Summary
Highlights
Art appreciation is a subject designed to enhance and develop an individual's understanding and appreciation of various art forms. Its main goal is to help individuals appreciate art according to their own understanding and to develop self-esteem in showcasing the importance of art. The course aims for students to critically internalize the purpose and meaning of art.
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to understand the definitions of art, art appreciation, and humanities; explore the importance and purpose of art; reflect on their contributions to art development; and integrate the value of art into their personal lives through its diverse definitions and purposes.
The video delves into the question, 'What is art?' and notes that artists and philosophers throughout history have attempted to define it. Some consider it undefinable, while others see it as a way of life, closely related to aesthetics—the philosophy of art. Aesthetics explores the nature and concept of art, how it's interpreted, evaluated, and perceived by observers.
According to Mariano Areola, art appreciation refers to the knowledge, pursuit, and understanding of universal and timeless qualities in artwork, emphasizing deep characterization rather than just looking. Yundle.com defines it as knowledge of general and everlasting qualities that classify great art. It involves analyzing visual art forms and basic principles of visual literacy to enhance enjoyment, and can be subjective based on personal preferences or objective based on design elements, principles, and cultural acceptance. Modern art critics sometimes view 'art appreciation' as demanding too little serious thought.
The term 'art' is derived from the Latin word 'ars,' meaning 'ability or skill,' and also from 'arty,' meaning 'craftsmanship, inventiveness, mastery of form, and skill.' The discussion extends to whether technologies are forms of art, concluding that they are, as they serve as media for artistic expressions like music, literature, and paintings. Zeluda states that art is a product of man's need to express himself, while Plato believed art brings life into harmony with the beauty of the world. John Dewey added that art is an attitude of spirit, a state of mind, emphasizing its psychological impact.
Art appreciation centers on understanding art through history, focusing on cultures and how art evolved in specific periods. Understanding culture is crucial because it depicts various arts that are the very source of a culture's history. The video suggests that individuals are born with a desire for arts, driven by natural and man-made artifacts, prompting them to examine, develop, and discover things to attain perfection.
Humanities, derived from the Latin 'humanitas' (educated), encompasses specific arts like architecture, dance, literature, music, painting, theater, and sculpture, as defined by Sanchez. Art appreciation is not just about skills but proof of human existence—creative and educated. According to Matchless (2003), humanities are branches of knowledge focusing on diverse human opinions and relationships, showing how things change towards perfection, such as technological advancements. Thus, humanities means 'to be human.' Art appreciation concerns beauty, not just what's pleasing to the senses, but a critical understanding and analysis of past, present, and future realities, or 'futuristic art.'