HUM100: Video Lecture 1- Introduction to Humanities

Summary

In this lecture on Art Appreciation, the instructor introduces key concepts in the humanities, including the definition of art and its relationship to human culture. The lecture covers the four divisions of art study: aesthetics, art history, art production, and art criticism, and explores the assumptions and functions of art, such as its universality, man-made nature, and experiential quality. The session concludes by highlighting the various functions of art, including aesthetic, utilitarian, cultural, and social, all of which contribute to the broader understanding and appreciation of art.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Art is a discipline under humanities that involves the appreciation and understanding of works of art, emphasizing the pursuit of knowledge about their universal and timeless qualities.
• 🌐 Humanities studies human cultures, encompassing literature, history, philosophy, and religion, aiming to provide a broad understanding of human achievements throughout history.
• 🖌️ Art is defined by its craftsmanship, skill, mastery of form, inventiveness, and the relationship between form and ideas, as well as material and technique.
• 🤖 Art is man-made, creative, beneficial to and satisfying for humans, and expressed through a medium that communicates the artist's message.
• 🏛️ Aesthetics, or art appreciation, focuses on the beauty of the artwork itself, valuing different works of art and appreciating the role of art in society.
• 📚 Art history delves into the historical background and significant contributions of art, educating students about artists, their works, and their impact on various fields.
• 🎨 Art production encourages students to use their creativity and artistic knowledge to produce original works of art that are practical and useful for human life.
• 🔍 Art criticism involves evaluating different artworks based on established criteria, teaching students to use their judgment to assess the quality and impact of art.
• 🌟 Art is considered universal and timeless, inspiring people across generations and cultures, and its value is not determined by age but by its enduring quality.
• 🌳 Art is a human expression and interpretation of nature, not a direct replication, allowing for personal and creative reinterpretations of the natural world.
• 👥 Art involves personal experience and is highly subjective, with individual perceptions and judgments shaping one's appreciation and understanding of an artwork.
• 🏡 Art serves multiple functions, including aesthetic (beauty), utilitarian (practical use), cultural (transmission of knowledge and skills), and social (fostering unity and cooperation).

Q & A

What is the main objective of the course 'Humanities 100: Art Appreciation'?

The main objective is to understand the meaning of art and its relation to humanities, differentiate art appreciation from being an artist, and discuss the assumptions and functions of art.

What are the four divisions of art study mentioned in the lecture?

The four divisions of art study are aesthetics (art appreciation), art history, art production, and art criticism.

How is 'art' defined according to the lecture?

Art is defined as craftsmanship, skill, mastery of form, inventiveness, and the relationship between form and ideas, as well as between material and technique.

What does it mean when the lecture states that 'art is man-made'?

It means that art is not a natural creation or something made by God; it is a creation of human beings.

What is the importance of 'art appreciation' in humanities?

Art appreciation is important as it involves the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of universal and timeless qualities characterizing works of art, enhancing the enjoyment of the humanities.

Can you explain the difference between 'art' and 'nature' as described in the lecture?

Art is a man-made interpretation of nature. While nature exists naturally around us, art is an expression of how humans perceive and interpret nature, often altering or stylizing it.

What does the lecture suggest about the relationship between age and the value of art?

The lecture suggests that art is not valued because it is old; rather, it becomes old because it is good and continues to be liked and appreciated by people over time.

What are the three assumptions of art mentioned in the lecture?

The three assumptions are: art is universal, art is not nature, and art involves experience.

How does the lecture define 'aesthetic function' of art?

The aesthetic function of art is about appreciating beauty, making people conscious of the beauty of nature and human creations, and enhancing their enjoyment and appreciation of it.

What role does 'art criticism' play in the study of art?

Art criticism involves evaluating and judging different artworks based on established criteria, helping students develop their judgment and understanding of art.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Art and Humanities

This paragraph introduces the video lecture, led by Mom Anna, for the course 'Humanity's 100: Art Appreciation.' The lecture is about art appreciation and its relation to humanities. The instructor reminds students about a previous assignment where they artistically expressed themselves through various forms like essays, poems, drawings, singing, or dancing. Today's lecture will cover the meaning of art, its relation to humanities, and key differences between art appreciation and being an artist. The paragraph explains that humanities study human cultures, including literature, history, philosophy, and religion. It highlights the significance of learning works from renowned figures such as Shakespeare, Plato, Beethoven, and Jose Rizal, emphasizing that humanities help us make sense of life and the world.

05:02

🖌️ Understanding Art and Art Appreciation

This paragraph delves into the definition of art and art appreciation. It describes art as deriving from the Italian word 'artista,' meaning craftsmanship and mastery of form, emphasizing its ability to broaden understanding and connect past and present. Art is defined by four essentials: it is man-made, it must be creative, it should benefit and satisfy humans, and it is expressed through a medium. Art appreciation is a humanities discipline focused on understanding the qualities characterizing works of art. It involves analyzing elements of composition and principles of design, enhancing enjoyment of humanities. Art study is divided into four areas: aesthetics, art history, art production, and art criticism. Aesthetics is the science of beauty, encouraging admiration for artists and valuing art's societal role, focusing on the artwork's beauty.

10:03

🖼️ The Role of Art History, Production, and Criticism

This paragraph discusses the significance of art history, production, and criticism. Art history emphasizes understanding the historical context and contributions of art and artists. It involves studying artists' backgrounds, masterpieces, and significant contributions across various fields. Art production focuses on creativity and artistic skills, encouraging students to create practical and useful art. Art criticism involves evaluating artworks based on criteria, using judgment to analyze different pieces. The paragraph introduces three assumptions of art: art is universal, art is not nature, and art involves experience. Art's timeless and universal nature is highlighted through examples like works of Jose Rizal and William Shakespeare. Art is human-made, contrasting with nature, as exemplified by Paul Cézanne's landscape painting, which differs from the original scene. Art involves experience, requiring personal engagement, as shown in Edvard Munch's 'The Scream,' which elicits varied emotional responses from viewers.

🎭 The Functions and Purposes of Art

This paragraph explores the functions of art, including its aesthetic, utilitarian, cultural, and social functions. The aesthetic function emphasizes art's role in making people aware of nature's beauty and appreciating artistic creations. Utilitarian function refers to art's practical applications, such as providing shelter, clothing, food, and other necessities. Cultural function highlights art's ability to transmit skills and knowledge across generations, preserving traditions like folk songs and dances. Social function underscores art's role in fostering love, understanding, and cooperation, promoting international unity. Examples include films and performances that remind us of the importance of socialization in humanity. The paragraph concludes the first module and provides references for further reading, inviting students to the next lecture.

Keywords

💡Humanities

Humanities refers to the study of human culture, encompassing literature, history, philosophy, religion, and more. It provides a broad understanding of the achievements of human beings throughout history. In the context of the video, it is the foundation for appreciating art and its relation to human culture and expression, as exemplified by studying the works of Shakespeare, Plato, Beethoven, and Jose Rizal.

💡Art Appreciation

Art appreciation is a discipline under humanities that focuses on the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the qualities that characterize works of art. It involves analyzing art based on elements of composition and design principles, enhancing the enjoyment of the humanities. The script discusses how art appreciation helps in understanding the universal and timeless qualities of art, such as through the analysis of visual art forms and principles of visual literacy.

💡Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship, derived from the Italian word 'artista,' implies skill, mastery of form, inventiveness, and the relationship between form and ideas. It is a key element in defining what constitutes art, as it represents the creative and technical abilities of the artist. The script mentions craftsmanship as part of the definition of art, emphasizing the importance of skill and creativity in artistic expression.

💡Aesthetics

Aesthetics is the science of beauty and a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of art, its appreciation, and creation. In the video, aesthetics is a division of art study where students learn to admire and highly value different works of art, focusing on the beauty of the artwork itself and its role in society.

💡Art History

Art history is the study of the historical development of art, focusing on the backgrounds, masterpieces, and significant contributions of artists. The script explains that art history is a division of art study where students acquire knowledge about artists and their impact on various fields of art, providing a historical context for the appreciation of art.

💡Art Production

Art production involves the creation of art, where students learn to use their creativity and apply artistic knowledge and skills to produce their own works. The script mentions that this division of art study requires a product or output that is useful and practical for human life, emphasizing the practical application of artistic skills.

💡Art Criticism

Art criticism is the evaluation and interpretation of artworks, where students learn to use their judgment based on criteria and standards. The script describes art criticism as a division of art study that involves critiquing art, highlighting the importance of critical thinking in the appreciation of art.

💡Universal

The term 'universal' in the context of the video refers to the timeless and widespread appeal of art, transcending generations and geographical boundaries. The script discusses the assumption that art is universal, inspiring people across different countries and times, and that great art remains relevant and admired because of its quality, not its age.

💡Experience

Experience, in relation to art, refers to the personal and subjective interaction with an artwork, which is highly individual and involves sensory perception and emotional response. The script emphasizes that art is known by experience, and that the perception of art is a value judgment that varies from person to person, as illustrated by the differing reactions to Edward Munch's 'The Scream.'

💡Functions of Art

The functions of art are the purposes and roles that art serves in society. The script outlines several functions, including the static function (related to beauty), the utilitarian function (practical use), the cultural function (transmitting knowledge and skills), and the social function (fostering understanding and cooperation). These functions highlight the multifaceted impact of art on human life.

Highlights

Introduction to the basic question in humanities: 'Who am I?' where students artistically express their results.

Overview of the first lesson on art appreciation, focusing on the meaning of art and its relation to humanities.

Explanation of the term 'humanities' derived from the Latin word 'humanus,' meaning refined or cultured human.

Definition of art as taken from the Italian word 'artista,' signifying craftsmanship, skill, mastery of form, and inventiveness.

Discussion of the four common essentials of art: art is man-made, must be creative, must benefit and satisfy man, and is expressed through a medium.

Clarification of art appreciation as a discipline under humanities, involving the analysis of art based on composition and design principles.

Division of art study into four areas: aesthetics (art appreciation), art history, art production, and art criticism.

Explanation of aesthetics as the science of beauty, focusing on the admiration and value of art and its role in society.

Introduction to art history, which focuses on the historical background and contributions of artists and their masterpieces.

Art production emphasized as a division where students apply creativity and artistic skills to produce useful works of art.

Explanation of art criticism as the evaluation of artworks based on specific criteria.

Assumptions of art discussed, including art being universal and timeless, as well as the misconception that age determines the value of art.

Clarification that art is not nature, but man's interpretation of nature, as illustrated by Paul Cézanne's landscape painting.

Art involves personal experience, making it subjective and unique to each individual, with examples like Edvard Munch's 'The Scream.'

Overview of the functions of art, including aesthetic, utilitarian, cultural, and social functions, with relevant examples for each.

Transcripts

good day everyone this is mom anna and

welcome to our video lecture for

humanity's 100 art appreciation

in our first face-to-face synchronous

meeting you were asked to introduce

yourselves to the class by answering the

basic question in humanities

who am i

wherein all of you artistically express

your results through writing an essay

poem drawing and even singing and

dancing

for today's lecture we will discuss the

very first lesson to our subject art

appreciation

the introduction to humanities

it is expected that at the end of the

lesson you should be able to

determine the meaning of art and its

relation to humanities

differentiate art appreciation from

artists

discuss the assumptions and functions of

arts

now let's look first at the meaning of

humanities art and art appreciation

humanities is derived from the latin

words humanus which means refined or

cultured human

it is the studies about human cultures

such as literature

history

philosophy religion and the likes

humanities provide general knowledge

about the best accomplishments of human

beings throughout history

learning the works of shakespeare

plato beethoven and even our very own

jose rizal is part of humanities

so it is the stories the ideas and the

words that help us make sense of our

lives and our word

now what is art

art is taken from the italian word

artist which means craftsmanship

skill mastery of form inventiveness and

the association that exists between form

and ideas and between material and

technique

art helps us make sense of our word and

it broadens our experience and

understanding the arts enable us to

imagine the unimaginable and to connect

us to the past the present and sometimes

simultaneously

definition of arts bring us four common

essentials of art

the first one is art is man-made

it means that it is not natural it is

not created by god because it is created

by man

the second one is art must be creative

of course art must always be original

and not imitative or copied but in some

cases it can be somehow inspired from

other arts

the third one is art must benefit and

satisfy man

it is when we use art in practical life

through artistic principles

taste and skill

and lastly

art is expressed through a certain

medium or material by which artist

communicates himself to his fellows

so art appreciation our subject is a

discipline under humanities

that is defined as the pursuit of

knowledge and understanding of the

universal and timeless qualities

characterizing works of art

it invokes an analysis of the works

based on acknowledged elements of

composition and principles of design

through which enjoyment of the

humanities is enhanced

and it refers to the knowledge of the

general and everlasting qualities that

classify all great art it is used to

refer to the exploration of visual art

forms or the introduction of basic

principles of visual literacy

art study is divided into four

the aesthetics or art appreciation

the art history

art production and art criticism

when we say aesthetics it is the science

of beauty

so this is the division of art in which

the student learns to admire the artist

value highly different works of art and

appreciate the rule of art in society

in short the focus of this art study is

the beauty of the artwork itself

while art history focuses on the

historical background

and significant

contributions of the art it is the

division of art in which the student

acquires knowledge of the artist their

backgrounds their masterpieces and their

significant contributions to various

field of art

on the other hand

art production is the division of art

study in which this student learns to

use his creativity and apply his

artistic knowledge and skills in

producing his own works of art

meaning this art study requires a

product or output that will be useful

and practical for man's life

lastly art criticism from the word

itself criticizes art it is the division

of art study in which the student learns

to use his judgment in evaluating

different artworks based on the criteria

staff

so there are three assumptions of art

when we see assumption it is a thing

that is accepted as true even without

proof

the first one is that it is said that

art is universal

art has always been timeless and

universal inspiring generations and

continents true and true

in every country and in every generation

there is always art

oftentimes people feel that what is

considered art are only those which have

been made a long time ago and this is a

misconception because age

is actually not a factor in determining

art

according to dudley adal in 1960

an art is not good because it is old but

old because it is good

for example the words of jose results

such as the noli methane herrera and

alif alfil busterismo are not being read

because they are old otherwise the words

of other filipinos who have long died

would have been required in junior high

school too right

so the pieces mentioned read in school

and have remained to be with us because

they are good and they are like and

adored because they meet our needs and

desires

the same with william shakespeare

romeo and julian

it shows that art is universal in a

sense that it was loved by people from

different countries before and until now

the first assumption then about the

humanities is that art has been crafted

by all people regardless of origin

time

place

and that it's lead on because it is like

and enjoyed by people continuously

in that sense a great piece of work will

never be obsolete

another important characteristic of art

is that it is not nature

art is mass expression of his reception

of nature it is one's way of

interpreting nature as we've said

earlier one of the common essentials of

art is that it is man-made not god made

meaning

art

is made by man where nature is given

around us

it is at this juncture that they can be

considered opposite what we find in

nature should not be expected to be

present in art too

an example is the painting entitled

well and grinding wheel in the forest of

the chatun war

by paul cezanne

while the sad scene is inspired by a

real scene in the forest around the

chatu noir area near eggs in cezanne's

native province one can see that

cezanne's landscape painting is quite

different from the original scene

cezanne has changed some patterns and

details from the way they were actually

in the photograph

what he did is not nature it is art

the next one is art involves experience

for most people art does not require a

full definition art is just experience

by experience we mean the actual doing

of something

unlike fields of knowledge that involve

data art is known by experience

a painter for instance cannot claim to

know how to paint if he has not tried

holding a brush

in order to know what an artwork is we

have to sense it see or hear it and see

and sense and hear it

an important aspect of experiencing art

is it's being highly personal individual

and subjective

in philosophical terms perception of art

is always a value judgment

it depends on who the perceiver is his

taste his biases and what he has inside

him one cannot argue with another

person's evaluation of art because one's

experience cannot be known by another

for example the stream by edward monk

some people may not appreciate this art

as it scares them

from the bright orange sky in the

background the terrified inhuman ghostly

face there was nothing attractive about

the artwork but for other people they

appreciate this art as they can feel the

sadness and sorrow of this artwork

they can relate to what the painter

experienced when he created this art

experiencing panic attacks and

existential crisis

now let's move on with the last topic

for this module the functions of art

art serves several functions which are

correlated corollary to its purposes

these functions include but are not

limited to the following

the first one is the static function

as we've said it is about beauty

through art man becomes conscience of

the beauty of nature

he benefits from his own work and from

those done by his fellow man he learns

to use love

and preserve them from his enjoyment and

appreciation

an example of it is the landscape

paintings which remind us of the beauty

of our natural environment

next is the utilitarian function

from the word itself

art is being utilized for practical use

through art man is provided with shelter

clothing

food

beautiful surroundings personal

ornamentals

entertainment

language

transportation and other necessities and

conveniences of life

an example of it is the roots and

bridges that help us which distant

places with much ease

the third function of art is cultural

function

art enabled us to transmit and preserve

skills and knowledge from one generation

to another

it makes man aware of his cultural

background making him more knowledgeable

making his life more enduring and

satisfying some examples of it are the

fox songs and [ __ ] dances that help us

preserve our traditions

lastly we have the social function

through art

man learns to love

and help each other

international understanding and

cooperation are fostered and nations

become more unified friendly cooperative

helpful and sympathetic

examples of it are the films and

performances around the world that

remind us that socialization is an

important aspect of our humanity

that concludes the topics for our first

module and for our references you can

check the following books

thank you and see you in our next

lecture

bye