AA REVIEWER by Nessie

What is Art? - is frequently used to describe 4. Spiritual Value - can elevate the soul and has the
something beautiful or a skill that produces an ability to inspire us to be a better version of
aesthetic result, there is no clear distinction ourselves.
between a unique piece of handmade sculpture
5. Timelessness - an enduring quality which can be
and a mass-produced but visually appealing item.
seen again and again as each viewing gives fresh
- "art" comes from the Latin word "ars," which delight and new insights and opens up new worlds
means "art, skill, or craft. The ancient Greeks of meaning and experience.
claim that art is an imitation of reality.
6. Universality - can appeal to anyone, anytime,
- in the 19th century, photography took over
anywhere, regardless of culture, race, sex, socio-
that role, and in the 20th century, the notion
economic status, and gender.
that art was representation was overturned
by modern art. 7. Style - the peculiar manner in which an artist
presents or does his/her craft.
THE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ART/THE STANDARDS AND
THEMES OF ART - Assumptions are unsupported 8. Form - design of the work as a whole, the
claims taken as true or certain despite the lack of configuration of all its parts
proof or enough evidence to justify such claims.
(steve turner’s poem, “the conclusion”) Ques to ask yourself when looking an artwork:

Art is not nature, nature is not art. 1.When was the artwork completed?

Art isn't creativity and creativity is not art. 2. What was the context of the artwork when it was
created?
Art is good because it is universal.
3. Where is the artwork located? 4. What
Art is good because it is popular. significance does the artwork's location have?
Art is good because it is expensive. 5. What is the subject of the artwork?
Art is timeless. 6. Who is the artist?
Art is transient 7. What was this artist well-known for?
Classicism and the Classical Ideals - classicism is an 8. What colors are predominant throughout the
emulation of the arts based on the culture, art, and artwork?
literature of ancient Greece and Rome. In its purest
form, classicism is an aesthetic attitude that strictly 9. What movement do you find in the artwork?
adheres to rules and conventions with the emphasis
10. Is the piece symmetrical or asymmetrical?
on simplicity, balance, proportion, unity, harmony,
economy, clarity of structure, restrained emotion, as The Themes of Art - as the main idea or an
well as explicit appeal to the intellect to achieve underlying meaning of artistic work. It is the artist's
perfection of form and beauty of expression way of communicating and sharing ideas,
perceptions, and feelings with the viewer or
The Standards of Art - works of art have certain
audience.
criteria by which all texts can be measured for
evaluation The 7 Themes of Art:

1. Artistry - ability to appeal to our sense of beauty 1. The Sacred Realm - addresses spirituality and
religion
2, Intellectual Value - stimulate our thought, enrich
our minds and help us understand the fundamental 2. The Natural World - depicts nature and our
truths about ourselves, others and the world around relationship to it
us.
3. The Human Emotional Experience - portrays the
3. Suggestiveness - move us profoundly and stirs our inward life of the human psyche
feelings and imagination.
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4. Stories and Histories - appears to have a story of PRAGMATIC CRITICISM: emphasizes the audience. It
narrative quality behind the imagery often present looks at how the artwork affects viewers and what
through the iconography responses it elicits.

5. Politics and Social Order - reflecting the nature of EXPRESSIVE (OR AFFECTIVE) CRITICISM: analyzes
society and has an underlying agenda and uses how effectively an artwork communicates the
imagery as a means to an end artist's feelings and experiences. It seeks to
understand the emotional depth of the work and
6. Invention and Fantasy - springs from the
how it resonates with viewers.
imagination created by the mind of the artist
Questions in this area might include: What feelings
7. Art for art's sake - sufficient reason for pursuing it
do the artist intend to convey? How do their
that art must not serve political, social, economic or
personal experiences shape the artwork? This
similar purposes.
approach values the connection between the
THE NATURE OF ART artist’s inner world and the art they produce

Basic Art Criticism - Every work of art, has four basic • Focus: This category emphasizes the artist. It
coordinates. Abrams used the dissection of the four explores the emotions, intentions, and personal
main elements in artistic practice as a basis for experiences of the creator.
discriminating four ‘broad classes’. it is from one of
FORMAL OR OBJECTIVE CRITICISM: examines the
these elements in particular that the distinctive
structure, composition, color, line, and other visual
theories derive their main categories for defining
elements that make up the artwork. It analyzes how
and analyzing the work of art.
these elements work together to create meaning
and aesthetic value.
The Universe - an existing thing, an objective state
Questions might include: What techniques does
of affairs, people and actions, ideas and feelings,
the artist use? How do the formal aspects
material things and events, or super sensible
contribute to the overall impact of the piece? This
essences
approach prioritizes a more objective analysis of
The Work - the artistic is human product, an artifact, the artwork
the artifice
• Focus: This category emphasizes the work itself. It
The Author - inner life, expressive view, the mirror, looks at the formal qualities and techniques of the
becomes the lamp artwork, independent of external influences.

The Audience - the listeners, spectators or readers 4 Steps of Art Criticism: established four methods for
to whom the work is addressed, or to whose evaluating
attention, at any rate it becomes available
DESCRIPTION - first phase in art criticism is a
4 Categories of Art Criticism and Appreciation: technique that depicts or explains the work of art.
When we look at a work of art, our minds naturally
MIMETIC CRITICISM: Memesis – from the greek word take notice of the general information that’s
means the act of imitation present.
• Focus: emphasizes the universe. It examines how (What do you see in the piece of art in the first
well an artwork imitates or represents reality. glance, shape, sort of colors?)
• This form of criticism judges work of art in terms (What kind of perspective does the artist use in the
artwork?)
of imitation. It assesses the authenticity of any
artwork concerning the accuracy of representation
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ANALYSIS - second step in art criticism Analysis refers National Artists of the Philippines - a recognition
to how the elements and principles of art are used given to Filipino individuals who have made
in the work. Refers to the manner the elements and significant contributions to the development of
principles of art used in the artwork, how they Philippine arts
contribute to one another, and how they are
- ORDER OF THE NATIONAL ARTISTS
organized. We also may take notice of the
balance, proportion, rhythm, and unity found within - ORDER NG PAMBANSANG ALAGAD NG SINING
the work.
- It was minister by the National Commission for
(how are the elements used to achieve this?) culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines and conferred by the President of the
(Is the artwork symmetrically or asymmetrically
Philippines upon recommendation by both
balanced?)
institutions “UPD “NATIONAL ARTIST OF THE
INTERPRETATION - third step in art criticism is the PHILIPPINES,” 2014)
attribution of meaning to a piece of art, when
The National Living Treasures Award or Gawad sa
interpreting a work of art, try to identify and discuss
Manlilikha ng Bayan (Gamaba) - a person or group
its key ideas or themes. Derived from the interaction
of artists recognized by the Government of the
between what the artwork symbolizes to the artist
Philippines for their contributions to the country’s
and what it represents to the viewer. There are no
intangible cultural heritage. A recipient of the
wrong responses.
award, known as a National Living Treasures or
(What is the artist trying to communicate with us?) Manlilikha ng Bayan is defined as “a Filipino citizen
or group of Filipino citizens engaged in any
(What is the central idea of the work?)
traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose distinctive
JUDGEMENT - last step in art criticism Judgments skills have reached such a high level of technical
include what you’ve learned about the artwork and artistic excellence and have been passed on
during your evaluation, as well as what you’ve to and widely practiced by the present generations
learned about the artwork, yourself, and others in in their community with the same degree of
the process. technical and artistic competence.

(what do you feel when you’re looking at the SUBJECT AND FUNCTIONS IN THE ARTS
artwork?)
- subject matter is the most obvious aspect of an
(Do you like the artwork?) artwork. It is what is portrayed or represented in the
art work. The subject of art may be a person, a
ARTIST/ ARTISAN thing, a scene, an occasion or even dreams.
ARTIST - ARTIST (a producer of art) is someone who THE SUBJECT MATTER - is the literal, visible image in a
does something related to the creation, practice, or work.
demonstration of art.
CONTENT - includes the connotative, symbolic, and
• Making tangible and intangible products as suggestive aspects of the image.
an expression of creativity and imagination
for purely aesthetic reasons is what art all 2 Basic Types of Visual Art (subject matter):
about.
REPRESENTATIONAL ARTWORK - represent real
ARTISAN - (a designer of craft) produces crafts that objects or real subjects. They are artworks based on
are meant for decoration rather, than being images that can be found in the objective world, or
practical or useful, despite being motivated by the at least in the artist's imagination, that is, images
same impulses in creating tangible or intangible that can perhaps be named or recognized.
products.
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NON – REPRESENTATIONAL/ NON-OBJECTIVE ART - HORIZONTAL LINE - from one corner to the other
the artwork does not reflect or describe a person, and parallel to the horizon. It can create a sense of
place or thing in the natural world. Typically, the movement, direction and speed.
work's contents are its color, shapes, brushstrokes,
DOTTED LINE - a series of dots. It describes
scale, size and method, in certain cases.
something abstract or fuzzy.
Ways of Representing Subject:
DASHED LINE - a series of dashes. It often reflects
REALISM - an attempt, without artificiality, to portray something which is in a state of temporary or
subjects in reality without artistic constraints or transition.
implausible, exotic and supernatural elements.
ZIGZAG LINES - many short, sharp turns. It can cause
IDEALIZATION - the representation of objects discomfort and extreme movement. It can reflect
according to a preconception of the ideal form or uncertainty and nervousness, and danger and
type. One possible motive could be to make things destruction can be inferred.
look as if the world were perfect.
CURVED LINES - bends continuously, without angles.
ABSTRACTION - method of replacing or extracting It is the line of beauty, and can create comfort and
characteristics from something to reduce it to a set familiarity
of essential characteristics.
FUNCTIONS OF ARTS
DISTORTION - alteration in the scale, shape or visual
3 Characteristics of Functions:
character of a medium by an artist to
communicate a concept, convey a feeling or •Physical Functions - refers to activities or roles that
enhance visual impact. involve the body or the physical world around us.
SURREALISM - means of putting together the •Social Functions - involves activities or roles
conscious and the unconscious worlds of related to interacting with others and contributing
perception in such a way that the world of dream to society.
and imagination can join the daily rational world in
"super reality." •Personal Functions- relates to individual growth,
self-expression, and internal well-being.
3 Essential Component of a Work of Art:
"Direct function" and "Indirect function" are terms
(subject, form, image) often used in different contexts.
Different Kinds of Lines: Direct Function - the primary, immediate role or
purpose of something. It describes an action or
HORIZONTAL LINE - runs across the page from left to
effect that happens without any intermediary steps.
right. It usually suggests a sense of rest or repose.
Indirect Function - a secondary or ancillary role that
WAVY LINE - alternately turns undulating or curving
supports the primary function or occurs as a
in opposite directions. It communicates or conveys
consequence of the primary action. It involves
energy through fluid movement line.
some intermediary or underlying process that leads
SPIRAL LINE - running continuously around a fixed to an outcome.
point or center while gradually retreating or
• direct function is the immediate, obvious
approaching it.
purpose, while an indirect function is the
PARALLEL LINE - extends in the same direction, at all secondary or less obvious role something
points equidistant and never converging or plays as a result of the direct function.
diverging.

VERTICAL LINE - runs page up and down and is

perpendicular to the horizontal line. It can simulate
height and imposing length.
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MEDIUM TECHNIQUES IN THE ARTS Sculpture Medium – (Found object) natural or man-
made object that is discovered by an artist and
Art Media (in paint)- medium refers to the type of
preserved due to an intrinsic value that the artist
paint used called the "vehicle" and the base or
sees therein.
ground to which it is applied. To make paint and
maintain quality, an artist may combine a medium Concrete - copper-containing alloy, generally
with solvents, colors, and other substances. containing 12-12.5 percent tin and often adding
non-metals or metalloids.
Acrylic Paint - quick-drying paint made of acrylic
emulsion pigment. Bronze - fine, coarse composite material bonded
with fluid cement (cement paste) and hardens over
Encaustic - use of hot bee wax. The fluid or paste
time.
then is applied to a surface typically prepared
wood, although canvas and other materials are Clay - natural rock or soil substance with small
often used. grains that mixes one or more clay minerals with
potential traces of quartz, metal oxides and organic
Fresco - mural painting technique done on freshly
matter.
laid lime plaster or wet lime.
Stone - hard, solid substance found in the soil which
Gouache - one type of water media, paint
is often used for construction.
consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding
agent (usually gum Arabic or dextrin), and Marble - metamorphic rock consisting of minerals of
sometimes additional inert material. recrystallized carbonate, most often calcite or
dolomite.
Magna Paint - made up of pigments ground by
means of solvents in an acrylic resin which are Granite - common type of granular, phaneritic,
brought into emulsion. intrusive felsic igneous rock.

Oil Paint – a linseed oil slow-drying paint consisting Limestone - sedimentary carbonate rock, mostly
of the pigment particles suspended in a drying made up of skeletal fragments of marine organisms.
liquid.
Wood - porous and fibrous tissue found in trees and
Pastel - stick-shaped art medium, made of pure other woody plant stems and roots.
powdered pigment and a binder.
Glass - strong, brittle, usually transparent or
Tempera - permanent fast-drying painting medium translucent, sand fusing, and sometimes fast
made of colored pigments, typically of glutinous cooling, soda, lime and other ingredients.
substances such as egg yolk, combined with a
Stainless Steel - steel alloy with at least 11%
water-soluble binder medium.
chromium by mass and at least 1.2% by mass iron
Water Color - medium of pigments suspended in
Aluminum - Earth’s most common metallic element
water- based solutions in which the paints are
and most commonly used nonferrous metal.
made.
Gold - yellow precious metal, chemical element of
Sculpture - a variety of materials to create their art.
atomic number 79, used in particular for jewelry
These include hard materials, sound, and light.
and decoration and to guarantee currency value.
1. Hard Materials - most identifiable and common
Iron - silver-gray, lustrous, ductile, malleable metal
form of sculpture. It's the oldest type of sculpture,
too. Statues, kinetic sculptures, and environmental Platinum - dense, malevolent, ductile, highly
sculpture are all examples of sculptures that use reactive, useful, silver-white transition metal.
hard materials as a medium.
Nickel - lustrous silvery-white metal with a subtle
golden tinge.
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Silver - smooth, shiny, lustrous transition metal, it ARCHITECTURE - building materials as their tool
exhibits any metal's maximum electrical through building construction and other physical
conductivity, thermal conductivity and reflectivity. structures. Some naturally occurring substances,
such as clay, rocks, sand, and wood, including
Diamond - solid pure carbon with its crystal-shaped
twigs, and leaves, were used to construct and build
atoms.
houses. Besides the naturally occurring materials,
Titanium - lustrous silver-colored, low density and other human-made products, some more and
high strength transition metal. some less organic, are in use. Glass, steel, and
concrete cement would be a sample of those
Jade - ornamental stone, known primarily for its human-made products. We have habitat and
green varieties. structure make-up like houses.
Ivory - strong, white tusk material (traditionally TECHNIQUE - the approach, method or process
elephants) and animal teeth, consisting primarily of used to create a work using a material or medium.
dentine techniques used in the creation of art include
drawing, painting, sculpting, carving, engraving,
Porcelain - ceramic material consisting of clay-type
etching, gilding. weaving, chasing, tooling, aquatint
materials heated to high temperatures. It comprises
burnishing, montage, collage, finger painting,
clay in the form of kaolinite.
stipple, engraving, stumping, stencil, duplicating,
Plastic - wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic impasto, assemblage, and chromogenic color
materials which are used in a wide variety of process.
applications.
ELEMENTS OF ART AND ITS ORGANIZATION - building
Ice - brittle and transparent solid or frozen crystalline blocks used to create a work of art are its
water components, the elements of art. Organization in
an artwork refers to its order, arrangement or plan. It
Sand - granular substance consisting of finely refers to the arrangement, combination, and
separated rock particles and minerals. configuration of the components to form a whole.
2. Sound - generates sounds from the 3-dimensional 7 Elements of Art:
structures. this work may also be regarded as a
sound installation. Several famous artists are Line - identified by a point which moves in space.
Alexander Calder, Hugh Davies and Nigel Helyer
- can be three- dimensional, descriptive, implied or
who are known for their sound sculptures. Sound
abstract.
sculptures differ from musical instruments because
they are not manipulated to make a sound by a - used in several different ways in an artwork. It can
human, and because of their nature, they make a be used to indicate a range of emotions, shape,
sound by themselves. pattern, form, structure, depth, distance, rhythm,
movement and an array of emotions.
3. Light - create an optical effect using a different
form of light or illumination. For the production of an Shape - flat, enclosed area of an artwork created
image, the medium of light may use fractal by shapes, textures, colors or surfaces enclosed by
manipulations or gaseous forms of light (electricity). other elements such as triangles, circles and
Many light sculptures produce light in a sculpture squares.
because of the hard materials while others are
nothing but light. Olafur Eliasson and Dan Flavin (the Form - a composition or object within a three-
maker of light sculptures created through dimensional composition; includes height, width,
fluorescent lights) are the most popular light and depth (like a cube, sphere, pyramid, or
sculptors. cylinder).
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Space - element of art that defines positive and Random Rhythm - arranged in an unpredictable or
negative areas, or a sense of depth attained in an spontaneous manner. This type of rhythm creates a
art work. sense of energy, excitement, or chaos in the
artwork.
Texture - surface quality of an artwork - the
ruggedness or smoothness of the material it is made BALANCE - distribution of the visual weight of
from. We perceive texture in two ways: optically objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design
(through sight), and physically (through touch). was a scale, these elements should be balanced to
make a design feel stable. In symmetrical balance,
Value - lightness or darkness of colors. White is the
the elements used on one side of the design are
lightest color; black is the darkest. The color,
similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical
halfway between those extremes, is called gray.
balance, the sides are different but still look
Color - the visual element which affects our balanced. In radial balance, the elements are
emotions the most. We use color to construct an arranged around a central point and may be
artwork's mood or atmosphere. Consists of three similar.
properties:
3 Main Types of Balance
•HUE - name of color,
• Symmetrical Balance (formal)
•VALUE - lightness and darkness of color, • Asymmetrical Balance (Informal)
• Radial Balance
•INTENSITY - quality of brightness and purity.
EMPHASIS - the design that catches the viewer’s
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN - the overall organizational attention. Usually, the artist will make one area
structure of the formal elements of the work of art. stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The
The principles of art design are rules or guides that area could be different in size, color, texture, shape,
help one combine these elements to achieve etc.
organic unity and beauty.
PROPORTION - feeling of unity created when all
RHYTHM - created when one or more elements of parts (sizes, amounts, or number) relate well with
design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of each other. When drawing the human figure,
organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like proportion can refer to the size of the head
music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and compared to the rest of the body.
active, variety is essential.
Types of Proportion:
Types of Rhythm:
Standard Proportion - created correctly when
Regular Rhythm - arranged in a systematic and compared to proportions that exist within reality.
orderly way. This produces a sense of harmony and Standard proportion is important for artists looking
balance in the artwork. to create realistic compositions. Take, for example,
the “Vitruvian Man” by Leonard Da Vinci. Da Vinci’s
Flowing Rhythm - arranged in a way that creates a
focus on standard proportion within the illustration is
sense of movement and fluidity. This type of rhythm
based on anatomical proportions from physical
is often used to create a sense of movement or
reality.
motion in a still image.
Altered Proportion - manipulation of proportion to
Progressive Rhythm - arranged in a sequence that
achieve a specific visual effect. Altered proportion
suggests a gradual increase or decrease in size,
is often used intentionally, typically to create more
color, or texture. This type of rhythm creates a sense
stylized and expressive compositions.
of progression, movement, or flow.

Alternating Rhythm - arranged in a pattern that

alternates between two or more contrasting
elements. This type of rhythm creates a sense of
contrast or tension in the artwork.
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Hierarchical Proportion - to depict a hierarchy

within a composition. Hierarchical proportion
denotes levels of power, status, or importance
based on the proportions the artist chooses. The
hierarchy created through proportions can be used
to depict social classes, tell a story, or document
historical facts visually.

Out of Proportion - one or more elements of a

subject to be too large or too small in proportion to
the rest of the subject. The extent to which
something is out of proportion depends on the
artist's choices. Sometimes artists create a severely
out of proportion subject as a means of stylistic
exaggeration.

GRADATION - method of creating the elements by

using a series of gradual changes in those elements.
Unlike contrast, which stresses sudden changes in
elements, gradation refers to a step-by-step
change.” For example, gradual changes from a
dark to light value, or from large to small shapes
would be called gradation.

HARMONY - pleasing arrangement of visual

elements in an artwork, where each element
contributes to a unified whole. It is the visually
satisfying effect produced when similar or related
elements within the composition are combined to
achieve unity.

3 Types of Harmony:

1. Color and Value Harmony - art is created when

similar or complementary color schemes are used.

2. Shape and Form Harmony - art is created when

similar shapes or forms are repeatedly used to
create a pattern or consistency within the artwork’s
composition.

3. Texture Harmony - produced through

brushstrokes. Consistent brushstrokes throughout a
painting will create harmony because the entire
artwork is composed of the same textural rhythm.

VARIETY - deals with diversity or contrast. It is

achieved in a work of art by using various shapes,
sizes, and/or colors.

MOVEMENT - create the appearance of action,

and to direct the viewer's eye throughout the
artwork. Such movement can be directed along
lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.