• Unit 1: Defining Art

    How do you define art? For many people, art is a tangible thing: a painting, sculpture, photograph, dance, poem or play. Art is uniquely human and tied directly to culture. As an expressive medium, it allows us to experience wide ranges of emotion, between joy or sorrow, or confusion and clarity. It gives voice to ideas and feelings, connects us to the past, reflects the present, and anticipates the future. Visual art is a rich and complex subject, and its definition is in flux as the culture around it changes. This unit examines how art is defined, and the different ways it functions in societies and cultures.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • distinguish between the form and content of an artwork;
      • explain aesthetics and the role it plays in different cultural conventions and perspectives;
      • explain the difference between subjective and objective responses to art;
      • define the categories of art, such as fine art, pop art, and decorative art; and
      • recognize, describe, and evaluate artistic styles, such as naturalistic, abstract, and non-objective.

    • 1.1: Introduction and Definitions

      • Discussion Topic 1: Exposure to Art URL

        Reflect on the following discussion prompt. If you wish, post your thoughts on the discussion forum. Leave a reply to your classmates' posts as well!

        What has been your prior exposure to visual art? Has it been primarily from your family? School? Social activities? Personal explorations? Do you make art? If so, what kind? What is the medium you use? What kind of style is it? Who is your audience? If you haven’t made any art, have you ever wanted to? What kind?

      • Defining Art Page
        Read this short article and consider how we define art.
      • Discussion Topic 2: Defining Art URL

        Reflect on the following discussion prompt. If you wish, please post your thoughts on the discussion forum. Leave a reply to your classmates' posts as well!

        Do you agree with the definition for 'art' as it is explained in this unit? Why or why not? Can you add to the definition? Is your definition coming from a subjective or objective perspective?

    • 1.2: Form and Content

      • Form and Content Page
        Understanding how to identify and think about the form and content of art is a basic first step to getting the most out of the experience of visual art. Here, we will define form and content, and begin to understand why they are important.

    • 1.3: Aesthetics

      • Aesthetics Page

        Read this short definition of aesthetics, and how it relates to works of art.

      • What is Art? Page

        Read this section to get a better understanding of aesthetics in fine art. Pay attention to the role of aesthetics as a way of articulating ideas about art from various points of view.

    • 1.4: Subjective and Objective Perspectives

    • 1.5: Artistic Roles

      • Artistic Roles Page

        This article gives an overview of the social roles that art can perform.

    • 1.6: Artistic Categories

      • Artistic Categories Page

        This article examines the distinctions between fine art, pop art, and the decorative or "craft" arts.

    • 1.7: Artistic Styles

      • Artistic Styles Page

        The search for truth in art is not limited to making accurate representations in the classical tradition of mimesis. From viewing many of the examples which use widely different approaches, you can see how individual artists use general and identifiable styles to communicate their ideas.

    • 1.8: Cultural Styles

      • Cultural Styles Page
        Art shapes and is shaped by cultural identity. Pay close attention, since the theme of art and identity recurs throughout this course.
      • Representational, Abstract, and Nonrepresentational Art Page

        This article provides contrasts between representational, non-objective, and abstract styles of art. Review to make sure you understand clearly how these styles differ from each other.

    • 1.9: Perception and Visual Awareness

      • Perception and Visual Awareness Page

        This article continues a major theme in this course: subjective versus objective analysis. An acute sense of visual awareness and perception is important for your understanding and enjoyment of art.

    • Unit 1 Wrap-up

      • Activity 1: Briefly Describe a Work of Art Quiz
        In this ungraded activity, you will describe a work of art according to the various categories discussed in this unit.
      • Activity 2: Style, Form, and Content Quiz

        Artistic styles change over time and throughout cultures, yet some forms continue to be repeated despite the changes. Examining these forms helps in finding the meaning.

        In this ungraded activity, you will briefly describe three works of art, much like you did in the previous activity. This time, however, you will be asked to do a little bit more comparative analysis (compare and contrast).

      • Unit 1 Assessment Quiz
        Receive a grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.