Unit 1: Lesson 1 - Definition and Theories of Art Flashcards
Art comes from Aryan root word “AR” which means…
to join or to put together
Latin term “ARS” means…
‘artificially made or composed by man’
Renaissance words
“arti” and “arte”, which means…
craft guild and craftsmanship
a well-known Russion novelists said that “Art is a means of union among
all men, a means of communication.”
Leo Tolstoy
an Italian philosopher, thinks of art as “vision.” In doing an art work, he believes that an artist creates a picture of phantasm.
Beneditto Croce
“art is the direct opposite of practical.” He said that
“the artist may be immoral, and yet his work may be good.”
St. Thomas Aquinas
“art is the right reason for making things.” He also
believes that “art has no other end but itself, and that all arts are patterned on nature.
Aristotle
he defines art as “experience…the refined and intensified forms of experience are works of art.”
John Dewey
This theory asserts that art is the imitation of the appearance of reality.
Imitationism/Imitationalism (Mimetic Theory)
According to _______, an ancient Greek philosopher, all artistic creation is a form of imitation;
a representation of nature.
Plato
It is a theory which stresses that art is a copy, an image, an
appearance or a reproduction of things, people, objects, nature and events.
Representationalism
three ways of representing nature based on the representationalism theory:
Physical Alteration
Selective Modification
Perceptual Interpretation
It is the process of changing the physical appearance of nature, like a natural marble that turn into a sculpture by carving and cutting.
Physical Alteration
It is the process of enhancing the appearance of nature, like a forest that becomes a garden by arranging and trimming the plants, or a woman beautifying herself by putting cosmetics on her face
Selective Modification
It is the process of copying nature according to the subjective interpretation of the artist, but the resulting image is still recognizable.
Perceptual Interpretation
This theory views that art is the combination of perceptual elements. These elements, like line, shapes, value, texture and colors, seen together by the spectator, make up the
form, and such form is the art.
Formalism
Examples of these art are the figurative art, which can be realistic and detailed like the
trompe l’oile or the semi-abstract art which contains forms but the representations are still noticeable.
Representationalism
Example of this is the non-figurative art which does not contain any representations. It has to be seen only as formal patterns and designs, like the arabesque in Islamic art and the works of the suprematists.
Formalism
In this theory, art is viewed as the expression of the artist’s emotion. Often, expressionist artists use very bold color or lines to actually exemplify the physical energy they were feeling when they made the work.
Expressionism
It is a theory which asserts that art is the activity or work performed by the artists in the process of producing the art.
Action Theory
an American painter (1912-1956) put into practice the Action Theory of
Art.
Jackson Pollock
In the Philippines, the most famous action painter is…
Jose Joya (1931-1995)
This theory stresses that art is the integration of objects within the artworld. It is also called the Theory of the Artworld.
Institutional Theory
a social institution composed of people who have been recognized to have
influence and power over the production, exhibition, dissemination and consumption of art.
Artworld
