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Having learned more about the myths and stories of Western civilization, I am
understanding more how study of the humanities (art, history, and literature) can
be used to help people better understand and communicate with one another. It is
obvious that the study of humanities is not just a college course, but it is an ongoing
process and practice in life.
The humanities can first be used to understand the past which has created the
present. The culture which we have was shaped by the past. Facts, findings, and
literature of even thousands of years ago have influenced our world today. Knowing
this past can allow people to understand our present; knowing how we came to this
present helps us to communicate about it and the future.
The study of the humanities can also be used to realize differing interpretations of
life and history. Studying facts of the past helps to understand literature of the past.
Art reflects the cultures of the past, and shows how we achieved what we have
today. For example, the Song of Roland was very biased about the Saracens
(Muslims). If one only studied literature, they would have a totally skewed
interpretation of who the Muslims were. By studying history though, we know that
the battle in this literature wasn't even against Muslims. Also by studying history
and religion we can see how Islam developed and what it really is. This is just one
example of how the comprehensive study of the humanities can be used to
understand the world, and to communicate fairly and intelligently with others in the
world.
The humanities are not just part of the college's curriculum. The study of the
humanities teaches one how to study and look at how the past developed and how it
has impacted today's world. The humanities allow people of different cultures to
communicate and understand their sometimes common pasts but present
differences. The humanities show how different disciplines affect and complement
one another. Finally, the study of the humanities shows that this study is ongoing
and continual, constantly evolving and shaping.
Art history might seem like a relatively straightforward concept: “art” and
“history” are subjects most of us first studied in elementary school. In
practice, however, the idea of “the history of art” raises complex
questions. What exactly do we mean by art, and what kind of history (or
histories) should we explore? Let’s consider each term further.
Peter Paul Rubens, three paintings from the 24-picture cycle Rubens
painted for the Medici Gallery in the Luxembourg Palace, Paris (today in
the Musée du Louvre, Paris), 1621-25, oil on canvas. From left to right:
The Presentation of the Portrait of Marie de’ Medici, The Wedding by
Proxy of Marie de’ Medici to King Henry IV, Arrival (or Disembarkation)
of Marie de Medici at Marseilles (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA
2.0)
Peter Paul Rubens, three paintings from the 24-picture cycle Rubens painted for the Medici Gallery in the
Luxembourg Palace, Paris (today in the Musée du Louvre, Paris), 1621-25, oil on canvas. From left to right: The
Presentation of the Portrait of Marie de’ Medici, The Wedding by Proxy of Marie de’ Medici to King Henry IV,
Arrival (or Disembarkation) of Marie de Medici at Marseilles (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
When asked this question, students typically come up with several ideas.
One is beauty. Much art is visually striking, and in the 18th, 19th and early
20th centuries, the analysis of aesthetic qualities was indeed central in art
history. During this time, art that imitated ancient Greek and Roman art
(the art of classical antiquity), was considered to embody a timeless
perfection. Art historians focused on the so-called fine arts—painting,
sculpture, and architecture—analyzing the virtues of their forms. Over the
past century and a half, however, both art and art history have evolved
radically.
Artists turned away from the classical tradition, embracing new media and
aesthetic ideals, and art historians shifted their focus from the analysis of
art’s formal beauty to interpretation of its cultural meaning. Today we
understand beauty as subjective—a cultural construct that varies across
time and space. While most art continues to be primarily visual, and visual
analysis is still a fundamental tool used by art historians, beauty itself is no
longer considered an essential attribute of art.
All this might lead one to conclude that definitions of art, like those of
beauty, are subjective and unstable. One solution to this dilemma is to
propose that art is distinguished primarily by its visual agency, that is, by
its ability to captivate viewers. Artifacts may be interesting, but art, I
suggest, has the potential to move us—emotionally, intellectually, or
otherwise. It may do this through its visual characteristics (scale,
composition, color, etc.), expression of ideas, craftsmanship, ingenuity,
rarity, or some combination of these or other qualities. How art engages
varies, but in some manner, art takes us beyond the everyday and ordinary
experience. The greatest examples attest to the extremes of human
ambition, skill, imagination, perception, and feeling. As such, art prompts
us to reflect on fundamental aspects of what it is to be human. Any
artifact, as a product of human skill, might provide insight into the human
condition. But art, in moving beyond the commonplace, has the potential
to do so in more profound ways. Art, then, is perhaps best understood as a
special class of artifact, exceptional in its ability to make us think and feel
through visual experience.
Coatlicue, c. 1500, Mexica (Aztec), found on the SE edge of the Plaza
Mayor/Zocalo in Mexico City, basalt, 257 cm high (National Museum of
Anthropology, Mexico City) (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Coatlicue, c. 1500, Mexica (Aztec), found on the SE edge of the Plaza Mayor/Zocalo in Mexico City, basalt, 257 cm
high (National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City) (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
History: Making Sense of the Past
Like definitions of art and beauty, ideas about history have changed over
time. It might seem that writing history should be straightforward—it’s all
based on facts, isn’t it? In theory, yes, but the evidence surviving from the
past is vast, fragmentary, and messy. Historians must make decisions
about what to include and exclude, how to organize the material, and what
to say about it. In doing so, they create narratives that explain the past in
ways that make sense in the present. Inevitably, as the present changes,
these narratives are updated, rewritten, or discarded altogether and
replaced with new ones. All history, then, is subjective—as much a
product of the time and place it was written as of the evidence from the
past that it interprets.
The immense sociocultural changes that took place in the 20th century led
art historians to amend these narratives. Accounts of Western art that once
featured only white males were revised to include artists of color and
women. The traditional focus on painting, sculpture, and architecture was
expanded to include so-called minor arts such as ceramics and textiles and
contemporary media such as video and performance art. Interest in non-
Western art increased, accelerating dramatically in recent years.
Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba), 16th century, Edo peoples, Court of
Benin, Nigeria, ivory, iron, copper, 23.8 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm (The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-
NC-SA 2.0)
Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba), 16th century, Edo peoples, Court of Benin, Nigeria, ivory, iron, copper, 23.8 x
12.7 x 8.3 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) (photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Smarthistory’s videos and articles reflect this history of art history. Since
the site was originally created to support a course in Western art and
history, the content initially focused on the most celebrated works of the
Western canon. With the key periods and civilizations of this tradition
now well-represented and a growing number of scholars contributing, the
range of objects and topics has increased in recent years. Most
importantly, substantial coverage of world traditions outside the West has
been added. As the site continues to expand, the works and perspectives
presented will evolve instep with contemporary trends in art history. In
fact, as innovators in the use of digital media and the internet to create,
disseminate, and interrogate art historical knowledge, Smarthistory and its
users have the potential to help shape the future of the discipline.
ART APPRECIATION
This course is an exploration of visual art forms and their cultural
connections for the student with little experience in the visual arts. It
includes a brief study of art history and in depth studies of the
elements, media, and methods used in creative processes and
thought. In this course, students will learn how to develop a five-step
system for understanding visual art in all forms based on:
1. Description: Explaining a work of art from an objective point of
view, its physical attributes, and formal construction.
2. Analysis: A detailed look at a work of art that combines physical
attributes with subjective statements based on the viewer’s
reaction to the work.
3. Context: Any historical, religious, or environmental information
that surrounds a particular work of art and which helps to
understand the work’s meaning.
4. Meaning: A statement of the work’s content. A message or
narrative expressed by the subject matter.
5. Judgment: A critical point of view about a work of art concerning
its aesthetic or cultural value.
After completing this course, students will be able to interpret works
of art based on this five-step system of analysis; explain the
processes involved in artistic production, themes, and the political,
social, cultural, and aesthetic issues that artists examine in their work;
and explain the role and effect of the visual arts in societies, history,
and other world cultures.
COURSE LEVEL OBJECTIVES
COURSE DESIGNER
Faculty at Cascadia Community College
Christopher Gildow received his MFA from Tufts University and the
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Now a full time tenure track faculty member at Cascadia Community
College, his previous work experience includes the University of
Washington, Bothell and community colleges throughout the region,
including Everett, Skagit Valley and North Seattle.
Chris is active in curriculum development, including a Gates
Foundation / Washington State Grant to create an Open Course
Library digital textbook for the "Introduction to Art" course. He
received the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012 from the National
Society of Leadership and Success.
His studio work includes painting, printmaking, photography and
sculpture.
Why do people make Art? People around the world make art to: • seek personal enjoyment and satisfaction. • express
personal thoughts and feelings • communicate with others. • create a more favorable environment. • make others see
more clearly. • provide us with new visual experiences. • record a time, place, person, or object. • commemorate
important people or events. • reinforce cultural ties and traditions. • seek to affect social change. • tell stories. • heal
the sick. • adorn themselves. • explain the unknown. • worship. • create an illusion or magic. • predict the future or
remember the past. • earn a livelihood. • do something no one else can (or has yet done). • amuse themselves (or make
us laugh). • make the ordinary extraordinary. • increase our global understanding. Try This: Display examples of art from
various cultures and time periods in the classroom. Ask students to speculate on the possible reasons why the art was
made.
Why Do Humans Make
Art?
Humans are the only species that make art. Where
did this come from?
Posted Sep 05, 2017
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Source: noonexy/Pixabay
Source: Enric/WikiCommons
Further still, the ability to make and use tools, a skill that
began in apes and exploded in hominids, requires a great
deal of visual and tactile memory. As fully modern Homo
sapiens began making tools that were more and more
sophisticated, we suddenly found ourselves with the ability to
depict our memories using primitive painting implements.
With our newfound cognitiveabilities, our impressive memory-
recall, and eventually tools, it is not at all surprising that the
first art produced by our ancestors depicted the very subject
that probably spawned all of our cognitive abilities in the first
place: the hunt.
The visual arts were probably right there with us along the
way, helping to provide a means to express the complex
thoughts that were beginning to materialize in our massive
brains. Indeed, appreciation and understanding of art seems
to be among the highest-order functions of the human brain.
Note: Coincidentally, this is why I REFUSE to read my own old blogs and articles.