t know how to appreciate art!”

Art appreciation is a discipline offered in an academic setting but probably less likely to
be consumed here in our country. However its premise being in the academe is its
strength.

To direct our often ambivalent feelings toward art, let us learn and discuss it with the
starting point: YOU!
WHAT IS ART TO ME?: UNDERSTANDING HOW ART CAN MEET SOME
HUMAN NEEDS

Do you agree with the assumption that our generation today is called the “
anxious generation”?
, I don’t know how to appreciate art!
 VALUE/FUNCTIONS OF ARTS IN OUR LIFE

 1. Beauty
 2. Happiness and Hope
 3. Identity and understanding one self
 4. Grief and Healing
 5. Remembering and mark-making
 6. Raising Awareness
 7. Culture and togetherness
GROUP ACTIVITY:
Observe Francisco goya’s “the third of may 1808”. Compare and contrast the work with juan
luna’s spolarium. Do not mind the historical context of the work yet. Just try to observe each
one. Form 4 groups and discuss the possible interpretations of the paintings. Try to think of
all the factors involved in creating it and list down the parallelism you can find.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN A DISCUSSION AND WRITE DOWN
YOUR ANSWERS AS A GROUP:

 A. what kind of event is being portrayed in the paintings? What

emotion/s are the artists trying to evoke? For what reason?
 B. As mere, frail human beings, why do you think we have such artworks
to process the emotion?
 C. How did the artists elicit the emotions of the narratives through the
subject matter?
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

1. Beauty
 Why do you think some people hang artworks on their wall?
 What is the most common answer?
 The connotation of beauty is a debatable topic, but let us talk about prettiness and the
aesthetic value of art. One of the innate qualities that "pretty art" can give is that it makes
our dull, lifeless walls come to life. The contrast of having something "alive" and dynamic to
look at on something ordinary and common, let us say a pristine white wall, evokes in us an
affinity towards its beauty. Though we have different notions of beauty, still it is a common
denominator when we are talking about appreciating forms of art. Beauty makes sense to
most of us.
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

2. Happiness and Hope

 There is something about art that mirrors the soul of those willing to confront it. In a societal tone,
artworks tend to echo the hopes and anxieties of an age. There is a wide range of properties of art
why it gives a sense of joy and hope to its audience. These are examples:
a. when paintings are placed in a daunting environment such as hospitals;
b. the experience and process of creating art itself;
c. the bliss of looking at a piece of imagery evoking a happy memory: e.g., the painting of a do;
d. direct words from typography and graphic messages that are so relatable as if the author has read
your mind and feelings; and
e. identifying oneself with the properties of an artwork: a homage to something; works addressing
diaspora, displacement, and other social issues.
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

3. Identity and Understanding the self

 Today's generation, being the "me" generation, is also sometimes tagged as the anxious
generation A lot of social issues evidently reflect this struggle for identity, gender issues,
disconnectedness brought on by social media, regionalism, and even mental health issues.
 How do you think art can be a tool to address such challenges?
 Do you agree that we need something outside of us and tangible enough to define what we
are feeling and struggling against?
 Sometimes we see ourselves in an artwork. Sometimes we see ourselves in the process. Art
can serve as a powerful tool to help us communicate and relay our confusion. Even
psychological interventions use art as therapy to aid in processing some sensitive experiences
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

4. Grief and Healing

 Many of the most poignant and humanistic products of art were made after the Word War II.
Twentieth-century art mostly expressed human suffering and darkness in its themes. Artists
such as Rachel Whiteread talked about this haunting remembrance of holocaust victims in her
work "Ghost Library." Here, she used an experiential type of artistic expression, exploring the
themes of place and memory in an architectural setting.
 Throughout the years, artists have interpreted these shared human experiences in different
ways, which also help us process our grief. Some may use art as a tool to express pain and
process it in therapy. Nonetheless, it plays an important role in making grieving somehow
dignified.
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

5. Remembering and Mark-making

 How do you think has art helped us remember? How have artists shaped our landscape?
 The monument of Rizal in Luneta Park is one example of a type of art that helps us remember.
 Without the tangible characteristic of art, we will not be able to sustain our nationalistic values well enough. We have
pictures, films, and paintings that depict heroism and nationalism.
 Try to look up these artists: "Angel of the North" by British sculptor Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" in
Chicago. Gormley's work has been considered as the largest sculpture in the world and one of the most popular. The
humongous figure of a person with airplane-like wings is situated in Gateshead, England, and was commissioned to become an
identifying landmark of the region. On the other hand, Kapoor had this humongous, bean- shaped metallic sculpture placed at
that certainly builds a sense of mark and identity to that place where the traffic of pedestrians is usually heavy.
ANGEL OF THE NORTH
CLOUD GATE
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

6. Raising Awareness
 Have you seen large sculptural effigies (those papier-mache-made-to-be-burned
protest art) during rallies in Manila? Some art can be categorized as activist art. But
not all are as loud and garish. Some are subtle paintings which might use satire.
 In the Philippines, many socially concerned artists have emerged in the age of
modernism portraying politicians and the governments system in their most hateful
actions. A more subtle type of inducing awareness can be observed in architecture
such as the stained glass windows of Gothic churches and even their illuminated
manuscripts. Such is also the case of our local churches with large domes at the altar
part and huge stained glass windows.
 LET’S AID OUR UNDERSTANDING!

7. Culture and Togetherness

 Lastly, forms of art are often localized so that they bring identity also to certain regions. This
is very evident here in the Philippines, which is geographically separated by thousands of
islands-we are very regionalized.
 In a way, there is a sense of redemption for the past weakness of Philippines when the
Spaniards strategized the divide and conquer method. Do you remember the national
costume of Miss Universe 2019? Here, we see how reigning queen Catriona Gray wore the
"whole Philippines," symbolically uniting us through her Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao-inspired
national costume. Indeed it is an attempt to represent our unity and national identity as
Filipinos. What do you think about the costume?
MS. UNIVERSE 2018 NATIONAL COSTUME
ASSIGNMENT: Paste it in a short bond paper your simple drawing, an artwork of any
medium, or a photograph that best represents your answer to the guide questions below.

As an individual who has gone through a specific set of experiences, what

kind of art would you make? What do you want to share to others? What
do you want to awaken in them? Is there something you would like to
remember? Or would you like your audience to just take pleasure in the
aesthetics of what you have created? Remember, there is neither right nor
wrong answer for artistic interpretation (can be made or captured e.g.,
photo). The goal is to express something of relevance to you as a person
(even to your artistic taste) in a visual form. You do not have to present
this to the class, it can be just a personal record.
 HOW DO I STUDY ART?: MAKING ART

 Have you ever watched something being made beautifully?

 Did you ever have a clue on the skill set, materials, and methods
required to get the task done?
 OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

 Learn how art communicates colors. Symbolic quality of shape, line

movement, quality of texture, the drama of lighting and many
others.
 Be able to read design principles behind some effective and
thought-provoking art forms and graphic designs.
 Explore materials and techniques through firsthand experience.
 INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY!

1. Draw a tree but with different methods:

 Draw using your non-dominant hand.
 Draw using continuous lines.
 Draw using your dominant hand

 Draw using triangle shape

 ANALYSIS:

In the activity, did you observe how a simple change in

how you interpreted a simple object gives a different
dimension to the subject matter? What does each box,
with the tree, remind you of after doing the exercise.
GROUP ACTIVITY: TRY TO OBSERVE HOW THE FOLLOWING ARTIST
THEN ANSWER THE ANALYSIS QUESTION.

 Jackson Pollock
 How did they treat the material?
 Rembrandt How would you describe their
 Vicente Manansala paintings in terms of its
aesthetic appeal to you?
 Ang kiukok
JACKSON POLLOCK ARTWORK
REMBRANDT ARTWORK
VICENTE MANANSALA ARTWORK
ANG KIUKOK
 ART ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES

 Elements of art are the formal or tangible aspects

of art. These are termed as elements because they
are the “medium of language” of visual arts.
 ELEMENTS OF ART
1. Line
Lines can be expressive and have a quality of its
own like:
a. Scribbles
b. Whimsical
or naïve lines
c. Implied lines
d. Blurred lines
e. Aggressive lines
f. Calligraphic lines
 ELEMENTS OF ART
2. Shape
Three basic kinds
a. Geometric
b. Biomorphic
c. Amorphous
 ELEMENTS OF ART
3. Form
Three dimensional shape. Can refer to the quality or likeness of an entire
mass, let us say, the form of a woman. It employs several techniques like
shading, perspective and lighting.
 ELEMENTS OF ART
[Link]
The lightness and darkness of a hue or a color. Often represented in a
tonal value scale which has two parts: the tints (lighter tones) and the
shades (darker tones). A tone is a general term for a certain value.
 ELEMENTS OF ART
5. Color
 Also known as hue.
 Scientifically, it is the light that bounces off a
surface.
 In art we use SUBTRACTIVE COLORS like colors
that are form pigments.
 cyan, yellow, magenta and black,
 ADDITIVE COLORS refer to a property of light.
 Red, green and blue, or RGB
 ELEMENTS OF ART
6. Texture
 Can be used in paintings like impasto, stamping and scratching in
pottery, embossing when making prints, and many others.
Contemporary artists have also used the element of texture to
convey a certain emotion.
a. Impasto is a technique used in
painting, where paint is laid on an
area of the surface thickly, usually
thick enough that the brush or
painting-knife strokes are visible.
6. Texture
b. Stamping is
a craft in which
some type of ink made of
dye or pigment is applied
to rubber stamp. The rubber
is often mounted onto a more
stable object such as a wood,
brick or an acrylic block.
6. Texture
c. Scratching in pottery
6. Texture
d. Embossing when making prints
 ELEMENTS OF ART
7. Light
 Without light, all the previous elements will not be possible.
 Light creates the illusion that color, form and texture exist.
 Light can be implied, natural or artificial.
 The lightning of an artwork has a very strong effect on it’s overall impact.
Example is chiaroscuro.
7. Light b. Natural c. Artificial
a. Implied
 ELEMENTS OF ART
8. Space

 An area where the other elements can interact.

 Two types: Positive and Negative Space
 Double negative space refers to a blank space used as negative space by
a field of color or pigment.
8. Space
Negative space is a term
used in art to describe the
space surrounding a
subject. Negative space,
also called white space, is
typically empty and lacks
details as to simplify an
image and keep the focus
on the subject (positive
space)
 QUICK FACTS!
What is representational, abstract and nonrepresentational art?
representational
nonrepresentational
abstract
REPRESENTATIONAL, NONREPRESENTATIONAL AND ABSTRACT ART

 Representational Art  Nonrepresentational

Art  Abstract Art
o simply means it mimics
what is real or what can o Purely concerned with o Is modified
be seen. forms, shapes, colors, interpretation of
and the rest of the something that
o The image is elements. exist, but it
recognizable as o It does not represent becomes hardly
interpreted by the any other subject recognizable.
artist. matter outside of itself.
 IS IT REPRESENTATIONAL, NONREPRESENTATIONAL AND
ABSTRACT ART?

representational nonrepresentational
abstract
 LET US NOW STUDY HOW THE ELEMENTS OF ART
INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER!
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
 Are long held composition techniques which have been proven and
used by both fine and graphic artists to communicate ideas and
concepts effectively.
Some proposed principles of design:
 Contrast  Unity and Variety

 Harmony  Emphasis and

Subordination
 Balance  Scale and Proportion
 Rhythm and movement  Depth and Perspective
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

1. Contrast: It uses the element of value to create depth and dimension. Light
plays an important role in creating good contrast.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

2. Harmony: Elements are related to each other in terms

of form, color, theme, etc.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

3. Balance Aesthetic quality of a work marked by a sensible balance

between two areas: right and left; top and bottom
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
4. Rhythm and Creating a sense of direction through repetition of elements.
Movement Movement direct the viewers’ eye toward something.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
5. Unity and Elements should be seen as a whole in unity; variety still gives a
Variety sense of wholeness but the elements differ in some aspects and
provide more interest to the work
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
6. Emphasis and An area or a specific subject is given focus; hence other
Subordination parts of the picture are subordinated.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
7. Scale and This can be either an appropriate use of scale and
Proportion proportion or it can also be an effective way of
changing the scale to achieve a certain visual goal. It
also shows relationship between the object and the
space.
 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
8. Depth and Shows three-dimensionality of
Perspective: a space through the use of
perspective lines and
vanishing points
 “WHY” OF ART-MAKING INTO THE ELEMENTS AND
PRINCIPLES

Gestalt Theory
This strategy tends to
sum-up an idea into one
iconic imagery. It often
plays with the negative
and positive space and
makes use of both.
What is your favorite color?
 COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
“Colors have imbibed certain [Link] it is a social construct or a product of association,
these hues certainly appeal to our understanding of the world based on how they are used. “
White Pure, pristine, clean and neutral
Yellow Optimism, confidence, hope and friendliness
Violet Royal, luxury, quality, authenticity
Black Glamor, integrity, stability, efficiency, status
Blue Trust, longevity, formal, logic, calm, cool, serene, intelligence, communication

Red Strength, power, reliability, warmth, nature, heat, support, seriousness

Gray or Silver Neutrality, cleanliness, classy, dependable, sturdy
Pink Childish, comfort, fragrant, friendly, calm, innocent
COMPOSITIONAL FUNCTION OF LINES AND SHAPES
 A composition is basically how the elements are arranged in
space with the intention of artistic expression.
SOME COMPOSITIONAL DEVICES USED BY CLASSICAL ARTISTS:

A. A HALF CIRCLE
 Often used in domes for classical paintings and even modern
architecture, symbolizes femininity because of its womb-like shape.
 Since it has no corners, it also resonates eternity.
 COMPOSITIONAL FUNCTION OF LINES AND SHAPES
SOME COMPOSITIONAL DEVICES USED BY CLASSICAL ARTISTS:

B. TRIANGLE

 When used in
composition suggest
relationship.
 COMPOSITIONAL FUNCTION OF LINES AND SHAPES
SOME COMPOSITIONAL DEVICES USED BY CLASSICAL ARTISTS:
C. IMPLIED LINE OR
LINE MOVEMENT

 May intentionally lead

a viewer to a focal
point of the subject
matter.
 QUICK FACTS:

 What is a medium?
o Is the tool of materials used in realizing the expression.
o In visual arts, this it the term for the materials used in specific
types of technique.
o It can include pencil, charcoal, or pastels.
 ACTIVITY AND APPLICATION:

 Explore Materials and techniques by doing the following activity.

1. Cover a bottle with different materials. Discover what you ca use as long
as it can stick to the bottle. For ideas you may cover with clay, papier
mache, sawdust, transparent material, decaying material, something
rubbery, etc. create at least 3 variations of the covered object. Put the
bottles next to each other.
2. Photograph each bottle. Use lighting and explore backgrounds that can
complement your work. Just be experimental. Layout the photos
together. How do they look?
 Reflect on how different materials and techniques can change the character and
narrative of an object portraying. Answer the sets of questions below.

1. What do you think is the most dominant design principle/s in the set of
bottles you made?

2. How did each covering change your perception of the bottle? Describe
each bottle.