ART , MAN AND SOCIETY
Title: Introduction
This module will present
the meaning, scope, and importance of humanities including their
meanings, purposes, functions and principles of art.
Objectives of the Lesson
At the end of the
lesson, you should be able to:
1.
define the meaning of
humanities, arts, man and society;
2.
discuss the nature of
art;
3.
identify and explain the
functions of art.
1.
recognize the importance
of art in our lives
Content
The word humanities has
different implications in different historical periods. Its roots are from
Latin word humunus meaning
human, cultured or refined. By the term humanities, we generally mean art,
literature, music, theatre, areas in which human values and individual
expressiveness are celebrated.
Arts according to Webster
is “human ingenuity in adapting natural things to man’s use.” It is
therefore understood that an artist uses his intelligence in transforming
God-made things into man-made things that satisfy his needs.
For example, he converts
a plant into paper, cloth and medicine, or a piece of wood as religious image,
pieces of furniture. Later on, he can convert these items as painting or
sculpture.
The word Art originally
comes from the Aryan root word “ar” which means “join,” or “put together.” From
the Greeks, the word Art is artizein, meaning
“to prepare” . Latin terms are, artis means everything that is
artificially made or composed by man. The word art is often
used to describe the visual arts, which consists of painting and sculpture; the
performing arts like music, dance, film and theatre; the literary arts which
includes poetry, short story and novel; and the industrial art which coverts
architecture. Combined arts or mixed arts are a combination of two or more
basic arts like dance, drama and film.
Art came from the word “ars” which means “skills”. It is synonymous to cunning, artifice, and craft.Skills emphasizes
technical knowledge and proficiency; cunning suggests ingenuity, expertness;
artifice means mechanical skill especially in imitating things in nature; craft
means finesse in workmanship.
The following are all
involved in art: couturiers (clothes designers), coiffeurs (hairstylists),
chefs, wine connoisseurs (wine tasters), perfume experts, dancers, actors,
writers, sculptors, architects, tattooists etc.
Art, which is an
important component of humanities, takes life for a subject matter, with man as
its main component. It relates to almost everything that surrounds man today,
other people and other times. As such, it is a powerful record of everything
human that evolve through the ages.
Nature of Art
It is a common feeling that art is found only in museums, galleries and concert
halls and accessible only by those who can afford to pay for its enjoyment or
to students and teachers who view the artworks for academic purposes. Actually,
art is everywhere. It is very much a part of our life. Though we want to ignore
it, we really can’t.
We find arts in the garments and accessories we wear, in the designs of houses
built for us, in the furniture and furnishings we own, in the styles of
vehicles we use, in the melody and sound of the music we hear, in the different
food delicacies that we savor and the rhythmic movement of the
dance we want to perform. We find arts in our homes and in our community, in
our school, in our church, in commerce, and industry.
Art is a human activity
that promotes enjoyment and satisfaction to us viewers and it lessens the
drabness and weariness of everyday life. The doer of these “artworks” is called
the “artist” and he produces his works with great skill because his intention
of creating his works of art is to share them to others to
satisfy their aesthetic interest. Their skills are
manifested in the way we appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the designs of our
T-shirts done by the creative designers, the lyrics and tune of our most loved
songs composed and arranged by talented musicians, the presentation and
taste of our favourite food prepared by well-trained chefs and the designs and
features of our latest gadgets assembled by the skilled technicians. It is
pointed out here that art is concerned with the expression of man’s thoughts
and emotions as beautiful or not beautiful.
From the definitions
above, there are four (4) common important points of art:
(1) art is a
product of man;
(2) art is creative;
(3) art is shared to
satisfy others; and
(4) art is
expressed in different styles through certain media that enable the artist to
communicate his idea and feelings to his viewers or recipients.
The views of art considered in this lesson give us the feeling of value and
appreciation of the beautiful things created by man and in many ways has
influenced our behaviour. That art is a very influential factor in transforming
us in a more-dignified , respectable and refined human beings. The arts delight
humanity. This is the reason why
the arts are called humanities. They bring the good and noble in us
and strengthen our desire to learn and understand the real meaning of life.
It is said that art appreciation is looking at a certain piece of work
and seeing what it evokes in you (Chaudhari, 2011). Chaudhari said further that
“what the artist wants to say is not so important but what is actually being
said to you” by the artwork matters. Art Appreciation is about your high
regard and your meaningful recognition to the creation of man and how you
enjoy them.
Basic Assumptions of Art
1.
Art has been created by
all people at all times, in all countries and it lives because it is well-liked
and enjoyed. Art is timeless and universal
Example; Homer’s “Iliad”
and “Odyssey”
1.
Art involves experiences
and that there can never be appreciation of art without experience, the actual
doing of something. Experience is the first and last demand of art. Unless one
knows the work itself, has experience of it, he knows little.
1.
Art is not nature;
nature is not art. We see, and hear only what there is in nature; the artists
open our eyes and ears to see nature more clearly and to provide new visions
and interpretations of life.
Purposes of Art
1.
It creates lucrative
jobs and earns money.
2.
Ways to express man’s
thoughts and emotions (real or imaginary)
3.
produce things of beauty
(architectural designs)
4.
For self actualization
(poets, sculptors)
5.
For self immortalization
(painters paint themselves, writers write about themselves)
6.
to persuade others
(propaganda writers)
7.
to entertain people
(paintings, buildings, performance( in dancing, play etc)
ART , MAN AND SOCIETY
Title: Introduction
This module will present
the meaning, scope, and importance of humanities including their
meanings, purposes, functions and principles of art.
Objectives of the Lesson
At the end of the
lesson, you should be able to:
1.
define the meaning of
humanities, arts, man and society;
2.
discuss the nature of
art;
3.
identify and explain the
functions of art.
1.
recognize the importance
of art in our lives
Functions of Art
The functions of art are
corollary to its purposes:
1.
Personal and Individual Function
Art is used for self
expression. It is man’s passion to create new things. It is a form of
enjoyment.
2.
Social Function
Man is a social being,
and as such, he associates with his fellow beings. This is evidenced by
choral singing in religious rites and other social practices, working with his
fellowmen in building a house, hand down the works of literature into the next
generation, performing on stage to entertain others.
3.
Economic Function
Many people believe that
there is no money in arts. However, this has been overcome by some artists like
J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, the writers of famous
stories played on staged and movies, Singers like Elvis Presley, Michael
Jackson, Marin Nievera, Sharon Cuneta and other singers who have made millions
from singing, paintings of Michaelangelo and Leonardo are now worth millions.
4.
Political Function
Political leaders use
their functions to promote art like former First lady and governor of Metro
Manila Imelda Marcos who promoted the arts by building the Folk Arts Theater,
Cultural Center of the Philippines, staging famous and classical plays in them.
5.
Historical Function
Historical figures and
events have been recorded in the form of paintings, buildings, sculpture,
poems, short stories and even plays. Examples: Pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal
in India, the Edsa Shrine, the heroes monuments, cenaculo (passion play) etc.
6.
Cultural Function
Buildings, pieces of
furniture, clothes form parts of our material culture. Non-material culture
includes: music, drama, literature.
7.
Religious Function
Religious activities
like worship of gods, in the form of songs and dances. Paintings and sculptures
in olden times were of gods and goddesses.
8.
Physical Function
Houses and building are
contracted for people who occupy them. Columns are used as posts,
paintings are used as walls or ceilings, dance as a form of exercise,
music to soothe the feeling of the listener and singer etc.
9.
Aesthetic Function
Artworks are to
beautify. Paintings are used to decorate homes and offices, tall
buildings are sights to behold, art designs, costumes, settings, dance
performances, acting and song renditions are not only realistic but also
appealing to the audience.
Art Style and Factors Affecting Style
Every artist has his own way of presenting his work. Such is called art style. His style is affected
by the following factors: geographical, historical, social, ideational,
psychological, technical, political and economic.
Geographical Factors. The place where the artist stays influences his works. Examples:
Eskimos in Alaska live in igloos, in Hawaii reside in grass shacks because
their place is tropical, in Romblon, they have marble structures because
marbles are plenty in their place.
Historical Factors. Historical events influence the artists work. Example: Jose
Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo have
highlighted the events that took place in the Philippines during the Spanish
regime, Les Miserables of Victor Hugo depicts
the French Revolution, theSpolarium of
Juan Luna expressed the Filipino expression by the Spaniards.
Social Factors. Social
relationships affect artists, too. Ben Jonson was influenced by a lady
named “Celia” in his poem “Song to Celia”, Francesco Petrarch wrote poem for
his lady love named Laura. Present-day realities in the Philippines influenced
the films “Kubrador” and “And Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”
Ideational Factors. Ideas from other
people influence the artists’ work. Nudism is a study that can about because of
the idea that the body is the most beautiful to present as an art. Sigmund
Freud, a psychologist, influenced the surrealist painters.
Technical Factors. Techniques
influence the artists’ style. Different strokes, brushes and other
equipment affect style.
Psychological Factors. The
psychological make-up of the writer affects his style so much. His unfortunate
childhood may be manifested in his painting, his poem, his sculpture etc.
Political Factors. Politicians and
government officials sometimes exert influence on artists. Example: Lopez
Jaena, Jose Rizal etc wrote satires and mockeries because of the political
influences.
Economic Factors. The availability
of financial and other resources plays an important role in the life of an
artist. A movie producer who has enough budget in film making produces a better
film than those who have problems in financial resources. An abstract painter
may shift to realism if his painting does not sell.
Judging a Work of Art
Judging a work of art is
like solving a problem. Not all works are significant and acceptable. An artist
who is sensitive and creative, and genius, is distinct in putting his ideas
into artistic forms through words, pigments, notes or any other forms. He
creates and re-creates what he has created only to express his thoughts and
feelings with richness and meaning.
In the process of his
creation, there three phases which the artist has to explore: the idea of the
problem to illumine the lives of humanity, the material he uses to display or
express his feelings, and the form and organization from where the response of
the viewer or listener comes.
The basic premise is
that art has rules too, yet not as definite as can be but given the creation
and vital uniqueness of the artist’s expression. The viewers have to look, to
listen, read and understand for only then could art bring new meaning and
wonder to their lives.
The measure of art and everything that moves man to action implies deep
compassion, a love for beauty and an understanding of life. Man reaches out for
a dream; achieves and employs it because he cares; he loves, he thinks, he
feels. The measure of human is to know and be able to touch the heart and reach
out to other beings by sharing them an understanding of life.
For to live is to suffer and to suffer is to survive and in man’s survival is
attached the realization that man is designed to have the widest and fullest
understanding of his physical, intellectual, moral and social environment.
This is the objective of Humanities. Man’s love of the creation given by god,
love his fellowmen, his God and himself.
Classification of Arts
VISUAL ARTS
Arts whose
mediums can be seen and which occupy space.
Categories: This
includes:
A. Two dimensional arts such as :
- painting, drawing,
printmaking and photography
B. Three-dimensional arts such as :
-sculpture,
architecture, landscaping, community planning, industrial design and crafts of
ceramics and furniture making.
At any rate, all these
arts appeal first and foremost, though not exclusively, to the sense of sight,
and the artifact is an object in the visual medium.
II. TEMPORAL ARTS
Auditory Arts ( Music)
Arts whose mediums can
be heard and which are expressed in time.
This includes music in
all its forms but not song, opera, and those arts that
combine music with literature. Just as the medium of visual art is sight, so
the medium of auditory art is sound.
In auditory art there
is—unlike visual art—no physical object (other than the score, which as has
been seen is not the music). There is only the temporally successive series of
sounds: sound waves emanating from the various instruments. While no such tones
are being emitted, no sounds exist; only the musical score exists (and the
memories of listeners, some of whom might enable the score to be reproduced if
it were lost), from which music can be reproduced. Unlike the existence of
paintings and sculptures, the existence of musical sounds is intermittent. In
what sense, then, does the music exist between performances? It exists only in
the sense that it is reproducible from the written score.
Verbal arts/ Literary Arts ( Literature)
The art of literature
is clearly different from both visual and auditory art. There are sound values
in poetry, particularly when read aloud, but literature as sound alone would be
the most poverty-stricken of arts. What makes the sounds of poetry effective is
(at least 99 percent) knowledge of the meanings of the words heard. Listening
to the sounds of a poem or play uttered in an unfamiliar language gives some
idea of the importance in literature of knowing the meanings of the words. Note
that “murmuring,” one of the most pleasant sounding words in English, has
almost the same sounds as “murdering.” It is almost exclusively a knowledge of
word meanings that makes it possible to appreciate the art of literature.
Nor is literature a
visual art, although it is customary to read works of literature from a printed
page. A critic who said, “I think this poem is a bad one, because it is written
in unpleasant small type in double-column pages on yellowed paper,” might be
giving advice to typesetters and book designers (these two groups are engaged
in the practice of visual arts), but he would be saying nothing about the
merits of the poem. The printed or written word or for that matter the spoken
word is only a vehicle for the meanings. Literature, then, must be placed in a
separate class from either auditory or visual arts.
COMBINED ARTS / MIXED ARTS/ PERFORMING ARTS
Categories:
1.Dance
2. Drama
3. Opera
4. Movies / Films
Other arts variously
combine the above three types of arts; this group includes all the arts of
performance. Drama combines the art of literature (verbal art) with the visual
arts of costuming,stage designing, and so on. Opera combines the
art of music (its predominant component) with the art of literature (the
libretto) and the visual arts of stage design. Dance combines the visual spectacle of moving bodies (the principal
component) with musical accompaniment, sometimes with accompanying words and
often with stage design. Song combines words with music. Themotion picture combines the visual component (a series of pictures presented in
such rapid succession that they appear to be moving) with the verbal component
(the script) and usually an intermittent musical background as well.
Differences in the
arts related to mediums
Very significant
differences among the arts occur because of the differences in their mediums:
THE ARTISTS’ MEDIA
Definition:
Medium in art refers to the material or means which the artist uses
to objectify his feeling or thought. It refers to the substance the artist uses
to create his or her artwork.
For example, the
medium Michelangelo used to create David was marble, Calder's
stabiles employ painted steel plates and Duchamp's infamous Fountain had
porcelain as its medium.
Far more commonly,
you'll see notations following the titles of paintings that read along the
lines of:
"Gouache on
paper"
"Tempera on board"
"Oil on canvas"
"Ink on bamboo"
"Tempera on board"
"Oil on canvas"
"Ink on bamboo"
A medium in art
may refer to one of two definitions. A medium may refer to the type of material
used to create artwork. In this sense, no limits exist on what defines an art
medium. Traditional media, as well as any found objects used to create a piece
of artwork, are considered an art medium. Another definition of medium in art
refers to substances added to different paints to achieve a desired texture or
effect. In either case, many options exist which you may wish to explore in
creating your original artworks.
The Artist and His Medium
o Artist’s choice is usually influenced by the
availability of the material
o Artists select the material he can handle well
o Medium can influence the quality of
work
o Each medium has inherent limitations and
potentials
o Instances where artist had no choice of medium
is when he/she has a patron
The Artist and His Technique
Technique is an artist’s
knowledge of his medium and his skill in making in achieving the artwork
and what he wants it to be. It is in the use of technique
that artists differ from a craftsman.
The artist objectifies
an original, imagined design and in the process of making his material, he
exploits every possibility that the medium offers, never really knowing his
work will turn out until it is finished.
Originality is what
distinguishes an art from a craft.
A Craftsman
follows the dictates of the designer and is concerned exclusively with the
manipulation of the material in order to produce the kind of product that he is
expected to turn out
Craftsman unlike
artist is not free to innovate. He is a mere copyist, using technique as an end
in itself. Artist uses technique as a means to an end
The mediums of art
In the context of every
work of art there are three items to consider:
1. The genesis/ origin
of the work of art.
2. The artifact, or work
of art, which is a publicly available object or thing made by the artist and
viewed by the audience.
3. The effects of the
work of art upon the audience.
The first item comprises
all the artist’s mental states, both conscious and unconscious, in the creation
of the work, including his intention with regard to the work, as well as all
the factors that led to these states of mind: for example, the spirit of the
age, the socio-economic conditions of the times, his exchange of ideas with
other artists, and so forth.
The experiences
undergone by the artist in the creation of the work constitute the artistic
experience.
The second item is what
is usually called the work of art itself. ), the work of art exists only in the
mind of the artist, and the physical artifact then counts as an effect of the
work of art.
The third item includes
all the effects of the work of art upon those who experience it, including both
aesthetic and non-aesthetic reactions, the influence of the work of art upon
the culture, on the state of knowledge, on current morality, and the like. The
experience that involves the observer’s attention to the work of art for its
own sake and not for the sake of some ulterior end is called aesthetic, but of
course art has many effects that are not aesthetic. The aesthetic experience
belongs to the consumer of art, as opposed to the artistic experience, which
belongs to the creator of art.
Every work of art occurs
in a medium; that is, there is some physical object or series of events by
which the work is communicated to the recipient (listener, observer, reader) by
means of his senses.
The Mediums of Two Dimensional Visual Arts
1.
Photography
A type of visual art
medium that shows the actual likeness in the actual world. However, its
production may not involve the artist’s creativity. In photography a photosensitive surface is used to capture an optical still image, usually
utilizing a lens to focus light.
Photography is drawing
or writing with light.
Steps:
1.
Choosing a Subject
2.
Mechanical / Digital
Medium
3.
Chemical / Digital
Process
2. Painting
is the process of
applying pigment on a smooth surface – paper, cloth, canvas, wood or plaster to
secure an interesting arrangement of forms, lines and colors.
In painting, "media" refers to both the type of paint used and the base
(or ground) to which it is applied. A paint's medium refers to what carries a
paint's pigments, and is also called a "vehicle" or a
"base". A painter can mix a medium with solvents, pigments, and other substances in order to make paint
and control consistency.
Common paint media
Common bases for painting
Application tools and methods
o Stick
PAINTING MEDIUMS
1.
1. Encaustic
It is a form of painting in a medium that combines dry pigments with
heat-softened wax and, in modern times, resin. The purpose is to fuse the
pigment to the surface, thus, producing a highly durable finish. The Greeks and
the Romans dealt with this painting. Encaustic painting was the most common
method in Early Christian time (250-600). Notable examples include the Virgin
and Child Enthroned in the Monastery of St. Catheirne on Mount Sinai, Egypt.
One of the early mediums
which is the application of a mixture of hot beeswax, resin and ground pigment
to any porous surface followed by the application of heat to set the colors and
bind them to the ground.. When the surface cools, it is polished with a cloth.
This gives the wax a soft luster that heightens its translucent quality.
Egyptians, Greeks and
Romans used encaustic to paint portraits on coffins.
1.
2. Tempera
It is a method of painting on a wooden panel with color dissolved in water and
tempered or mixed into a paste, with egg, casein, gum or a glycerine solution.
The process of painting in tempera is the oldest method of painting known; the
wall paintings of ancient Egypt and Babylonia, and the Mycenaean period in
Greece were probably executed in tempera with a medium of egg yolk, to which a
little vinegar was sometimes added.
The disadvantage of
tempera is the difficulty in blending colors as it dries up so quickly that it
is impossible to fuse the strokes or alter them.
Tempera paints are earth
or mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk and egg white. Since the paint dries
quickly, corrections are difficult to make. Thus, the artist using this medium
must plan his design well.
1.
3. Fresco
Fresco, which is an
Italian word which means fresh, is a method of painting with watercolors on
plaster, while the plaster is still wet, or fresh. This method is the most
universal. This term is also applied to the painting executed in this manner.
The ancient painters
knew fresco such as the Egyptians, Cretans and Greeks.
Fresco painting reached
it speak in the 16th century, with the supreme achievements of
Raphael in the Vatican Palace and with The L:ast Judgment and Genesis frescoes
by MNaichaelAngelo in the Vatican Sistine’s Cahpel 9Gardner, 1932).
The colors of fresco are
usually thin, translucent, and light, often with a chalky look.
4. Watercolor
The earliest true watercolors in painting
were used by Albrecht Durer, a 15th century German master, who
finished his pen drawings of natural subjects with watercolour.
In art, it is a type of painting with pigments dissolved in water. The
distinguishing characteristics of watercolour painting is its translucency, the
surface of the paper is visible through the thin watercolour pigments, creating
a vell-like effect that is quite different from the thickness and opacity of
oil painting and other pigments in a densely textured medium.
Watercolor paints are produced by binding dry powdered pigment mixed with gum
Arabic, a gum, obtained from acacia trees, that solidifies through evaporation
but which is soluble in water. Solid watercolour can then be dissoluble
in water and applied to paper with a brush. This medium depends for its effects
upon its freshness and spontaneity.
5. Gouache is
paint in which the pigment has been mixed with a chalklike material. This
material makes the paint opaque. Also spelled guache, is a
type of paint consisting of pigment, a binding agent (usually gum arabic), and sometimes added inert material, designed to be used in an
opaque method
6. Oil
Oil painting refers to
the art of applying oil-based colors to a surface to create a picture or
design. The technique was popularized by the Sicilian painter Antonello de
Messina. However, oil painting was once thought to be invented by the
Flemish painter Jan van Eyck in the early 15th century. This
technique was believed to have fully exploited by the Renaissance painters. The
wide acceptance was quick and overwhelming because it is easier to work
with ; tones are easy to match, blend or grade, and corrections are easy to
make. The artist has the freedom to express himself in his work . This
medium provides limitless opportunity to the artist but the disadvantage of oil
as a medium is that it is not possible to paint a less oily pigment over an oily
one. All the paint should be of the same oiliness throughout.
Once the painting has
dried, it can be varnished to protect it from dirt and to enrich the color. The
varnished used over the painting should be removable as it could be replaced
once the previous varnish darkens.
7.
Acrylic
Synthetic paints using
acrylic polymer emulsions as binder are the newest mediums and the ones that
are widely used by today’s painters
Advantages:
1.
They combine the
transparency and quick drying characteristics of watercolor and the flexibility
of oil
2.
Completely insoluble
when dry
3.
They can be used in
almost any surface
4.
They can be applied
thinly with a water-dipped brush
5.
Unlike oil, acrylic do
not tend to crack, turn yellow or darken with age
1.
8. Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating
figurative or geometric designs by embedding into cement small pieces of glass,
stone, terracotta, or other suitable materials. Mosaics in their classic form
were made from small pebbles and later of cub-like pieces of marbles, hard
stone, glass or dice.
Mosaic decoration is
best suited to large or plane surfaces; effective on floors, interior and
outside walls, vaults, and ceilings. Mosaic was an art form from especially
well-developed by the Romans and used extensively in Byzantine buildings and in
Italian churches.
Many ancient mosaics
survived because the materials used in mosaics are relatively resistant to
deterioration. They retain the same brilliance today than they had when they
were originally made.
1.
9. Stained Glass
The earliest European
pictorial stained glass dates from the 19th century, through it
is known only from written records. The earliest surviving fragments, depicting
the heads of Christ form Lorsch Abbey in the Rhineland and Wissembourg, Alcase
(France), have been previously dated from the 9th to the 11th century.
The technique of coloring glass was known in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Translucent
colored glass objects were molded after a thousand years. Translucent colored
glass used to compact designs in window, uses a technique similar to mosaic,
the pieces of glass held in strips of cast lead and mounted in a metal
framework. Stained glass depends for its effect on light being transmitted
through the translucent glass, thus the art is known as painting with light.
Stained glass developed
as a major art when it appeared as a major art as important part of Gothic
cathedral.
Purposes:
1.
Enlivened the tomblike
interiors and introduced a bright and warm perspective
2.
For religious
instruction and catechism likes scenes from the Bible and lives of
saints
Example of best stained
glass in the Philippines:
- Sto. Domingo Church in
Quezon City
10. Mediums of Drawing
1.
Pen and Ink drawings –precisely
controlled and uniformly wide lines
2.
Chalk pastel – held
together with gum binder and compressed with sticks
3.
Charcoal – representing broad
masses of light and shadow
4.
Crayons – pigment bound by wax and
compressed into sticks
11.Printmaking
A graphic image that
results from a duplicating process.
The technique of
printmaking involves the preparation of a master image on a plate made of wood,
metal or stone from which the impression is taken.
12. Mural Painting
Mural, Latin, murus, wall refers to the decoration of walls or ceilings by
various techniques. It may be purely decorative or may be executed for
religious or didactic purposes. It is very often used to decorate the inner
walls of public buildings, particularly churches, and tends to portray
religious, historic or patriotic themes significant to a public audience. A
characteristic of mural painting is its large scale. It is also closely allied
to architectural and decorative schemes, and can be used to emphasize or
enhance interior design, or transform it, giving the illusion of different
spatial dimensions.
Mural painting is a very ancient art form. It is found on the walls of
prehistoric caves, most notably those in Alta NMira, Spain, and at Lascaux in
southwest France, and forms an important spect of Paleolithic art.
Muralists use many of the same media as panel
painters, but due to the scale of their works, use different techniques. Some
such techniques include:
Portraiture
The first representations of identifiable individuals date from the unification
of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BC. During the Old Kingdom
(3100BC-2500BC), as Elgen (1962) indicated. This type of portraiture
flourished, especially in the funerary representations of pharaohs and nobles.
It is a from pf representational art focusing on particular individual
subjects. For most of the history of art, the main focus of portraiture has
been the visual representation of individual people, distinguished by
references to character, social position, wealth, or profession. In a broadest
definition, portraiture can include representations of animals favored pets or
prize-winning livestock or even representations of dwellings. In this
discussion, portraiture refers only to images of people.
Portraiture as a medium can be done in any medium, including sculpted stone and
wood, oil, painted ivory, pastel, encaustic wax on wood panel, tempera on
parchment, carved cameo, and hammered or poured metal.
Crayon / Chalk
In art, mixture of chalk
and a binding medium, such as wax or oil, are used for drawing on paper. The
two terms crayon and chalk, however, are used interchangeably. Chalk occurs
naturally in tones of black, white, or red, and these are traditional colors
for chalk or crayon drawings. Crayon has been used as a drawing from earliest
times. In modern times, Leonardo de Vinci was one of the fist masters to use
black and red crayon together. The use of the three basic colors together
called trios crayons technique reached its peak in the 18th century
work of French artist Antoine Watteau.
Illuminated Manuscripts
This method can be seen in the form of calligraphic codices, or hand-drawn
scrolls and books, enhanced by artists with decorations and painting. This term
is usually applied to medieval illuminated manuscripts that are embellished and
illustrated in various ways. Illuminations are called miniatures; the term is
derived from the Latin minimum red lead, the pigment once used to mark the
opening words of the text. It does not refer to the diminutive size of the
painting.
Paints for manuscript illumination were made from pigments of earth substances,
red, yellow, brown or from natural deposits of metal orange, red and brown or
from stones, such as lapis lazuli for blue. Azurite for blue and
malachite for green came from metallic ores, but blue was also extracted from
wood and indigo plants. White came from lime, lead or aches of burned bird
bones; yellow came from a sulphide or arsenic. Pigments were ground to powder
and fixed to the parchment with glair beaten egg whites allowed to stand until
sufficiently liquefied to flow easily from a brush.
Related Techniques
Many techniques
other than those described earlier are associated with painting.
Collage – In which the
artist assembles the actual materials like cloth, newspapers, etc. into a form;
the materials used have associated significance to the artist;
Ceramics – In which various
tiles, china, pottery, or porcelain grounds are painted;
Tapestry – In which the
design is woven with colored and metallic threads into a warp that is usally
thin; tapestry is originally woven by hand;
Pastels – which are pigments in
the form of powders, compassed lightly into sticks;
Acrylic – an
oil-compatible contemporary medium, and can be thinned with water, linseed oil,
or turpentine. This means that it is possible to “erase” portions of a painting
and rework it. The vehicles of acrylic are plastic which results to luminous
colors;
Graphic Arts – which involves
printing processes such as relief, Itaglio, planographic, and stencil as
classified by Bergen and Eby (1989).
Relief painting.
This is the oldest method of printmaking. For centuries, the basic
technique of relief printing has consisted of cutting away certain parts of the
surface of a block of wood so as to produce a printing surface in the shape of
the desired image.
Intaglio Printing. This
printing is the opposite of relief printing; instead of standing proud of the
surface, the lines of the image are cut or incised into a metal plate.
Planographic Printing.
The image is created directly on the surface of a stone or a metal plate
without cutting or incising it.
Stencil/ Monotype. A
stencil is a cutout with open and closed areas. The easiest way to create a
stencil is to cut the desired image into a sheet of stiff paper; the design
appears as an open space with solid areas around it. The completed
stencil is then placed over a fresh sheet of paper, and paint is brushed over
the surface.
Body Art
The art in which the human body, which may be that of the artist or of another
person or people, is the work of art or the medium of expression.
Handicraft
It is the practice of making decorative or functional objects, wholly or partly
by hand, and requiring both manual and artistic skill. The term crafts refers
to objects made in this way.
Clay Terms
Ceramics – making objects
from clay
Firing – clay exposed to heat
hardens in a process called firing
Potter – a person who works
with clay Earthenware – fired at a relatively low temperature and is porous
after firing
Stoneware – fired at a high
temperature and is not porous
Porcelain – fired at a high
temperature, rare, non-porous, first developed in China
Mediums of Three Dimensional Visual Arts
SCULPTURE
Types:
1.
1. Sculpture
2.
2. Architecture
3.
3. Landscaping
4.
4. Community planning
5.
5. Industrial design
6.
6. Crafts like furniture making and ceramics
1.
1. Sculpture
Sculpture – is the art of
making figures, such as human forms, animals or geometrics that can either be
standing freely or attached to a background frame; either single or in group.
When it can stand
freely, it is called three-dimensinal or free-standing
sculpture, where the viewer can go around the figure and gaze it
at different angles. The different parts of the figure: front, back, and side
are all exposed to the viewer.
When the figure is
mounted to the background, which may either be a frame, a wall or a flat
surface, it is called a relief sculpture. In high
relief sculpture, the frame is embossed or raised above the surface of
the background. In low field sculpture, the figure is raised only a
little from the background, as in the case of coins.
1.
Free-standing or sculpture in the round which can be seen from more than one position. This
is also termed as statuary.
2.
Carved in Relief project from a
flat background
3.
Mobiles – a kind of kinetic sculpture made of
strips of metal, glass, wood or plastic arranged with wires and hung where they
can be moved.
Traditional Methods in Sculpture
1.
1. Carving
2.
2. Modeling
3.
3. Casting
4.
4. Fabrication
Materials/ Medium of Sculpture
1.
Wood
2.
Stone
-granite and basalt
-marble
-jade
3. Ivory
4. Metals
-
bronze
-copper
-brass
-gold
-silver
-aluminum and lead
5. Plaster – burned
limestone
6. Clay –used for
ceramics
7. Glass
8. Plastic
9. Ice
2. Architecture
Architecture is the art
of designing and constructing a building which will serve a definite function,
ranging from providing the simplest shelter to meeting the technological
demands of our modern cities.
TECHNIQUES AND STYLES
THE METHODS OF PRESENTING THE VISUAL ART
In the course of its history, painting has taken several major forms, involving
distinctive media or techniques.
1. Realism - An
attempt into describing or to represent figures and objects exactly as they
appear in life. Art was to be accessible to the masses and should serve a
social purpose. Popular subjects included images of workers in the fields or
factories, glorifying portraits of Stalin and State figures, historical scenes
of the Revolution, and idealized depictions of domestic life. This art of
painting was proclaimed by Gustave Courbet, a French painter.
-the attempt to portray
the subject as it is. Realists try to be as objective as possible.
2. Abstraction - the attempt of
the artist to show only his idea or his feeling; not as objective as the
realist.
Abstract Presentation
1.
DISTORTION - clearly
manifested when the subject is in distorted condition or twisted out
2.
ELONGATION – is when the art
subject is lengthen, protracted or extended
3.
MANGLING – is rarely used by artist
today. Here, the subject is either cut, or mutilated.
4.
CUBISM – stresses abstract
form through the use of a cone, cylinder or sphere at the expense of other
pictorial elements. The use of geometrical shapes is common in Pablo Picasso
&
Cubism – became the most
influential of all 20th century art style emphasizes the
flatness of the picture plane, or surface, and rejects traditional perspective,
foreshortening, modelling and chiaroscuro of dark and light.
In painting, cubism is
primarily concerned not with lifelike representation but with the depiction of
subject-matter by breaking its form down into basic geometric shapes; by
overlapping or interlocking these shapes. Cubist painters also attempted to
depict objects from many angles not simultaneously visible in reality but
arranged so as to form a unified composition.
Georges Braque and Pablo
Picasso developed cubism and Paul Cezanne art works.
1.
Abstract Expressionism - This is also known as action painting. The abstract expressionists
derived an interest in the subconscious, symbolism and myth. The Abstract
Expressionist movement is centred in New York and is also known as the New York
school. Action painters were concerned with paint texture and consistency and
the gestures of the artist, while color-field painters gave their works impact
by suing unified color and shape. Jackson Pollock was a distinctive action
painter.
-
is a style that is characterized by the use of large canvasses and a deliberate
lack of refinement in the application of the paint, strong color, uneven brush
strokes and rough texture.
1.
3. Symbolism – In the visual arts, it refers to the use of certain
pictorial convention pose, gesture, or a repertoire of attributes to express a
latent allegorical meaning in a work of art. It refers to the movement
that began in France in the 1880s, as a reaction both to romanticism and to the
realistic approach implicit to impressionism. It was an international
ideological trend that served as a catalyst in the development away from representation
in art and towards abstraction.
- the use of a visible
sign of an idea to convey to the viewers, readers or audiences the message of
his work
1.
4. Fauvism – This s a movement that revolutionized the concept of color
in modern art. The Fauvists rejected the impressionist palette of soft,
shimmering tones in favour of the violent colors used by Paul Gauguin and
Vincent Van Gogh for expressive emphasis. They achieved a poetic energy through
vigorous line, simplified yet dramatic surface pattern and intense color.
Technically, the Fauvist uses high key colors in painting and such colors
dazzle the viewer. Henri Matisse was a leader in this kind of painting.
-
the artist use of bright colors which shows pictures of comfort, joy and
pleasure
1.
5. DADAISM – is a protest movement in the art that is playful and
experimental. “Dada” means a “hobby horse”. Dadaism is most often nonsensical.
Marcel Duchamp is the famous painter using this method.
1.
6. Impressionism – This is a movement in painting that developed in late 19th century
France in reaction against the formalism and sentimentality that characterized
the academic art of that time. The Impressionist movement is considered the
beginning of the modern period of art.
The impressionists were
concerned with the depiction of reality not through the exact rendering of form
but through capturing the effects of light; they believed that light tends to
diffuse the outlines of form and to reflect in shadows the colors of the
surrounding objects.
Edouard Manet is
sometimes called the first impressionist. The tem impressionist was first used
by the journalist Claude Monet entitled Impression: Sunrise 1872, Musee
Marmottan, Paris.
– this method presented
the artist’s impression on the art subject, not as detailed as a realist
painting.
1.
7. Futurism – this is an early 20th century movement in
art pointedly rejected all traditions Art of producing aesthetically appealing
handmade objects
and attempted instead to
glorify contemporary life, mainly by emphasizing its dominant themes, the
machine and motion. Futurism tried to show movement and speed which the
futurists considered the essence of modern civilization.
Umberto Boccioni led the
Futurist movement.
-
developed in Italy about the same time as cubism appeared in France. Futurist
painters wanted their works to capture the mechanical energy of modern life.
-
1.
8. Surrealism – Surrealism grew directly out of Dada, an art and literary
movement reflecting nihilistic protest against all aspect of Western culture.
Like Dadaism, Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious in creative
activity, but it employed the psychic unconscious in a more orderly and serious
manner. The following artists are connected with Surrealism: Paolo Uccello,
William Blake, Odilon Redon and Michael S. Bell.
-
this method mirrors the evils of the present society. Surrealism means super
realism, influenced by Freudian psychology which emphasizes the activities of
the subconscious state of the mind
-
1.
9. Expressionism – Artists in both France and Germany shared an
interest in the art of indigenous people. It
is a movement or tendency that strives to express subjective feelings and
emotions rather than to depict reality or nature objectively. Expressionists
are inspired by the boldness and power of indigenous art. The artist is not
concerned with reality as it appears but with its inner nature and with the
emotions aroused by the subject. To achieve this, the object is often
caricatured, exaggerated, distorted, or altered in order to express the
emotional experience in its more intense and concentrated form.
-
are art works describing pathos, morbidity chaos or even defeat. Introduced in
Germany from 1900 – 1910.
-
10. Pointillism/Divionism - It is a method of painting in which small, closely
juxtaposed dots or strokes of pure color are deposited on the canvas. Seen from
a distance at which they are mixed by the eye, these points produce the
illusion of a solid field of color and give an effect of heightened luminosity.
George Seurat, the
founder of Neo-Impressionism, systematically developed the technique
1.
11. Constructivism – Vladimir Tatlin,
a Russian sculptor and painter, founded constructivism. Its name is derived
from the construction of abstract sculptures from miscellaneous industrial
materials such as metal, wire and pieces of plastic. Constructivism stood
for the ideals of abstraction, functionalism and utilitarianism
12. Neo-Plasticism –
This is a movement which was dedicated to abstraction to its further limits and
aimed to create a universal response from all viewers based on a quest for
harmony and order. It carried out the radical simplification of
composition and color, with areas in pure primary colors blue, red, and yellow
combined with straight lines in black, gray and white. The style is also
characterized by having plane surfaces and austere lines, related to Cubism.
Piet Mondrain and Theo
van Doesburg developed Neo-plasticism.
13. Minimalism – A
type of art in which forms are reduced to utmost simplicity and composition
restricted to geometry so as to preclude the emotional engagement of the viewer
with the ultimate aim of making form, space, color and materials the essence f
the painting or sculpture. It is a movement that presents the ugliness of a
painting not its beauty.
Process of Creation
Methods of Art Production
1.
Subtraction
The carving of stone and
wood is an example of this
process. The artist
using his chisels, hammers, and other
tools, deducts parts
from the medium to form a designed
image with perfect lines
and angles
.
2.
Addition
The construction of a
figure by putting together bits of clay
or by welding together
metal parts to create an image is
addition.
3.
Combined Materials
This method happens when
a combination of small pieces
of materials such as
plastic or moist dry clay is worked and
modelled into desired
form which may then be subjected to
intense heat to produce
a ceramic known as terracotta.
Wire, rods and plates
may also be combined by soldering
or welding.
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