Chapter 1

WHAT IS ART?

In both the sciences and the arts we strive to weave our

experiences into coherent bodies of knowledge and to

communicate them.

Art…

□enhances daily experiences.□is linked to quality of life. □touches everyone.□is all around us.

The Meaning of the Word Art…

1. Ability - The human capacity to make things of beauty and things that stir us.

2. Process - The different forms of art such as drawing, painting, sculpting, architecture, and photography.

3. Product - The completed work

Whatever the definition, it is important to know the vocabulary of art in order to understand it.

Some “Truths” About Art

1. There is no agreed-upon definition of art.

2. Art does not necessarily have to be beautiful.

3. Art can be created for any number of reasons.

The Philosophies About Art:

Many philosophers have argued that art serves no function, that it exists for its own sake.

Some have asserted that the essence of art transcends the human occupation with usefulness.

Others have held that in trying to analyze art too closely, one loses sight of its beauty and wonderment.

Understanding and appreciating art…

The questions to ask…□“Why was this created?”□“What is its purpose?”

What Are the Purposes of Art?

ART AND BEAUTY

□Art adds beauty to our lives by looking to nature

□Art depicts both Western & Non-Western concepts of beauty

1.1 LEONARDO DA VINCI. Mona Lisa (c. 1503–1505). Oil on wood panel. 30

1/4” x 21”.

1.2 Kenyan woman, Masai tribe. Standards for beauty can differ from

culture to culture.

“A Closer Look”

A Portrait in the Flesh

Sometimes artists try to improve on nature – thereby creating an

alternative standard

1.5 French performance artist Orlan, who has dedicated herself to embodying Western classicbeauty as found in the works of Leonardo, Botticelli, and Boucher through multiple plastic surgeries.

Here Orlan is being “prepped” for one in a series of operations.

1.6 SANDRO BOTTICELLI. The Birth of Venus (1486). Detail. Tempera on canvas. 5’8 7⁄8” x 9’1 1⁄7”.

ART AND OUR ENVIRONMENT

Used to create pleasing environments.

Used as Decoration. Used to transport to another

place.

1.37 JOYCE KOZLOFF. Galla Placidia in Philadelphia (1985). Mosaic installation. 13’ x 16’

1.37 DALE CHIHULY. Fioridi Como (1998). 70’ x 30’ x 12’.

ART AND TRUTH

Truth in art is subjective. True to nature?

True to human experience?True to materials?

1.7 FRIDA KAHLO. Diego in My Thoughts (Diego y yo) (1949). Oil on canvas, mounted on Masonite.

24” x 36”.

Art can be used to

□Replicate nature□Show reality□Express an artist’s own experiences.

ART AND IMMORTALITY

Used to defy mortality, by staying in the audiences consciousness for decades.

Art can bring people “together” from different periods of time.

1.9 ANDY WARHOL. Four Marilyns (1962). Synthetic polymer paint and

silkscreen ink on canvas. 30" × 23⅞".

ART AND GLORY

□Art immortalizes people and events throughout the ages.

□Art history’s wealthiest patrons commissioned artists to create works that glorified their reigns and accomplishments.

1.11 Column of Trajan, Forum of Trajan, Rome, dedicated 112. 128 feet high.

ART AND RELIGION

Humans developed art forms to visually render the unseen.

Throughout different societies these depictions include human forms, animals, and composite

figures.Art is used to express hope, faith and symbolize religious events

and values.

1.13 JESSIE OONARK. A Shaman’s Helping Spirits (1971). Stonecut and

stencil. 37 1⁄6” x 25 1⁄6”.

1.14 AARON DOUGLAS. Noah’s Ark (c. 1927). Oil on

masonite. 48” x 36”.

ART AND IDEOLOGY

Ideologies are an organized collection of ideas. They tend to originate from commonly held

beliefs within a society.Art uses images to create and

reinforce ideology.

1.17 SUZANNE VALADON. Adam and Eve (1909). Oil on

canvas. 63¾ × 51⅝.

ART AND FANTASY

Some artists use their art as an outlet to vent their imaginary

inner lives. These images can be evoked from dreams or could

simply be the objects and landscapes conceived in the

unconscious mind.

1.18 Marc Chagall I and the Village. (1911). Oil on canvas. 6’3-5/8” x 4’11-5/8”.

Art and Psychoanalytic

Many 20th Century artists looked to the psychoanalytic writings of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, who suggested that primeval forces are at wok in the unconscious reaches of the mind. Artist’s sought to use their art as an outlet for these unconscious forces.

1.19 Max Beckmann. The Dream (1921). Oil on canvas. 73-1/8” x 3

5”.

ART, INTELLECT, AND EMOTION

Art can make you think, feel, and can trigger associations. The

viewer may ponder the purpose of the artist, the emotions or activity

of the subject, all while forming one’s own response to the piece.

Conceptual Art

Conceptual art does not only represent external objects. It also challenges the traditional view of the artist as creative visionary, skilled craftsperson, and master of one’s media. The “art” lies in the artist’s conception.

ART, ORDER, AND HARMONY

Art is harmony.

–Georges Seurat

Artists and scientists try to find the underlying order of nature.

A perfect examples is Zen, a Buddhist sect that seeks inner harmony through introspection and meditation.

1.21 Ryoanji Zen Temple, Japanese sand garden, Kyoto, Japan.

COMPARE + CONTRAST

The Piano Lesson(s) by Matisse and Bearden

1.23 HENRI MATISSE. Piano Lesson (1916). Oil on canvas. 8’1⁄2” x 6’11 3⁄4”.1.24 ROMARE BEARDEN. Piano Lesson (1983). Oil with Collage. 29» x 22’

1.22 LAURIE SIMMONS. Red Library #2 (1983). Color photograph. 48 1⁄2” x 38 1⁄4”.

ART AND CHAOS

On the flipside of order and harmony, artists have also sought to depict chaos. It is often visualized through apocalyptic

events, war, and famine, but also merely suggested even without specific

content.

1.25 JAUNE QUICK-TO-SEE SMITH. Eclipse (1987). Oil on canvas. 60” x 60”.

ART, EXPERIENCE, AND MEMORY

□Art has served to record and communicate experiences and events. □Memorials□Photographs of momentous occasions

□Art also conveys the personal experience of an artist.

1.26 LOUISA CHASE. Storm (1981). Oil on canvas. 90” x 120”.

1.27 ALFRED STIEGLITZ. The Steerage (1907). Photograph.

1.28 FAITH RINGGOLD. Tar Beach (1988). Acrylic paint on canvas and pieced fabric. 74” x 68-1⁄2”.

ART IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

While recording experiences, artists frequently note:

□The activities and the objects of their times and places

□Contemporary fashion and beliefs□The crafts and sciences□Architecture

1.29 EDWARD HOPPER. Nighthawks (1942). Oil on canvas. 30” x 60”.

1.30 RICHARD HAMILTON. Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956). Collage. 10-1⁄4” x 9-3⁄4”.

1.31 ZAHA HADID. Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi. 2006.

ART AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Artists have taken on bitter struggles against the injustices of their times and have tried to persuade others to join them in their causes, and it has been natural for them to use their creative skills to do so.

1.32 EUGÈNE DELACROIX. Liberty Leading the People (1830). Oil on canvas. 8’6” x 10’10”.

1.33 SUZANNE LACY AND LESLIE LABOWITZ. In Mourning and in Rage (1977). Performance at Los Angeles City Hall.

1.34 BETYE SAAR. The Liberation of Aunt Jemima (1972). Mixed media. 11-3⁄4” x 8” x

2-3⁄4”.

ART AND POPULAR CULTURE

□Readymade - objects elevated from the commonplace to the position of art.

□Assemblage - art made and assembled from found objects.

□Pop Art - art that utilizes the commonplace objects and visual clichés to make the viewer think twice about the symbols and objects that surround us.

1.35 MIRIAM SCHAPIRO. Wonderland (1983). Acrylic and fabric collage on canvas. 90” x 144” (framed)

1.36 MARCEL DUCHAMP. Fountain (1917). 1951 version after

lost original. Porcelain urinal. H: 24".

Some artist create solely for:

□ “Self-actualization”□ Novelty □ Exploration□ Understanding□ Aesthetics □ Beauty□ Order□ Emotional or psychological needs

1.39 JOSÉ CLEMENTE OROZCO. Epic of American Civilization: Hispano-America (c. 1932–1934). Fresco. 10” x 9’11”.