UNIT 1: CONTEMPORARY ARTS

LESSON 1: ART AND YOU

Contemporary art is defined as the art of the “now”. These

are the artworks that are produced in the present. It is
difficult to define the actual starting point of contemporary art
since the present is in constant motion, and what we might
consider as contemporary art today might not be true in the
future.

What is ART?
ART is a tool for communication. Whether it is a painting or
a performance, as long as it is a venue for one to convey or
express thoughts, emotions or aspirations, it is considered art.
Every artwork reflects the artist and his/her society. Art
offers us the chance to learn and understand artists and the
regions where they belong through their works.
Art is one of the earliest and most basic forms of
communication. This is seen in the prehistoric visual artworks
like the cave drawings and other early artifacts. This is also
evident in our folk songs and rituals. The visual and performing
arts are ways for people to express themselves and share their
individual insights to others. Through these arts, they catch
other people’s attention, imagination and admiration.

Activity 1/ On ART
 In your own words, how do you express art?
 What is your definition of art?

Art is defined as the manifestation or use of the various

creative disciplines. It is produced by human creativity and
skill top express oneself. It comes in many forms or
disciplines such as literature and media arts, but the most
familiar of which is the visual and performing arts.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

1. VISUAL ARTS:
Visual arts are the artworks we readily associate with art.
The term “fine arts” was first used to describe the art forms
created primarily for their appearance rather than practical use.
As time passed, this term was used to include artworks that came
about from emerging technology and artistic innovations.

The following are the most common examples of fine arts:

 - Drawing
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Print
- Graphic art
- Calligraphy
- Architecture

Activity 2/ Fine Arts Brochure

Create a brochure that shows at least five of the different

fine arts that are found in your community. Each art form should
have a picture and a caption explaining the artwork.

2. DECORATIVE ARTS:
Decorative arts, also known as decorative crafts, are
artworks that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
While the fine arts are primarily concerned with the beauty and
aesthetics, the decorative arts are not only beautiful but are
useful as well. From the renaissance up until the 20th century,
many artists in the West consider the decorative arts as a lower
version of art; makers of these artworks were considered as
artists but rather as craftsmen, this attitude has gradually
changed, though there are still some who believe in the outdated
distinction.
There are a multitude of examples of decorative arts, most
common of which are the following:
- Textile art
- Glassware
- Furniture
- Earthenware
- Metal craft
- Interior design

Activity 3/ Decorative Art Checklist

Put a check mark on the line if the term is an example of
decorative arts
____1. Great Pyramid of Giza _____8. Statue of Liberty
____2. Stained glass window _____9. Pendant
____3. Batik _____10. Ivory curving
____4. Greek vase _____11. Mosaic
____5. Wooden bench _____12. Animated Movie
____6. Wedding gown _____13. Newspaper commercial
____7. School of Athens

3. CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS:

 There are new and unusual art forms that could not be easily
categorized between the fine arts and decorative arts; these
belong to the branch of visual arts called contemporary art
forms. CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS include recently conceived art
styles and techniques that are avant-garde or experimental in
nature.
Thses partially include the following:
- Assemblage
- Collage
- Installation
- Performance art
- Digital art
- Land art
- Conceptual art
-
Activity 4/ Contemporary Art Form
On a short bond paper, create a brief report or research on
a contemporary art form. It may be an art form not mentioned
in this lesson. The report should include the art form’s
characteristics, history, proponent artist/s and a picture
of an example artwork of the form.

PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS
When artists use their voices and/or their body movements to
communicate artistic expression, it is considered an example of
Performing Arts. Performing arts come in many kinds, but all are
meant to be enacted in front of a live audience.
TYPES OF PERFORMING ARTS:

1. MUSIC:
Music is a universal form of art. It is defined as the
manipulation of sound and silence. It blends the different
elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre and texture to
create sound. It is performed live or recorded and can be
prepared in advance or improvised.
Music comes in variety of music genres, with each genre
having its subcategory. Here are some opf the most common music
genres:
 ART MUSIC
Art Music is the umbrella term used to refer to music that
stems from western classical music. It is usually presented
and preserved through written musical notations that were
developed in Europe.
 POPULAR MUSIC
 Popular music generally refers to music that is accessible
and commercially available to the public. It is played or
disseminated through different mass media outlets such as
radios, televisions and the internet.
 TRADITIONAL MUSIC
Traditional music is a musical forms that are communally and
culturally based. It is diverse with one community or group
often having a different form from another. It is learned
and preserved by passing it from one generation to another
through oral communication and actual performance.

2. DANCE:
Dance is defined as regulated and deliberated order of body
movements. These movements have aesthetic value and are often
performed accompanied by music.
Dance comes in many forms and styles, some of which are as
follows:
- Ballet
- Belly dance
- Break dance
- Improvisational dance
- Hip-hop dance
- Modern dance
- Contemporary dance
- Traditional dance

3. THEATER:
Theater or play is a branch of performing arts that often
involves the integration and combination of the visual and
performing arts. It is defined as a fine art where actors or
actresses perform experiences, whether real or imagined, in front
of a live audience. The performers make use of gestures, music,
song, dance and visual arts to help communicate the story in
front of an audience.
Common examples of theater arts are the following:
- Mime
- Puppetry
- Tragedy
- Opera
- Musical theater
- Traditional theater

Activity 5/ Theater Examples

Share with the class an example of a theater form that you have
watched or even performed in, and narrate your experiences with
the class. Your sharing should include the type of theater and
the story or idea the play was trying to communicate.

WHY DO ARTISTS CREATE ART?

As mentioned before, people create art primarily as a tool
for communication. But throughout history, we can see that
artists create art for reasons other than communication.

Reasons Why Artists Create Art:

Recognition
Some artists create art in hopes of gaining fame and
fortune. Some artists use art as their means of livelihood, as
seen with many visual artists, musicians, and television and
movie stars.

Worship
Not all artists create for recognition; some do it to
glorify their creator. This is evident in the many religious
structures in the ancient world such as the pyramids, Hindu
temples, and the temples of the Greeks and Romans. Songs were
also created for worship as evident in many medieval hymns and in
one of the oldest surviving music found in Syria dated around
1400BCE, which is believed to be about the offerings of the
goddess Nikkal. Christian iconography is found in the majority o
artworks produced during the Middle Ages up to the Modern period.

Impulse
Some artists create art because they are driven by impulse.
It is their passion, and nothing makes them happier than doing
their chosen art. These artists consider art as life and spend
their time doing nothing but such.

Self-expression
Artists, without a doubt create art for self-expression.
They express ideas and emotions that might not be adequately
conveyed through words. Each artwork is a reflection of each
individual artist’s personality and experiences, making each
artwork unique.

Activity 7/ One Coin, Many Faces

As a class, choose a theme such as love, life, justice, etc. once
you have agreed upon a topic, express this subject in any art
form of your choosing. You can articulate the subject through the
different forms of visual arts or the different categories of
performing arts.

WHY DO ARTISTS CREATE ART?

Creating art can help you express yourself, enabling you to
share your ideas and emotions with others. On the other hand,
studying art teaches you to distinguish and understand the
individual differences we all have that in part make us unique.
It makes us more sensitive to others.
Studying and creating art help develop our decision and
problem-solving skills. Studying and creating art help as realize
that there are many ways of dealing and solving an obstacle. It
helps us comprehend that there are more than one correct solution
to a problem.
This is an important skill in the real world because it
teaches us to look for creative ways to solve a difficulty. It
nurtures imagination and in turn, promotes originality and
innovativeness that are skills valued in almost all businesses
today.

ART AND THE FILIPINO

Filipinos are very social people and this is reflected in
their art, more especially in their traditional art. Though the
West does have a great sway on contemporary art especially with
the movements and the techniques, in its heart. Philippine
contemporary art is an example of integral arts that is
essentially communal and unitive in nature. This means that art
is often created and conceived by artists with consideration to
the society and community they live in. Filipino art often gives
more importance on how it affects the artist’s society rather
than its impacts on the individual. Filipino art often intends to
unite the community and hopes to create cooperative action rather
than individual change.
According to Prof. Felipe M. De Leon Jr. a professor of art
studies and former chair
hvukyTdgiuqhl