Course Learning Outcomes:: Function, Value and Historical Significance
Course Learning Outcomes:: Function, Value and Historical Significance
Course Learning Outcomes:: Function, Value and Historical Significance
In this module, you shall be able to have a basic introduction of what the course is
about. Primarily, you will get to know what is the technical definition of the term ‘art
appreciation’ and what is its significance as a part of your course undertaking.
It is said that through art we are able to open up the perception and mindset of
individuals as we listen to various interpretations of a particular art. In this case, the various
assumptions and nature of art will also be tackled. You will then find out how people can
have multiple associations and perceptions, to the point of neglect, on art.
their feelings, their infinitely varied ideas, and most intimate thoughts.
Take that deep breath and buckle up as you enter the world of art, and most of all,
enjoy!
Course Learning Outcomes:
CLO 1 Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of arts in general, including their
function, value and historical significance
CLO 2 Analyze and appraise works of art based on aesthetic value, historical context,
tradition, and social relevance
CLO 3 Create your own works of art and curate their own production or exhibit.
COL 5 Discover and deepen their identity through art with respect to their nationality,
culture, and religion.
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LESSON 1
What is Art Appreciation
Art is a necessary component of our existence. It pervades every part of our lives
and selves. We will be discussing the topic of art appreciation in this course. The phrase
"art appreciation" refers to the understanding of the universal and timeless elements that
distinguish all great art. It's commonly used to describe the study of visual art forms or the
introduction of basic visual literacy principles.
It refers to the analysis of an artwork's form for public audiences in hopes of
improving their appreciation of such works of art. It can be studied independently from its
subject matter, symbolism, or historical background. Art appreciation can be personal and
influenced by personal inclinations for aesthetics and form, or it can be objective and
based on a number of design features and principles, as well as cultural and social
acceptance.
Most contemporary art commentators and art historians avoid to use this word
because they believe it implies that art appreciation requires insufficient critical thought.
This should never be treated lightly, as we are constantly surrounded by art in our
everyday lives and exemplify art in its purest form.
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to achieve the following:
A. Appreciate the role of art in an attempt to fully realize man’s end
B. Clarify misconceptions of art
Paintings, sculptures, architecture, design, and, more recently, digital art, all fall
under the umbrella of art among others. Art can be enjoyed by everybody, and because it
is subjective, different art forms appeal to different people. Art appreciation, on the other
hand, refers to the study and appreciation of the various art forms to which we are
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exposed. It can be very subjective, based on an individual's preferences and personal
tastes, or objective, based on factors such as the piece's design and mastery. A closer
investigation into the piece's context, historical implication, and background, as well as a
study of its roots, is part of art appreciation.
Art is derived from the Latin word ars, which means "trade or specialized type of
skill, such as carpentry, smithy, or surgery."
Art
encompasses
varied genre and
color. Its basic
goal is to present
a message and a
thought from its
audience
An artist’s ultimate goal is to produce an art that can speak and connect to its
audience on an intimate level and is to be interpreted in various ways. Given that there is
an influx of styles and trends at a rapid pace in the dynamic world of art, an artist absolutely
needs to connect to its target audience in the most effective way. An artwork aims to tap
the subconscious of any person who sees and experience it.
There are various reasons why art appreciation is so significant in one’s life. It is
an avenue to study about the time period and history of the art piece when it was created.
In another perspective, an artist oftentimes reflects their own struggles and social
challenges. In this way, we will be able to comprehend such societal happenings by putting
ourselves in the point of view of an artist. Basically, we will be able to relate ourselves to
the concerns of the artists.
It is said that art is intended to elicit understanding and communication with its
audience. In this approach, we tap our emotions and memories when we encounter a work
of art. Art appreciation enables a conversation and understanding that there are several
approaches in the interpretation of art by listening to the various ideas and opinions about
it.
Art has been an avenue for people to convey and express things that seem
impossible to say. Through its visual medium, we are able to feel joy, sadness, rage, and
grief. That is why our interpretation is so crucial as a final piece in art appreciation. Through
our perspective, an artwork comes to life and shifts with every person who encounters it.
Basically, art appreciation and analysis are significant part in our lives for the reason
that it helps us value art in terms of how it connects to us and what it means to us as an
individual. It highlights the background and history of the work of art as well as the artist’s
biographies. It also looks into the design, technique, and expertise to critically examine it.
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Most of all, art appreciation promotes analysis and critical understanding, enabling us to
go beyond what meets the eye.
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LESSON 2
Assumptions and Nature of Art
The assumptions and nature of art will be taken into account in this lesson. Several
prominent people have had differing perspectives on what actually art means in the
concept of society and life for many centuries.
Art, as previously described in the first lesson, is one that is constantly present. Many
people refuse to acknowledge having anything to do with the arts, although it is undeniable
that life provides us with several forms and opportunities for artistic interaction. Let us
delve deeper into this subject, understanding that this is a diverse undertaking.
• In one of your encounters with art through museum visits, musical, and
plays among other, have you ever felt disconnected from an artwork?
Was there a point in time you did not understand what message the art
was trying to convey? Explain why you think you did not understand the
art.
Sometimes art
can be a complicated
and confusing thing
where we cannot make
a connection or make
meaning out of it.
Perhaps it is better to
fully understand how
art is perceived based
on the different
assumptions about it.
Art is Universal
People and their social backgrounds mirror art. Art also bring forth awareness and
unity among our cultural and individual differences. Countries all around the world makes
use of art in order to foster mutual understanding and for cultural exchange between
people.
Regardless of form, all artistic creations have the same capacity to connect with
anybody. We lose sight of its possibility to communicate with us when we disregard its
mere existence.
This reflects our political, social, and cultural processes which is why art is the most
important form of communication. People, tradition, culture, unity, freedom, harmony, and
understanding should all be represented through art.
There is always art in every country and in every generation. Many people believe
that the only things that are deemed artistic are those that were created a long time ago.
This is a misunderstanding.
Art is not art unless someone thinks about it and comprehends it, just as nature
requires the lack of thinking to be nature. The sight from the summit of a mountain isn't art
until you've seen it or taken pictures of it. Nature and Art, on the other hand, are both
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incredibly special and unique things that may borrow elements from one other but can
never be the equivalent.
A French painter, Paul Cezanne, painted a scene from reality entitled Well and
Grinding Wheel in the Forest of the Chateau Noir (1904). The said scene is inspired by
real scene forest near Cezanne’s native province. In comparing the painting and the
original scene. Cezanne changed some patterns and details quite different from the
original scene from the way they were actually in the photograph. What he did is not
nature. It is art.
The landscape in
question was inspired by a real
forest near Cezanne's home
province. When comparing the
artwork to the original
scenario, there are a few
things to keep in mind.
Cezanne altered numerous
patterns and elements that
were considerably different
from the actual setting from as
they appeared in the image.
He did not act in accordance
with nature.
arbi. (n.d.). [Photograph of the Well and Grinding Well in the Forest of the Chateau Noir]. https://bit.ly/3sJ48ZL
For others, getting this far without a sufficient definition of art may seem strange.
Most individuals don't need a thorough definition of art. Art is nothing more than a personal
experience.
When we speak of experience, (Dudley et.al., 1960) we mean the “actual doing of
something” and it is confirmed that experience is contingent to art. So, if a person is truly
aware and understand art, a person must know it as an experience not as a fact.
Then a work of art can't be separated from the act of making it. We must make
sense, see, and hear an artwork in order to understand it.
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NATURE OF ART
Art Forms
Emotions can be expressed in various ways through art. As a result, people's work is
a representation of their inner selves rather than what is observed based on the outside.
• Visual Arts- Visual arts are works of art that are primarily visual in nature and
appeal to the sense of sight. Artists create visual arts because they want to
recreate what they've seen in the same way they saw it. Performance arts, applied
arts, and theater are examples of other artistic disciplines that include a visual
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component. Paintings, drawings, lettering, printing, sculpting, and digital imaging
are some examples of visual arts mediums.
• Film- The skill of piecing together sequences of static images to create the
appearance of movement is known as filmmaking. Filmmaking is both an art and
a business that concentrates on its cultural, aesthetic, and social value.
The following are the techniques in film-making process: a. motion picture camera,
b. animation techniques, c. computer generated imagery (CGI).
• Performance Art - Performance art is live art in which the artist's medium is
primarily the human body, but he or she may also incorporate other forms of art
such as visual art, sounds, props, into the performance.
The elements of performance arts: a. setting, b. time, c. performer’s body, d.
relationship between the audience and performer.
Performance art is intangible, it cannot be purchased or traded like a commodity.
• Dance- Dance is a set of gestures that are choreographed to the beat of the music.
Dancing is a method of expression that enables individuals to express themselves
freely. Dancers are not restricted to defined routines and regulations in art
expression, but they are free to create and design their own routines as long as
they are graceful and beautiful.
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to any particular format or standard. Novels, poems, and biographies are examples
of fiction and nonfiction.
• Theater- Live performers offer tales or visuals of events in front of a live audience
in theater. Theater art is distinguished from literary art by the fact that it is usually
performed according to a script. Acting, gestures, scenery, lighting, props, sound
effects, and musical score are all considered in theater, just as they are in
filmmaking. Theater, like performance art, is a live performance. Musicals,
comedies, tragedies, and improvisation are examples of genres.
• Applied Arts- The goal of applied arts is to provide aesthetic value to ordinary
objects by blending style and design. Artists in this discipline infuse beauty, charm,
and comfort into a variety of common objects. Industrial design, fashion design,
interior design, and graphic design are all examples of this.
B. Using the table below, write down examples of the different art forms studied in
the module. Provide ways on how these art forms express and unmask creativity
from the artist. Do this in your worksheet.
Types of Art Example What medium was How does this
Expression used in the form of show the artist’s
art? creativity?
Visual Arts
Film
Performance Art
Music
Architecture
Dance
Literary Art
Theater
Applied Arts
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LESSON 3
Philosophical Importance of Art
It is alleged that one of the main purposes of art is its cognitive function. Art is a
medium in the acquisition of truth. Art has even been called as the form of highest available
knowledge to mankind.
Science, art, and philosophy differ on the subject matter of their concern as well
as the medium in which they transform, reflect, and express such subject matter. In a
sense, philosophy like art, depicts man, in his world. It reflects a reality in relation to man,
and their relationship with other people in their day to day interactions with the world.
In this lesson, you will get to know that art can be able to communicate political,
spiritual, philosophical, or depict beauty, and express emotion. It can be a source of
pleasure, to convey ideas, and explore perception all through the analysis and critics by
renowned individuals who established their philosophical pillars in art.
Art as an Imitation
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• Art then is to be banished with the practitioners to ensure that the attitudes and
behaviors of the members of the Republic are not compromised by the influence
of the art.
• For Plato, art is dangerous because it represents a trivial alternative to the actual
entity that can only be achieved by reason.
Art as a Representation
• Aristotle agreed with Plato's view that art was a form of imitation
• However, Aristotle saw art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth. The kind of
imitation that art does is not the opposite of achieving basic truth in the world.
• Unlike Plato, who thought that art was an imitation of another imitation, Aristotle
conceived art to represent a possible version of reality.
• For Aristotle, all art does not seek to portray reality as it is, but to offer versions of
what could be, or many possibilities of reality.
• In Aristotle’s worldview, art serves two specific purposes. Art allows us to (1)
experience pleasure. Art is also educational and has the ability to (2) guide and
teach our audience about life (perception).
Art as a Disinterested Judgement
• According to Leo Tolstoy, art plays a major role in communicating with the
audience's previous experienced emotions. Art conveys emotions, just as
language conveys information to others.
• Art has a unique opportunity to act as a mechanism of social cohesion as a
conductor of man's deepest emotions and thoughts.
• Art is central to human existence, providing access to the emotions of people both
from the past and on the present.
Choose a philosophical stand in art from the ones discussed and draw a cartoon
that represent such philosophy. Write a short explanation of your artwork.
Do this on your worksheet.
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LESSON 4
Functions of Art
Within art, there exist purposes referred to as functions for which a piece of art
may be designed, but no art can be "assigned" a function—either in scholarly studies or
casual conversation—outside of the proper context. Art forms exist within very specific
contexts that must be considered when classifying them. Whether a particular piece of art
has existed for centuries or has yet to be created, it is functional in some way—all art
exists for a reason and these reasons make up the functions of art.
FUNCTIONS OF ART
Ideally, one can look at a piece of art and guess with some accuracy where it came
from and when. This best-case scenario also includes identifying the artist because they
are in no small way part of the contextual equation. You might wonder, "What was the
artist thinking when he created this?" when you see a piece of art. You, the viewer, are
the other half of this equation; you might ask yourself how that same piece of art makes
you feel as you look at it.
The functions of art normally fall into three categories: physical, social, and
personal. These categories can and often do overlap in any given piece of art. When
you're ready to start thinking about these functions, here's how.
PHYSICAL
The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works of art that
are created to perform some service have physical functions. If you see a Fijian war club,
you may assume that, however wonderful the craftsmanship may be, it was created to
perform the physical function of smashing skulls.
A Japanese raku bowl is a piece of art that performs a physical function in a tea
ceremony. Conversely, a fur-covered teacup from the Dada movement has no physical
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function. Architecture crafts such as welding and woodworking, interior design, and
industrial design are all types of art that serve physical functions.
SOCIAL
Art has a social function when it addresses aspects of (collective) life as opposed
to one person's point of view or experience. Viewers can often relate in some way to social
art and are sometimes even influenced by it.
For example, public art in 1930s Germany had an overwhelming symbolic theme.
Did this art exert influence on the German population? Decidedly so, as did political and
patriotic posters in Allied countries during the same time. Political art, often designed to
deliver a certain message, always carries a social function. The fur-covered Dada teacup,
useless for holding tea, carried a social function in that it protested World War I (and nearly
everything else in life).
Art that depicts social conditions performs social functions and often this art comes
in the form of photography. The Realists figured this out early in the 19th century.
American photographer Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) along with many others often took
pictures of people in conditions that are difficult to see and think about.
PERSONAL
The personal functions of art are often the most difficult to explain. There are many
types of personal functions and these are highly subjective. Personal functions of art are
not likely to be the same from person to person.
An artist may create a piece out of a need for self-expression or gratification. They
might also or instead want to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. Sometimes
an artist is only trying to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. A piece
might be meant to entertain, provoke thought, or even have no particular effect at all.
Personal function is vague for a reason. From artist to artist and viewer to viewer,
one's experience with art is different. Knowing the background and behaviors of an artist
helps when interpreting the personal function of their pieces.
Art may also serve the personal function of controlling its viewers, much like social
art. It can also perform religious service or acknowledgment. Art has been used to attempt
to exert magical control, change the seasons, and even acquire food. Some art brings
order and peace, some creates chaos. There is virtually no limit to how art can be used.
Finally, sometimes art is used to maintain a species. This can be seen in rituals of
the animal kingdom and in humans themselves. Biological functions obviously include
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fertility symbols (in any culture), but there are many ways humans adorn their bodies with
art in order to be attractive to others and eventually mate.
The functions of art apply not only to the artist that created a piece but to you as
the viewer. Your whole experience and understanding of a piece should contribute to the
function you assign it, as well as everything you know about its context. Next time you are
trying to understand a piece of art, try to remember these four points: (1) context, (2)
personal, (3) social, and (4) physical functions. Remember that some art serves only one
function and some all three (perhaps even more).
Identify 10 works of art at your home, school, or community. After which, identify
what function(s) of art it ascribes for you.
Do this on your worksheet.
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LESSON 5
Soul Making in Art
When you see an artwork, do you try to evaluate its content and find meaning
behind those images. Do you merely look at it on face value? Or do you tap your emotions
in understanding the context of its message?
Have you ever considered putting yourself in the perspective of an author, artist,
or a craftsman? Or do you look at things on your own point of view based on your thoughts
and background knowledge? However way it is, your ideas and interpretation on a piece
of art will always be valid, because you are you.
By the end of this lesson, you are expected to achieve the following:
“Soul making is an alternate place to know oneself and to look at the depths and
meaning of what we do in our daily lives” said Dr. Norman Narciso, one of the prominent
thought leaders in the country’s world of art. It is said to be that soul making is a
steppingstone towards a deeper understanding of how the world is perceived and how
your own personality is portrayed and seen by you.
This plays a major role in the production of art. Soul making is an avenue of making
stories, converting brief moments into pictures, making use of symbols that brings people
together, embodying tolerance, understanding a certain culture, promoting peace and
imagination.
Knowing Yourself
“Who are you”, this is the statement that will serve as your guide in undertaking
this process. It starts with being conscious. To begin the process of soul making, you have
to embrace and realize your truth, history, and existence. Once you have done this, soul
making may now come into play as this is the core of soul making. It is, therefore, not
focused on the production that we take into consideration, but we do consider the method
of perception.
Depth and Essence
Soul making is more than just a perspective on religion. When we speak of soul, it
is your unique individuality that is shown on your behavior. And since one of the human
expressions is art that is highly symbolic and valued, an individual make use of various
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forms of art in order to express himself and communicate emotions. In this effect, the
desire to actualize his very being is highly substantiated with soul making.
What are We Doing?
Art enables us to have a sense of purpose through what we are doing. Just like
any form of art is an expression of our emotions, realities, feelings, and perceptions, the
solution to our personal growth is through such forms of expressions. Through soul
making, we are able to make use of our experiences and make ourselves be a better
person.
Everyday Life
Our life is full of adventures. Understanding that every person has a different
perspective of seeing things and understanding that there will always be a challenge for
each adventure will make us happily dwell in life. The soul making process is not just
reserved for artists, anyone can do this process as everybody is creative in their own right.
This is just a matter of losing yourself in the world of art and detaching yourself from you
to see things in a different perspective.
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CHAPTER 2
You have just reached the second chapter for this subject! What a terrific journey
you must have had with the first chapter. Let’s keep the momentum going with the topics
in store for the second chapter.
As you have learned on the previous topics, an art piece communicates a message
to its audience that is open for various interpretation and understanding. Within that art
piece are stylistic features that helps the artist communicate meaning to its audience.
These features are what we call elements of art. These elements guide the viewer to a
deeper understanding of any piece of art when we are analyzing it intentionally. Basically,
in this unit, you will identify elements, and answer questions as you carefully look at
paintings and other works of art and analyze how these elements are used purposefully.
You will also look into the ways and mechanics of selecting a content in art. It may
be realistic or abstract. Find out how several prominent artists showcase their content in
a myriad of ways. Discover what is the difference between a subject and a content.
You had better prepare yourself for this long, bumpy, and meaningful ride!
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LESSON 1
Elements and Principles of Art
It is said that art is the process or product of the purposeful arrangement and
rearrangement of items that affects and influences our intellect, senses, and emotions.
In this lesson, we are to tackle the fundamental elements of art are used by artists to
construct a piece of art.
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to achieve the following:
A. Identify the elements of art
B. Evaluate an artwork in terms of the different elements of art
1. Color
Color helps establish a mood for your composition. When light waves strike an
object and reflect back to the optic nerve in a human’s eyes, the sensation they
perceive is called color. Artists and designers use color to depict and describe the
subject. Color is used by designers to portray mood, light, depth, and point of view.
Designers use the color wheel and the tenets of color theory—a set of guidelines for
mixing, combining, and manipulating colors—to create color schemes.
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What is Color in Art?
In works of art, artists use color to depict and describe the subject. Artists,
especially painters, utilize their knowledge of color to portray mood, light, depth, and
point of view in a work of art.
• Hue: Hue refers to the color itself, which is distinct from any other color, and
represents the name we assign that color such as red, orange, and magenta.
• Value: Value is the darkness or lightness of a hue. When hues are mixed with
white, the resulting color will have a lighter value called tints. When hues are
mixed with the color black, they have a darker value called shades. The many
values of a hue can be shown on a gradient spectrum resembling paint swatches.
• Chroma: A color’s chroma refers to the purity of a color. Chroma is related to
saturation, with high-chroma colors appearing brighter, and low-chroma colors
appearing duller.
The color wheel is a circular diagram that illustrates the relationships between
different colors. Here is a brief guide to the colors in the color wheel.
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[The color wheel]. (n.d.). https://www.pinterest.com/pin/161637074097544182/
• Primary colors: Primary colors are colors that are combined to make a range
of other colors. Traditionally, these are red, yellow, and blue. When mixed,
these three primary colors can form many other colors.
• Secondary colors: Secondary colors are the result of mixing two primary
colors. In the traditional color model, the three secondary colors are green
(yellow plus blue), orange (yellow plus red), and purple (red plus blue).
• Tertiary colors: Tertiary colors are the combination of one primary color with
one secondary color. There are six tertiary colors on the traditional color
wheel: magenta (red-purple), vermillion (red-orange), amber (yellow-orange),
chartreuse (yellow-green), teal (blue-green), and violet (blue-purple).
• Complementary colors: Complementary colors are colors that are found
opposite each other on the color wheel. Complementary color schemes
include blue with orange, red with green, and yellow with purple.
• Analogous colors: Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color
wheel. Analogous color schemes include yellow paired with chartreuse and
green; red with vermillion and orange; and blue with teal and violet. The three
colors in each pairing share a common hue, so they appear to match.
• Warm colors: Reds, oranges, and yellows are referred to as warm colors.
• Cool colors: Blues, greens, and purples are referred to as cool colors.
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• Monochromatic: A color scheme is monochromatic when it only features
shades or tints of a single hue.
• Neutral colors: Blacks, greys, whites and shades of beige are often referred
to as neutral colors.
2. Line:
Line refers to the way that two points in space are connected. Whether they’re
horizontal lines, diagonal lines, or vertical lines, lines can help direct the eye toward a
certain point in your composition. You can also create texture by incorporating different
types of lines such as curved or patterned lines instead of just straight lines.
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3. Value:
In design, value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. The values of a color
are often visualized in a gradient, which displays a series of variations on one hue,
arranged from the lightest to the darkest. Artists can use the various values of color to
create the illusion of mass and volume in their work.
Value is a basic element of art that refers to the gradual change of lightness or
darkness of a color. It is created when a light source shines upon an object creating
highlights, form shadows and cast shadows.
Value is most evident on the gray scale where black is represented as lowest or
darkest and white is represented as the highest or lightest value. Or more simply said,
they are the various shades of grey between white and black. Artists us them to
create highlights and shadows (shading) in objects and create depth in their paintings or
drawings.
Colors can have value too. In painting, value changes can be achieved by adding
either black or white to the chosen color. Some colors, like yellow and orange, are naturally
light in value.
Successful paintings have a full range of value. This means that there are ample
amounts of both light values and dark values. Paintings which possess a full range of
values tend to stand out more and are more pleasing to the eye.
[Understanding value in
painting]. (n.d.).
https://www.artistsnetwork.com/a
rt-subjects/understanding-value-
and-tone-for-better-painting/
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Value creates contrast and adds emphasis. The human eye tends to be drawn to
areas of high contrast. High contrast occurs when lighter elements are placed
directly next to much darker ones thereby creating a dramatic effect. This is a technique
that is used to draw attention to specific areas of a painting that the artist wants to
emphasize thus creating a focal point. For example, a light figure on a dark background
will become the center of attention, and a dark figure on a mostly white background will
command the eye’s attention as well.
Value creates the illusion of depth. Value is an important tool to suggest roundness
or depth. It helps to create depth within by making an
object look three-dimensional or a landscape to appear
to recede into the distance. Light values make elements
feel like they are further away, and dark values make
them seem closer.
Colors of different value in art interact with each other to create different effects
that can change the mood or depth of your painting. Here are some types of value in
art.
• High key: High key colors contain the most white and are on the palest end of
the gradient scale.
• Low key: Low key colors contain the most black, and are on the darker end of
the gradient scale.
• High contrast: When two colors have opposite values, such as very dark and
very light blue, they are considered high contrast.
• Low contrast: When two colors have values that are only slightly different
from one another, they are considered low contrast.
4. Space:
Space is an element of art that can draw your audience’s attention to your intended
focal points, or give the illusion of a three-dimensional space.
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What Is Space in Art?
Space is one of key elements of art that refers to the distance around and between
the subjects and aspects of a composition. There are three types of space that are
involved in art composition: positive space (which is the area of the work occupied by
the subject or subjects), negative space (which is the area around the subject or
subjects), and three-dimensional space (a series of techniques that allows an artist to
transform a two-dimensional space into a three-dimensional one). When they work
together, positive and negative space can draw your viewer’s eye to points of interest.
Three-dimensional space creates an optical illusion that makes your painting look more
realistic.
There are three types of space for artists to consider when outlining a
composition on your picture plane, or the plane that exists in the world of your picture.
1. Positive Space: Positive space refers to the space around the subject or
subjects in a picture. For instance, if you’re drawing a still life, a bowl of
fruit might be your positive space.
2. Negative Space: Negative space refers to the empty spaces surrounding
or in between the subject or subjects in a work of art.
3. Three-dimensional Space: Renaissance Artists mastered the technique
of creating the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. They
did so by utilizing linear perspective, diminishing scale, and atmospheric
perspective. Linear perspective refers to the use of geometric tools, like a
vanishing point, to create the appearance of depth. Diminishing scale
dictates that the farther you are from an object, the smaller it appears.
Atmospheric perspective refers to the object becoming light color as you
move away from it in space.
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5. Shape
Shape is one of the principles of art that serves as a building block for representing
every variety of subject matter through painting, sculpture, and architecture. In its most
basic form, a shape is a two-dimensional area that is surrounded by an outline. Within
the context of art, shape is the external form, the contours, or the outline of a subject.
Though shapes are two-dimensional in painting and drawing, artists use other
elements including line, color, value, and shadow to give a shape the appearance of a
three-dimensional shape.
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6. Form:
Form pertains to the way that a shape or physical configuration occupies space.
Form is one of the principles of art that dictates how artists represent dimensional
shapes in two-dimensional or three-dimensional art.
Form is one of the elements of visual art which pertains to the way that a shape or
physical configuration occupies space. For a three-dimensional work of art like a
sculpture or work of architecture, form is the shape, structure, and arrangement of
components like length, width, and depth of a shape. Instead of creating form through
physical shape, painters create the appearance of form on a flat surface by using light,
shadow, the appearance of an object’s contours, negative space, and the surroundin g
objects around the subject matter.
Form is one of the principles of art that dictates how artists represent dimensional
shapes in two-dimensional or three-dimensional art.
The two types of forms or shapes in art: geometric forms and organic forms.
Geometric forms refer to precise, regular, angular, geometric shapes that are
mathematically consistent, including spheres, cubes, pyramids, cones, and cylinders.
27
Organic forms (or biomorphic forms) represent organic, irregular shapes that often
occur in the natural world, which are usually asymmetrical, free -form, or curved.
7. Texture
Texture is one of the elements of design that is used to represent how an object
appears or feels. Tactile texture is a physical sense of touch, whether it’s rough,
smooth, or ribbed. Visual texture, on the other hand, refers to the imagined feel of the
illustrated texture, which can create more visual interest and a heightened sensory
experience.
When making a work of visual art, you should consider the two types of texture,
known as physical (or actual) texture and visual (or implied) texture.
• Physical texture: The physical texture of a work of art refers to its tactile
texture that you can feel when you touch it. For example, the physical texture
of a work of art may be soft, hard, smooth, or rough.
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• Visual texture: Artists who create works of art on a two-dimensional surface,
such as painters or draftsmen, are creating a visual texture of their work by
manipulating materials on their canvas.
Artist Titian
Year 1534
Dimensions 119 cm
× 165 cm
(47 in × 65 in)
29
Principles of Good Design
the composition is a weak or strong one. In a series of discussions, we’ll take a look at
each one of these principles.
30
Horizontal Balance
When components are balanced left and right of a central axis they are
balanced horizontally.
[Example painting of horizontal balance]. (n.d.). [Example painting of horizontal balance]. (n.d.).
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/balance-with-me- https://fineartamerica.com/featured/balance-with-me-
debbie-criswell.html debbie-criswell.html
Vertical Balance
31
[Example paintings on vertical balance]. (n.d.). https://fineartamerica.com/featured/balance-with-me-debbie-criswell.html
Do you see the vertical balance suggested in the painting on the left? Look at
where the foreground ends, and you will quickly see how balance is implied by the visual
weightiness of the building in the background.
The painting on the right is a little more obvious in its vertical balance. Notice how
the three objects in the top part of the painting balance the apparent heaviness of the one
object (the plate of pancakes) in the lower part of the painting.
Radial Balance
32
[Example paintings of radial balance]. (n.d.). https://thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/balance-a-principle-of-art
Types of Balance
Symmetrical Balance
A good example of pure symmetry is the human face. It is the same on both the
right side and the left side of the nose. Pure symmetry has its place in certain art works,
however, because of its identical repetition, pure symmetry for a composition can easily
become too monotonous and uninteresting to look at.
Approximate symmetry on the other hand has greater appeal and interest for the
viewer. The two sides of a composition are varied and are more interesting to view. Even
though they are varied somewhat, they are still similar enough to make their repetitious
relationship symmetrically balanced.
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Asymmetrical Balance
The artist will quickly discover the use of asymmetry allows for more freedom of
creativity because there are unlimited arrangements that may be devised by using
asymmetrical balance.
Color — complimentary colors on the color wheel, i.e. red vs. green, blue
vs. orange, yellow vs. violet
Hue — saturated vs. muted colors
Movement — fast vs. slow
Shape — organic vs. geometric shapes
Size — large vs. small shapes
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Space — positive vs. negative
Temperature — warm vs. cool
Texture — rough vs. smooth
Value — light vs dark
• Contrast is significant because it adds variety to the total design and creates
unity. It draws the viewer’s eye into the painting and helps to guide the viewer
around the art piece.
• Contrast also adds visual interest. Most designs require a certain amount of
contrast, if there is too much similarity of the components in any design, it
will become monotonous. Too little contrast results in a design that is bland and
uninteresting to view.
35
The illustration of the lady and parrot is a good example
of contrast between lights and darks. A contrast of color exists
between the red parrot and white dress. Also notice the
contrast in the roundness of shapes in the foreground against the
flatness of the dark background. Contrast of texture is also
implied by the softness of the silk dress and soft feathers of the
bird against the hard, flat background.
[A lady and a parrot painting as example of contrast]. (n.d.).
https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/rhodes/designprinciples2.html
3.Emphasis – the stress placed on a single area of a work or unifying visual theme.
Defining Emphasis
Emphasis in art is when the artist gives dominance to or stresses a particular area
or element of focus in a painting. Without it a composition is nothing more than a
presentation of a group of details with equal importance. When a composition has no
emphasis, nothing stands out as demonstrated in the illustration below.
36
[Images with emphasis and without emphasis]. (n.d.). https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/rhodes/designprinciples2.html
Adding Emphasis
Contrast — the more strongly an element contrasts with its surroundings, the more it
stands out and draws attention it to itself. See the discussion on Contrast for information
about how to use this design principle.
Line — an arrow, line, or other similar objects can be used to indicate movement or
direction and lead the eye towards an element. Where lines converge also creates a focal
point. See discussion on Movement for about this good design principle.
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Placement — elements centered on the canvas will command the viewer’s
attention, however, artists tend to avoid putting the focal point in the center of the
canvas. It is best to off center it a bit and still achieve the same effect. Off center
placement is much more pleasing to the eye.
Size or Scale — this refers to how something seems in scale or size as it is compared to
the objects around it. The larger the scale the more it will stand out and attract the eye.
Smaller elements tend to recede into the background.
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4.Movement – the suggestion of action or direction, the path our eyes follow when we
look at a work of art.
Movement is the principle of good design which gives the artist control over what
the viewer sees next. Using this principle, the artist can create the path our eyes will
travel as we look at a work of art. For example, our attention is first captured by the main
focal point and then it proceeds to move around the composition as one element after
another catches our attention.
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Rhythm is the result of repetition which leads the eye from one area to another in
direct, flowing, or staccato movement. It can be produced by continuous repetition, by
periodic repetition, or by regular alternation of one of more forms or lines. A single form
may be slightly changed with each repetition or be repeated with periodic changes in size,
color, texture, or value. A line may regularly vary in length, weight, or direction. Color may
also be repeated in various parts of the composition in order to unify the various areas of
the painting.
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Repetition creates the movement in the painting
right. The color of the gowns is repeated leading the eye into
the painting. The pattern on the floor also creates repetition.
You also get the feeling of movement created by implied
action.
41
[Example images of good and bad proportions]. (n.d.) https://www.interaction-
design.org/literature/article/repetition-pattern-and-rhythm
Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When
the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is said
to be “out of proportion”. For example, if a person has a head larger than their entire body,
then we would say that they were out of proportion.
1. Place like elements together which are similar in character or have a common feature.
2. Create major and minor areas in the design, as equal parts can quickly become
monotonous and boring. However, the differences in size must not be so great as to make
the parts appear unrelated and therefore, out of harmony with each other.
3. Arrangement of space should be in such a way that the eye does not perceive a
standard mathematical relationship. Dividing up the composition in halves, quarters and
thirds should be avoided. A subtle relationship creates a more dynamic design.
4. Create harmony in the artwork. Harmony is an agreement between the shapes that
stresses the similarities of all parts. In other words, the shape of one part should “fit” the
shape of the adjoining elements. Shapes should “fit” properly in their positions and spaces.
42
[Harmony in art]. (n.d.). https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-techniques/composition/harmony-in-art/
43
In the coat of arms, we observe how the different
elements “fit” together perfectly inside each other to
create harmony.
44
There is simplicity in the design of the
buildings in the painting right. Detail has been left
out to call your attention to the unique architecture.
Space in art refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within
shapes and forms found within a composition. In this discussion we will be taking a closer
look at several different ways space is used in art. These are:
• Positive space
• Negative space
• Two-dimensional space
• Three-dimensional space
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Positive and Negative Space
There are two types of space in art: positive and negative. Both positive and
negative space are important factors to be considered in every good composition. They
occur in both two-dimension and three-dimension art and are complementary to one
another. One impacts on and affects the reading of the other.
Do you see the shapes in negative space? These shapes have substance or
mass and are not simply the absence of something. This is important to remember.
Negative space has weight and mass, and plays an important role in defining your
subject.
Negative space is most evident when the space around a subject matter, and
not the form itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape. In this case the
use of negative space is very much a key element of the artistic composition. In the
example above, the negative space forms a shape of two men face to face.
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Negative space is important in a composition because it gives balance to
positive space by giving the eye a place to rest. This is a basic element that is often
overlooked as a principle of a good design.
• Overlapping objects
• Changing size and placement of related objects
• Linear perspective
• Relative hue and value
• Atmospheric perspective
a. Overlapping objects within your composition is the simplest tool you can use for
creating three-dimensional space in your painting or drawing. The effect is achieved
by allowing the contour of one form to be interrupted by the contour of another form,
so that it looks like one form is physically sitting in front of the other.
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b. Changing size and placement of related objects. When two shapes are the same
size and are placed on the same plane, the image tends to appear rather flat and not
have much depth to it. However, by simply varying the size and placement of the
shapes a greater sensation of depth is created.
As a rule of thumb, larger objects tend to appear closer to the viewer and
smaller ones tend to recede into the background. Also, objects placed lower on the
canvas appear closer in distance than those which are placed higher up.
d. Relative hue and value. Using hue and value to create 3D space on a flat canvas
surface are very important cues that tell us whether an object is nearby or far away. In
general, warm colors or hues tend appear closer, whereas cool hues tend to recede
away from the viewer. On the same token, close objects tend to exhibit brighter, richer
hues, and/or more contrasting in values, including extremes of dark and light. However,
distant objects tend to be either similar or neutral in value and exhibit grayer hues.
Colors that are close in value are perceived as being on or near the same plane, but
colors that have strong contrast in value appear on separate planes.
As a rule of thumb when using this tool, remember that colors tend to pale and
fade as they recede into the distance. Objects become less defined and lack detail.
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Deep Space
When effectively used, all of these tools to create the illusion of three-
dimensional space will create a sense of what is referred to as deep space within your
painting. In deep space there are three terms used to describe depth:
• Foreground is the area of a painting that visually appears closest to the viewer. It is
often located on a lower plane or bottom of the canvas.
• Middle ground is space that makes up the distance between the foreground and
background of a painting. There is no specific measurement for what the limits are.
Typically, it is located somewhere on the middle plane of the canvas.
• Background is the area of a painting that visually appears to be far away in the
distance at or near the horizon. It is usually located on a higher plane of the canvas.
There are a number of ways to create the illusion of distance or depth on a flat surface.
Here are some of those ways:
1. Objects that are further away, will appear smaller than those close by. Those same
objects will also grow less distinct the further away they are. Their colors will fade and
blend into the background colors.
2. Objects which are placed higher on a plane create the feeling of depth or distance.
The viewer senses that he or she is standing away from the objects and that there is
a large amount of space in the foreground.
3. Overlapping shapes tend to create a feeling of depth.
4. Arrangement of lights. When light is contrasted against dark, a sense of depth is felt.
5. Converging lines. Parallel lines, as they move away into the distance, appear to
come closer together to form a vanishing point which may or may not be seen. A
good example of this is a road or a path.
6. Colors. Warm and bright colors appear closer, whereas cool or dull colors tend to
recede into the distance.
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Examples of the Effective Use of Space
The painting on the right demonstrates positive and negative space in a three-
dimensional painting. Can you see the positive and negative here? The fish occupies
the positive space and the water represents the negative space around the fish.
Overlapping Objects
Overlapping objects is a
helpful tool for creating an illusion of
3D. Depending on how it is applied
can give a sense of deep or shallow
space within a composition.
[Example images with overlapping objects]. (n.d.).
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/463589355383772603/
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Changing Size and Placement
Linear Perspective
Can you see how perspective has given the three paintings above a sense of
depth?
These paintings have very strong one-point perspective which helps create the
illusion of three dimension.
Perspective gives you the sensation that the train is moving away from you and
yet it pulls you down the hallway with it in the painting on the right.
Perspective can also make objects appear 3D. The artist of this building used
two-point perspective to create an object that appears to have volume. Without two-
point perspective this building would lack depth and appear flat.
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Hue and Value
Warm colors pull you up close. Cool colors recede off into the distance. The
painting on the left is a good example of this tool in use.
On the right, light moves toward you and darkness moves off into the
background.
Atmospheric Perspective
As objects move off into the distance, they become less detailed and grayer.
For example, notice the horizon and the mountain in these two paintings.
For more information about atmospheric perspective see article titled “Creating
Depth in Your Paintings via Atmospheric Perspective.”
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Deep Space
When used effectively all the tools (overlapping, perspective, atmosphere, hue
and value) can create the sensation of deep space .
9. Unity – the relationship between the individual parts and the whole of a
composition. This is the desired result in all great art.
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When unity is achieved:
The painting on the left creates a sense of unity by the effective use of
repetition. See how the artist has repeated similar forms (ducks) and color (brown)
throughout the composition?
On the right grouping of similar objects, proximity was used to create unity
within this painting.
The road in this painting is the “third element” that helps to create a relationship
between the people in the foreground to the people in the background.
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Let Us Do This Practice!
The image below is the Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. Evaluate the image below
by identifying the elements of art that can be observed from it. Do this on your
worksheet.
55
LESSON 2
Content in Art
Looking into the what is being depicted by the artwork might be helpful in
deriving the meaning of a particular image. The subject of an artwork has been there
as a basic component of artwork. Let us try to dig deeper into this and other related
concepts.
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to achieve the following:
An artwork holds clues that tell us what it is all about. It is a constant mediation
between the viewer and the artwork. Luckily, there are clues that guide the viewer. The
clues are the three basic components:
• Subject- refers to the visual focus or image presented in the artwork; the
“what.”
• Content- the meaning that the artist tries to communicate to the viewer; the
“why.”
• Form- how the artwork is presented using the elements and the medium or
materials; the “how.”
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Types of Subject
Content in Art
An art work’s content is the message or meaning that it expresses or
communicates. A viewer must take note that there are various levels of meaning that
aids in understanding the content of an artwork. They are:
• Factual meaning- the most basic level of meaning for it may be made out from
the immediately recognizable forms in the artwork and how they relate to one
another.
• Conventional meaning- pertains to the widely recognized interpretation of the
artwork using motifs, signs, symbols, and other cyphers. These conventions
are forged through time, strengthened by repetitive use and wide acceptance
by the viewers and scholars who study them.
• Subjective meaning- stem from the viewer’s or audiences’ personal
circumstances (what we know, learned, experienced, and values we stand for.
When these subjectivities come into play, a variety of meaning may arise as
individuals experience and artwork. Subjective meaning is, therefore, never
singular but multiple and varied.
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Let Us Do This Practice!
Look into the following images. Respond to the following questions comprehensively.
Do this in your worksheet.
A. Identify the subjects of the following images.
B. What do you think each subject on the image represent?
C. Identify the source(s) of the subjects in the following images.
1.
2.
3.
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4.
5.
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CHAPTER 3
You made it to the second half of this learning package. Give yourself that well-
deserved pat on the back for giving your best in every step of the learning process.
On this unit, you will get to know and experience various art works and how
they shaped up the different artistic eras and movements throughout history. You shall
find out how style, content, medium, and perspective has shifted through time.
You will also get to experience how to internalize art by tapping your
subconscious and seeking meaning from your innermost thoughts. Basically, you will
get to know more about yourself through the help of art.
Our very own artists and artisans will also be highlighted along with the
renowned artists and artisans of the world. In this effect, you will have an insight as to
the time, effort, and resources at stake in making such intricate and precious crafts as
well as works of art.
As you move on to the next lesson, you will get a special crash course on Music
101 and some of the most prominent figures in each musical era. Savor every bit of it!
CLO 2 Analyze and appraise works of art based on aesthetic value, historical context, tradition,
and social relevance
CLO 3 Create their own works of art and curate their own production or exhibit.
COL 5 Discover and deepen their identity through art with respect to their nationality, culture,
and religion. LESSON 1
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LESSON 1
History of Art
We should always dig into the history of a concept, person, or event in order to
completely know its origins and foundations on how a certain idea came to be the way
it is.
In this lesson, we will focus on the numerous artistic trends that have occurred
over the years, as well as the account of how these techniques have changed over
time.
At the end of this chapter, you are expected to be able to achieve the following:
A. Identify the different artistic movements in history;
B. Create a timeline of the series of artistic movements; and
C. Identify some day-to-day objects and the artistic movement behind it.
From prehistoric times to the twenty-first century, art history encompasses the
entire history of humanity. You can uncover visual arts that engage your artistic side
and stimulate you to find pleasure in manmade forms, whether you prefer caveman
paintings or Botticelli angels.
Art history has evolved into a discipline that teaches people how to analyze and
understand works of art out of their own standpoint in current times. Because the
concept of what is beautiful changes from person to person, art history has been
chastised for its subjectivity. Depending on the forms of art you already know, you can
enhance your aesthetic perception by learning to critique what you see.
Line, color, shape, texture, and value are all design elements in art history,
and you must analyze and characterize with what you see in terms of them. You can
compare one artwork to another once you've written a response to it. An option is to
make direct comparisons among artists and their creative expression with the mind’s
gaze.
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Timeline of Art History
• Prehistoric Art
As long as humankind has been conscious of itself, it has been creating art to
represent his self. The earliest cave paintings that we are aware of were created
roughly 40,000 years ago. We have found paintings and drawings of human activity
from the Paleolithic Era under rocks and in caves. We cannot truly know the reason
why these early humans began to produce art. Perhaps painting and drawing were a
way to record their lived experiences, to tell stories to young children, or to pass down
wisdom from one generation to the next.
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Roman art has suffered something of a crisis in reputation ever since the
rediscovery and appreciation of ancient Greek art from the 17th century CE onwards.
When art critics also realized that many of the finest Roman pieces were in fact copies
or at least inspired by earlier and often lost Greek originals, the appreciation of Roman
art, which had flourished along with all things Roman in the Medieval and Renaissance
periods, began to diminish. Another problem with Roman art is the very definition of
what it actually is. Unlike Greek art, the vast geography of the Roman empire resulted
in very diverse approaches to art depending on location. Although Rome long
remained the focal point, there were several important art-producing centers in their
own right who followed their own particular trends and tastes, notably
at Alexandria, Antioch, and Athens. As a consequence, some critics even argued there
was no such thing as 'Roman' art.
In more recent times a more balanced view of Roman art and a wider one provided
by the successes of archaeology have ensured that the art of the Romans has been
reassessed and its contribution to western art in general has been more greatly
recognized. Even those holding the opinion that Classical Greek art was the zenith of
artistic endeavor in the west or that the Romans merely fused the best of Greek
and Etruscan art would have to admit that Roman art is nothing if not eclectic.
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Christian objects, stories, deities, saints, and ceremonies were the exclusive
subject of most Romanesque paintings. Intended to teach the masses about the values
and beliefs of the Christian Church, Romanesque paintings had to be simple and easy
to read.
At the most fundamental level, paintings of the Romanesque period serve the
purpose of spreading the word of the bible and Christianity. The name of this art era
stems from round arches used in Roman architecture, often found in churches of the
time.
The Altar frontal
from Avià is a
rare Romanesque altar
frontal exhibited at
the National Art Museum of
Catalonia in Barcelona. It is
the front of the altar of the
church of St. Mary of Avià, in
the county of Berguedà,
later moved to MNAC
Barcelona, while the church
has a replica in place. It is
dated to the 13th century or
earlier, and was painted by
an unknown artist
[Altar frontal from Avià]. (n.d.). https://artincontext.org/art-periods/
Just as in the Romanesque period, Christianity lay at the heart of the tensions of
the Gothic era. As more freedom of thought emerged, and many pushed against
conformity, the subjects of paintings became more diverse. The stronghold of the
church began to dissipate.
Duccio was the
preeminent Sienese painter in the early
years of the fourteenth century. He
infused the prevailing Byzantine style
with a more naturalistic, narrative mode.
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• Mannerism (1520- 1590)
Not all of the art produced in this era is what we would understand today as “kitsch”.
What we understand kitsch to mean today is often artificial, cheaply made, and without
much ‘classic’ taste. Instead, the reason we describe the art of this period as being
kitsch is due to the relative over-exaggeration that characterized it. Stemming from the
newfound freedom of human expression in the Renaissance period, artists began to
explore their own unique and individual artistic style, or manner.
The small S-curve of the human body that
characterizes the Renaissance style is transformed into an
unnatural bending of the body. This is the first European
style that attracted artists from across Europe to its
birthplace in Italy.
• Renaissance (1300-1600)
This is a word that signifies "rebirth" or "revival." The Ottoman Turks captured
Constantinople in 1453, and the restoration of Graeco-Roman knowledge promoted
rationalism, which sparked the Renaissance movement. As a result, a scientific
mindset and a passion for inquiry developed. This encouraged a spirit of exploration
and discovery.
The Renaissance era is possibly one of the most
well-known, featuring artists like Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci. This era continued to focus on the
individual human as its inspiration and took influence from
the art and philosophy of the ancient Romans and Greeks.
The Renaissance can be seen as a cultural rebirth.
• Rococo (1720-1780)
The paintings from the Rococo era are typical of the French aristocracy of the time.
The name stems from the French word rocaille which means “shellwork”. The solid
forms which characterized the Baroque period softened into light, air, and desire.
Paintings of this era were no longer strong and powerful, but light and playful.
The colors were lighter and brighter, almost transparent in some instances. Many
pieces of art from this period neglected religious themes, although some artists like
Tiepolo did create frescos in many churches.
Francois Boucher garnered
acclaim as a painter of large mythological
scenes, like his jubilant Triumph of Venus
(1740), which depicts the goddess Venus
after her birth from seafoam, accompanied
by water nymphs, mermen, and cherubic
putti. Ample pink flesh abounds, with the
coloring and configuration of the nude
figures echoed in the pink-and-white sash
that floats above the group.
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• Classicism (1770-1840)
Classicism, like the Rococo era, began in France in around 1770. In contrast
to the Rococo era, however, Classism reverted to earlier, more serious styles of
artistic expression. Much like the Renaissance period, Classism took inspiration
from classic Roman and Greek art.
The art created in the Classicism era reverted to strict forms, two-dimensional
colors, and human figures. The tone of these paintings was undoubtedly strict.
Colors lost their symbolism. The art produced in this era was used internationally
to instill feelings of patriotism in the people of each nation. Parts of Classicism
include Louis-Sieze, Empire, and Biedermeier.
An idyll is a poem, prose
piece, or event depicting a rural
and tranquil scene, usually in
idealized terms. The girls in this
painting are images of idyllic
innocence.
Bouguereau probably
created this painting during one of
his frequent trips to La Rochelle,
modeling it after local peasant
children. Childhood Idyll reflects
the classicism of academic
painting in the late 1800s, which
referred back to the art of ancient
Greece and Rome.
• Romanticism (1790-1850)
Romanticism is an attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many
works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in
Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century.
Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony,
balance, idealization, and rationality that typified Neoclassicism in general. It was also
to some extent a reaction against the Enlightenment and against 18th-
century rationalism and physical materialism in general. Romanticism emphasized the
individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the
spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.
You can see from the dates that this art era occurred at around the same time as
Classicism. Romanticism is often seen as an emotionally charged reaction to the stern
nature of Classicism. In contrast to the strict and realistic nature of the Classicism era,
the paintings of the Romantic era were much more sentimental.
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Delacroix, E. (1830). Liberty Leading the People. https://artincontext.org/art-periods/
Liberty Leading the People is a painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July
Revolution of 1830, which toppled King Charles X of France. A woman of the people with
a Phrygian cap personifying the concept of Liberty leads a varied group of people forward over
a barricade and the bodies of the fallen, holding the flag of the French Revolution – the tricolor,
which again became France's national flag after these events – in one hand and brandishing a
bayonetted musket with the other. The figure of Liberty is also viewed as a symbol of France
and the French Republic known as Marianne.
Modern art refers to art created from the 1880s up to the 1970s. While
modern art is more recent than the Renaissance or classical art periods, it is by
no means current. Contemporary art describes current works of art. Usually,
those still living and creating artworks or those who have only very recently died
or retired.
The following are a few of the most notable modern and con temporary
artists: Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Clause Monet, Jackson Pollock, and
Alexander Calder.
This art movement will be better discussed in detail on the final lesson of
the fourth chapter of this learning package.
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Let us do this practice!
Read and analyze the following statements and identify the word that would best fit in
the context of the sentence from the pool of words below. Write only the letter of your
answer. One point per item.
Do this in your worksheet.
1. The ___________ style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used
to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture,
literature, dance, and music. Its iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic,
intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.
2. In its purest form, ____________ is an aesthetic attitude dependent on principles
based in the culture, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, with the emphasis
on form, simplicity, proportion, clarity of structure, perfection, restrained emotion, as
well as explicit appeal to the intellect.
3. The term used for art of the present day is ____________. Usually the artists are alive
and still making work. It is often about ideas and concerns, rather than solely the
aesthetic or the look of the work. Artists try different ways of experimenting with ideas
and materials.
4. The type of art produced where artifacts made before there was a written record is
called ____________. Long before the oldest written languages were developed,
people had become expert at creating forms that were both practical and beautiful.
5. The _______________ art, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature
produced during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe under the combined
influences of an increased awareness of nature, a revival of classical learning, and a
more individualistic view of man.
6. It is characterized by lightness, elegance, and an exuberant use of curving natural
forms in ornamentation. The word ___________is derived from the French word
rocaille, which denoted the shell-covered rock work that was used to decorate artificial
grottoes.
7. A type of artwork that was characterized by iconographic painting illustrations of
Biblical scenes. The ___________work emerged from the early Christian church
influence as well as the Roman Empire heritage.
8. This art evolved from Romanesque art and lasted from the mid-12th century to as late
as the end of the 16th century in some areas. __________ sculpture was closely tied
to architecture since it was used primarily to decorate the exteriors of cathedrals and
other religious buildings. The earliest sculptures were stone figures of saints and the
Holy Family used to decorate the doorways, or portals, of cathedrals in France and
elsewhere.
9. This exaggerated ____________ art is typically associated with attributes such
as emotionalism, elongated human figures, strained poses, unusual effects of scale,
lighting or perspective, vivid often garish colors.
10. Churches used _____________art, largely painting and sculpture, to communicate
important things. For one, art was used as visual reminders of biblical stories, which
helped teach the faith to an illiterate population.
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LESSON 2
A Survey of European Music History:
From the Middle Ages to the 21st
Century
Are you fond of listening to music? What sort of songs do you usually listen to?
What mood and vibe do you get when you listen to these sorts of music? Find out the
music history and how it brought life and artistry around the world.
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to achieve the following:
Sound.
Music is part of the world of sound, an art based on the organization of sounds in
time. Sound begins with the vibration of an object, like when a string is plucked or a
prepared rice reed (piyanog, in Waray) is blown. The vibrations are transmitted to our
ears by a medium – usually air – and our eardrums start vibrating too. This results in
impulses or signals being sent to the brain, where they are selected, organized, and
interpreted. Musical sound (to distinguish it from noise) is the basic material of music.
Sound has four main properties:
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In writing the representation of these pitches (aka, tones), musicians use
notation. Music and language have some things in common. Both can be heard by
the ear when played or spoken and seen by the eye when represented on the page.
The printed words (or they can be handwritten) that you see here are one way of
representing spoken language on the page. Likewise, notation is a way to represent
music or sound on the page. Letters are the basic symbols for writing language. Notes
are the basic symbols for writing music. Notation is a means by which musical sound
is represented on a page.
Pitch is indicated by its position on a group of five lines and four spaces called
the staff. The higher a note is placed on the staff, the higher the pitch. The lower the
note is placed on the staff, the lower the pitch.
At the beginning of every staff, you will find the clef – either a G clef (or treble
clef) or the F clef (or bass clef; “It’s all about the bass, ‘bout the bass, no treble…”).
When you combine two staffs, with one staff using the G clef and the other staff using
the F clef, you have the grand staff.
Using the staff with G clef, the beginning pitches of Lupang Hinirang may look
like this in notation.
Letter
Name: C B D C G D E F E D E C
So-fa
Syllable: do ti re do so (or sol) re mi fa mi re mi do
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Melody
Rhythm
Rhythm moves music forward in time. The basic unit we use to measure time
is the beat, a regular pulse heard in most of the music we know. Some beats are
stronger than others – these are accented or strong beats. These strong beats occur
at regular intervals – every other beat (duple), every three beats (triple), every four
beats, and so on. We tend to perceive all the beats in groups of two, three, four, or
more. These patterns into which rhythmic pulses are organized are called meters.
In notating rhythm, we usually use the different kinds of notes to represent the
various durations of sound. The following are the kinds of note based on their duration:
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Whole note
Half note
Quarter note
Eight note
Sixteenth note
In the diagram above, one whole note has the equivalent duration of two half
notes; one half note has the equivalent duration of two quarter notes, and so on.
This information is of much use when we notate using time signatures like 2/4,
3/4, 4/4, 2/2, etc… In a 2/4 time signature, the upper number “2” means that there will
be 2 beats in every measure; while the lower number “4” refers to the kind of note
that will receive one beat, in this case a quarter note. To restate, there will be two
beats in every measure and a quarter note (the kind of note) will receive one beat.
In 3/4, there will be three beats in every measure and a quarter note will receive
one beat. In 2/2 time signature, there will two beats in every measure and a half note
(2/2) will receive one beat. If the lower number is eight, as in 3/8, the kind of note that
will receive one beat is an eight note.
Tonality
Most of the familiar melodies we know are built around a central tone toward
which the other tones gravitate and on which the melody usually ends. This central
tone is the keynote or tonic. Key involves not only the central tone but also the central
chord and scale. When you are in the Key of C, your central tone is and your central
chord is based on the C note (C+E+G notes combined).
The scale, the basic notes used in a piece of music arranged in steps of
ascending or descending order, has been the basis for music as early as the late 1600s
and is still used today.
C D E F G A B C
The scale in the Key of C major. Lowest note is C (first additional line below
the staff; highest note is also C (third space) in a higher register.
E F# G# A B C# D# E
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The scale in the Key of E major. Lowest note is E (first/lowest line); highest
note is also E (fourth/highest space of the staff) in the higher register.
In this series of 15 measures, there are 15 different key signatures (the sharps
and flats found at the beginning of staffs) of 15 different major keys and the
corresponding 15 relative minor keys. Also written are the tonic note of each key.
The tonic note is the “home” note or the “do” of the key, with which they key get its
name, like “Key of D major,” or “Key of F# minor,” etc…
1. Number 1 is the key signature for G major and its relative minor, key of
E minor. The first half note is the tonic note of G major. The second half note is the
tonic note of E minor, the relative minor of G major. The sequence in the presentation
of the tonic notes of major key then to minor key will be followed in the subsequent
discussion of this topic.
2. Number 2 is the key signature for D major and its relative minor, B minor.
3. Number 3 is the key signature for A major and its relative minor, F# minor.
F# (read as F sharp) because the key signature shows a sharp on the F line, therefore
all F will automatically be sharped. So are the notes C (C#) and G (G#).
4. Key of E major and its relative minor, C# minor (aka, c#; no need to put
the word “minor” because of the lowercase “c.”).
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5. Key of B major and its relative minor, G# minor (aka, g#).
6. Key of F# major and its relative minor, D# minor (aka, d#).
7. Key of C# major and its relative minor, A# minor (aka a#).
8. Key of F major and its relative minor, D minor (aka, d).
9. Key of Bb (read as “B flat”) major and its relative minor, G minor (g).
On its key signature, there is a flat sign written on the B line.
10. Key of Eb major and its relative minor, C minor (c).
11. Key of Ab major and its relative minor, F minor (f).
12. Key of Db major and its relative minor, Bb minor (bb).
13. Key of Gb major and its relative minor, Eb minor (eb).
14. Key of Cb major and its relative minor, Ab minor (ab).
15. Key of C major and its relative minor, A minor (a). There is no sharp nor
nor flat in the key signature of these two keys.
Songs in the minor keys usually have a sad mood, though NOT ALL songs in
the minor keys are sad. Looking at “Ako Magtatanom” again:
Notice that the song has a key signature of one flat, but the last note of the
song is not an F note but a D note. The final note will give you the clue that the song
is not in F major but in D minor, the relative minor of F major. Its tonic note (home
note, aka the “do” of the key) is the D note, not the F note. Therefore, we say that the
song is in the minor key, specifically the Key of D minor (or d).
Some trivia: Many of Beethoven’s famous compositions are in the minor keys,
like Symphony No.5 in C minor (“Kinse na lang, kinse na lang,” according to the
McDonald’s ad), Symphony No. 9 in D minor (“Choral Symphony” – one of its melodies
is used as music for soccer games in Europe), Sonata Opus 13 (“Pathetique“Fur Elise”
which is written in the key of D minor. Many Waray folksongs are in the minor key: “An
Lubi” (“maupay nga tanaman…”), “Bahal nga Tuba,” “An Balud,” “Kamote Ragayday,”
“Hain Ka Na Niyan,”
Music is an art which occupies time, distinct from other arts, say sculpture,
which occupies space. The march of time has a direct bearing on the styles of music
that have existed and accumulated over time. Style refers to a characteristic way of
using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form. How these
elements are put together can result in a distinctive sound, and we can speak of the
musical style of one composer, a group of composers, a country, or a period in history.
Musical styles change continuously from one historical era to the next. Let us
take a glimpse on the short survey of these period styles in music history.
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I. Music in the Middle Ages (450 – 1450 Common Era). A thousand years of
European history are spanned by the phrase “Middle Ages” - a time of migration,
upheavals, and wars, which began about 450 C.E. with the disintegration of the Roman
Empire. The later Middle Ages were a period of cultural growth: Romanesque
churches and monasteries (1100 – 1150 C.E.) and Gothic cathedrals (1150 – 1450
C.E.) were constructed. Towns grew and universities were founded. A sharp division
existed among the three main social classes: nobility, peasantry, and clergy.
Gregorian chant. The church modes were the basic scales of western music
in the Middle Ages and were used in secular as well as sacred music. For over 1,000
years, the official music of the Roman Catholic Church has been the Gregorian chant.
It consists of a melody set to sacred Latin texts and sung without accompaniment (a
cappella), and is monophonic in texture. These chants were meant to create the
atmosphere for specific prayers and rituals in the church service and has a calm,
otherworldly quality that represents the voice of the church rather than any individual.
Its rhythm is flexible (not good for disco nor hip-hop) and are without time signature.
The result is a floating and free character (good for meditation). Gregorian chant is
named after Pope Gregory I (the Great, reigned 590- 604 C.E.).
(Your teacher will let you watch a performance of a Gregorian chant from YouTube.)
Notation of Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) in the Liber Usualis; note
that the staff has only four lines, note heads are square-shaped,
unlike the oblong-shaped note heads used in modern
standard notation.
The next stage of innovation was the addition of voices above or below the old,
pre-existing Gregorian chants. This type of harmonized music was called organum or
organa (plural). The best-known composers of organum are Leonin and Perotin. In
case you want to explore further this kind of music, they are available on YouTube and
other forms of media online.
II. Music in the Renaissance (1450 – 1600 C.E.). Among other things, this was the
age of “rebirth” of creativity. It was a period of exploration and adventure which saw
the voyages of Columbus and Magellan and produced Leonardo da Vinci – who was
a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist, and a fine musician.
The dominant intellectual movement, called humanism, focused on human life
and accomplishments, and the humanists – though devout Christians – were
captivated by the pagan cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.
Characteristics of Renaissance Music:
1. Treatment of words/texts. As in the Middle Ages, vocal music was more
important than instrumental music during the Renaissance. Composers wrote music
to enhance the meaning and emotion of the text, using a technique called word/text
painting – a musical representation of specific poetic images. For example, the words
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descending from heaven might be set to a descending melodic line, and running might
be heard with a series of rapid notes. The two most important choral genres, the
secular madrigal and the sacred motet, employ word painting.
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.
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governing bodies in motion. These scientific advances led to new inventions and the
gradual improvement of medicine, mining, navigation, and industry during the Baroque
era.
In music, the Baroque style flourished and culminated with its two greatest
composers – George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach. Other great
composers of this period are Monteverdi, Purcell, Corelli, and Vivaldi.
During the Baroque period, most music was written to order; it was
commissioned by aristocratic courts, churches, opera houses, and municipalities, all
of which employed musicians and were constantly demanding new music. For the first
time instrumental music became as important as vocal music. The operas of
Monteverdi conveyed unprecedented passion and dramatic contrast.
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Purcell: “Dido’s Lament” from Dido and Aeneas (excerpt);
In measure 9 (indicated with “Tasto solo” in the staff
with the F clef), this group of 10 chromatically descending
notes is repeated throughout the piece (an aria). This is a
ground bass. This unchanging part holds the harmonic
pattern of the whole piece. The descending chromatic scale
gives us the idea that the scene is sad and presages death-
a suicide, we learn later.
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Excerpt above - G. F. Handel: “Every valley,” Aria from Messiah, an oratorio.
Notice the many notes involved in the singing of the syllable “alt” (from the word
“exalted”) - 53 notes in 15 beats! This is an example of a melisma. Present-day
singers also use melisma. Listen to the introductory vocal run in Mariah Carrey’s
“Visions of Love,” as an example.
IV. Music in the Classical Period (1750 – 1820). In the Baroque period, the scientific
methods and discoveries of geniuses like Galileo and Newton greatly changed
people’s view of the world. By the middle of the 18 th century, the power of reason was
so highly valued that it began to undermine the authority of the social and religious
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establishment. People believed in progress, claiming that reason, not custom or
tradition, was the best guide to human conduct. This thought prepared the way for the
American and French revolutions at the end of the 18 th century. Revolutions in thought
and action had corresponding shifts of style in the visual arts and music.
Characteristics of the Classical Style in Music:
1. Contrast of Mood – While a late Baroque piece may convey a single
emotion, a Classical composition will fluctuate in mood. Dramatic, turbulent music
might lead into a carefree dance tune. Mood in Classical music may change gradually
or suddenly, expressing conflicting surges of happiness and depression. But such
conflict and contrast were under the firm control of masters like Haydn, Mozart, and
Beethoven, who were able to impart unity and logic to music of wide emotional range.
2. Rhythm – Flexibility of rhythm adds variety to Classical music. While a
Baroque piece contains a few patterns that are repeated throughout, Classical
compositions include unexpected pauses, syncopations, and frequent changes from
long duration notes to shorter ones.
3. Texture – In contrast to the polyphonic texture of late Baroque music,
Classical music is basically homophonic. However, texture is treated flexibly as
rhythm, with the music shifting smoothly or suddenly from one texture to another.
4. Melody – Classical melodies are among the most tuneful and easy to
remember. You can whistle them once you learn some of these compositions. The
melodies (called “themes”) of even highly sophisticated and long compositions may
have a folk or popular flavor. Classical melodies often sound balanced and
symmetrical because they are usually made up of two phrases of the same length.
Much like our Waray folksongs.
(Choose a short Waray folksong for phrase analysis (periodicity). You will
notice that the phrases are very balanced in terms of number of measures in every
phrase.)
5. Dynamics – The Classical composers’ interest in expressing shades of
emotion led to the widespread use of gradual dynamic change – crescendo and
decrescendo. Crescendos and decrescendos were an electrifying novelty when first
introduced that audiences sometimes rose excitedly from their seats.
V. Music in the Romantic Period (1820 – 1900). The early 19th century brought the
flowering of Romanticism, a cultural movement that stressed emotion, imagination,
and individualism. Romantic writers broke away from time-honored conventions and
emphasized freedom of expression. Romantic painters used bolder, more brilliant
colors and preferred dynamic motion rather than the gracefully balanced poses.
Emotional subjectivity was a basic quality of Romantic art. The overflow of
powerful feelings made much Romantic literature biographical. The American poet
Walt Whitman expressed this subjectivity when he began a poem, “I celebrate myself,
and sing myself.” In exploring their inner lives, the Romantics were especially drawn
to the realm of fantasy: the unconscious, the irrational, the world of dreams. Edgar
Allan Poe’s stories and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are tales of horror and the
supernatural.
The Romantic preoccupation with fantasy was paired with interest in exoticism
and the past – “long ago and, oh, so far away,” (as a pop song would have it).
Romantic novels set in the Middle Ages include Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe (1819) and
Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831).
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In music, among the most significant Romantic musicians were Franz Schubert
his (“Ave Maria, gratia plena…” is still heard in funerals these days), Robert Schumann,
Clara Wieck Schumann, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn (the
“Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is still performed in weddings),
Hector Berlioz, Bedrich Smetana, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms,
Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Richard Wagner (composer of another all-time
wedding march favorite, “Wedding March” from the opera Lohengrin).
Romantic musicians, inspired by the image of Beethoven as a “free artist,” often
composed to fulfill an inner need rather than to fulfill a commission or meet the
demands of an aristocratic or church patron. They composed primarily for a middle-
class audience, which rose as a powerful socio-economic group. The rise of the urban
middle class led to the formation of many orchestras and opera groups. You don’t
have to belong to the aristocracy to attend an opera or symphonic performance as long
as you can pay the subscription fee.
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associated with distant lands. The French composer Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, an
opera set in Spain; the Italian Giacomo Puccini evoked Japan in his opera Madame
Butterfly; and the Russian Rimsky-Korsakov suggested an Arabian atmosphere in his
orchestral work Scheherazade.
4. Program Music – Program music is instrumental music associated with a
story, poem, idea, or scene. Usually the non-musical element is specified by a title or
by explanatory comments called a program. A programmatic instrumental piece can
represent the emotions, characters, and events of a particular story, or it can evoke
the sounds and motions of nature. For example, in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet,
an orchestral work inspired by Shakespeare’s play, agitated music depicts the feud
between the rival families, a tender melody conveys young love, and a funeral march
rhythm suggests the lovers’ tragic fate. And in The Moldau, an orchestral work
glorifying the main river of Bohemia, Smetana uses musical effects that call to mind a
flowing stream, a hunting scene, a peasant wedding, and the crash of waves.
5. Colorful Harmony – The Romantics explored new chords and new ways of
using familiar chords. In seeking greater emotional intensity, composers emphasized
rich, colorful, and complex harmonies. Dissonant, or unstable, chords were also used
more freely. By deliberately delaying the resolution of dissonance to a consonant, or
stable, chord, Romantic composers created feelings of yearning, tension, and mystery.
6. Form: Miniature and Monumental – The 19th century was very much an age
of contradictions. Composers expressed themselves both in musical miniatures and
in large and long compositions. On the one hand are piano pieces by Chopin and
songs by Schubert that last but a few minutes. Such short forms were meant to be
heard in the intimate surroundings of a home. They met the needs of the growing
number of people who owned pianos. On the other hand, there are gigantic works by
Berlioz and Wagner that call for a huge number of performers and last for several
hours.
VI. Modern Music: The 20th Century and the Contemporary Scene
The years 1900 to 1913 brought radical new developments in science and art
that overturned long-held beliefs. Sigmund Freud explored the unconscious and
developed psychoanalysis, and Albert Einstein revolutionized the view of the universe
with his theory of relativity. Pablo Picasso’s painting and sculpture distorted human
figures and objects with unprecedented daring, showing them from different angles at
once.
In music, too, the early 20th century was a time of revolt. There were entirely
new approaches to the organization of pitch and rhythm and a vast expansion in the
vocabulary of sounds, especially percussive sounds. Chords, rhythms, and percussive
sounds that were baffling in 1913 are now commonly heard in jazz, rock, and music
for movies and television.
The years 1900 – 1950 was a period of great musical diversity. Composers
were especially attracted to unconventional rhythms, sounds, and melodic patterns in
folk and popular music. Igor Stravinsky drew on Russian folksongs; Charles Ives used
American revival hymns, ragtime, and patriotic songs.
Western composers were more receptive and sympathetic to Asian and African
cultures. Echoes of the gamelan - the Indonesian orchestra – can be heard in some
of Debussy’s works; and the exotic rhythmic procedures of Oliver Messiaen grew out
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of his study of Indian music. Musicians were fascinated with the syncopated rhythms,
improvisational quality, and unique tone colors and harmony of jazz.
Composers were significantly influenced by the technological and social
changes around them. The 20th century has seen dramatic changes in how music
reached its listeners: radio, television, and recordings have brought music to a much
larger audience and greatly increased the amount and diversity of music available.
More women have been active as composers, music educators, virtuoso soloists,
orchestra musicians, and conductors. Colleges and universities have indirectly
become patrons of music, as the church and the aristocracy once were. Few serious
composers can live on commissions alone; most composers today are also teachers,
conductors, or performers.
Here are some of the genres of music that is encompassed by the contemporary world.
-Rock Music
Originated as “Rock & Roll” in the United States, Rock music has been rocking the
world since the 1950s. It is a form of music that started actually around string
instruments, but now uses other modern instruments too making it a little difficult to
give it an accurate definition. Its loud and strong beats make it popular among the
youths. Some of the rock stars who have popularized the culture include Little Richard,
Bill Haley and Chuck Berry while rock bands like Pink Floyd, The Doors, Metallica,
Nirvana and Megadeth are the modern bands who have taken the culture by storm.
-Jazz
Identified with swing and blue notes, Jazz has its roots both in the West African and
European culture. It is said that Jazz is “One of America’s original art forms” and boasts
a unique combination of creativity, coactions, and interactivity. Originating in the late
19th to early 20th century, Jazz has also played an important role in introducing the
world to a number of women performers like Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, Abbey
Lincoln, and Ethel Waters.
- Dubstep
The use of instruments attracting music lovers for its bass and rhythm, this falls in the
electronic music genre. People consider it to be a darker form of music, but since its
birth in the late 1990s, this genre has successfully made its place in the industry.
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-Techno
You may have listened to a number of techno music while clubbing, but it is Detroit
techno that is considered to be the foundation of this form of music. Unlike the days of
its emergence, the use of technology today has greatly enhanced the quality of techno
style music and popularizing it among people day by day.
-Country Music
Another popular genre of American music which originated in the 1920s, Country
music has its roots from American folk and western music. It is formed using simple
forms of instruments ranging from electric and steel guitars to drums and mandolin or
mouth organ. Some very popular country music singers include Shania Twain, Johnny
Cash, Taylor Swift, and Kenny Rogers.
-Electro
A perfect blend of hip hop and electronic music, electro or electro-funk uses drum
machine, vocoder, and talkbox helping it to distinguish itself from another similar form
of music, Disco. Notable artists who have been into this form of music include Arthur
Baker, Freeez, Man Parrish and Midnight Star.
-Indie Rock
Falling in the genre of alternative rock music, Indie Rock originated in the 1980s and
has gradually changed the music industry. After a decade, it also gave birth to a couple
of sun-genres in related styles such as math rock, emo, noise pop, post rock and lo-fi.
-Pop Music
“Pop” is a term derived from “Popular” and thus Pop Music is known to be a genre of
popular music. With its roots in the rock & roll style, this form can include any form of
music ranging from urban and dance to rock, country, and Latin. Instruments highly
used are electric guitars, synthesizer drums as well as bass and one can listen to this
form of music by listening to songs by Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga,
and of course the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson.
- Rap
Rap describes a style of vocal delivery. However, it can be rightly regarded as a
musical genre due to its massive popularity. Developing alongside hip-hop in the
United States, rap evolved from MCs toasting and deejaying in Jamaican dancehall
music. It has grown to incorporate increasingly complex rhyme schemes and has been
appreciated in the same regard as poetry.
-Reggae
Originating in Jamaica in the 1960s and taking the world by storm through the work
of Bob Marley, reggae is a fusion of traditional Jamaican folk music with jazz and R&B.
Offbeat rhythms and staccato chords are common musical themes, and Reggae is
closely linked to Rastafarianism and Afrocentric religion.
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Characteristics of 20th Century Music:
1. Tone Color – Tone color has become a more important element of music than it
was before. In modern music, noise-like and percussive sounds are often used, and
instruments are often played at the very top (high pitches) or bottom (low pitches) of
their ranges. Uncommon playing techniques have become normal. For example,
woodwind (flute, oboe, etc…) and brass players (trumpet, trombone, etc…) are often
asked to produce a fluttery sound by rapidly rolling their tongues while they play. String
players (violin, cello, etc…) strike the strings with the stick of the bow, rather than draw
the bow across the strings. Composers occasionally call for noisemakers –
typewriters, sirens, and automobile sounds.
2. Harmony
A. Consonance and Dissonance – Up to about 1900, chords were divided into
two opposing types: consonant and dissonant. A consonant chord is stable and
functions as a point of rest or arrival. A dissonant chord was unstable; its tension
demanded onward motion, or resolution to a stable, consonant chord. In modern
music it is not anymore necessary to resolve dissonant chords.
B. New Chord Structures – At the core of traditional harmony is the triad. A
triad might be made up of alternate tones of a major scale, such as the first (do), third
(mi), and fifth (sol). Some 20th century composers create fresh harmonies by pacing
one traditional chord against another. Such combination of two chord heard at the
same time is called polychord.
Another technique is the use of chordal structures NOT based on triads, like
the fourth chord, in which tones are a fourth apart, instead of a third.
Harmonic resources have also been extended through the tone cluster, a
chord made up of tones only a half-step or whole-step apart. These clusters may be
performed on the piano by striking a group of adjacent keys with the fist or forearm.
The first example above is a traditional triad; the second example shows
two chords with the lower three notes comprising the A chord and the
three notes above the A major chord is an E major chord; the third
example shows a chord with the distances (interval) between each
note of four steps (E – A is an interval of a fourth, A – D, D – G, G – C
are all separated by four steps); the fourth example shows examples of
tone clusters – much like a cluster of grapes!
3. Alternatives to the Traditional Tonal System – Tonality, the tendency for a piece of
music to have a central tone (aka, tonic note, aka, “do”), had governed the organization
of pitches since the 1600s. After 1900, the traditional tonal system was modified in
various ways, and some composers discarded it entirely (No more do!).
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A 20th century approach to pitch organization was polytonality, the use of two
or more keys at the same time. Think of a pianist whose right hand is playing in the
Key of F, while the left hand is playing in the Key of D!
A further departure from tradition is atonality, the absence of tonality or key
center. Arnold Schoenberg wrote the first significant atonal piece around 1908.
( The atonal piece to explore is Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg, it is
available on YouTube. It is a piece performed by a singer and an ensemble of
instruments.)
4. Rhythm – The rhythmic vocabulary of music was expanded with increased
emphasis on irregularity and unpredictability. Rhythm is used to generate power, drive,
and excitement. New rhythmic procedures are drawn from folk music all over the world
(world music), jazz, from the Middle Ages. The syncopations and complex rhythmic
combinations of jazz fired the imagination of Stravinsky and Copland.
Rapidly changing meters (aka, time signatures) are commonly found. In some
modern music the meter changes with almost every bar.
5. Melody – Melody today often contains wide leaps that are difficult to sing. Rhythmic
irregularity and changing meters tend to make 20 th century melodies unpredictable.
Length of phrases, in terms of number of measures, tend to be irregular. In general,
20th century music relies less on melodies that are easy to sing compared to Classical
and Romantic music which rely on melodies that are easy to sing and remember.
To recap, the composers whose works are worth exploring are Claude Debussy
(Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), Maurice Ravel (Jeux d’ eau, Bolero), Bela Bartok
(Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, From the Diary of a Fly), Igor Stravinsky
(The Rite of Spring, A Soldier’s Tale), Arnold Schoenberg (A Survivor from Warsaw),
Alban Berg (Wozzec, an opera), Anton Webern (Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10),
Charles Ives (Three Places in New England), George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue),
Aaron Copland (Appalachian Spring, Rodeo), Edgard Varese (Poeme Electronique),
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (Concerto Grosso, 1985), and John Adams (Short Ride on a Fast
Machine).
Let Us Engage on This!
Read the following quotations below and write your insights about them on your
worksheet.
“Since music has so much to do with the molding of character, it is necessary that we
teach it to our children.” – Aristotle
“Music is not a recreation for the elite, but a source of spiritual strength which all
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cultured people should endeavor to turn into public property.” – Zoltan Kodaly
Music, to borrow from the lyrics of a well-known song, “is a many splendored
thing.” It can uplift our mood as we derive pleasure from listening to or performing it,
make us wallow in nostalgia, help us attain a sense of community and nationhood, and
even lessen the negative effect of a sad, even tragic, moments of one’s life.
Enjoyment and appreciation are related terms, but they are not synonymous.
It is quite possible to enjoy music, to derive pleasure from it, without understanding it
or really appreciating it. On the other hand, it is also possible to understand the
technicalities of a musical composition without full enjoyment. However, to obtain the
greatest enjoyment from music you must have some understanding of it. Any
additional understanding which you can bring to the musical experience will enhance
your ultimate pleasure.
1. Passive Listening - In some situation music is not intended to claim the full
attention of the listener. This may come with a name “background music.” A
big part of the music in the movie soundtrack is intended merely to reinforce
the mood of the scene. Dinner music is intended to enhance the pleasure of
dining and conversation. The listener hears the music but does not really listen
to it.
3. Emotional Listening – The listener is concerned mainly with his own reaction to
the music, with the emotions and moods which the music arouses. We tend to
have emotional responses to the music we hear. Music is capable of producing
sublime experience among listeners.
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How can we develop perceptive listening? The first requirement is
attention. Some previously acquired attitudes has made it difficult to develop
the habit of concentration. The sedative effect of music, its emotional “tug,”
and the tendency to do other things while listening to music are barriers to
overcome.
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CHAPTER 4
You have reached the final part of this learning package! Have you been doing
well so far? Let’s get those brain cells pumping with the last set of topics for you.
The Philippines is a country rich in colorful history in terms of its culture,
language, belief, handiwork, and traditions. It is said that the country is a melting pot
of race and culture as we have been in close partnership through trade with our
neighboring friends from China, Java, Borneo, and Thailand. Aside from this, the
country has been colonized by several nations such as Spain and America, as they
put it, “300 years in convent, and 50 years in Hollywood”.
With this, the varying colors of east and west, along with the streaked colors of
our nation has merged in the country, the Philippines. In this unit, you will get to know
the different forms of art in the country that you will surely be proud of.
For the final lesson, a run through of the most notable art movements will be
discussed along with some of the persona who exemplified for each era in the modern
and contemporary art. Perhaps you can even get to come up with your own art
movement someday, time will tell.
Buckle up and get ready to take this ultimate dive on art appreciation.
Course Learning Outcomes:
CLO 2 Analyze and appraise works of art based on aesthetic value, historical context, tradition,
and social relevance
CLO 3 Create their own works of art and curate their own production or exhibit.
COL 5 Discover and deepen their identity through art with respect to their nationality, culture,
and religion.
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LESSON 1
Artist and Artisan
If you are to work on a certain field of art, what piece of art would you like to
take up and make a profession of? Some people may take art leisurely, but there are
people who took years of training, arduous apprenticeship, and impeccable sense of
mastery in their craft.
The words artist and artisan are very confusing for most people. Some even
interchangeably use them. In this lesson, you will be informed of the distinctions
between the two. Let us find out.
Artisan
An artisan is defined as a skilled worker who construct crafts by hand (French:
artisan, Italian: artigiano). An artisan’s work may range from functional to strictly
decorative ones, for example furniture, sculpture, decors, jewelry, clothing, food items,
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household items and tools. Mechanical tools such as handmade clocks and other
simple machines are also part of the artisan’s work. Artisans may reach the level of an
artist through experience and aptitude.
The adjective "artisanal" is sometimes used to put emphasis on the hand-
processing as compared to machine processing. Some businesses have used the term
in marketing and advertising as a buzz word to add prestige to their products such as
bread, beverages, or cheese. Products like these have traditionally been handmade
but are also now commonly mass-produced using automated mechanization in
factories and other industrial areas.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in the creation, practice and performing an art.
In its common usage, the term has come to be most often associated with the
practitioner in the visual arts only. This is also oftentimes used in the entertainment
industry, specifically is the context of business, for musicians and other performers as
well as writers and actors.
Awards and Citations
Two major awards in the Philippines:
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Let Us Do This Practice!
Do the following tasks on your worksheet:
A. Identify and select one artist/ artisan that you admire from your locality.
B. Fill out the graphic organizer below to describe the artist/ artisan and his/her
work.
Picture and
description of the
medium used by the
artist/artisan
Picture and
description of people
involved in the work
of the artist/ artisan
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LESSON 2
Overview of Philippine Art and Culture
The Philippines is a country rich in creativity and resourcefulness of its
people. This creativity transpires in multitude of ways through our culture and
traditions. Look into these elements and forms of art for a better and wider
understanding.
C.
Various forms of art have accumulated and developed since the early account
of civilization up to the present time here in the Philippines. They are a reflection of
how vast the range is in terms of the country’s culture.
TRADITIONAL ARTS
Ethnomedicine
This refers to the art of albularyo, manghihilot, and babaylan. This art
encompasses traditions (and objects) associated with it that are performed by medical
artisans and shamans. This originated from art known to natives and ancient science.
It is practiced based on physical elements. The tradition involves emotional, mental,
and spiritual techniques complemented with herbal remedies. Psycho-spiritual practice
is one of the most notable ethnomedicine arts in the country.
Francisco, C.B. (1953). The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines. [Art depicting the shamanhood and ethnomedicine
in the country]. https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2018/07/the-art-of-carlos-botong-francisco.html
This category has been recently added in the 2020 GAMABA Awards.
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Folk Architecture
Each ethnic group has a significantly different folk architecture, it can either be
made out of wood, coral, rock, bamboo, grass, rattan, and other materials. These
residences can vary from huts (bahay-kubo) to highland houses called bale that has
four to eight sides. We also have the corral houses in Batanes which withstand the
harsh sandy winds in the locality; we also have the torogan, an intricately engraved
okir motif; as well as, palaces like the Daru Jambangan or Palace of Flowers at Sulu,
as the residence of those in power before its colonization.
Spirit houses are also included in folk architecture, these are shrines for the
protective gods and spirits. Most of the native houses are usually built open-air, some
are originally pagoda-like, which now have become extremely rare. There are also
buildings that are a fusion of indigenous and Hispanic motifs, such as the bahay na
bato architecture. These bahay na bato buildings in Vigan have been declared as
World Heritage Site. The rice terraces clusters of Banggaan, Mayoyao, Batad,
Hungduan, and Nagacadan are declared as World Heritage Sites.
Maritime Transport
Maritime traditions, boat house, and boat-making are what comprise of
maritime transport in the Philippines. These vehicles were used by the crafts folk in
connecting island to island as the rivers and seas become peoples’ road. The earliest
evidence of boat-making and use of boat in the country was 320 AD which are said to
be the remains of balangay from Butuan.
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The balangay
was the first wooden
boat that was
excavated in Southeast
Asia. These boats
were instrumental in the
settlement of
Austronesian peoples
in the Philippines and
the Malay Archipelago.
Today, the
Balanghai Festival in
Butuan is a celebration
of the first people who
Fung360. (2017). [Image of a Balangay restored boat]. settled in the
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Balangay_boat_with_Philippine_flag.jpg
Philippines.
Weaving
Weaving is an ancient form of art that is present in the country up to this day.
Each ethnic group in the country have their own distinctive weaving technique.
Headgear weaving, fishnet weaving, basket weaving, back-strap loom weaving, and
other forms of weaving are what comprise of this form of art.
Cloth and Mat Weaving
Cotton, abaca, grass, banana, and palm fiber are some of the materials used
in the weaving art industry. These textiles are made through a difficult and intricate
process if back-strap looming. There are several types of Philippine weaved cloths.
The Ilocanos have the pinilian, cotton weaved using pangablan. Geometry is the center
of Kalinga textiles with patterns called inata-ata. Piña is the considered most prized
and finest Filipino textile, especially those made in Aklan that is used in making barong
Tagalog and National costumes in the country. The Hiligaynon and Karay-a residents
have their fine textile called Hablon used as panuelo or patadyong.
Pineapple Silk, also
known as Piña Silk or Piña
Seda is “The Queen of
Philippine Textile”
which existed since the
Spanish colonial times (circa
1500s). The textile was known
to have been perfected
between the late 18th century
to the first half of the 19th
century. This textile is
directly handwoven by the
most skilled weavers of Aklan.
It is made from silk yarns
Martin, V. (2019). Piña-Seda: Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Philippines.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wipo/48826216678/
produced in Negros and hand-
scraped pineapple fibers
(leaves from the native red
variety or Ananas Bracteatus)
Basketry from Aklan.
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Bamboo, pandan, rattan, nito, cotton cloth tassel, abaca, beeswax, bark, dyes,
and buri are some of the materials used in different ethnic groups in making baskets.
In the same manner, these various ethnic groups have specific patterns according to
the materials they use.
Some of the products of the Philippines in this art include the bukug (basket),
uppig (lunch basket), bay’ung (basket pouch), tupil (lunch box), binga (bag) and others.
At present, the country’s basketry is influenced by the demands of the modern day.
This small plaited basketry hat is
made by the Bontoc people living in
Northern Luzon in the Philippines. It is
made of rattan and decorated with red
bamboo, yellow reeds, and curved boar’s
tusks at opposite ends.
Jones, K. (2020). [A Bontoc hat donated to the Maxwell Museum in 1989 by the late Dr. Harold D. Drummond, professor
emeritus of elementary education at the University of New Mexico]. https://maxwellmuseum.unm.edu/news-
events/news/object-monday-bontoc-hat
Carving
Wood carving and folk non-clay sculptures are the focus of carving here in the
Philippines.
Wood Carving
This is one of the most notable arts in the country where some of the found
crafts dates back before the arrival of Hispanic colonizers. A variety of woods are used
in making wood crafts such as the divine wooden statues, bulul, throughout northern
Luzon to southern Mindanao.
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The wood carving style of Paete, Laguna, one of the most famous wood carving
area in the country, is one of the indigenous wood crafts and techniques which was
used after the Hispanic colonization. The abundance of religious woodcarvings was
due to the introduction of Christianity wherein most of the wood crafts are attributed to
the life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
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The Butuan Ivory Seal or BIS is an
ivory stamp or seal stamp associated with a
Rhinoceros Ivory Tusk, dated 9th–12th
century, was found in Libertad, Butuan in
Agusan del Norte in southern Philippines.
Inscribed on the seal is the word Butban in
stylized Kawi. Butban was presumed to
stand for Butuan. The ivory seal is now
housed at the National Museum of the
Philippines
Batungbakal, L. (2015). [The actual image of the Butuan Ivory Seal at the
National Museum of the Philippines].
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Butuan_Ivory_Seal.jpg
Senakulo is a nationwide
event that helps devout locals
relieve biblical events pertinent
to the life, tribulations
and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus
Christ.
The reenactment of the
crucifixion is perhaps the most
important part of Passion Play
[Catholic devotees doing the Passion]. (n.d.). https://philnews.ph/wp- since it remains one of the most
content/uploads/2019/04/senakulo.jpg
important events in the history of
Catholicism.
Folk Literature
Full of metaphor and high in form, these are the attributes of Philippine poetry.
The Tanaga has 7777 syllable count per line, rhyme range from dual form to free style.
Awit consists of twelve syllable quatrains, example of this is the Pasyon which is
recounted in the Pabasa. Another notable example of awit is Florante at Laura (1838).
The Dalit is an eight-syllable poem for all four lines. Ambahan has seven syllables per
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line with rhythmic end-syllables which is meant to express in an allegorical way.
Another poetry in the country is a debate done in verses called Balagtasan, example
of this is the A la Juventud Filipina.
Many of the folk literature have been a catalyst in shaping people’s way of life,
thinking, a basis for our values, and traditions. They have communicated in multiple
facets of life.
The Bakunawa is a serpent-like
dragon in Philippine mythology.
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The script is an alpha
syllabary belonging to the family of
the Brahmic scripts. It was widely used
in Luzon and other parts of
the Philippines prior to and during the
16th and 17th centuries before being
replaced by the Latin alphabet during
the period of Spanish colonization.
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Whang-od is
helping to keep an ancient
tradition alive in the
Kalinga province of the
Philippines.
She’s the
country’s
oldest mambabatok, a
traditional Kalinga
tattooist. Each morning at
dawn, Whang-Od wakes
to craft a mixture of ink
from pine soot and water in
preparation to apply hand-
tapped tattoos on the
[Whang-od tattooing]. (2016). https://thevalemagazine.com/2019/08/20/whang-od-tattoo- bodies of people from
artist-philippines/ around the world.
.
Martial Arts
The most famous martial art in the archipelago is Arnis (also called eskrima),
this is a weapon-based fighting style using sticks, knives, bladed weapons and other
improvised weapons as well as the use of open-hand techniques. It has met several
cultural changes in its history.
Unarmed martial arts are also practiced which includes the suntukan of the
Tagalog, pangamot of the Bisaya, buno of the Igorot, dumog of the Karay-a, among
others. Martial arts weapon that are flexible are buntot pagi, lubid, latigo, sarong, tabak-
toyok, and cadena. Some of the weapons that are projectile includes sibat, sumpit,
pana, bagakay, tirador, luthang, kana, and lantaka. There are martial arts practiced in
the country that relates to that of the neighboring Austronesian countries such as silat
and kuntaw.
Arnis is the
national martial art of
the Philippines. This is one
of the traditional martial
arts of
the Philippines ("Filipino
Martial Arts", or FMA),
which emphasize weapon-
based
fighting with sticks, knives,
bladed weapons, and
various improvised
weapons, as well as "open
hand" techniques without
weapons.
Isaga, J. (2019). [Athletes competing in Arnis]. https://r3.rappler.com/sports/specials/sea-games/247092-
arnis-dancesport-boxing-athletics-account-quarter-philippines-2019-gold-haul
Culinary Arts
Our cuisine is composed of more than a hundred ethnolinguistic groups within
the archipelago. The cooking style and the food associated with it have evolved for
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over centuries from the Austronesian origins to a mix of Chinese, Spanish, Indian, and
American influences. The natives have also adapted to the local ingredients and the
indigenous palate.
Popular dishes include lechon (whole roasted pig), adobo (chicken/pork
braised in garlic, vinegar, oil and soy sauce), longganisa (Philippine sausage), torta
(omellete), tapa (cured beef), puchero (beef in banana and tomato sauce), caldereta
(meat in tomato sauce stew), mechado (larded beef in soy and tomato sauce), kare-
kare (oxtail and vegetables cooked in peanut sauce), and others.
Adobo is a popular
Filipino dish and cooking
process in Philippine cuisine
that involves meat, seafood,
or vegetables marinated in
vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay
leaves, and black
peppercorns, which is
browned in oil, and simmered
in the marinade. It has
occasionally been considered
the unofficial national dish of
the Philippines.
NON-TRADITIONAL ARTS
Music
Musical direction, musical composition, and musical performance are the
fundamentals of music in the non-traditional category. The tangible and intangible
heritage of the several ethnic groups in the country are the inspiration and basis of
Filipino music, some of it have been influenced by Western and Asian cultures.
Philippine folk music involves chanting of an epic poetry like the Hudhud ni
Aliguyon and Darangen, and the singing of traditional folk music through various
means like the Harana (serenade). Pinoy rock involves rock music with the cultural
sensibilities of the people. Pinoy reggae is all about dancehall music close to the
expressions of the Jamaican sound. Pinoy pop is definitely one of the most popular
genre in the country.
Kundiman is a genre for Filipino love music. Kapanirong is a serenade genre.
Kulintang is an ensemble of musicians utilizing traditional instruments. Tagonggo is
music played by finely dressed male musicians. We also have Bisrock a genre of
Cebuano rock music and Pinoy hiphop which is hip hop sound adopted from the
American music.
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Harana is a
traditional form of courtship
in the Philippines wherein
men introduce themselves
and/or woo women by
singing underneath her
window at night. It was
widely practiced in old
Philippines with a set of
protocols, a code of
conduct and a specific
style of music.
[Painting depicting harana]. (n.d.). https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/551972498049666343/
Dance
The Philippine dance is highly influenced by our Hispanic traditions and the folk
performing arts of the country. Due to global influences, many styles have also been
developed. Hispanic dances such as the maglalatik and subli have been a core
member of the Filipino contemporary dances. In the early 20th century, ballet has
become a popular dance in the Philippines. Basically, the Pinoy hip hop music has
influenced dances in the country, adapting the hip hop and break dance standards.
Theater
This is based on the folk performing arts under the traditional arts. It has a long
and winding history in the country. This involves theatrical direction, theatrical
production design, theatrical performance, theatrical playwriting, and theatrical light
and sound design are the core of theater arts. The rituals, mimetic costumes, and
mimetic dances of the people are Austronesian in character. The Komedya and
Sinakulo are plays with Spanish influences which have put forward stimulus in the
Filipino theater and drama. Carillo, which is a puppetry is also a notable theater art in
the country. Original and modern plays of Filipino artists have definitely influenced
theater and drama in the country with the presentational and representational styles
from the revitalized traditional and modern theater forms within and outside the
country.
"Orosman at Zafira"
combines the conventions of
a komedya (moro-moro) with
contemporary, alternative
twists that today's
theatergoers can relate to.
Komedya, a popular
theatrical form during the
Spanish colonial period in the
Philippines, focuses on the
conflicts between Christians
and Muslims.
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Visual Arts
The visual arts under the non-traditional arts include painting, printmaking, non-
folk sculpture, mixed media works, photography, installation art, illustration,
performance art, graphic arts, and imaging.
Painting
Painting has been a part of the culture of the Philippines even before the
Neolithic age with the petroglyphs and petrographs that were discovered. The Asian
and Western influences advanced the art of painting in the country. In the 16 th century,
religious paintings were rampant with the spread of Christianity. Some of the notable
paintings in this time were the Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga (1692)
and the Camarin de da Virge (1720).
During the 19th century, secular art was introduced by educated and wealthy Filipinos
in order to deviate from religious motifs. Subject matter was then turned into
landscapes, fashion, inhabitants, and government officials. After World War II, the
subject matter was then heavily influenced by battle scenes, suffering, and destruction.
However, nationalistic themes were still prevalent in the paintings amidst the war’s
effects. Examples of this is the Manila Mural (1968), and Rice Research Institute
(1962).
The native culture of the Philippines became the center of paintings in the 20 th
st
-21 century. Some major works of art have been crafted as a protest against the
authoritarian rule, fascism, and human rights violations.
Some of our most notable painter in the country is Juan Luna, a Filipino painter,
sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century.
He became one of the first recognized Philippine artists.
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His winning the gold medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, along
with the silver win of fellow Filipino painter Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, prompted a
celebration which was a major highlight in the memoirs of members of the Propaganda
Movement, with the fellow Ilustrados toasting to the two painters' good health and to
the brotherhood between Spain and the Philippines.
Regarded for work done in the manner of European academies of his time,
Luna painted literary and historical scenes, some with an underscore of political
commentary. His allegorical works were inspired with classical balance, and often
showed figures in theatrical poses. One of his greatest work is the Spoliarium.
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo was also a notable Filipino artist. He is
acknowledged as one of the greatest Filipino painters of the late 19th century, and is
significant in Philippine history for having been an acquaintance and inspiration for
members of the Philippine reform movement which included José Rizal, Marcelo del
Pilar, Mariano Ponce, and Graciano López Jaena, although he neither involved himself
directly in that movement, nor later associate himself with the First Philippine
Republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.
Sculpture
This is a major art form with many artists focusing on various subjects.
Examples of non-folk sculpture is the Rizal Monument portraying the scholar and
martyr Jose Rizal, the Oblation, it reflects service to the nation and selfless dedication,
the Mactan Shrine which portrays the classical hero Lapu-lapu who vanquished the
Spanish colonizers, the Filipina Comfort Women, immortalizing the judicial need and
suffering of Filipina comfort women during the World War II, the People Power
Monument where it reflects the activism and power of the people over the government,
and the Bonifacio Monument portraying the hero of Philippine revolution Andres
Bonifacio.
Literature
The focal arts of Literature are fiction, poetry, essay, and literary criticism.
During the Spanish colonization, literature was heavily influenced by the Spanish
language, and then later on adjusting to the English-language with the American
occupation.
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From 1593 to 1800, most of the works in literature were in Spanish and religious
in nature. The Doctrina Christiana (1593) and the Pasyon (1704) are some of the
notable books on religion. There were also works during the colonization eras that are
written in native language made by native authors. On the 17th century, the Ilocano
epic, Biag ni Lam-ang, was keyed into folk literature. The Florante at Laura epic in
1869 published a fiction with Asian and European themes. During the 19 th century, the
first novel written by a Filipino was published, entitled Ninay. The 1887 Noli Me
Tangere and the 1891 El Filibusterismo portrayed literary art on the colonial era. The
Child of Sorrow was the first Filipino book to be written in English which was published
in 1921. Melodrama, unreal language, unsubtle emphasis on local color are the
characteristics of English writing in the country.
Soon enough the themes of the Filipino literature transformed to the search for
the Filipino identity, reconciling Spanish and American influence in the archipelagic
heritage in Asia. In modern times, literature looks into the concepts of equality and
nationalism, historical narratives in modernity. Some major works includes the Ladlad
(2007), Smaller and Smaller Circles (2002), and Insurrecto (2018).
Film and Broadcast Arts
Film and broadcast arts focuses on the arts of direction, writing, production
design, cinematography, editing, animation, performance, and new media.
In 1897, the cinematic art in the country officially began with the introduction of
motion pictures in Manila. In the beginning, Filipinos assisted American film makers for
a time, but on 1919, the very first Filipino film was produced by Jose Nepomucino with
his Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden). During the 1930s, Filipino Cinema began
enthusiasm in film making. Theater served a significant part of the boom in the
Philippine cinema.
In the 1940s, reality was the center of created films due to the effects of World
War II. A decade later, more mature and artistic films arise. In the 1960s, this was the
time were fan movies, commercialism, soft porn, western spin-offs, and action flicks
emerged up to the turbulent years of 1970s to 1980s due to the insurgency of terrorists
in the country which led to the imposition of Martial Law. Somehow, a notable movie
was produced in the era which is Himala, that tackles religious fanaticism. After this,
independent films sprang up with local film makers.
An emergence of films related to western culture and films on the realities of
poverty became the highlight during the 1990s. some of the most notable films made
in the country are The Flor Contemplacion Story, Manila in the Claws of Light, Oro,
Plata, Mata, and Sa Pusod, ng Dagat.
The key films in the 21st century are Caregiver, Thy Womb, Blossoming of
Maximo Oliveros, The Woman Who Left, That Thing Called Tadhana, and the Smaller
and Smaller Circles are some of the films which regarded concepts of poverty, human
equality, self-love, and historical narratives which made a huge a success in the film
art industry.
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Oro, Plata, Mata (Gold,
Silver, Death) is a
1982 Philippine historical war
drama film directed by Peque
Gallaga. The film is considered to
be Gallaga's most significant
contribution to the Philippine
cinema. Set in the Philippine
island of Negros during World
War II, it tells the story of how
two haciendero families cope
with the changes brought about
[Oro, Plata, Mata movie poster]. (n.d.). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086056/ by the war.
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The Immaculate
Conception Church of Guiuan,
Eastern Samar, has a very high
authenticity value because most of
the church’s parts and its belfry are
still original. The church has a main
altar and two altars along the nave.
One has a retablo built by the
Franciscans and the other has a
rococo frontal built by the
Augustinians. Shell
embellishments dating back to the
[Immaculate Conception Church of Guiuan].
16th century artistry are seen in the
https://www.lakas.com.ph/parish-church-of-the-immaculate- baptistery, side altars, side
concepcion-in-guiuan-eastern-samar/
windows and niches.
The church is classified as a National Cultural Treasure by the National
Museum of the Philippines. It was formerly nominated to the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites of the Philippines under two categories, the Baroque Churches of the
Philippines and the Jesuit Churches of the Philippines.
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The St. James the
Apostle Parish Church,
commonly known as Betis
Church, is a Baroque-style
church located in the Betis
District
of Guagua in Pampanga, Phili
ppines under the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of San
Fernando. The church was
established in 1607 and
dedicated to Saint James the
Greater, the Apostle. It was
declared a National Cultural
Treasure by the National
Museum and the National
Ryomaandres. (2015). [Betis Chruch interior]. Commission for Culture and the
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betis_Church,_Betis_11.JPG
Arts.
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LESSON 2
Modern and Contemporary Art
With the advent of modernization and technology, the world of art has been
influenced by this phenomenon as well. In this influx of Neolithic thinking, art has been
influenced by this insurgence that many budding artists are creating new trends in the
modern era.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to achieve the following:
The terms Modern Art and Contemporary Art may sound synonymous, but they
are different from one another and should not be interchanged. According to art
historians, Modern Art refers to styles of art that were created between the 1860s or
(others say 1880s) and 1950s (others say late 1960s). Art that was made after the said
period is considered Contemporary Art.
The story of Gustave Courbet is essential in discussing the distinction between
contemporary and modern art. He is a French painter during the 19 th century who led
the Realist movement.
Courbet challenged his contemporaries who used the Romanticism concept.
He stuck to his convictions, which were to paint only what the eyes could see. The
Cubists and Impressionists were among the many artist groups who were influenced
by his 'independent mind,' which allowed them to bloom and improve their work.
As can be
seen in “A Burial at
Ornans” painting,
Courbet stuck to his
convictions, which
were to ‘paint only
what the eyes could
see.’ The painting
depicts the burial of
Courbet’s uncle in
Ornans, a small
town in France. The
painting does not
depict details that
are exaggerated.
Courbet, G. (1849). A Burial at Ornans. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/paintings-analysis/burial-at-ornans.htm
Grief and mourning were not displayed in the painting. In contrast to traditional
Romantic paintings that depict emotions and surrealism. It maintained its realism. The
Romanticism style rose to prominence during 1849-50 when art was still created using
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traditional methods. It was during that time when Courbet painted and released the “A
Burial at Ornans” painting which the critics did not like, especially because of its
strange size (10 feet by 22 feet).
Instead of using art models, he painted real people who were present at the
burial. "In reality, A Burial at Ornans was the Burial of Romanticism," Courbet
eventually concluded.
Nobody, including Courbet’s friends, family, and loved ones, could have
predicted the painting's success and fame in the art world. His distinct style cemented
his reputation as the "first modern artist," ushering in the "Modern Art Period."
When we hear the word "modern," we immediately think of things that are new,
trendy, and fashionable in the world. "Modern Art" is simply the style and philosophy
of artworks created between 1890 and 1960.
In other words, the style incorporated many Modern Art concepts, but it placed
a greater emphasis on social, economic, and political issues. This was made possible
by the use of new materials and components in the creation of art. The primary aim of
Modern Art was to set aside the traditions of the past world and focus on an innovative
approach in identifying and addressing the issues and problems of the world.
Many new concepts and ideas were introduced into the world of art as a result
of the Modernism movement. Consequently, many artists of the time began to focus
their work on dreams, symbolism, and personal iconography. Other artists began to
experiment with color and non-traditional materials.
Many artists were influenced by the movement and one of them was Pablo
Picasso. Picasso pioneered a new painting technique which was called cubism.
Cubism was a style known for the use of geometric forms. This then evolved over time,
culminating in the 1830s.
The invention of art film cameras and photography gave artists new ways to
depict world scenes and illustrations in their works.
Modern Art is used to refer to the era of ‘Modernism’, a time when art was
defined using numerous terms that end with ‘ism’s’ such as; Fauvism, Impressionism,
Post-Impressionism, Dadaism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Pop Art, and
many other art movements.
All of this laid the groundwork for Modernism Art. A variety of factors influenced
these art movements, including African and Asian art, light, culture, history, and so on.
Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul Cézanne, Andre
Derain, Henri Matisse, Henri de Toulouse, Piet Mondrian, Raoul Dufy, Maurice de
Vlaminck, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Wassily Kandinsky, and Édouard Manet are some
of the most well-known 'Modernist Masters.'
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What is Contemporary Art?
Contemporary art is any work of art created since the end of World War II and
the term also refers to the works of artists who are still alive and working. Art critic
Roger Fry founded the Contemporary Art Society in London in 1910, when the term
was first used.
Following WWII, the term was used to describe the art movement. It was
described by critics as a time when ‘modern art' was not anymore contemporary
enough to impact the younger generations positively. One can trace back the term
"contemporary" to the time of Modernism, but it referred to a specific type of art that
did not describe a specific time period. It was instead based solely on current issues
such as social, economic, and political concerns.
There are many places in the world to see and experience both modern and
contemporary art for those who are interested in both. Take, for example, New York,
one of the most populous cities in the United States, which is home to some of the
most opulent museums, each containing a plethora of breathtaking works.
• Modern art is defined as art created after the 1880s. Contemporary art refers
to the works of artists who are still alive and working today.
• Modern art is more self-expressive, whereas contemporary art focuses on
society and is known for its impact on society.
• Modern Art is revolutionary because it was anti-romanticism, whereas
contemporary art is revolutionary for the level or extent of the artists' freedom
and degree of experimentation.
• Modern art puts emphasis on the subjective representation of chosen themes,
whereas contemporary art takes a strong stance on global social, political, and
cultural issues.
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Modern and Contemporary Art Movements
Abstract Expressionism
(Late 1940s-1950s, USA)
Artists produced large-scale, dramatic abstract paintings. There were two main
types: “Action Painting” and the quieter “Color field Painting” which used broad
expanses of color association. This movement was largely responsible for New York
displacing Paris as the center of the Art World.
Bauhaus
(1919-1933- Germany)
This is an influential German art school which was eventually closed down by
the Nazis. Each student studied art, architecture, and design with the ultimate aim of
creating a better living environment for everyone. Its design principles were based on
admiration for geometry and the machine.
Some of its leading members are Breuer, Feininger, Gropius, Kandinsky, Klee,
Moholy-Nagy, van der Rohe, and Schlemmer.
Kandinsky understood
that art could affect people
emotionally and spiritually and that
this didn't necessarily mean it
should involve recognizable
images. Kandinsky believed
that art was as much for the soul
as the eye and sought to provoke
an emotional reaction or even a
connection between the viewer
and the painting.
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Conceptual Art
(Late 1960s-1970s - USA, Great Britain, and Italy)
Constructivism
(1917- early 20s – Paris)
This is the style pioneered by Picasso and Braque which drew attention to the
contradictions involved in depicting a 3-D scene on a 2-D surface. Analytical Cubism
broke down real objects to different parts. Synthetic Cubism built up recognizable
images from abstract part using ready-made materials.
Its leading members are Braque, Delaunay, Gris, Lauren, Leger, Lipchitz, and
Picasso.
Weeping Woman is based on an image of a
woman holding her dead child. It is taken from
Picasso’s anti-war mural, Guernica. Picasso painted
both works during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).
Dada
(1914-1920 – Zurich, Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, Paris, Barcelona, New York)
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Expressionism
(1905- early 20s – Germany and Austria)
The artists’ main purpose was to express emotion and/or a sense of deeper
reality, through vigorous brush strokes, and distortion or exaggeration of shapes and
colors.
Fauvism
(1905-1910 – France)
This is all about a group of young painters centered around Matisse whose
work was characterized by strong colorful brush strokes. When they exhibited together
in 1905 at the Salon d’Automne in Paris, they were named “fauves” (wild beasts) and
caused a great controversy. Unlike the German Expressionists, their work tended to
be joyful.
Its members are Derain, van Dongen, Dufy, Matisse, and Vlaminck.
Joy of Life is a large-scale
painting (nearly 6 feet in height, 8 feet in
width), depicting an Arcadian landscape
filled with brilliantly colored forest,
meadow, sea, and sky populated by nude
figures both at rest and in motion.
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Futurism
(1909-1914 – Northern Italy)
This movement was founded by the poet Marinetti. Its members rejected the
past and instead celebrated the dynamism of the machine age and city life. They
published aggressive manifestos and, like Dada artists, staged “Happenings” designed
to shock. Their paintings were initially influenced by Pointillism, then by Cubism, but
put on a greater emphasis than the latter on a sense of movement.
Impressionism
(1874-1886 – France)
The first major avant-garde movement. The name was invented in 1874 by a
hostile critique, inspired by a painting of Monet entitled Impression: Sun Rise. The
Impressionists aim was to capture the passing moment, by means of a sketchy
technique, strong color, and a commitment to outdoor, on-the-spot painting, with a little
reworking in the studio as possible.
The leading members are Cassatt, Degas, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, and
Renoir.
Le Havre in Northwest France was
Monet’s hometown and during 1872 he visited
the area regularly. During these visits, he
would paint scenes in the area, including the
port.
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Kinetic Art
(1960s – International)
In Rouge Triomphant
(Triumphant Red) (1959), a mobile
that spans almost six meters,
Alexander Calder introduced primary
red to provide vivid contrast to his
almost exclusive use of black. In this
rhythmic work, three groups of black
"scales" are offset by an occasional
red one to create a dynamic yet
delicately balanced assemblage.
Land Art
(1960s- 1980s – USA and Great Britain)
Art that involves the artist going out into the nature and making his or her own
mark in it. The only record that remains is photographic, sometimes combined with
maps, texts, and so on. More recently, some land artists have exhibited sculptures
made from natural found objects inside galleries.
Its leading members are Christo, Fulton, Goldsworthy, Long, Oppenheim, and
Smithson.
In 1989, Andy
Goldsworthy created four
massive snow rings at one the most
remote place on Planet Earth, the North
Pole. These ephemeral sculptures marked
the position of the North Pole and were
built around it. Through any of the four
sculptures, the direction will always be
south.
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Minimalism
(Late 1960s- 1970s – USA)
An intellectual sort of art which seems to consist of very little, so that the viewer
is forced to scrutinize the formal properties of what is actually there very carefully. The
work is usually religiously geometric and involves the repetition of identical objects.
Graffiti Art
(Late 1960s – USA)
Its members are Banksy, Haring, Pink, Kobra, Swoon, le Rat, Seen, and Furuta
2000.
Street art isn’t an Olympic sport, but if it
were, then Eduardo Kobra would almost certainly
win gold for his 30,000 square foot (2787 square
meters) wall mural that he painted for this year’s Rio
Olympics. The mural, titled Las Etnias (The
Ethnicities), stands a staggering 50 feet (15 meters)
tall and can be found in Rio’s port district.
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Hyperrealism
(Early 1970s – USA, Great Britain)
Hirst, D. (1991). The physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living.
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/hirst-damien/
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Neo-Expressionism
(Late 1970s-1980s – International)
Its members are Baselitz, Chia, Cucci, Kiefer, Penck, and Schnabel.
Kiefer has stated that “our stories
begin in the forest,” so it is not surprising that
forests are recurring subject matter in his
work. The theme is meaningful for the artist
as a representation of German national
identity.
Op Art
(Late 1950s-1960s – International)
The name is short for Optical Art. It refers to a geometric abstract art that
manipulates the viewers visual response and creates an illusion of movement. Artists
use theories from psychology of perception to achieve this effect.
The leading members are Agam, Albers, Anuskiewicz, Riley, Soto, and
Vasarely.
Josef Albers was both an artist and a
teacher and has played a significant role in the
history of 20th-century art. One of the most
original of the 20th century painters,
Orphism
(1912-1913 – France)
A colorful and almost abstract strand of Cubism. It can be seen as one of the
earliest attempts to create abstract art.
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The members are Delaunay, Delaunay-Terk, and Kupka.
Performance Art
(1960s- present – International)
This art is related to theatrical performance but has no plot or sense of drama.
It is often used to make a political point, exploit the idea of endurance, and/or boredom,
or simply to entertain.
The leading members are Arnatt, Brisley, Gilbert and George, Horn, Mclean,
and Nitsch.
This work, one of three Pose Work for
Plinths, was originally conceived as a performance
at the Situation Gallery in 1971.
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Pointillism
(Mid 1880s-1890s – France)
The technique of applying small, regular dabs of unmixed color on to the picture
surface relying of scientific theories such as the precise combination of complimentary
colors. This was pioneered by Seurat, who used the term Divisionism.
Pop Art
(Late 1950s-1960s – USA and Great Britain)
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Post Impressionism
(1880s-1890s – France)
A blanket term referring to art that both learnt from and rejected certain
impressionist principles. Cezanne and Seurat tried to regain a sense of order; Gauguin
attempted to express a world of imagination and spirituality; van Gogh, elemental
emotions.
The members are Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat, and van Gogh.
In 1870, Paul Cezanne's early style
of painting changed dramatically. Two key
influences were his move to L'Estaque in
southern France and his friendship with
Camille Pissaro.
Social Realism
(1930s-1950s – USSR)
Art promoted by the Stalinist regime in Russia as a propaganda tool. The artists
used a realistic, but often melodramatic style to present an idealized vision of Soviet
society and its leaders. The movement began to oust Constructivist ideas in the early
1920s and became a rigid doctrine in the early 30s.
Brodsky, I. (1884). Speech by Lenin before the Red Army, sent to the Polish front
May 5, 1920. https://soviet-art.ru/socialist-realism-artist-isaak-brodsky/
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De Stijl
(1917-early 1930s – Holland)
Suprematism
(1913-early 20s – Russia)
Malevich expressed his ideas behind this movement in his book the “Non-
Objective World”. He wrote of his wish to create a vocabulary of geometric abstract
shapes entirely independent of the visible world and expressing pure artistic feelings.
Although by 1917-1918 his aims became more mystical, he greatly influenced the
Constructivist artists.
Painter Kasimir Severinovich Malevich
made pioneering geometric abstractions that
embraced art as a pure object free of social and
political context, concerned only with issues such
as line, shape, and color. Malevich’s rigorous
formal and conceptual approach to painting was
instrumental in establishing Suprematism, a
defining modernist movement that situated simple
forms such as squares and triangles into
monochromatic fields.
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Surrealism
(1924-1940s – Paris)
A movement that drew on certain ideas of Dada, and on the writings of Freud
to create art which was intended to free the viewer as well as the artist by exploring
the world of unconscious and subconscious mind. Some artists used unorthodox
techniques such as frottage.
Its members are Chagall, de Chirico, Dali, Ernst, Klee, Masson, Matta, and
Miro.
Fireside Angel was
painted by Max Ernst in
1937. Ernst created this painting
for the Exposition international du
surrealism which took place at the
Galerie de Beaux-Arts in Paris.
This painting is one of few in his
career that were inspired from
political events. Ernst
painted Fireside Angel shortly after
the defeat of the Spanish
Republicans in the Spanish Civil
War. In this conflict, Spanish
fascist leaders were supported by
Germany and Italy in their
victory. Ernst’s goal was to depict
Ernst, M. (1937). The Fireside Angel. the chaos that he saw spreading
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32802280958.html
over Europe and the ruin that
fascism brings to countries.
Symbolism
(1890s – International)
A literary and artistic movement which, partly in reaction to Realism and
Impressionism. It emphasized the world of the imagination, of ideas, dreams and
emotions. In some respects, symbolism was a predecessor of Expressionism and
Surrealism.
The members are Gauguin, Moreau, Munch, Puvis de Chavannes, and Redon.
In the imaginary scene in the
background, there are several women
worshipping a statue. Gauguin has enlarged
a small Maori statue to the size of a great
Buddha, and has invented a sacred rite.
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Vorticism
(1910-1914 – England)
With the different art movements across history, what do you think does the
future hold for art and art production? Looking into the next 20 years, what do you
think are the new trends that will emerge?
Create your own art movement and describe its main tenets. Give it a name.
What does this movement attempt to do? What are the concerns or questions will it
attempt to answer? Imagine what kind of materials/media techniques will be used to
create and realize the concepts behind artists’ works.
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