Disciplines of the Humanities

Arts Disciplines• Visual art- drawing, painting, printmaking,

sculpture, photography• Performing art- music, theatre, dance,

cinema• Architecture• These arrange sound, color, form,

movement, and other elements in a manner that affects our sense of beauty

Other disciplines

• Philosophy

• Literature

• Branches of knowledge that share a concern with humans and their cultures

Philosophic Inquiry

• Aesthetics- study of the nature of beauty and art

• Ethics (moral choice)• Logic (reasoning)• Metaphysics (ultimate reality)• Both Plato and Aristotle (500 BC) thought art

was an imitation and beauty is the expression of a universal quality

• Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) viewed beauty as not the perception of intrinsic beauty but also involving a subjective judgment

Common Terms

• Form- arrangement, structure of the work• Content- what is the meaning, substance• Artist- producer of artwork in any discipline• Technique- process or method used• Medium- physical material• Theme- overarching idea• Creativity- the act of bringing forth new

forces & forms

Common Terms

• Symbol- tangible emblem of something abstract• Fine art- prized for purely aesthetic qualities,

individual expression or aesthetic interpretation of ideas

• Applied art- architecture, decorative art, art with functional purpose

• Artifact- product of a particular time & place• Ritualistic: serving religious or spiritual purposes• Secular- non-religious purpose• Convention- set of rules or mutually accepted

practices

What does art do?

• Provides a record

• Gives visible or other form to feelings

• Reveals metaphysical or spiritual truths

• Helps people see the world in new or innovative ways

Style

• Style- manner in which artists express themselves

- body of characteristics that identifies an artwork with an individual, a historical period, a school of artists, or a nation

• Line, Color, Brush stroke

Art Criticism

• Formal criticism- applies no external conditions or information, we analyze the artwork just as we find it

• Contextual criticism- add to the formal criticism any related information outside of the artwork, such as facts about the artist, cultural surroundings, political conditions, public response to the artwork, etc. These are applied to enhance perception and understanding.

Representational

Abstract

Non-Representational

Aesthetic Perception & Response

• 1. What is it? We must identify those items that can be seen and heard

• 2. How is it put together? We must learn and use the terminology relating to those items

• 3. How does it stimulate the senses? We understand how and why what we perceive relates to our response

Art Critique

• Title Of Artwork

• Artist’s Name

• Media, Dimensions, Date

• Location of the Artwork

Description

• Describe the elemental qualities you see in the artwork giving details

• Tell about the art elements: 1)lines, 2)shapes, 3)colors, 4)value, 5)textures, and 6)space

• Describe any objects that you recognize

Analysis

• Discuss how the artwork is organized as a composition

• Tell about the design: 1)rhythm created by repetition, 2) balance, 3)the light source, 4)the focal point 5)perspective

• Discuss what it is that unifies the work

Interpretation

• What is the meaning of the work? Is it representational, abstract, or non-objective?

• What mood or feeling does the artwork evoke? What information does the title give you?

• What do you think was the intention of the artist? What is your reaction to the piece and what causes this response?

Judgment

• Evaluate the success of the artist. What can you say about the skills or craftsmanship of the artist?

• What was the artist trying to communicate in creating the work? Was this successful?

• Consider the subject matter, the theme, the arrangement of the elements, the design. Give specific details from the artwork.

• Judge the work good or bad/ successful or not- and defend your statement with detailed examples from the work.