The Subject of Art (Art Appreciation)

Summary

This lesson explores the different subjects and types of art, highlighting the relationship between form and content. It covers representational, abstract, and non-representational art, discussing how each is connected to reality. The sources of art, such as nature and history, are examined, along with different subject matters like landscapes, portraits, and still life. The lesson emphasizes how content in art carries factual, conventional, and subjective meanings, illustrating how art forms are essential in conveying these messages to the viewer.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art can be categorized into three types: representational, abstract, and non-representational.
• 🖼️ Representational art is based on real objects in reality, with subcategories like realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization.
• 🌳 Abstract art represents real subjects but transforms them in a way that alters their appearance or meaning.
• 🌀 Non-representational art has no reference to reality and exists purely for aesthetic purposes.
• 📚 Sources of art include nature, history, literature, and other forms of media and technology.
• 🌄 Landscape art focuses on natural scenery, with elements of abstraction often influencing how the artist portrays the environment.
• 👤 Portrait art depicts individuals, with self-portraits being examples created by the artist themselves.
• 📖 Content in art refers to the meaning of the work, which is inseparable from its form.
• 💡 There are three levels of meaning in art content: factual (literal), conventional (cultural symbols), and subjective (personal interpretation).
• 🎨 The elements of form, such as composition and technique, are crucial to making the content of an artwork meaningful.

Q & A

What is the relationship between form and content in art?

Form and content are inseparable in art; they are the structures and the substance of the artwork, respectively. The form gives shape to the content, and the content gives meaning to the form.

What are the three types of art according to Mark Fussell?

The three types of art according to Mark Fussell are representational, abstract, and non-representational.

What is representational art and what are its subcategories?

Representational art is art that depicts an actual object in reality. Its subcategories include realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization.

How is abstract art different from representational art?

Abstract art takes the subject from reality but represents it in a transformed way, where elements are manipulated to convey a different perception than what is being represented.

What is non-representational art, and how does it differ from abstract art?

Non-representational art is created without any reference to reality. It differs from abstract art in that abstract art starts with reality but distorts it, while non-representational art does not start with reality at all.

What are the sources of subjects in art?

The sources of subjects in art can include the artist's work, autobiographies, films, artifacts, photographs, natural history, and literature.

Why is the artist's work considered a primary source of art?

The artist's work is considered a primary source of art because it is original and informative, often obligating the perceiver to think critically about the artwork.

How does nature serve as a source of art?

Nature serves as a source of art by providing materials for construction and inspiring themes and subjects in artwork, reflecting the artist's effort to develop and perfect creations.

What are the different kinds of subject matter in art?

Different kinds of subject matter in art include landscape, portrait, still life, historical, figurative, and social political themes.

What does the term 'content' in art refer to?

The term 'content' in art refers to the meaning of the work, including its subject matter and the ideas or themes it conveys.

What are the three levels of meaning in the content of art?

The three levels of meaning in the content of art are factual, conventional, and subjective. Factual meaning is literal, conventional meaning is symbolic, and subjective meaning is the artist's personal interpretation.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Understanding Art: Forms and Content

This paragraph introduces the concept of how form and content in art are inseparable. It discusses common questions about the meaning of art and lays out the objectives of the lesson, including understanding different types of art subjects, differentiating between representational and non-representational art, and analyzing the meaning of art content. The paragraph emphasizes that understanding art requires recognizing various forms and subject types, which will be elaborated on in the lesson.

05:00

🖼️ Representational Art: Realism to Stylization

The paragraph explores representational art, which directly depicts objects from reality. It outlines subcategories such as realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization, giving the example of a self-portrait. Representational art aims to portray objects as they are, whether through realistic or stylized forms. It emphasizes that this type of art is anchored in the actual depiction of real objects, serving as a direct representation of reality.

🎭 Abstract Art: Reality with a Twist

This section delves into abstract art, which represents reality in a transformed way. It explains that abstraction alters the subject, like depicting a tree, but not as an exact replica of the tree. Abstract art conveys a message, differing from how reality is perceived by viewers. Originating in the 19th century, movements like impressionism and expressionism contributed to the rise of abstraction, which distorts reality while maintaining a connection to it.

🌀 Non-Representational Art: No Reality Reference

This part distinguishes non-representational art from abstract art. Non-representational art is created without any reference to real-world objects, aiming purely for aesthetic expression. While people often confuse it with abstract art, non-representational art does not begin with any basis in reality. The key distinction lies in whether the artist starts with or without a reference to the physical world.

🌿 The Sources of Art: Nature, History, and Beyond

The paragraph explains the different sources from which art draws inspiration. These include nature, autobiographies, films, and artifacts related to the artist. Nature is a primary source, providing materials and inspiration, and history serves as another key source. The discussion stresses that art often reflects a recreation or development of what nature or history has provided, positioning the artist as a creator who builds upon existing elements.

📚 Art and Literature: Historical and Textual Sources

This section focuses on literature as another major source of subject matter for art. Historical texts, mythology, sacred writings, and other literary forms provide inspiration for art. The paragraph highlights the relationship between art and literature, explaining that these sources serve as a foundation for artistic creation and interpretation, complementing the inspiration drawn from nature.

🌄 Kinds of Subjects in Art: Landscape, Portraits, and More

Here, the paragraph discusses the various kinds of subject matter found in art, including landscapes, portraits, still life, and historical or social themes. It provides examples such as landscapes focusing on natural scenery, where an artist may capture the environment in an abstract or realistic form. Portraits, including self-portraits, are explained as depictions of individuals, reflecting personal or societal themes.

🖌️ The Content in Art: Factual, Conventional, and Subjective Meanings

The final paragraph delves into the meaning of 'content' in art, which refers to the message or significance of the artwork. It outlines three levels of meaning: factual (literal and easily recognized), conventional (culturally or symbolically understood), and subjective (open to personal interpretation). The paragraph emphasizes that both form and content are essential in conveying meaning, with examples like flags representing countries or symbols like a red heart representing love or martyrdom.

Keywords

💡Representational Art

Representational art refers to artwork that depicts recognizable objects or subjects from reality. It is meant to mirror the actual world, including subcategories like realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization. In the video, examples like a self-portrait illustrate this type of art, which is central to understanding how artists convey the world around them in visual form.

💡Abstract Art

Abstract art involves the alteration or transformation of real-world subjects to create a different representation. It focuses more on conveying feelings or ideas rather than accurate depiction. As explained in the video, an artist may paint a tree, but not as it appears in reality. The tree's form is altered to communicate something else, making abstraction a key concept for exploring how reality is interpreted through artistic expression.

💡Non-representational Art

Non-representational art, also known as non-objective art, refers to art that does not depict anything from reality. Its purpose is often aesthetic, and it lacks a direct reference to recognizable objects. In the video, it is explained as art made solely for aesthetic purposes, contrasting it with abstract art, where the artist begins with a real-world reference before transforming it.

💡Sources of Art

Sources of art refer to the origins or inspirations for artistic creation. These can include nature, historical events, autobiographies, films, and literature. The video emphasizes that nature and history are key sources, and artists often draw on these to reflect deeper meanings or purposes in their work, such as using the natural world as material for infrastructure or drawing inspiration from historical texts.

💡Content in Art

Content in art refers to the meaning or message conveyed through the artwork. It is crucial for understanding the artist's intent and the work's significance. The video mentions three levels of content meaning: factual, conventional, and subjective. For instance, a red heart in an artwork can symbolize love or martyrdom, demonstrating how content can carry multiple interpretations depending on context.

💡Form

Form in art refers to the structure, composition, and techniques used to create the work. According to the video, form is essential for the content to have meaning, as it encompasses elements like media, composition, and design. Without form, the message of the artwork would be unclear, making it a fundamental concept in the analysis of any piece.

💡Factual Meaning

Factual meaning refers to the literal or directly apprehended subject matter of an artwork. It is the most straightforward level of interpretation, where the viewer can recognize the objects or narrative being presented. In the video, this is explained as the easiest type of meaning to identify, where the artist's depiction is clear and unambiguous, such as in representational art.

💡Conventional Meaning

Conventional meaning in art involves symbols or elements that represent cultural, social, or historical contexts. It can refer to the use of specific colors, shapes, or symbols that have commonly understood meanings. The video provides the example of a flag in an artwork representing a country, where viewers understand the meaning based on shared cultural knowledge.

💡Subjective Meaning

Subjective meaning in art refers to the personal interpretation of the artist, which may evoke unique responses in viewers. It often involves emotional or personal insights, where the viewer is encouraged to draw their own conclusions. The video uses the example of a red heart, which may symbolize different concepts like love or martyrdom, depending on the viewer's perspective.

💡Landscape

Landscape art focuses on natural scenery such as mountains, forests, or rivers as its primary subject. In the video, this type of art is discussed as a representation of the natural world, often using abstraction to capture the essence of the scene. Landscape paintings allow for creative interpretation, where artists might only suggest certain features of the natural world rather than depict them in full detail.

Highlights

Art forms and content are inseparable, as form gives meaning to the content in art.

Representational art is based on reality and includes subcategories like realism, impressionism, idealism, and stylization.

Abstract art transforms reality into a different representation, conveying a message through altered perception.

Non-representational art has no reference to reality and is created purely for aesthetic purposes.

Sources of subjects in art include autobiographies, films, artifacts, and photographs of the artist.

Natural history is a primary source of art, providing materials and inspiration from nature.

History, literature, and written works are other important sources of art, including sacred texts and mythology.

Art subjects can range from landscapes, portraits, and still life to social, political, and historical themes.

A landscape artwork focuses on natural scenery, while portraits depict individuals, often as self-portraits.

Content in art refers to its meaning, with three levels: factual, conventional, and subjective.

Factual meaning is straightforward and directly apprehended from the artwork.

Conventional meaning includes elements like colors and symbols, representing groups, cultures, or organizations.

Subjective meaning is unique to the artist’s interpretation, offering a personal articulation of the artwork.

Form in art includes composition techniques, media, and design elements, crucial for understanding content.

Without form, content in artwork becomes meaningless, emphasizing the importance of structure and elements.

Transcripts

[Music]

introduction

artwork is meaningless in the absence of

form and the content are forms and

content inseparable

the first question that is frequently

asked is what is it

or what does it mean

hence to understand further this lesson

will discuss the subject types of art

the source of subjects kinds of subjects

and content in art

learning objectives

at the end of this lesson the student

should be able to understand the

different subjects of the arts

distinguish between representational and

non-representational art subject types

recognize the various types of subjects

and

analyze the meaning of the different

content of art

the subject type of art

according to mark fussell there are

three types of art to be considered the

representational

the abstract

and the non-representational

the representational art

representation alert is art that is an

actual object in reality

representational art has subcategories

which include realism impressionism

idealism and stylization

for example a self-portrait or when one

draws or paints exactly like what is

being portrayed

the abstraction

abstraction is a type of art that takes

the subject into reality but in a

different representation elements are

being represented that transform the

subject

for example if an artist is painting a

tree but not as the tree that is being

represented then it is a tree but not

the actual tree

in other words the subject conveys a

message in which the perception of the

perceiver is different from what is to

be perceived

an abstract type of art evolved during

the 19th century when both impressionism

and expressionism were methods that were

used

for example distortion of the real basis

of art

thus if the artist begins with reality

then it is an abstract art form but not

the actual representation

a non-objective or non-representational

type of art is only made by a subject

for aesthetic purposes

one might say that this type of art is

the same as abstract art but it is often

the mistake of the perceiver

how can one recognize if an art object

is abstract or non-object art

very simple

if an artist starts with no reference to

reality

then the actual output is called

non-objective or non-representational

art

the sources of subject

sources in art may take any form such as

artwork autobiographies films of the

artist artifacts of the artist

photographs of the artist etc

if one tries to analyze the sources of

art its focus is on the artist's work

why

precisely because it is original

primarily the artist's work is

informative in such a way that the

perceiver is obligated to think

critically about such artwork

one of the sources of art is natural

history itself

the actualization of one artwork

originates from nature

nature provides the materials for the

construction of houses and other

infrastructure simply because it is

necessary for humanity to live which is

its very purpose

but this does not end here

speaking of purpose the idea is for the

artist to procreate god creation by

developing things toward perfection and

discovering new things out of what has

been developed

thus devaluing art is the start of the

depletion of nature

another source of art is history and the

product of it is none other than its

written output

a very concrete example is literature

examples of literature sacred text

greek and roman mythology

judeo-christian tradition other text art

etc

thus there are only two sources for the

subject art nature the cosmos or the

universe and literature

other sub sub-sources are the mediums of

art and other technological artifacts

kinds of subject

there are several kinds of subject

matter in art which include landscape

portrait still life historical

figurative social political etc

according to thania mcardle landscape

refers to an artwork whose primary focus

is natural scenery such as mountains

forests cliffs trees rivers valleys etc

in other words the surroundings are the

basis for one's art meaning one can

freely picture them to portray the

present moment

the style the way the artist's layout

may occur upon perceiving the moment of

transformation of his or her

art that is the reason why according to

bloomberg landscape paintings embrace

the freedom of abstraction to form by

way of line color and form the last

remaining remnants of a traditional

landscape into mere suggestions of the

natural and built world

another example portrait in art

a portrait is a depiction of a certain

individual

a self-portrait is a self-portrait taken

by the artist themselves

thus all subject matter in arts gives a

meaning that requires humanity to

reflect and understand arts essence

the contents in art

the term content refers to the meaning

of the work subject matter

to understand the meaning of content one

should also understand forms

this term is important because its use

is to designate a genre pattern and

rhymes

the term forms according to dorothy

baranski refers to the works composition

techniques the use of media and the

implementation of the different elements

of design

[Music]

thus without form in an artwork the

content is meaningless

now there are three levels of meaning in

the content of art factual conventional

and subjective

the factual meaning refers to statements

that are literally or narratively

directly apprehended in which the

content object of the artwork is easily

recognized when an artist presents their

work

the conventional meaning refers to the

elements of a particular artwork

presented by an artist to symbolize or

depict a group of people or culture

in other words the colors lines and

other elements of art that is a flag

indicate to what country or organization

they belong

the subjective meaning of art refers to

the subjective definition in which an

artist conveys a particular articulation

of art

in other words the lines and colors of a

symbol that is a red heart may be

defined as compassion love martyrdom etc

you