In order to fully understand humanities, one must first start with the fundamentals. First, the reader must define humanities. During medieval times, the word humanities were ideas that humans believed pertaining to their Gods. Humanities included science, mathematics, the arts, and philosophy. However, today, humanities have a very different meaning. They are considered “broad areas of human creativity and study” that are distinct from the hard-core studies, like math science, because the strict scientific standards are not supported.
According to “Humanities Through the Arts,” the main difference between humanities and sciences is demonstrated though the different ways values are used. Values are the things we care about, something that matters. Science only gives us the information need to make confident decisions. Someone has to decide how to use that information. That is where humanist come into the picture. Humanists explore the reaches of human feelings in relation to their values. They not only study their own values, but also the values of others. The humanities bring us closer to ourselves and the world around us.
Among the numerous ways to approach humanities, “Humanities Through the Arts” chose to use the arts. Since art is solely based on values, we can get a better understanding of values. By studying humanities through the arts, we improve the qualities of our own lives. The subject matter of are, or what it is about, includes not only the bright, beautiful, and pleasant sides of life. We also view the ugly, painful, and tragic sides of life, allowing a better grip on our own dark sides of life.
The Term Paper on Humanities: Arts
... always been the concern of the humanities. Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the ... us aware of the effects of advances in science and technology on human beings. A composer may ... and occasional loneliness. A study of arts is the study of humankind, for through the arts we can discover our ... balanced in their design; that is, the two sides of the object are identical. Time has shown ...
Everyone has his or her own limitations as a perceiver of art. Sometimes they defend stretching their limitations by assuming that changing them is a bad form. According to “Humanities Through the Arts,” everyone can and should be educated about the arts, responding to as many varieties of the arts as possible. If we fail to understand the purpose of the arts, anyone who tries to change our preconceived assumptions about a piece of artwork, we naturally resist the persuasion.
For many of us, the study of the arts goes beyond facts that illustrate our values. We eventually begin to see the values display in the artwork. However, it is not the art that changes. It is we who change. We recognize the values in a work and understand how each of them is used. That is when we finally start to understand humanities through the arts.
The individual responses to art are so complex that they can never be tracked down or analyzed. We first begin to talk about them. Then as we learn more about the arts, we look more closely and respond more passionately to the content of the art.
A full experience of a work of art is required if we want to understand the values of its creator. Knowledge is one of the many ways that we can attain the full experience. If we are educated about a work of art, we learn to respond to it more completely. We begin to see why the artist arranged the shapes, colors, and objects in the art. Sometimes, when we do not receive the necessary background information, we cannot successfully respond to it.
To properly respond to the work of art, a work of art must possess many things. Aside from background knowledge, a work of art must grab our attention and hold it. Its structure and artistic form is what grabs our attention. Unknowingly, we are affected by a work of art because we are responding to pure form, or the interrelationship of lines, colors, and textures, lights, and shapes within a piece of art. We notice it composition, organization, and how those two parts have to be interrelated. Sometimes a work of art may use a composition or structure that makes the artwork more meaningful. That object gives us an insight about the values illustrated in a work of art.
The Essay on Comparison Of Avant-Garde & Formal Art Work
A Comparison of Formal and Avant-Garde Artwork Modern art is a unique creation all it’s own, and since it’s beginnings there have been two very distinct groups present. They are the Formalists and the Avant-Garde. The Formalist group believes in the literal representation of the art work. They value the form used, whether it be how the colors are stressed or the techniques used, over the idea ...
Finally, to correctly respond to a work of art, we must perceive the entirety of the piece. We must look at its composition and structure. We look at a work of art and not perceive anything. The reason for this is commonly the lack of background knowledge. Knowing why the work of art was created helps us to perceive the work of art and better respond to it.
To continue our education about the humanities through the arts, it would be proper to first define a “work of art.” No definition of a work of art seems adequate to be used worldwide. A work of art as defined by “Humanities Through the Arts” is something made by a person. Although they are beautiful, beautiful sunsets, flowers, and all other phenomena are not considered works of art. However, drawings, picture, and poems of and about them are considered works of art.
In order to understand and fully understand a work of art requires our participation – the undivided and sustained attention to the event or object. We begin to focus and actively participate with the work of art, gradually deciding whether that something is a work of art. If the artistic form, content, and subject matter do not grab our attention, then the fourth aspect, participation is lost and we do not experience the whole piece of art. We lose the values being expressed and therefore cannot make a good analysis. Participation and a good analysis, although occurring at different times, always end up hand in hand.
Using the principles of identifying art conceptually and perceptually, we can begin to determine what is a work of art. These principles should help us apply guidelines to specific examples and properly prepare us to examine the extraordinary uniqueness of the various arts.
