Humanities/Art Appreciation minds of many and liberated a country from

the colonial rule of the Spaniards

Importance and Overview
By: Prof. James Owen G. & Paul S.
Analogy
• God created Nature = Trees, mountains,
seas and oceans, stars and the sun,
roses and humans are but a few
example of nature.
• Man created Art = Painting, sculpture,
architecture, music, literature, dance,
drama and film.
ART
• Art is man-made
• Art embodies skill and talent
Everyone can be an artist but not all has the
potential. Those that have potentials know
the basic of art making. Drawing superbly at
elementary level until he develops it and
blossom to a real artist. Most of us can
draw but the skill and talent will not evolve
into something good because it wasn’t
there in the beginning. No wonder many in
their old age still draw stick human figures.
Imagine if all of us can create wonderful
works of art, then therefore there will be no
more Fine Arts or Architecture because we
can paint and design for ourselves.

Art is an object created only by man and • Art, combined with politics is powerful
this specific and glorified object is what
As mentioned earlier, Dr. Jose Rizal used his
separates ‘man’ from other animals. Artistic
artistic talents in liberating a nation. His
creation is his way of expressing himself
book ‘Noli Me Tangere’ opened the minds
through visual, auditory, and performing
of many Ilustrados that paved the way for
arts. Some have argued that animal
the creation of the Katipunan and
paintings like those made by the elephants
eventually to a revolution. A simple and
in Thailand can be considered as a work art.
harmless book yet very lethal. As the old
But these pieces are void of any meaning
adage goes; ‘The pen is mightier than the
because elephants are not rational beings
sword’.
capable of expressing themselves. It is just a
wonderful creation worthy of admiration by • Art is a form of escape
the tourists.
We go and watch a movie to be
• Art is an extension of one’s ‘soul’ entertained. We listen to music to amp our
mood or to reminisce and heal a broken
Through art, one can express his ideas,
heart. We read books because it is better
beliefs, political views and emotions. Many
than the movie version. Let’s admit it, what
of our heroes have used art to rally their
would life be without art?
cause. A good example is our national hero
Dr. Jose Rizal. He was a writer/artist first
before he was a doctor. By using his
creative talents, he was able to open the
 • Art has multiple interpretations
The meaning of art is often shared among
the members of a given society and
dependent upon cultural context. The
masterpiece Spoliarium by Juan Luna was
perceived to be a political piece and a
protest by the artist to showcase the
suffering inflicted by the Spaniards to his
fellow countrymen.
• Art is ‘beautiful’
Beauty, according to Webster is : the quality or
aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that
gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably
exalts the mind or spirit. The word beautiful is
different once we apply it to art. We find a
scenic place with mountains and trees as
beautiful. Also we find a woman beautiful and
attractive at first glance if she has long hair,
neat and sexy body. On the other hand,
depressed areas and beggars are eyesores. This
is our idea of what is beautiful and what is ugly.
BUT IT IS DIFFERENT IN ART!
AESTHETICS
• a set of principles concerned with the
nature and appreciation of beauty,
especially in art.
• the branch of philosophy that deals
with the principles of beauty and
artistic taste.
• UNDERSTANDING IS THE KEY TO
BEAUTY
CRAFT
The term crafts is often used to describe the
family of artistic practices within the family
decorative arts that traditionally are defined by
their relationship to functional or utilitarian
products (such as sculptural forms in the vessel
tradition) or by their use of such natural media
as wood, clay, ceramics, glass. The craftsman
has no intention of showing his artistic
emotions.
• Fountain is a 1917 work produced by
Marcel Duchamp. The piece was a
porcelain urinal, which was signed
"R.Mutt" and titled Fountain. Submitted
for the exhibition of the Society of
Independent Artists, in 1917, the first
annual exhibition by the Society to be
staged at The Grand Central Palace in
New York, Fountain was rejected by the
committee, even though the rules
stated that all works would be accepted
from artists who paid the fee. Fountain
was displayed and photographed at
Alfred Stieglitz's studio, and the photo
published in The Blind Man, but the
original has been lost. The work is
regarded by art historians and theorists
of the avant-garde.