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Minding The Arts (By Leynes & Fajardo PDF

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MINDING THE ARTS

Art Appreciation for College

By:

Ramirez, Leynes, Fajardo


THE VISUAL ARTS

Visual arts refer to still, unmoving pictures, paintings, sculptures,


photographs, digital images, installation or architecture that are created
by artists. They are the representation or embodiment of an idea, an
experience, a concept, a surge of vitality, emotion, feeling or a result of
interaction with the environment, and a product of human thinking.

Where can one find these works of art?

Paintings are usually on display inside a museum or gallery. As such it


interacts with other artworks and forms part of a strategy of display to
convey a message to the viewer.

Sculpture may be put inside or outside a building. If it is three-


dimensional, the viewer has to look at all the sides of the sculpture:
front, back, left and right.

Digital art, which is composed and stored in the computer, is viewed


electronically. This can also be printed on regular-sized paper or
enlarged to billboard size.

In architecture, it is necessary to enter the building and move around it


for the viewer to experience its scale and space and have a sense of
the effect of its material on the architecture itself.

Illustration art sometimes requires the viewer to look at the work in all
its angles and sides and interact with it. Visual images are made by
arranging elements and organizing the design using selected materials
for art-making. No reference is made to artworks. Terms are defined
and components are explained in general terms.
THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

1. Line

Line is used to lead the viewer’s eyes throughout the work. It can lead
your eyes into, around, and out of the visual images within the artistic
frame. A line has width as well as length, but usually, it is the length
that occupies more space that its width. The use of line also evokes
expressive feelings and ideas.

Five basic kinds of lines

a. Vertical Lines - These lines move straight up or down. They


express stability and show dignity, poise, stiffness, formality and
upward mobility.
b. Horizontal Lines - These lines are parallel to the horizon. They
express feelings of rest, peace, quiet and stability, permanence or
solidarity. They make you feel relax and calm.
c. Diagonal Lines - These lines are slant, as if they are either rising
or falling.
d. Curved Lines - These lines slowly change direction and form
wiggly curves, spirals or circles.
e. Zigzag Lines - These lines combine diagonal lines that form
angles and suddenly change direction.

Lines vary in appearance in five ways. These can be combined in many


ways to make a variety of lines.

Length: Lines can either be long or short.


Width: Lines can be thick or thin.
Texture: Lines can be rough or smooth.
Direction: Lines can move in any direction, such as vertical,
horizontal, or diagonal.
Degree of Curve: Lines can curve gradually or not at all, form
spirals or circles.

2. Shapes and forms

Shape - A shape is a two-dimensional area that is defined in


some way. It may have an outline or a boundary around it, or it
may cover an area.

Dimension - Dimension refers to the amount of space and object


takes up in one direction.

Two types of shape

Geometric Shapes - They are the kind of shapes that can be


studied mathematically because they possess sides and angles.
Examples: circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle, octagon,
parallelogram, trapezoid, pentagon and hexagon.

Free-form shapes - They are shapes that are not studied


mathematically because of their irregular and uneven shapes.
They have outlines that are unpredictably curved or angular or are
a combination of different lines and forms.

3. Texture

Texture refers to how things feel when touched. When you touch
something to feel its texture, you experience tactile texture. When you
look at a photograph or an image that has texture, it can remind you of
how those objects actually feel.

In such case, you experience visual texture or the illusion of a three-


dimensional surface. The appearance of roughness or smoothness of
visual texture is determined by the light or dark values it has. A rough
texture appears as a result of surface that reflects light unevenly,
whereas smooth texture reflects light evenly.

4. color

Color is an element of art that results from the light waves reflected
from objects to your eyes. There are warm and cool colors.

Cool colors such as blue, green and violet are associated with
cool things such as ice, snow, water or grass.

Warm colors are red, orange and yellow are associated with
warm things such as fire or sunlight. Warm colors seem to be
moving close to the viewer while cool colors have a receding
effect.

Three properties of color make up the color we see: hue, value and
intensity. These three rely on one another to create and colors around
us.

The Color Wheel

Hue is the name of a specific color in the color spectrum or the bands
of color that are present in the color wheel.
Primary hues are red, yellow and blue.
Secondary hues are made by mixing two primary colors.

Examples:
• Red + yellow = orange
• Red + blue = violet
• Blue + yellow = green

The resulting colors: orange, violet and green are the secondary hues.

Intermediate colors

Intermediate colors are made by mixing a primary color with its


secondary color.

Example: Red (Primary Color) + Orange (Secondary Color) = Red-


Orange

Yellow is the lightest hue because it reflects the most light.


Violet is the darkest hue because it reflects the least light.
Black, white and gray are neutral colors.

The colors of all the light create white. White reflects all the color waves
and does not absorb any.

Value

Value is indicated through the lightness or darkness of a color. The


amount of light a color reflects determines its color value. When a
pencil is pressed hard to draw a line, it produces dark value. When it is
used lightly, it makes a line of light value. You can change the value of
any hue by adding black or white.

A light value of a hue is called a tint, and a dark value of a hue is called
a shade. The arrangement of light and shadow is called chiaroscuro
(kyah-roh-sckoo-roh). In Italian, chiaro means “bright” and oscuro
means “dark.” Today, it is more commonly known as “shading.”

Intensity

Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue. A pure or bright hue is


called a high-intensity color. Dull hues are called low-intensity
colors. Most artists organize colors following a color scheme to avoid a
confusing or unpleasant way of putting colors together.

Color schemes may be monochromatic, analogous, complementary,


or split complement. A monochromatic color scheme uses only one
hue. White and black are added in varying degrees to show the
different shades and tints of the hue. Analogous colors are found
side by side within the color wheel.

For example, red, red-violet, red-orange, and orange are close to one
another in the color wheel. Although these are different hues, they are
related in color.

Complementary colors are colors opposite each other in the color


wheel. For example, red and green are located opposite each other in
the color wheel. A split complement is the combination of one hue and
the hues one each side of its complement. For example, red-orange,
blue and green form a split-complementary color scheme.
5. Space and Movement

Space refers to both outer space and inner space, the emptiness or
area between, around, above, below or within objects. It may be flat
and two-dimensional, such as in painting, or three-dimensional, such as
in monumental sculpture. Positive space is the area occupied by
shapes or forms. Negative spaces are the empty spaces between the
shapes or forms.

Movement is shown through the direction of line or the arrangement of


color within the artistic frame. The size of objects arranged from
smallest to the biggest also suggests movement. When objects are
repeated within the artistic frame, they make the viewer’s eye follow a
certain movement.
PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION

The “order” in an artwork is its organization. Order follows a plan that


guides the arrangement of objects and images in the artistic frame. The
plan may be pyramidal, symmetrical, vertical or radial. Pyramidal plan
takes a triangular composition. Thus, the objects and images form a
triangle within the artistic frame. Symmetrical plan has two sides of the
plan similar and relatively equal.

Vertical plan consists of a single vertical figure and/or other object.


Radial plan shows the lines of the picture forming radii which meet at a
point in the center. The artistic organizational plan is often harder to
see in abstract and non-objective art because these arts are non-
representational or non-figurative. In such case, the organization is
based entirely on repetition and variety of the elements.

1. Unity and Harmony

Harmony creates unity by showing similarities of separate but related


parts. Unity is oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the
elements of art and principles of organization.

It guides the viewer’s eye to focus on a visual image. Artists arrange


the elements within the frame in a way that they relate to each other
and to the whole artwork.

Harmony and unity result from the artistic combination and


arrangement of the elements of art within the artistic frame or space.
Although they may be contrasting elements in the artwork, the viewer
still gets the sense that these are used by the artist as a devise to
contribute to the overall harmony of the artwork rather than create a
chaotic whole.

2. Variety

Variety refers to the difference or contrast of elements or objects within


an artwork. It makes an artwork interesting rather than dull or
monotonous. It is achieved by adding something different to a design
to provide a break in the repetition. This may be done through the use
of different colors, lines, free form shapes or texture.

3. Rhythm

Rhythm is the repetition of design, line or other elements within the


frame. Visual rhythm indicates movement and suggests unity of form
by the repetition of elements. It is created by repeated positive shapes
or forms separated by negative spaces or intervals. Rhythm may be
created by equal or regular repetition of patterns or decorative shapes.
When there is an original motif or pattern of shapes followed by the
second motif, alternating rhythm is created. The repetition of curved
lines or waves create a flowing rhythm. Progressive pattern shows
shapes or patterns repeating in varying sizes or varying intensity of
color.

4. Proportion

Proportion is the aspect of organization that has to do with the


comparative size of the parts of a single work. It is the relative
relationship of shapes to other shapes within the artistic frame in terms
of size, degree, number, etc. When painting human figures in a
naturalistic manner, the artist follows the Greek rule of proportion,
which is eight-heads-tall.

Here, the height of the figure consists of eight measures of its heads.
Showing the proportion of human figures to space is aided by
perspective, where objects farther from the viewer appear to be smaller
than those nearer the viewer. Abstract paintings that distort the natural
form of an object are not concerned with proportion nor perspective.

5. Balance

No matter how the various parts are put together, we want that sense
of equilibrium which we call “balance.” Balance is concerned with
equalizing visual elements in an artwork. It must be seen rather than
weighed. One type of balance is formal balance, where equal elements
are placed on opposite sides of a central axis. The central axis is the
dividing line located at the center of a frame. It may not be visible but
imaginary.

Symmetry is a kind of formal balance in which two halves of a balanced


composition are identical. Artworks in perfect symmetry express dignity,
endurance and stability. Radial balance is a variation of symmetry in
which the elements of a design come out from the central point of the
circle. Informal balance or asymmetry is the opposite of formal balance.
Here, there is a balance if unlike objects and there are no elements that
appear to be equal halves or sides. Balance, in this case, relies on the
arrangement of objects.
6. Perspective

Perspective is a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and


volume on a two-dimensional surface. Atmospheric perspective is
achieved through the use of color. Brightly colored objects seem closer
to you and dull-colored objects seem to be farther.

Linear perspective shows distance and depth. As parallel lines move


away from you, they seem to move closer together toward the horizon.
The lines converge at the vanishing point which is located somewhere
on the horizon line. A technique used in human figures that is similar to
perspective is the use of proportion.

Foreshortening of bodily proportion is used to make a drawing look


more naturalistic. The part of the body closest to you looks distortedly
large while the rest of the body parts appear to move backward into
space.
THE ANALYSIS OF VISUAL ARTS

Awareness and understanding of art requires the viewer to have


knowledge of its:

a) form (the elements and principles of organization);


b) medium; and
c) subject matter and style.

A. Form

Form encompasses the elements of art and the principles of


organization that guide the artists in art-making. It refers to the physical
aesthetic qualities of the image. Just as a writer uses words,
sentences, and paragraphs in order to put across an idea, the artist
uses the elements of art and principles of organization to create visual
images.

The elements of art include the qualities that we experience through


our senses:

a) Line
b) Shape and forms
c) Texture
d) Color
e) Space and movement

The principles of organization show how sensory properties are


organized to achieve a sense of unity and harmony, variety, rhythm,
proportion, balance, and perspective. The viewer must understand how
the elements of art and principles of design are used by the artist.
To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the
form, here are some questions that he/she can answer:

1. What are the dominant elements in the artwork?


2. How are these used?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

B. Medium

Medium refers to the materials used by the artist. Mediums vary in the
different art forms. Painting uses oil, watercolour, acrylic, poster paint,
fresco or tempera. Sculpture uses wood, plaster, marble, clay and other
tactile materials.

Following are some of the popular mediums used today in the visual
arts:

• Drawing - This two-dimensional art can be done using chalk,


charcoal, pastel or pencil an ink on paper. Chalk allows you to
have a variety of tonal areas. Through the use of heavy or light
pressure, you create a blend of shades. Pastel comes light and
pale color chalks. The dust it creates on paper can remain in
place through the use of fixative spray. Charcoal is burnt wood
and therefore create smudge easily on paper. They come in
sharpened sticks or pencils either hard or soft.
• Acrylic dissolves in water and uses acrylic polymer as a binding
agent. Acrylic dry fast, thin and resistant to cracking under
temperature and humidity extremes.
• Painting in oil is the most popular medium in two-dimensional
expression because it offers a wide variety of colors. It is used on
canvas and the pigments are mixed with oil. Because they dry up
slowly, retouching and reworking is possible. Texture can also be
created through a variety of brush strokes and several layers of
paint. Watercolor painting enables the artist to do transparent
painting on paper. Although watercolor allows for such effect, the
artist has to be skilful enough to work fast and control the colors
because it dries up easily and once the colors overlap, they
create other color tones.

• Prints fall under three categories:


a) relief printing, such as woodcut, wood engraving, collograph
and linoleum cut;
b) intaglio, which includes etching and aquatint; and
c) planographic process, which includes lithography and
serigraphy (silkscreen) and other forms of stencilling.

• Photography is done with a camera. An image is captured


through the lens of a camera and is printed on photographic
paper through a chemical process. The material used in
photography has evolved from film to digital. Film comes in
cartridge rolls that are easily mounted inside the camera box

• Digital photography emerged through technological


developments in computer systems. It does not require the use of
film. Instead, images are recorded instantly, which may be viewed
in the camera LCD or through the computer. These images may
be printed through the computer printer on special printing paper
or plain bond paper.

• Clay is a medium used in sculpture. It comes in three forms:


a) earthenware, which can be sun-baked or kiln-baked;
b) stoneware, which goes through much higher firing that vitrifies
the clay so that it becomes close-grained and non-porous; and
c) porcelain, which imparts a smooth finish, color and decorative
effects.

• Metal and bronze require casting which involves making a mould


of terracotta and then plaster of paris, inserting a core and
pouring in the molten metal or bronze. Metals have the properties
of ductility, that is, they can be drawn out into wires and
malleability. They can be shaped by hammering or melted, cast,
moulded, or pressed into predetermined shapes. In
contemporary sculpture, metals such as bronze, steel, iron and
aluminium can be cut, welded, cast, moulded, polished or
patinated, producing durable and permanent results.

• Wood is commonly used in the Philippines. Some examples of


wood used for sculpture are narra, batikuling, kamagong, langka,
santol, marang and molave. Aside from their extreme durability,
they have a warmth of tone and a natural coloration that ranges
from dark brown to yellow and reddish hues, as well as fine-
grained texture.

• Other mediums in sculpture include paper (as in origami), and


found objects such as discarded junks driftwood, shells, rubber
tires and many other materials that have not been traditionally
used in are assembled into artworks. In architecture, stone and
brick “can withstand compression forces without crushing out of
shape.

Concrete and layers of bricks also have compressive strength,


which makes it ideal for foundation walls. Steel has tensile
strength. Wood is used for roof beams and flooring.

Glass, metal, aluminium sheets, fibreglass and plastics are


commonly used in modern architecture because of their aesthetic
appeal and adaptability to the variety of modern structural
designs.

In photography, films are used for analog camera. The film is


developed and the negative images are printed in photographic
paper using special kinds of chemicals. Digital cameras do not
make use of film. Instead, images are viewed directly through its
camera LCD or through the computer.

In installation art, a variety of materials can be used to construct


or assemble the structure. Iron bars, metal sheets, bottles,
glasses, light bulbs and many other found or recycled objects are
put together using welding techniques or adhesive formulas. The
environment (trees, shells, water, wind, etc.) and different kinds of
lighting, within the artwork and outside it, may also be employed
in installation art.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the


form, here are some questions he/she can answer:

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect
will be achieved? Why and how?

C. Subject Matter

Subject matter is what the artwork is all about. It may be a human


figure, a landscape, a commemoration of an event, or an idea or feeling
made visible through visual art.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the


form, here are some questions he/she can answer:

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social, or political value?

D. Style

The treatment of the artwork’s subject matter is very much affected by


artistic style. Artists are recognized by their viewers and the artworld
through their style. “The manner in which artists express themselves
constitutes their style.” Style gives us that body of characteristics that
identifies an artwork with an individual, a historical period, a school of
artists, or a nation, for example, realism, expressionism, abstract and
so on.”
To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the
form, here are some questions he/she can answer.

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are


also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of design that
identify the artwork with other works done in the same era or
movement.

The guide questions provided above can lead to an appreciation of the


aesthetic qualities of art. Knowing the:

a) form (the elements and principles of organization);


b) medium; and
c) subject matter and style of an artwork gives us a ready outline
through which to begin a formal analysis of an artwork.
PAINTING

Painting has always decorated man’s habitat. As far as 28,000 B.C.,


man started to decorate the cave walls of his dwelling in the most
precise and naturalistic manner he could. They are visible up to this
day at Lascaux or Altamira in France and Spain. In 1884, the painting
Spoliarium by Juan Luna showcased the Filipino courage under the
Spanish regime, when they were regarded not even as second class
citizens in their own land but as indios, and were given names not
reflective of human dignity.

More than decorating man’s habitat, painting tells the story of man.
Throughout history all over the world, important events such as victory
in war, coronation of the queen, assassination of historical figures, the
first medical surgery, and almost everything about human life are
recorded through painting.

Charles Fowler sees the arts as something that can provide meaning, a
powerful tool that can move people. “They serve as connectors that
give understanding a human dimension. “They tell us about people ---
how they thought and felt, and what they valued. They help us to define
ourselves and our times, as well as other people and other times.” The
arts have life itself for their subject matter.

What Painting Is

Painting is making images on a surface using color. The surface may


be flat canvass or wood, or even the wall, as in the case of mural
paintings. Painting is two-dimensional. It has height as well as width.
The Composition of Painting

The process of painting depends upon the medium selected by the


artist. In oil painting, the pigments are mixed with linseed oil and
applied on the surface of canvas cloth that is framed in wood. In doing
figurative paintings, some artist start with the dark colors and approach
the lightest hues as they progress in their work. In the case of abstract,
different colors can be spread on to the canvas or wood panel using
brushes of other materials such as stick or cloth. As the oil is slow
drying, artists can retouch or re-do their painting. There are different
mediums that can be used in the process of painting.

Oil Paint

Oil paint is accessible today in cubes and is convenient to use indoors


or carry outdoors when one wishes to paint landscapes. Oil can be
applied on canvas, glass, wood, metal and even on plaster, and it
allows the artist to paint over layers of paint for revision or creation of
effects. Oil colors have a wide range of colors or hues that the artist
can choose from. The colors stay for a long time, unlike tempera and
fresco that tarnish over the years. Oil paintings may be hung indoors to
decorate houses, shown in museums or put on display in commercial
galleries.

Water Color Paint

In water color painting, the pigment is dissolved in water and applied on


watercolor paper. The layers of paint dry quickly and become
transparent. The artist may be guided by thin sketches in pencil before
he/she applies water color paint on the paper. Water color painting
does not allow for correction and unlike oil that comes with white paint.
In watercolor, the artist leaves out the white parts instead of coloring
them. To protect its paper base and its color from fading and being
exposed to insects, watercolor paintings need to be mounted on a
glass frame.

Tempera

Tempera painting mixes color pigments with egg yolk with or without
the white and applied to a panel of wood covered with plaster of paris
following the design intended by the artist. Tempera, in time, loses its
luminous, rich and clear colors.

Fresco

Fresco uses the method of applying paint on wet plaster of paris. The
artist prepares a coating of plaster on the wall and then draws his/her
design on it when it is dry. Then he/she applies another coat of plaster
on which he/she paints his/her design. Because plaster dries up
quickly, the artist works on a series of panels of plaster until he/she
completes the entire wall of fresco painting.

Acrylic

Acrylic is a modern synthetic product. It can dissolve in water and has a


wide range of possibilities in both color and technique. “Either opaque
or transparent, depending on dilution, acrylic dry fast, thin and resistant
to cracking under temperature and humidity extremes. Perhaps less
permanent than some other media, acrylics adhere to a wider variety of
surfaces and will not darken or yellow with age, as will oil.”
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED ARTWORKS

The Use of Line and Texture in Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”
By: Vincent Van Gogh

After Stars Wars, Independence and other galactic futuristic movies,


the modern art viewer will not be terrified to look at Vincent Van Gogh’s
Starry Night. The painting has rich colors of blue and white with bits of
yellow in the sky. The use of rhythmic and broken lines suggests
movement and action and gives the painting a rough texture. This is in
contrast with the peaceful town that nestles in the dark land below.

Dark lines outline the houses and church at the foreground which are
so tiny, compared to the growing stars. A tall, dark cypress tree
crosses the left side of the canvas vertically, as if to connect the ground
plane to the sky. The dark vertical tree contrasts with the light colored
spire. Expressionism (1885-1950s) is the era that followed
impressionism.

If in impressionism, the artists captured the interplay between light and


color and painted this on their canvas using bold strokes that had bare
solidity of form and composition, the expressionist artists brought out
their feelings and emotional intensity through art. They used the
technique introduced by the impressionists characterized by bold,
heavy, thick and colourful brushstrokes.
Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities
of the Starry Night

The Form:

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the painting?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is the space used within the frame? How does the dominant
element affect you?
5. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. The dominant lines are made of colors blue and white.


2. Thick broken lines are used to suggest movement and
enlargement of the stars.
3. Dark lines are used as outlines.
4. This makes the contrast between the swirling of the main subject
matter, the stars, and the peaceful town on the ground plane.
5. The rough texture makes the viewer feel disturbed and
uncomfortable.
6. The stars dominate most of the space within the frame.

The Medium:

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist choose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved?
5. Why and how?

Analysis

1. Oil on canvass brought out the desired effect of the artist.


2. The colors are bright and the texture is rough.
3. Oil on canvas can easily create these effects.
4. If Van Gogh used watercolor, its transparent effect would not give
the same glow of objects in this painting.

The Subject Matter:

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figure is the group of stars swirling horizontally across


the sky.
2. They are moving in high speed without affecting the peaceful
town below.
3. There are two objects that cross the frame in a different direction:
the cypress and church spire across the frame in vertical position.
4. This painting shows the intense emotional state of the artist,
ready to explode above the town that does not seem to care
about his instable and nervous state.

The Style:

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis

1. The rough and repeated brushstroke technique is influenced by


the impressionists Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir.
2. However, the passion and strong feeling revealed in the painting
is typical of expressionism, as seen in the works of Paul Gauguin
and Edvard Munch.

Other works of Vincent Van Gogh


Van Gogh Starry Night over the Rhone
Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Night
Van Gogh’s Field of Poppies
The Use of Color in Michelangelo de Caravaggio’s “The
Conversion on the Way to Damascus”
By: Michelangelo de Caravaggio

The cinematography of the movie, The Passion of the Christ was


certainly influenced by Caravaggio’s skillful use of dramatic contrasts of
light and dark. Caravaggio was known for his portrayal of personages
and sacred scenes. The painting The Conversion on the Way to
Damascus shows a horse and St. Paul lying flat on the ground with his
hands stretched reaching out for help.

A non-believer and a persecutor of Christians, he was stopped on his


way to Damascus by a bright light that blinded him. He was confronted
by God because he was persecuting Christians. This moment of
enlightenment led to his conversion to Christianity. The scene was
captured by Caravaggio in this painting that shows St. Paul and the
horse occupying the artistic frame entirely.

He used shades of brown, tints of red and a little yellow to blend with
the strong light that bathes the main figure. Although the entire frame
is occupied by human and animal figures, the highlight controls the
view of the viewer. As the lightest part contrast with the dark
background, the viewer does not have to look at everything within the
frame all at once.

Instead, focus is on the lightest part. Then his/her vision is guided


around the frame by the soft colors surrounding the main figures. Note
that even the horse does not look too big for the frame because some
of its parts are rendered in dark hues. Baroque painting, which
flourished from 1600 to 1750, is characterized by dramatic use of light
that usually bathes the main figure to exaggerate its contrast with the
dark background. Painting was then encouraged to arouse religious
sympathy. The popes and reigning monarchs were the principal
patrons of art.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of “The Conversion on the Way to Damascus.”

The Form:

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the painting?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. The dominant colors are brown to yellow and white.


2. The lightest colors cross the artistic frame to highlight the most
important part of the painting, St. Paul on the ground with
outstretch arms.
3. The background is dark and contrasts strongly with the white
central figures.
4. The use of this color heightens the drama and evokes feelings of
compassion and awe.
5. The main figures cover most of the frame and does not leave
space for anything that is unrelated to the theme of moment of
conversion.
The Medium:

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

1. Caravaggio chose oil canvas to express his vision of the


conversion.
2. This medium is perfect to create the effect that he wanted to
achieve.
3. The bright colors contrasted very well with the dark shades
without affecting the middle tones that guide the viewer’s eye
within the frame.
4. Watercolor may not allow the artist to achieved such effect.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figure in the artwork is St. Paul.


2. He lies flat on the round and may not have been noticed
because of the size of the horse.
3. However, Caravaggio was skillful in the use of the medium and
strategic in his composition so that he was able to make the
horse appear smaller and St. Paul, more in focus.
4. The subject matter reminds us of the importance of art to the
church during the Baroque period because it propagate the
Christian faith by inspiring people spiritually.

The Style:

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis

1. The use of light and dark to enhance the subject matter is


characteristic of Baroque painting.
2. Caravaggio’s dramatic use of light and dark reminds us of the
works by other Baroque painters such as Diego Velasquez, Peter
Paul Reubens and Rembrandt Van Rijn.

Other works of Michelangelo de Caravaggio


Calling of St. Matthew
Crucifixion of Peter
Death of the Virgin
The Use of Space and Movement in Juan Luna’s Spoliarium
By: Juan Luna

The Spoliarium by Filipino artist Juan Luna is an eight-meter painting


(7.75m x 4.25m) that won a gold medal at the Madrid Art Exposition in
1884. The painting is a good example of a well-managed space in
painting. Prominent in the paint are two dead gladiators in ropes being
dragged by two men.

A third figure is pulling another gladiator and this is suggested by the


way he grapples the ropes in his hand. Two onlookers --- very old men
--- are staring at the most prominent corpse, as if trying to recognize
the dead gladiators. On the left side of the canvass are five men and
two women, heads looking right, suggesting there are more corpses
being dragged into the place. Far right, there are at least two figures
visible in the dark, one lit by a small bonfire, and the other, a woman
slumped on the floor, in a mourning position.

In the dark background is a pile of human corpses. As one stares at


the Spoliarium, he/she can almost hear the wailing crowd, smell of
stench of the human dumping site, and feel the heat in the basement of
the Roman amphitheatre. These effects were achieved through the
artist’s skillful combination of elements. The colors used by Luna are
very Filipino: hues of yellow, yellow ochre, orange, read and brown,
except for the green wrap around the mourning woman on the right
side of the frame.

The four men and a corpse are wearing red and tangerine. Luna
assigned these red clothings to the four men that form a trapezoid
composition to complement the diagonal position of the corpses. The
composition is indeed dynamic rather than typical. There are 17 figures
on the left side of the frame and only two on the right side.

How was Luna able to balance this obvious imbalance? First, he had
perfect control of light. His overhead light bathes the corpses, their
draggers and the two old onlookers. Light diminishes at the left side so
that although there are eight people near the wall, their faces are half-
lit, making them less crowded than real. Darkness covers one third of
the frame with only the back and foot of the seated woman catch some
light. This is sufficient to bring the viewer’s attention across the frame.
The strong contrast between the dark background heightens the drama
that the artwork conveys. Secondly, the use of diagonal composition
suggests movement.

The viewer’s eye is led from the legs of the most prominent dead
gladiator to his arm and on to his dragger, forming a diagonal line
drawn across the frame. A horizontal line guides the eye from the left
side of the frame all the way to the seated woman on the right. Painted
in the classic romanticist style typical of the 1850’s, the strong emotions
and exotic literary subjects was provided by a popular book by Charles
Louis Dezobry: Rome in the time of Augustus, Adventures of a Gaul in
Rome.

In a passage of this book, the protagonist hears the sound of


lamentation coming from the Roman amphitheatre and on descending
to the basement beholds a tragic scene: the bloody bodies of
gladiators dead or dying, being mourned by their families. This
“backstage: picture of the Roman circus is what Luna chose for his
colossal canvas and the Spoliarium apotheosizes tragedy itself: the
pity and the terror.
The mural was finished in March of 1884, in time for the preview of
entries to the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. The Filipinos in
the Philippines, who were eagerly following every bulletin in the Madrid
exposition, got their first view of the new Luna when two photographs of
it arrived in Manila on May 8, 1884 on the passenger boat Asia, two
weeks before the masterpiece was unveiled in Madrid. After the
analysis of the artistic qualities of the artwork, we see its beauty and
aesthetic value. But beyond that, we also realize that it carries with it
social content that exposes the plight of the Filipino people under the
Spanish colonizers.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the Spoliarium.

The Form:

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the painting?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. Space and movement are the dominant elements in the painting.


2. The composition assigned the several human figures in different
spots that when looked at as a whole, does not distract the
viewer’s vision and focus.
3. Through the use of light and dark, the painting does not look
crowded.
4. Rather, the subject matter is bathed in light for anyone not to
miss.
5. Balance is seen in the diagonal composition of the painting.
6. No part is heavier than the other.

The Medium:

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

1. Luna chose oil on canvas to express his nationalistic sentiments.


2. Oil brought out the brightness of the main figures and made the
less impersonal ones recede through dark shades.
3. The mural could not be neglected because of its size, hence his
message was strongly felt and seen by the viewers.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of : personal,
historical, social or political value?
Analysis

1. The main figures are two dead gladiators in ropes being dragged
by two men.
2. The figures in the background looking at different directions only
heighten the emotion of waiting in anxiety and sadness for more
gladiators to come in dead or dying.
3. The painting was a strong medium of expression that exposed the
plight of the Filipino people under the Spanish colonizers.

The Style:

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis

1. As in other paintings by Luna, he had perfect control of light on


his subject matter and a composition so dynamic, its message
cannot be neglected.
2. This romantic revolt in bold textures of oil, dynamic composition
and dramatic human subjects, are typical of romantic artists such
as Eugene Delacroix of France, Francisco Goya of Spain and
Joseph W. Turner of England.

Other art works of Juan Luna


Blood Compact
Tampuhan
SCULPTURE

The ancient Greeks made their idealized marble sculptured human


forms to honor their gods. The Romans learned sculpture from the
Greeks and added a more natural look to show the softness of the skin,
old age, physical defects, and other human qualities. They produced
sculptures to honor their great leaders, poets and other Romans noted
for sports, the arts and politics. Mythology is also a favorite subject
matter. The making of one piece sculpture is far more tedious than
painting.

It requires strength, engineering and welding skills an great control of


the medium in use. It shows three dimensional (free standing) view of
the subject so the sculptor is required to know his subject very well.
Sculptures are meant for public viewing. Monuments are placed outside
the buildings to symbolize something significant, historical or memorial.
On special occasions, people gather around these monuments to offer
flowers, candles and prayers for the person the monument is dedicated
to.

Sculptures also take the form of anitos or images that represent


ancestors or gods and goddesses. In Africa, masks and small
sculptures are believed to house the soul of their dead and the crafting
of these sculptures is accompanied with a traditional ritual attended by
community members. In churches, they are meant to inspire the
believers. Sculptures are part of a community or society’s beliefs and
values. They are made to give glory to God, honor to man or provide a
medium of human expression.
What Sculpture is

Sculpture is the art of making figures, such as human forms, animals or


geometrics that can either be standing freely or attached to a
background frame, either single or in a group. When it can stand freely,
it is called three-dimensional or free-standing sculpture. Here, the
viewer can go around the figure and gaze at it from different angles.
The different parts of the figure: front, back and side are all exposed to
the viewer.

When the figure is mounted to the background, which may either be a


frame, a wall or a flat surface, it is called relief sculpture. In high relief
sculpture, the form is embossed or raised above the surface of the
background. The artist, however, does not show the human figure, for
example, in its actual form and dimension as the form blends with the
flat background. In low relief sculpture, the figure is raised only a little
from the background, as in the case of coins. In some artworks, the
artist cuts into the surface or carves deep into the material until the
form is incised but separated from the background. This is called bas-
relief intaglio.

Examples: Three-Dimensional or Free-Standing Sculpture

Free-Standing Sculpture: Michelangelo Moses, (c. 1513–1515),


housed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. The sculpture
was commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb.

High Relief Sculpture: High relief metope from the Classical


Greek Elgin Marbles. Some front limbs are actually detached from the
background completely, while the centaur's left rear leg is in low relief.
Low-Relief Sculpture: Lorenzo Ghiberti's cast gilt-bronze "Gates of
Paradise“ at the Baptistery, Florence combine high-relief main figures
with backgrounds mostly in low relief.

Low-Relief Sculpture: Low-relief sculpture Sestertius of Marcus


Clodius Pupienus Maximus, 238 AD

Sunk Relief Sculpture: A sunk-relief depiction of Pharaoh


Akhenaten with his wife Nefertiti and daughters. The main background
has not been removed, merely that in the immediate vicinity of the
sculpted form. Note how strong shadows are needed to define the
image.

The Composition of Sculpture

Sculpture is done either by using subtraction, construction, substitution


techniques, or any combination of these.

Subtraction

Carved works are subtractive. Using a large block of wood or stone, the
sculptor carves out the figure or “frees” the figure from imprisonment in
its original block form to give it an artistic look.

First, the artist forms a miniature model in clay, plaster of paris, wax or
some other material.

Then he/she makes the figure in the desired size by carving the block
of wood or stone using chisels and other specific carving tools
designed for different purposes. When the figure is in its proper form,
finishing work and polishing follow.
Construction

The sculptor chooses a base material such as metal, plastics,


aluminum, steel or found objects and then adds other elements to
“construct” the idea or image that he/she wants to express.

These materials require welding, or adhesive to be attached together.

Substitution

Any material transformable from a plastic, molten or fluid state can be


molded or cast into a work of sculpture. First, the artist creates an
identically-size model of the intended sculpture (called positive).
He/She then covers the positive with a material such as plaster of paris
that, when hardened and removed, will retain the surface configurations
of the positive. The form, called negative, becomes the mold of the
sculpture. The sculptor pours the molten or fluid material into the
negative and allows it to solidify. When he/she removes the mold, the
work of sculpture emerges. Surface polishing, if desired, brings the
work to its final form. There are different mediums used in the process
of sculpture. These mediums are manipulated using special sculpture
tools such as the bent and spoon gouges, U-gouges, burs and
accessories.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED ARTWORKS IN
SCULPTURE

The Use of Unity and Harmony in the Sculpture of Laocoon and


His Sons
by: Agesander, Athenodorus and Polydorus

Laocoon was the priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans not to touch
the wooden horse made by the Greeks during the Trojan War. While he
and his two sons were sacrificing to Poseidon at the seashore, two
serpents emerged from the water and cursed them as a punishment for
Laocoon’s defiance of the god’s will. In this three-dimensional
sculpture, two figures are smaller than the father indicating that they
are sons of the main figure, Laocoon.

The three are in action depicting extreme pain, agony and struggle as
shown in the straining muscles, swelling veins and tensed bodily
positions without any part going extremely outside the artistic frame.
Although there is contrast in the size of the three figures, harmony s
achieved through the arrangement of the three figures. The arms of
the smaller figures reach out to their father and the serpents coil around
their bodies gracefully without destructing the composition. The way the
two sons look at their father also directs the viewer’s eyes to the ain
figure.

Their facial expressions enhance the dramatic moment expressed


through sculpture. Although in reality, the group sculpture is fixed and
in unmoving, the sculptors were successful in capturing an intense
moment and active movement through the artists’ skillful use of
balance, unity and harmony. During the Hellenistic Period, 320 B.C.,
Laocoon and His Sons possess the movement, naturalism and
expression characteristic of the period. Stark realism and human
sufferings are the favorite subject matter of Hellenistic sculptures.

Using some guide question, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of Laocoon and his Sons

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the sculpture?
3. How is the space used within the frame?
4. How does the dominant element affect you?
5. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis:

1. Unity and harmony amidst action are the dominant elements in


the sculpture. Unity is shown through the use of curved lines
connecting one figure to another.
2. Despite the contrast in the size of the figures, the smaller figures
are positioned in harmony with the main figure. Space is very
well-managed by the artists as all the body parts are confined
within the artistic frame despite the violent action.

The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist choose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved?
5. Why and how?

Analysis:

1. The sculpture is made of marble, a material abundant in Greece.


It enhances the permanent beauty of the sculpture particularly the
muscles of the figures.
2. It also allows facial details and human sufferings to show. This
could not be possible with rough stone.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis:

1. The main figure is Laocoon. The two short figures on his left and
right contrast with the tall, adult male figure in full strength as it
struggles with the sea serpents.
2. The sculpture reminds us of Virgil’s The Aeneid Book 2, where
the scene is described vividly. It also shows the perfect male
anatomical proportion.
The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis:

1. There are no records of other sculptures by the three sculptors


Agesander, Athenodorus and Polydorus together. The stark
realism and human sufferings shown in the sculpture are
characteristic of Hellenistic sculptures.
2. Other Greek sculptors at this era were Lysippus and Praxiteles,
who did complicated three-dimensional sculptures.

The Use of Proportion and Balance in Michelangelo Buonarroti’s


La Pieta

La Pieta is a sculpture of Mary carrying the dead Jesus Christ across


her lap. Mary has the face of a young lady. Although her head is bent
looking at her son, Mary’s face is very serene and not in mourning at
all. The lack of human expression of remorse and sadness portrays her
spirituality and detachment from human emotions. Indeed, she looks
like she is in prayer. Jesus Christ is shown here as a man of 33,
muscular and fallen in the arms of his mother. Realistically, Mary would
have been smaller than Jesus but the excessive use of drapery solved
the problem of Mary looking smaller. Thus, the problem of proportion is
solved. The composition forms a pyramid with thick clothing at the foot
of Mary and at the tip of the triangle, her head.

This gives the sculpture solidity of form and a well-balanced look. It is


noticeable that Michelangelo carved his name on the sash running
across Mary’s chest. This is something the young Michelangelo took
pride of but the aged man regretted so that he carved another version
of La Pieta when he was older which demonstrated his humility and
heartfelt love for our Lady, pride all banished. Renaissance art, which
flourished from 1400 through 1500, was a turning point in the history of
art. The artists confronted and solved the problems of anatomy,
composition, perspective and representation of space. The individuality
of the artists was strongly felt, unlike during the medieval period when
the artist saw himself as a servant of the church and therefore did not
sign his artworks. It was also at this time when there was a revival of
interest in classical antiquity and Greek and Roman artworks inspired
many of the Renaissance works.

Using some guide question, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of La Pieta

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the sculpture?
3. How is the space used within the frame?
4. How does the dominant element affect you?
5. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?
Analysis:

1. The dominant principles of organization are proportion and


balance.
2. The solidity of form combining anatomical proportion and heavy
drapery gives it stability.
3. The scene which is a mourning mother carrying her dead son is
given a non-dramatic treatment, rather a serene expression which
inspires the viewer into prayer.

The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist choose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis:

1. The artist chose marble to enhance the young, smooth and shiny
look of Mary and the fallen Jesus.
2. The choice of material contributes to the serenity and praying
mood of Mary.
3. This could not have been with a coarse and dark material.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis:

1. The main figures are intertwined and looked one.


2. It inspires believers to pray and makes them identify with the
Catholic faith.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis:

1. The perfect anatomical proportion, composition and


representation of space in Michelangelo’s work are typical of the
works of other Renaissance masters, Raphael Sanzio and
Leonardo da Vinci.

The Use of Shapes and Forms in Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure

Henry Moore did a series of sculptures in marble showing the human


figure in its barest form. On a reclining position resting on an elbow,
the figures knees are raised and the head is up facing space. The
facial features are not visible and are reduced to some eyes and nose
on the oval face. A negative form (or space) separates the legs that join
smoothly to form a solid piece. This 17 ft. marble is too huge not to be
noticed. The spaces and forms within the sculpture itself, interestingly
enough, keep the sculpture in perfect balance. As sculptures have to
be viewed from different points of view, the viewer will appropriate
better the different shapes that the Reclining Figure presents.

When viewed in relation to its environment, the shapes may acquire a


new meaning as a result of the vast space that envelops it. Twentieth
century sculptures portrayed distortion of the human figure and
features, as if to express the artists objection to the harsh realities in
the modern world. “Cubistic forms of figures simply made of geometric
parts superimposed on one another, human figures that are devoid of
normal body shapes and facial features, sculptures became markedly
unconventional and many of them have been made from scrap metal
and industrial waste.

Using some guide question, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the Reclining Figure

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the sculpture?
3. How is the space used within the frame?
4. How does the dominant element affect you?
5. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?
Analysis

1. Shapes and forms are the dominant elements in the sculpture.


2. The female form is shown in simplified form without detail.
3. Nevertheless, the shape of a reclining figure is still visible.
4. Negative and positive spaces are used in the sculpture to give it a
balanced look with unity of form.

The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist choose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved?
5. Why and how?

Analysis

1. Moore did the sculpture in travestine marble which allows the


smooth intervening of spaces and forms.
2. This is not possible with the used of other mediums such as
metal.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?
Analysis:

1. The main figure is a female figure reclining on her elbow.


2. There are no other figures attached to the main figure.
3. It reflects the independence of the modern man who seems to be
at rest but is watchful of things happening around him/her.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis:

1. Simple, undetailed, reduced to the barest minimum.


2. That is the style of modern sculpture that is present in the works
of Henry Moore.
3. Other modern sculptors such as Alberto Giacometti, Constantine
Brancusi, each has his own style but common to all three are the
simple forms and distortion of figures.

Summary

Sculpture is the art of making figures, such as human forms, animals or


geometrics that can either be standing freely or attached to a
background frame, either single or in a group. Sculptures are done
either using subtraction, construction, substitution techniques, or any
combination of these. Agesander, Athenodorus and Polydorus”
Laocoon and His Sons are a good example of unity and harmony in an
artwork.

Although there is contrast in the size of the three figures, harmony is


achieved through the arrangement of the three figures. Michelangelo
Buonarroti’s La Pieta shows proportion and balance through its
pyramidal composition with thick clothing at the foot of Mary and at the
tip of the triangle, her head. This gives the sculpture solidity of form
and a well-balanced look. Shapes and forms are dominant in Henry
Moore’s Reclining Figure. The spaces and forms within the sculpture,
keep it in perfect balance.
ARCHITECTURE

The study of architecture is invariably linked to the study of mankind,


for the evolution of mankind is one of survival and innovation. One such
advancement that mankind early on invented for his survival is the
building of dwellings that are safe from the vagaries of weather and
predators. As time evolved and as mankind become more
sophisticated, so did his skills in creating structures that would house
all of his varied activities. The evolution of architecture resulted in
man’s attempt not only to create dwelling places that are efficient in
space and that has a sense of permanence for protection but also an
attempt to provide beauty and aesthetics to his surroundings.

What Architecture Is

Architecture is defined as an art form that merges not only the


requisites of aesthetics, beauty and taste. It also unites with it concerns
of science, sociology and anthropology. Through time it has expanded
and evolved, integrating itself with other related fields as environmental,
urban, interior design, city planning and landscape architecture.

How Architecture Is Done

A structure’s design is determined by its function or purpose, who and


how many will use it, the space allotted for it, as well as financial
considerations. For example, a school building is designed to
accommodate the big number of students who go in and out of the
building each school day. Each part of the building should serve the
educational activities for which the building is designed.
Architecture in the modern era is best reflected by numerous changes
in society such as the emancipation of women, technological
innovations that gave way to the introduction of electricity, modern
appliances, skyscrapers, the elevator and the invention of new building
materials such as reinforced concrete, steel, resulted in architecture
adopting to and conforming to the varying tastes and lifestyle of people.

The elements of art discussed in the previous lesson also apply to


architecture. Added to these are the elements of size and scale.

• Size is the relation of form to the size of the human body.


• Scale is used in design and architecture to described a rather
subtle consideration related to size.

It refers to the proportion of an object or space to all other objects, to


human beings, and to the space to which it belongs. Likewise, the
principles of organization discussed in the previous lesson apply to
architecture. Emphasis in architecture ensures that important elements
look significant while minor or rival elements look subordinate. This is
achieved through the balance of size, placement, value, color and
selection of materials. Another principle is the use of pattern and
ornament, where the smooth surfaces are defined only by their limits,
edges, or corners. A patterned surface has visible presence in every
part of its extent. The eye focuses on pattern and uses it to help
measure size and shape.
There are three important engineering or structural systems
employed to fabricate architecture

Post and Lintel System

Referred to as trabeated or column and beam, the system employs a


fundamental analogy of supports and free falling weights, where beams
or trabs, (horizontal members carrying a lot of load or weight) thereby
allowing a system of serviceable spaces to be created beneath for
human occupancy or habitation.

This system of construction, which is universal, is inspired by nature


such as trees, serving as columns and the canopy as beams. As the
length of the beam is defined only by its breaking point or sheer, and
distance is supplemented and complemented by vertical columns.
Throughout much of the classical era, the system of construction
employed a trabeated form.

Arcuated Form

A more sophisticated form of construction is the arcuated form which


employs the use of arches instead of columns and beams. Arches, may
be ascribed to nature with cave openings as its natural prototype.
Compared to beams and columns which have fundamental principle of
falling and lifting forces, arches have the added pushing force
employed on the outer curvature of the arch.

This results from the need to provide not only vertical supports, such as
columns but also holding or pushing supports through the use of
buttresses. This prevents the outward push of the arch from springing
back. Arches results in the opening up of spaces from the multitude of
columns as well as the wider openings which the shortness of beams
cannot allow. Arches have been used during the ancient classical
period.

Truss System

It is a structural frame based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle


and is composed of linear members subject only to axial tension or
compression. Trusses use smaller pieces of wood set in a lattice or
brace form allowing the spanning of wider spaces possible.
Compared to the beam, which is of solid piece of material, usually
stone or wood, a truss is made of smaller cuts of wood attached and
formed into a system of supports allowing loads and spans to be
covered or bridged. The use of the truss has been employed
extensively after the fall of the Roman Empire and during the Medieval
Period.

Guide questions in analyzing the aesthetic qualities in


architecture

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the architecture?
3. How is space used in architecture
4. How does space support its function?

The Medium

1. What material was used to build the structure?


2. Does this material enhance the beauty of the structure?
The Subject Matter

1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this architecture have that are


also present in other works by the same architect?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the architecture with the other works done in the same
era or movement.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED ARCHITECTURE

The Use of the Classic Orders and Arches in The Colosseum

The Colosseum is designed with an oval plan with tiers of seats that
accommodated approximately 50,000 spectators in various levels. The
seats were supported by vaults and arches. Each arch was supported
by a column. The architecture of the Colosseum is unique in that the
three major classical orders are represented flanking its arches. On the
lowest tier are attached Doric columns, on the second level are
attached Ionic columns, while the third tier are attached Corinthian
columns. Along the face of the fourth, there are Corinthian pilasters
which support the heavy mast to which they use to cover the whole
amphitheater against the sun.

The Colosseum is defined by the use of its travertine cladding, though


much of the buildings structural mass is made of Tufa infill on a bed of
cement. Arches supported by columns and entablatures define the
architecture of the Colosseum, a style that was prominent and popular
in the Roman Empire. Though primarily decorative in nature, the
merging of the two structural systems (trabeated and arcuated)
characterizes and defines the rather decorative nature of Roman
architecture as compared to the purer and purposeful construction
principles employed by the Ancient Greeks. These elements of
construction and design found itself repeated in other forms of buildings
during the Ancient Roman Period. Below the arena lie numerous
chambers and dens where Gladiators waited or were brought after the
spoils of the battle.

Wild animals were also held here to provide a variation of the battle.
When Christianity was still considered subversive and illegal, captured
and punished Christians would also be used as fodder for the games.
Together with noted and convicted criminals, the Colosseum became
the venue for corporal punishment in Ancient Rome, thus becoming a
deterrent as well as an entertainment for its citizens (Fletcher 258).
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, a good portion of the
Colosseum, together with other ancient monuments, were demolished
as convenient quarry for building materials used to rebuild Rome.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of The Colosseum.

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the architecture?
3. How is space used in the architecture?
4. How does space support its function?

Analysis

1. The classic orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, are dominant in


the Colosseum. They serve as the pattern and ornament to the
structure.
2. The two structural systems, the trabeated and arcuated, which
are independent of one another are here merged making it
structural and decorative in nature.
3. Built as a venue for watching Gladiatorial combat and exhibitions,
the space below was used as holding areas for the gladiators and
wild beasts.
The Medium

1. What material was used to build the structure?


2. Does this material enhance the beauty of the structure?
Analysis

1. Tufa infill on a bed of cement and travertine were used in building


the Colosseum.
2. Aside from durability, these materials enhance the beauty of the
structure.

The Subject Matter

1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The Colosseum was used as a venue for Gladiatorial Games and


the exposition and execution of the enemies of the Roman
Empire: i.e. the early Christians.
2. Below the arena lies numerous chambers and dens for the wild
animals and the Gladiators who provided bloody entertainment to
the Romans.
3. As such, the design is suitable for its function.
The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this architecture have that are


also present in other works by the same architect?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the architecture with the other works done in the same
era or movement.

Analysis

1. The structure is oval in shape and its supported by tiers of arches.


2. The use of materials such as cement, travertine and tufa; the use
of the structural elements such as trabeated or arcuated and the
combined use of the classic orders of column are typical of
Roman architecture.
3. Modern arenas for sports, stadiums and other athletic facilities
trace their roots to the ancient Colosseum.

The Revival of the Classical Orders, Magnitude and Layout in the


Palais de Versailles
Palais de Versailles: Baroque architecture in France

Built from 1661 to 1756 for Louis XVI by Louis de Vau who design a
palace around the old hunting chateau erected originally by Solomon
de Brosse for Louis XIII, it was later expanded by jules Hadouin
Mansart by extending the building from north and south forming a
building 402 meters long. The park façade has a rusticated ground
storey supporting an order of pilasters, high attic and balustrade,
producing a monotonous effect on unbroken skyline.
Galerie des Glaces: The great garden designs of Andre Le Notre were
among France finest contribution to European culture. Based on
tradition forest rides (avenues) and the use of ornamental flower
(moats), Le Notre formal schemes used these elements in conjunction
with the parterre.

Garden Parterre de Broderie: Parterre de Broderie, a geometrical


pattern resembling Genoese velvets when seen from the upper
windows of the chateaux. A favorite spot for wedding ceremonies and
wedding photos, the Broderie Room at Phipps recreates the design of
formal French-style knotted gardens.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of The Revival of the Classical Orders, Magnitude and Layout in
the Palais de Versailles
Palais de Versailles: Baroque architecture in France

The form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the architecture?
3. How is space used in the architecture?
4. How does space support its function?

Analysis

1. The revival of the classical orders, magnitude and lay-out, in


addition to pattern and embroidery enhance the beauty of the
palace.
2. The royal residence is typical of the period, both in the magnitude
of its lay-out and in the enormous expenditure in money and labor
which it involved.

The medium

1. What material was used to build the structure?


2. Does this material enhance the beauty of the structure?

Analysis

1. The park facade as a rusticated ground storey supporting an


order of pilasters, high attic and balustrade, producing a
monotonous effect with unbroken skyline.
2. The apartments form in themselves a veritable museum of
decorative arts of the period.

The subject matter

1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social, or political value?

Analysis

1. As the royal residence for Louis XVI, it has the look appropriate to
a king’s palace.
2. The lavish design, vast space and the best materials used for the
palace and gardens reflect the importance and role of the king
during the era.
The style

1. What particular characteristics does this architecture have that are


also present in other works by the same architect?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the architecture with the other works done in the same
era or movement.

Analysis

1. Typical to Baroque architecture in the 17th-18t century Europe is


the use of pilasters, cornices, entablatures and mouldings to suit
the architect s artistic taste.
2. These are present in the Palais de Versailles.
3. The broad vistas that stretch axially away punctured by vases and
statuary to form pleasing promenades, the closely planted trees,
the chateaus and canals reflected the royal art during the period.

Concrete and Rough Stones on Frank Lloyd Wright’s KAUFMAN


HOUSE

About Wright:

One of the founders of modern architecture in North America, Frank


Lloyd Wright embraced the use of new technology, materials and
engineering to create some of the 20th century’s most influential and
iconic buildings. During a long and productive career spanning 70 years
he designed over 1,000 buildings of which over 400 were built.
About “Falling Water”

This project is a unique example of a modern Organic Architecture,


which was designed by Architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1934 in rural
Pennsylvania, 80 kilometers southeast of Pittsburgh. Organic
architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony
between human habitation and the natural world through design
approaches so well integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings,
and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition.
Set in a very unusual location, the ideas implicit in the house are a
highly dramatic and original combination of modern technology within a
natural setting.

The notion of a house sitting over a waterfall evokes the imagination of


English Romantic poet, Wordsworth. At the same time, scientific
technology has been integrated with a modern concept. The
cantilevered house which sits on a waterfall that is audible rather than
visible was Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique achievement. Kaufmann
House is an outstanding example of domestic architecture. In the
1930s, Wright developed the main theme of organic architecture, that
is, combining modern techniques and natural landscape in a new way.
‘Falling water’ is among Wright’s most famous buildings and has
become a symbol of the international movement. He used natural and
organic elements in this building. This is a good example of organic
architecture.

What does this House look like?

The house is located on a cliff with a waterfall. It is a weekend house. It


consists of two levels of living areas. Both the living areas extend up to
the waterfall and give a good view of the surrounding countryside.
The entrance drive leads to the main living room, which extends in
different directions in the ground floor. A staircase leads directly leads
to the waterfall. Terraces, balconies, kitchen and dining area all extend
in different directions. The bedroom on the second floor opens on to the
terrace, which is cantilevered more than the terrace of the first floor.

The second floor is much smaller than the first and has only one
bedroom with an adjoining roof terrace. All the three floor plans form a
pattern in such a way that they are arranged round the single vertical
element, which is the natural stone tower-the staircase. At the foot of
the staircase is the supported ground floor and the slope of the hill.
The base of the building is made of natural stone, the individual stories
are made up of reinforced concrete, and the walls of glass.

The building literally combines:

• Nature and architecture


• The organic and the geometric
• Natural stone and concrete
• Exterior and interior
• Nature and space

What Frank Lloyd Wright achieved in this building was to place its
occupants in a close relationship to the surrounding beauty – the trees,
the foliage and the wild flowers.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Every person holds on to a photo of a loved one. Every home has


photos on display. Every newspaper has photos of events, good or
bad. Now that the computer is very accessible, we are used to photo
images accompanying texts in a variety and artistic ways. Since Louise
Daguerre invented the Daguerreotype of camera in 1839 and 49 years
later, when Eastman’s Kodak camera was introduced commercially,
and then the introduction of the 35mm film Leica camera in 1925, man
has always relied on camera not only to record significant events of his
life but for some people, even ordinary day-to-day affairs. This is so
because photography does not only record images precisely.
Photographs can also be reproduced as many as you want and today,
they can even be manipulated to produce the desired effects.

What Photography Is

A photograph is a two-dimensional representation of people, events,


objects or any three-dimensional form. It is the art of recording images
through a camera through the use of film and printing them on
photographic paper through a chemical process. Photography is the
process, activity and art of creating still or moving pictures by recording
radiation on a radiation-sensitive medium, such as a photographic film,
or an electronic sensor.

The word "photograph" was coined in 1839 by Sir John Herschel and is
based on the Greek φῶς (photos) "light" and γραφή (graphé)
"representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning
"drawing with light".
Function

The camera or camera obscura is the image-forming device, and


photographic film or a silicon electronic image sensor is the sensing
medium. Photographers control the camera and lens to "expose" the
light recording material to the required amount of light to form a "latent
image" (on film) or "raw file" which, after appropriate processing, is
converted to a usable image.

History of Photography

Chinese philosopher Mo Di described a pinhole camera in the 5th


century B.C. Byzantine mathematician Anthemius of Tralles used a
type of camera obscura in his experiments, Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen)
(965–1040) studied the camera obscura and pinhole camera. The first
permanent photoetching was an image produced in 1822 by the French
inventor Nicéphore Niépce. Niépce was successful again in 1825. He
made the first permanent photograph from nature with a camera
obscura in 1826.

Niépce worked with Louis Daguerre. But when Niépce died he


continued their work (he named it daguerreotype in 1837) until it was
discovered by the French government. Meanwhile, Hercules Florence
had already created a very similar process in 1832, naming it
Photographie. After reading about Daguerre's invention, Talbot refined
his process so that portraits were made readily available to the masses.

By 1840, Talbot had invented the calotype process, which creates


negative images. John Herschel made many contributions to the new
methods. He invented the cyanotype process, now familiar as the
"blueprint.” He was the first to use the terms "photography", "negative"
and "positive". Many advances in photographic glass plates and
printing were made in through the nineteenth century. In 1884, George
Eastman developed the technology of film to replace photographic
plates, leading to the technology used by film cameras today.

Processes

Black and white: all photography was originally monochrome, or black


and white.

Color: photography was explored beginning in the mid 1800s. Early


experiments in color could not fix the photograph and prevent the color
from fading.

Full-spectrum: is a subset of full-spectrum imaging, defined currently


among photography enthusiasts as imaging with consumer cameras
the full, broad spectrum of a film or camera sensor bandwidth.

Digital photography: is a form of photography that uses digital


technology to make images of subjects.

Modes of Production

Amateur: An amateur photographer is one who practices photography


as a hobby and not for profit.

Commercial: Commercial photography is probably best defined as


any photography for which the photographer is paid for images rather
than works of art.
The commercial photographic world could include:

1. Advertising photography
2. Fashion and glamour photograph
3. Crime Scene Photography
4. Portrait and wedding photography
5. Wildlife photography

Art Photography: During the twentieth century, both fine art


photography and documentary photography became accepted by the
English-speaking art world and the gallery system. The aesthetics of
photography is a matter that continues to be discussed regularly,
especially in artistic circles.

Different Parts of a Camera

• Old Version of Camera


• New Version of Camera
• Different types of Photography

Advertising Photography: Advertising photography illustrates a


service or product. These images are generally done with an
advertising agency, design firm or with an in-house corporate design
team.

Editorial Photography: Editorial photography that illustrate a story or


idea within the context of a magazine. These are usually assigned by
the magazine.
Photojournalism: Photojournalism is used for journalism work.
Photographs made in this context are accepted as a documentation of
a news story.

Portrait and Wedding Photography: Portrait and wedding


photography are made and sold directly to the end-user of the images.

Fine Art Photography: Fine art photography is creative production of


images using the camera, special lighting and other effects used for
artistic expression.

The Composition of Photography

Photography uses film that comes in cartridge rolls that are easily
mounted inside the camera box. Today, the material used in
photography has evolved from film to digital. Digital photography
emerged through technological developments in computer systems.
Images are recorded instantly, which may be viewed in the camera
LCD or through the computer. These images may be printed through
the computer printer on special printing paper or in plain bond paper.
Aside from a camera and film, photography requires other things.

The Subject

This is the main focus of your photograph. It is what you want the
viewers to see first when they see the image. It can be a still life,
portrait, landscape, human interest, lights or distorted figures. It is
usually the sharpest object in the photograph.
Background and Foreground

What is in front of your subject is the foreground. What is behind your


subject is the background. When taking a photo of your subject, you
should study it first in relation to the foreground and the background to
make sure they do not contrast strongly with the focal point of the
photograph. Both foreground and background should enhance the
beauty of the main subject. Sometimes, the background is a blur effect
or a mix of colors.

Rule of Thirds

An ordinary subject matter such as sunset or mountains and plains can


turn out to be a very interesting photograph with an artistic composition
(the arrangement of elements within the frame). The subject should be
located either above or below the center of the frame because the
viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to the spaces within a frame and not to
its center. Even portraits should not be set right at the center of the
frame, unless it is an I.D. picture.

Lighting

Photographs without lighting are dull because the basic ingredient in


photography is light. Avoid strong direct light on your subject and dark
shadows. Check the lighting of the background in relation to your
subject and make sure the background lighting is not stronger than the
subject.
Motion

Motion can be captured through the camera. A fast shutter speed can
freeze a motion. A slow shutter speed can make the image appear
blurred. For example, a speeding horse can be sharp in a photograph
when shot with a fast shutter speed. It can look out of focus and blurred
with a slow shutter speed.

Guide questions in analyzing the aesthetic qualities of


photography

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the photograph?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

The Medium

1. Does photography as a medium enhance the beauty of the image?


2. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
3. If the artist chose another medium, doe you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?
The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social and political value?

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS

The Use of Perspective in Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado’s Filipino


Farmers in America

Belong to the first wave of Filipinos who migrated to America in 1928 to


work as janitor and houseboy. During World War II, he was a medical
technician in the Army's highly decorated First Filipino Infantry
Regiment. After the war, he developed his passion for photography and
took countless photos of the Filipino-American community in San
Francisco, California.

His camera gave him entry into large social functions ― weddings,
funerals, baptisms, parties and dances ― as well as intimate family
gatherings. Shooting the tractor from an interesting angle, the machine
does not distract the subject of the photograph: two Filipinos looking
very hard working, posing for the photograph, the same way a person
would have his/her photo taken beside in a Ferrari prestige car. Shows
how the Filipinos worked in their new land and home. Through the use
of perspective, the tractor wheels in front seem bigger than the back
wheels. Perspective also shows the mountains and trees in the
background smaller than the human figures because they are farther in
the camera.

The background, foreground and subject are all sharp because of the
camera exposure to light. Despite this, the viewers eyes are easily
directed to the two men, with faces that shows traces of old age and
hard work. Their clothing reveals they are in a foreign land because in
tropical Philippines, farmers work in minimal clothing and do not wear
hats. Photographs of genre subject like this is characteristic of the
1950s where everything is shown in sharp and the main subject in still
position. This is due to the limitation of the camera that could not
capture movement. Blurring technique was also not possible, since
there were not too many apertures and shutter speed options.

The Form

1. What are the dominant element?


2. How are these used in the photograph?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How many space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. The dominant principle of organization in the photograph is the


use of perspective that shows the difference in the size of the
objects in the foreground and in the background.
2. The vast space does not diminish the significance of the object
because the tractor, shot in an angular position, leads the
viewer's eye to the main subject.
3. Hence, a balance of form s is achieved.

The Medium

1. Does the photography as a medium enhance the beauty of the


image?
2. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
3. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

1. Photography is the best medium for the image because it is able


to show the details and facial expression realistically which oil
painting or other mediums cannot show.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social, or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figures are two farmers posing while riding the tractor.
2. The objects surrounding them do not conflict with the main
figures, rather enhance them as the focal point of the
photography.
3. This shows the lifestyle, work and state of being of the Filipinos
who migrated to America in the 1950s.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does the artwork have that are also
present in the other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of art and the principles of organization that identify
the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement?

Analysis

1. Clarity, sharpness and detailed representation are the


characteristics of Ricardo Alvarado's photographs, which were all
in the same quality of photograph taken in America during 1950s.

The Use of Balance in Cheryl Diaz Meyer’s The War in Iraq

Meyer was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated with her
family to Minnesota, USA in 1981. As a photojournalist, she was
assigned to cover the US-led war in Iraq. The photograph War in Iraq
shows soldiers saving an old man from a car bombing incident. The
photograph consist of two parts. On the left are three human figures
escaping from the bombing. This may be one image in itself but on the
right, there is a burning car that cannot be neglected because its dark
smoke connects to the image on the left.

The space below the car is empty and this gives a breather from the
fully-occupied space on the left side occupied by three figures. Thus,
the diagonal composition of the photograph is well-balanced. This is
achieved through the use of perspective, where the car is located far
from the main figures and therefore serves as a background. The main
figures are also sharp, with details like human teeth showing and the
different shades of green in the soldiers’ uniform.
This owes to the precision of the camera in recording details. Modern
innovations in photography have benefited not only photojournalism but
photography in general. High speed, sharp focus, high image resolution
and color sensitivity are just a few capabilities of the camera that
modern photographers enjoy.

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the photograph?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. Balance is used as a dominant element in the photograph.


2. The three figures on the left side of the photograph, which as a
group, appears heavy and covers half of the frame is balanced on
the right side by the burning car and space below it.
3. These images complete the story that the photograph tells the
viewer about the war in Iraq.

The Medium

1. Does photography as a medium enhance the beauty of the image?


2. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
3. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

• Photography is essential to photojournalism.


• It can record incidents instantly.
• It can capture images as they happen.
• Thus, it is a record of historical incidents and reality however, this
technology can also be manipulated to distort the truth and can be
used for propaganda purposes.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figure in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figures are the two soldiers carrying a bloody victim
away from the burning car in the background.
2. The burning car clearly tells us the cause of the injury.
3. The photograph tells us about the human suffering and struggle in
the US-led war against Iraq.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis

1. As a photojournalist, Meyer’s photographs are documentation of


the new story.
2. As such, she has good control of the camera and is sensitive to
the best angle for shooting them.
3. She is brave and is skillful in terms of timing.
4. These are important characteristics of photojournalist to be able
to capture images that show good balance, focus, details and the
story in the news.

Excerpts from Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News published a report on the recognition of the


photojournalism work of Meyer: Cheryl Diaz Meyer won the 2004
Pulitzer prize for breaking news Photographer David Leeson for their
body of works depicting the invasion and aftermath of Operation Iraqi
freedom. Her work was awarded the Visa D’Or Daily Press Award
2003 in Perpignan, France. Aside from being Published in major
metropolitan newspapers and magazines and aired on the television
stations around the world, her work was also featured in books by
Corbis and Life-entitled Desert Diaries And The war in Iraq.
The Use of Variety in Margaret Bourke-White’s Louisville Flood
Victims, 1937

Variety - (also known as alternation) is the quality or state of having


different forms or types. The differences which give a design visual and
conceptual interest: notably use of contrast, emphasis, difference in
size and color.

Margaret Bourke-White’s Louisville Flood Victims 1937 - Louisville


Flood Victims shows variety. It contrasts between reality and dream.
The main focus of the photograph is the American flood victims
queuing for supplies. Their faces show sadness, hardships,
hopelessness and loss amidst the cold weather.

In the background is a billboard showing an American family and dog in


a car, all looking happy and thrilled about their trip. The caption
encapsulates the idea behind the billboard illustration: “There’s no way
like the American Way.” The title, “World Highest Standard of Living”
can make any flood victim unhappy. The irony presented in the
photograph is that while some Americans are enjoying the highest
standard of American living, there are those who deprived of basic
needs due to natural calamities.

The ‘rule of thirds,’ where the subject should be located either above or
below the center of the frame is observed by Bourke-White as she put
the row of queuing Americans right below the billboard that occupies
more than half of the horizontal frame. Photographs during the 1930s
were in black and white but the lack of color does not affect the
message, which is important in this case because it serves as a mirror
of reality at a particular time and place in American history.
Using some guide question, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities
of the Louisville Flood Victims, 1937

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the photograph?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How many space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

1. Variety is used in this photograph to show the contrast between


reality and dream in America.
2. Although the billboard in the background occupies a larger space
in the artistic frame, its layout leads the eye of the viewer to the
people standing in queue.
3. This is how balance is maintained.

The Medium

1. Does the photography as a medium enhance the beauty of the


image?
2. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
3. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved?
4. Why and how?

Analysis

1. The use of photography to record a social reality is a good choice


of medium.
2. It captured a moment that revealed a strong contrast between
what is proclaimed to be “an American dream” vs. an American
Reality.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social, or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figure in the photograph is the row of Americans


queuing for supplies at a time of natural calamity.
2. The billboard which shows a picture of a happy family contrasting
with the fate of the flood victims only heightens the drama.

Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis

1. Bourke- White used black and white photography as her medium


of expression.
2. Although photographs during the 1930s were in black and white, it
was nevertheless an effective tool to record historical events and
social realities, such as the 1937 flood victims.
DIGITAL ART

Photography using film is fast being replaced by digital photography


using pixels that is viewed electronically through computers and cell
phones. Film photography requires lower initial cost and is better in
capturing detail in black and white and has a high resolution. It has to
be processed to make the photographs and is therefore a continuing
cost.

Digital photography has higher initial cost because the digital camera,
which is very light in weight, is more costly than the film camera. Its
megapixels are limited to the camera model and therefore allows lower
resolution. It has a memory card that can store a lot more images than
a roll of film. Images taken through digital camera can be edited and
manipulated through the computer. You can print on photographic
paper only the images you like. Digital camera offers many options for
effects such as zoom, wide-angle and built-in filters.

What Digital Art Is

Digital art is considered new media and is produced with the aid of
technology and computer. It is an overarching term that refers to all
mechanized or computer-based art i.e., art generated with the aid of
digital technology. It includes animation, the art of the world-wide-web,
CD-ROMS, computer graphics, cybernetic sculptures, and even dance,
film, photography, synthesized music and laser shows, to name a few.
The burgeoning of this art began with the increased availability of
personal computers in the 1980’s, while its incipient development is
traced from the rapid advances of computer technology in the 1950’s
and 1960’s that support research and development of computerized
intelligence in the service of military defense systems during the Cold
War.

The use and application of digitized or computer media in making


digital art has definitely made a new language requirements as new
forms are created without referent within the digital world. The cyber
world, which deals with a new notion of the real – a reality that is virtual
as opposed to the actual, is not simply concerned with mimicking reality
nor with the representation of space …. through the laws of perspective
for instance, and as such, demands a of different set of critical yardstick
and aesthetic language. However, as the digital world is still in constant
flux, we can only try to make a sketchy description of their inclusive
traits as we await a more conclusive critical and aesthetic language
befitting digital art.

How Digital Art Is Done

The computer is the essential medium or tool for this art. One of the
strongest points of this tool is its seemingly limitless digital capability of
reposition, combine, filter, color, alter and produce new images within
the friction-less and seamless space of its memory.

Digital Interactivity or Virtual Interaction

Digital art involves a complex interaction among the artist, the medium,
and the “viewer.” In the virtual world of digital art, the artist interacts
with the computer to make art with which the “viewer” interacts either
by retrieving the art that had been created into his own … computer or
manipulating it in another pre-programmed routine that vary according
to his own commands or movements.
In this set-up, the artist, the viewer and the machine are engaged
interdependently where the “viewer” does not simply perform to
complete the work but also initiate and assign content. Unlike in film,
television and video where he is a delegated passive viewer, or in case
of the visual art, where he is a mere spectator, the “viewer” becomes
an author and editor in the sphere of cyber art.

Needless to say, his immersed cyber interactivity tremendously


changes the way he experiences or makes meaning of art, which now
extends beyond the mere visual and the tactile. The ultimate example
of this particular interactivity is Virtual Reality or VR. Here, the “viewer”
is placed in total immersion within a simulated world or virtual
environment, in which his physical body is replaced with a body image.

He converts into a user who is dispensed with emancipatory


interaction, or even with an actual physical sensation through the
teledildonic suit, which leaves him at the crux of his own art experience.
The capability of digital technology to translate materials into
mathematical binary or digital computer language has rendered the
image as pure visual information, and as such, brought it into an
infinitely malleable and dynamic state. Thus, the image consisting of
discrete digits can be manipulated into endless possibilities in the realm
of digital art.

Seven Types of Digital Art

1. Digital Photography
2. Photo Painting
3. Digital Collage
4. Integrated Digital Art
5. Digital Painting
6. Vector Drawing
7. Algorithmic/Fractals

The artist uses a digital or conventional camera. The photographs are


digitized and translated to the computer environment where the artist
uses image editing and special effects software to perform darkroom
type manipulations.

Photo Painting

This combines the disciplines of photography and painting. The artist


uses image editing and paint software to go beyond dark room
techniques to add further expression to the image.

Digital Collage

This is a technique of combing many images from varying sources into


one image. This is most commonly achieved by the use of layering
techniques in image editing and paint software. The artist may also use
images from x-rays or radar to produce images that the eye does not
normally see, which expands the realm of human perception.

Integrated Digital Art

This is the “mixed media” of the digital art world. Artists combine any
number of the techniques to achieve unique results. The digital
environment is much less restricted than conventional mediums in this
type of integration and manipulation.

Two –dimensional - The artist creates 2D images totally in the


computer virtual environment with the use of painting tools that
emulate natural media styles. Sometimes referred to as “Natural
Media.”
Three-Dimensional - The artist uses 3D modeling and rendering
software to essentially sculpt in virtual space. This method also
makes use of all of other methods.

Vector Painting

The artist uses vector drawing software and creates the image totally in
the virtual environment. This makes use of shapes which are outlined
and can be filled with various colors and patterns. This tends to
produce a harder edged or graphic look.

Algorithmic/Fractals

This is art produced exclusively by mathematical manipulations. This is


the so-called “computer-generated” art. The art here lies in the
invention of the mathematical formulas themselves and the way the
programs are written to take advantage of the display capabilities of the
hardware. The art also lies in the creative inventions and subsequent
selections of the artist /mathematician.

Guide questions in analyzing the aesthetic qualities of digital art

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the artwork?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there are balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic presentation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social and political value?

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
The Use of Shapes in Stephanie Syjuco’s Black Market

Is a young Filipino - American artist whose works are exhibited in


different museums and galleries in San Francisco and other key cities
in America. Using existing objects, she creates art forms that represent
her conceptual ideas "and then a fairly straightforward execution
process that left little for on the spot improvisation. Is composed of
digital images printed on Fuji light jet. Syjuco blackens the commercial
products by using black irregular shapes and what is left in the picture
are the objects in the background.

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the artworks?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?

Analysis

• Shapes are dominant in this digital image. By blotting out the


commercial goods in the market, Syjuco highlights the absence of
the goods in the pictures.
• The blotted parts dominate the artistic frame instead of making
them disappear.
• The irregular shapes are spread throughout the frame, thus giving
a balanced effect.
The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

1. Digital image on Fuji light jet print was used.


2. This gives the image a sharp, smooth, detailed and colorful look.
3. This cannot be achieved through other mediums.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure to you in terms of personal
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The main figures are the blotted commercial goods that have
been reduced to irregular shapes obstructing the color setting
which has then become the background to the more prominent
black shapes.
2. The blotted out goods in the picture is “the very reason that gives
the multi-nationals global economic control”.
The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement?

Analysis

1. Syjuco is very comfortable with integrated digital art as she works


with several mediums.
2. This owes to her exposure to white and multi-ethnic artists in
America who do art using a variety of mediums and techniques.
3. Her access to technology, patience and vivid imagination make
her work at par with international artists using the same mediums.

The Use of Color and Texture in Yoichiro Kawaguchi's Integrated


Digital Image, Eggy

He was born on Tanegashima Island in 1952. He received his Master


of Fine Arts from Tokyo University of Education in 1978. Currently he
is Associate Professor of Computer Graphics Art at Art & Science Lab,
Department of Art, Nippon Electronics College, Tokyo. The Japanese
computer artist mainly works in the area of HDTV (High Definition TV).
In his projects he likes to experiment with organic shapes.

EGGY, the multicolored digital image is composed of several textures


and objects. Some are transparent while the others are solid. The
purple figure that takes the figure of a human being has the texture of
melting plastic. The color formation above it consist of monochromatic
blue, also in varying textures, seem to explode as its edges reach the
borders of the artistic frame.

Yellow, green and blue textured surfaces give the image a descending
effect, putting it close to the base. There are pairs of red eyes in varied
sizes that give an impression that some creatures are observing the
movement of the color formation.

Overall, the image is a conglomeration of playful and irregular shapes ,


forms , color and texture arranged in semi-formal composition.
Computer graphic artists gather interesting images and 'plays around'
with it in computer to discover a variety of forms and shapes on which
computer techniques can be applied. Kawaguchi's work exemplifies
today's trend in digital art, particularly in computer graphics.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the EGGY

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in digital art?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?
Analysis

1. Color and texture are the dominant elements in the digital work
EGGY.
2. The image is conglomeration of playful and irregular shapes,
forms colors and texture arranged in semi-formal composition.
3. The image pleases the viewer's eye , because although there are
several forms in artistic frame, the artist achieved balance through
the harmonious distribution of colors and shapes.

The Medium

1. What is the medium used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
3. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
4. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect will
be achieved? why and why not?

Analysis

1. Computer graphics was used by the artist.


2. The visual effect of the color formation may not have been
achieved without the artistic manipulation of computer graphics
3. From digital photo of nature, the artist came up with new forms
and interesting shapes and colors.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The subject matter may be an egg(based on the title eggy).


2. The blue form in the middle expanding into explosion above the
figure patterned after the human form is the subject and main
figure.
3. It gives another view of things one does not imagine exists.
4. It seems to be a personal and creative experimentation in digital
art.

The style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other artworks by same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of design that
identify the artwork with the other work s done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis

1. Yoichiro Kawaguchi gathers interesting images and 'plays around'


with it in the computer to discover a variety of forms and shapes
on which computer techniques can be applied.
2. This is the trend in computer graphics applied by Filipino-
American visual artist Rodolfo Samonte and Stephanie Syjuco.
The Use of Line in Anne Harris’ Digital Image, Thanksgiving
Dinner

This computer artwork by Harris is part of a series of computer art she


calls “Landscapes of the Heart,” which has scenes from her life at
Cokesbury Village. It shows bright and light colors that appeal to the
young. In her “Thanksgiving Dinner,” there are eleven people seated
around the table and a man, presumably the host, is standing, about to
slice the turkey.

This is a typical American Thanksgiving dinner where family and friends


gather to celebrate. Vertical lines are used repeatedly for the chairs
and the walls. Diagonal lines are found forming the table and the floor.
She used perspective to show depth inside the house. The use of
straight lines gives the image a formal arrangement. Although bodily
proportion is not realistic, Harris’ message is made clear through the
sitting arrangements and human expressions: that Thanksgiving is a
family celebration.

Also noticeable in the artwork is the black woman making her way to
the door, holding a tray. This speaks of the American household that
employed African household help. In doing digital art, Harris begins
each work with a pencil drawing and then works on the image on her
computer screen using the mouse, adding color, perspective, and using
the elements of art on computer art. This takes 1 ½ weeks.
Gary Soulsman, writes in The News Journal about Harris’ computer art:

At 79, the white-haired Harris has abandoned oils, acrylics and


collage for a series of digital self-portraits exploring what it’s like
to grow old with grace. She’s had a site on the Web only since
March 3, but she gets 10 to 85 visitors a day, many downloading
her images. She calls her assemblage “Experiencing Old Age”
and matches strands of philosophy with scenes of her life at
Cokesbury Village. She is also being praised as a model of aging
by doctors and nurses around the nation who have discovered
her work. “She is keeping her mind alive and staying connected
with people,” says Roush, associate professor of geriatrics at
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She is an example
for young people that life isn’t over until it’s over.” “She is the
epitome of a person late in life who has adapted to a new
technology --- making computer screen her easel, a mouse her
paintbrush,” he adds (Soulsman).

What motivates her to do computer art? “When you’ve been stimulated


all your life you don’t want to be ordinary,” she says. ‘want to think new
ideas” (Soulsman).

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the Thanksgiving Dinner

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the digital art?
3. How is the main subject matter treated in relation to the
background?
4. How is space used within the frame?
5. How does the dominant element affect you?
6. Is there a balance of forms or do some objects cover most of the
frame?
Analysis

1. The use of different types of line is dominant in the computer


artwork of Harris. The image follows a diagonal composition in a
horizontal frame, without disrupting the balanced distribution of
forms.

The Medium

2. What is the medium used by the artist?


3. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the image?
4. How well does the medium selected show the artistic
representation?
5. If the artist chose another medium, do you think the same effect
will be achieved? Why and how?

Analysis

1. The artist used computer art to show an American family tradition.


It is a very neat way of presenting a memorable event.
2. Although not much facial expression is shown, the presence of
family members shows their unity and closeness. The use of
computer gave the image a neat application of colors.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the main figure in the artwork?


2. How do the other figures in the artwork affect the main figure?
3. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social or political value?
Analysis

1. The main subject is a group of people gathered around the table


for Thanksgiving dinner. There is another figure at the far end of
the image: a black woman making her way to the door, holding a
tray.
2. This speaks of the American household that employed African
household helpers. They did not join celebrations and are usually
in the background serving the family and guest.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of arts and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.

Analysis

1. Unlike in other computer artworks that focus on a subject, Harris


chose to depict a scene from her memory of family and social
relationships, traditions and personal experiences.
2. She uses the computer as a medium of expression to show
people how a person late in life can adapt to a new technology
and how such family traditions matter much to the human heart.

Other works of art done by the artist


INSTALLATION ART

The idea of installation came to prominence in the West in the 60s and
is traced from Dada and Surrealism, and much later on, in Fluxus, an
international avant-garde art movement from the 1960s up to the 1970s
participated in by divergent groups from Germany and other cities in
Holland, England, France, United States and Switzerland who delight in
spontaneity and humor. Fluxus advanced artistic experimentation
mixed with social and political activism. Conceptual art, which promotes
the idea above the form, and other radical movements such as German
sculpture of the 1980s likewise influenced the development of this art.

What Installation Art Is

Installation art is a genre that refers to temporary constructions or


assemblages made of varied materials that are structured within a
space. The main idea of installation moves away from single objects to
a complex relation of objects assembled in space, where the space is
taken up not as a neutral background but as a physical context.
Installations place a premium on space as an element of design. It
exploits its three-dimensional quality to re-create new “environments”
which the viewer can enter and engage in.

These reconstructed venues are essentially propitious to a vast range


of information and ideas, and commonly point to contemporary social,
political or personal concerns. Such emphasis on ideas originates from
conceptual art, where concepts and meaning, more appropriately
conveyed through written proposals, photos, documents, charts, maps,
film and video, by the artists’ use of their own bodies, and by language
itself, take precedence above everything else. This results to a kind of
art that demands a new kind of mental attention and engagement on
the part of the viewer or spectator.

How Installation Art Is Done

The materials used in installation are varied and range from the natural
to the artificial. Most of these media are perishable and/or cast-offs or
simply object-detritus. Reeds, tree branches, rocks, textiles, plastics,
empty match boxes, dead batteries, rope and machines --- working and
not working are among the endless possibilities that are used or
assembled in three dimensions to make-up an installation work. These
are set in ordinary spaces such as a wide-open ground, a street, a
corridor, a backroom or even a prison cell in contrast to the limited
gallery niches allotted to traditional art objects.

In favor of their strong conceptualist tendencies and by the very nature


of the materials and processes involved to create them, as well as the
spatial reconstruction within which they are assembled, installations do
not seek permanence that typify traditional single art objects. In fact,
most of them have quick turnover. They are assembled, exhibited, and
after display, they are completely dismantled or simply left to rot. They
would be good for a week then gone. Interestingly, such quality
inevitably presses a bias against the trading, selling, collecting and
commoditization of art.

Guide questions in analyzing the aesthetic qualities of installation


art

The Form

1. What is the dominant element in the artwork?


2. How is it used in the artwork?
3. How is treatment of space related to the main idea of the work?
4. How does harmony organize the work?
5. How does the overall composition affect you?

The Medium

1. What is the material/s used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the artwork?
3. How well does the material/s used help convey the meaning of the
work?

The Subject Matter

1. What are the objects presented in the artwork?


2. What is the significance of the object/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with other works done in the period.

The Use of Shapes, Space and Balance in Jose Tence Ruiz’s


Pabitin

In the second Asia-Pacific Triennial held in Brisbane in 1996. Jose


Tence Ruiz set up an installation work shaped like an airplane where
gifts suspends. It is made of bamboo wrapped in orange parachute
nylon. This works reminds of the PABITIN, which is commonplace in
Philippine Fiesta and Parties. Two principal features or element of this
installation are its shape and the created space in which it is set.

The airplane-shaped object from where gifts hang creates a space


where participants are enjoined to jump and grapple for a prize. As
participant leaps and snatches a prize within the space, he/she in effect
ritualizes the grabbing that is originally played in the traditional Pabitin.
However, the work points to contemporary issues related to power
relations and tough competition, and to ideas alluding to ambition,
manipulation, treachery and colonialism in the contemporary world.

The balance employed in this work is it outmost importance. It shown in


the way shape and mass equate in the work and more importantly,
when participants grapple for a prize and even out or displace
symbolically the equilibrium of power in the real world. Here, balance is
not static but continuously shifting according to the movements or
actions of each participant.

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements in this artwork?


2. How are they used in the artwork?
3. How is treatment of Space related to the main idea of the work?
4. How does balance organize the work?
5. How does the overall composition affect you?

Analysis

1. The dominant element in this work are shape and space.


2. They are used in the installation to help convey and reinforce the
meaning of the work.
3. The shape of the installation reminds of the traditional Pabitin,
and the actual space it creates allows for the grabbing ritual or
gesture.
4. Balance shifts as one grabs a prize from the hanging contraption.

The Medium

1. What are the material/s used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the artwork?
3. How well does the material/s used help convey the meaning of the
work?

Analysis

1. Bamboo, parachute, nylon, cartons, aside from enhancing the


beauty of the artwork, remind of the local Pabitin, which reinforce
or support the meaning of power play and grabbing.

The Subject Matter

1. What are the objects represented in the artwork?


2. What is the significance of object/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. Airplane contraption, gifts hanging-it reminds me of those who


hold high positions and have attained power and those who are
neglected and powerless.
2. It makes me think of the great impact or consequence of the
actions of those who have attained power.
3. The artwork empowers the viewer and converts him or her into a
participant.
4. This is evident in other installation works not only by Tence Ruiz
but as well as other Installation artists.
5. Space converts into context and supplies meaning to the work.
6. Alludes to contemporary social and political issues.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does the artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the period.

Analysis

1. The artwork empowers the viewer and converts him or her into a
participant.
2. This is evident in other installation works not only by Tence Ruiz
but as well as other installation artists.
3. Space converts into context and supplies meaning to the work.
4. Similar works of the era allude to contemporary social and
political issues.

The Use Of Value And Harmony In Mona Hatoum’s Light Sentence

Mona Hatoum made a series of wire mesh, which look like cages such
as found in a hen house. They are piled on top of the other and
arranged in a U-shape enclosure. The whole arrangement looks like an
architectural model of a small city that is made up of box-like, uniform
and functional mesh lockers. It is lighted by one bulb that swings,
making the wire lockers cast their shadows all over the walls and
ceilings. The effect creates a feeling of spatial and emotional
disorientation in the spectator.

In this installation, Hatoum plays with light and shadow to create a


sense of dread and suffocating atmosphere. She manipulates harmony
through the repeated duplication of the box-shaped chicken wires to
create a dreadful atmosphere. The use of chicken wires as the principal
material implies being able to survey the contents, and alludes to being
watch or scrutinized like animals in cages. The title Light Sentence is
actually a word play and suggests that existence in this kind of
condition or environment is like having a prison sentence.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the Light Sentence

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements in this artwork?


2. How are they used in the artwork?
3. How is treatment of space related to the main idea of the work?
4. How does harmony organize the work?
5. How does the overall composition affect you?

Analysis

1. The dominant elements in this work are value and space.


2. They are used to effect boredom, suffocation and dread.
3. Space connotes surveillance and at the same time enclosure.
4. It makes me think of the reality of living in cities and the dread it
brings to those who are not capable of coping.

The Medium

1. What is the materials used by the artist?


2. Does this medium enhance the beauty of the artwork?
3. How well does the materials used help to convey the meaning of the
work?

Analysis

1. The principal materials are chicken wires and a light bulb.


2. The chicken wires convey surveillance and the light bulb and the
shadow it casts bring an eerie and disoriented feel to the whole
set up.

The Subject Matter

1. What are the objects represented in the artwork?


2. What is the significance of object/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The subject matter in this Installation art cityscape.


2. Modem man can sometimes feel alienated in a place that runs in
city routines.
The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with other works done in the period.

Analysis

1. The treatment of space the converts into a contact is common to


installation not only of Hatoum but to those of other artists as well.
THE COMBINED ARTS

Spatio-Temporal Frames and Structure

Music, Theater and Cinema

The combined arts refer to events that combine a variety of media or


materials which can be both seen and heard, and which exist in both
space and time. They may have content drawn from traditional tales or
myths, contemporary events or any human experience. They include
dance, poetry, theater, improvised scenes, music, musical plays and
events, cinema and performances such as rituals and cultural events
including street carnivals, fiestas and parades, among others, that
require human beings to demonstrate certain skills as performance.
Theater as a combined art may put together literature or drama, music,
actors on stage where scenery, props and lighting are arranged, plus
other media to complete a production.

The recent theater work of the Anino Shadow Play Collective recorded
an actual shadow play adaptation of Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at
Laura. In the process, it combined a variety of materials and elements
coming not only from traditional puppetry and shadow play, but also
cinema, drawing, literature, music, painting and video. In the same
manner, a musical event may include sound, spectacular impressions
and video. Cinema may creatively integrate elements of photography,
video, film, music and literature and other materials in its production.

Indio Nacional, a film directed by Raya Martin is a good example. It


creatively combines pictorial units, historical excerpts or texts, sound,
and even a live musical piano accompaniment. Unlike the visual arts,
the combined arts are transitory in nature since they are events that
occur in time.

The Spatio-Temporal Frames in the Combined Arts

This quality sets them apart from painting, sculpture or architecture,


which are otherwise valued for their tangible and unchangeable
qualities. We can always go back again and again to Van Gogh’s Starry
Night painting and marvel at the expressive lines and colors which have
remained the same through the years, or experience the same majestic
stance of the Greek Winged Victory sculpture as it was first beheld
thousands of years ago.

In music, however, the notes in the melody of Beethoven’s Symphony


No.5 cannot be held forever. Its timbre, pitch and volume can only
register when they move through time. Its music can only be heard
through a continuous shift of notes, through repetition, variation, and an
accumulation of effects in time. Similarly, the cumulative series of
sights, sounds, and impressions in Theater and Cinema can only
manifests in time.

Another element that is common among the combined arts is the locus
--- the specific space in which Music, Film and Theater and other
combined Arts occur. This unique spatial quality not only serves as
physical or tangible receptacle that enables these arts to manifest as
they move in time but also gives them a definitive shape. Adolphe
Apphia, one of the 20th century’s major theoreticians of Theater, in
Action, Space, Light, Painting, illustrates this point in reference to the
theater space. He says that space must conform to the plastic feature
of the actor or the actress, and that its must work to serve his or her
moving, alive and three dimensional character.
Space, in this sense, not only locates the actor or actress in three-
dimensional space but also defines his/her performance’s dynamic
shape. One’s experience of the combined arts may also be affected by
the kind of spaces in which these arts are held. The audience’s
experience of a play performed in a traditional theater building
complete with an arena, thrust, or proscenium stage will be different
from that performed in an alternative space.

Juan Ekis, director-playwright of the Palanca award-winning play 20


Questions makes use of a converted space --- a nook in a resto-bar to
create a cramped but snug and intimate bedroom space where actors
interact. This specific theater space not only conforms to the demands
of performance, but also affects or alters the audience’s reception and
experience of the play.

The Display of Skills in the Combined Arts

Another integral aspect of the combined arts is the performance, which


consists in the display or demonstration of certain technical skills by
human beings for the public’s pleasure or enjoyment. In theater, this
may be shown in the display of prowess by the actor or actresses in
staging a literary text or simply in the display of his or her active body or
body movement activities on stage.

This is illustrated in Hoy Boyet, Hatinggabi na’y Gising Ka Pa Pala, a


theater play written by Tony Perez, where student-director Patrick
Valera makes recourse to pure virtuosic physical skills as he makes
demands for extremely taxing physical display from his actors to allow
complex psychological and emotional explorations. In Cinema, this can
be shown in the display of aural and visual images to depicts a story or
a fact by technology and mixed media through the expertise of a
director, actor and the production crew.

The Structure of the Combined Arts

The display of skills in Music, Theater and Cinema, and all the
combined arts for that matter, is realized through a set of production
techniques, processes and conventions, and through the organization
of specific elements according to certain rules or principles that are
unique to each art form.

Structure refers to the different aspects that make up a performance in


the Combined Arts. Specifically, it points to what constitutes the
performance in Music, Film and Theater including but not limited to a
clear set of characteristics identifiable by particular elements, rules or
principles of organization, conventions and techniques or processes,
that organize the production within specific spatial and temporal
frames. The analysis of the Structure simply refers to the analysis of
Form.

The Structure of Music

In Music, what constitutes its Structure are the elements:


1. Rhythm
2. Melody
3. Harmony
4. Texture
5. Form (organization)
The Structure of Theater

In Theater, what is performed may vary. In many cultures, what has


become the major mode of theatrical performance is the enactment of
literature or dramatic text. From the tradition of Aristotelian drama,
theater performance is organized according to specific elements such
as the Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Music and Spectacle. In
preliterate societies and in indigenous non-western rituals and dramas,
manifestations or movements, gestures, sound and voice that follow
certain patterns give the performance its structure rather than the
narrative. Different genres of theater have their own distinctive or
unique set of elements and conventions.

The Structure of Cinema

What constitute the Structure of Cinema are the elements of:

1. Script of Narrative
2. Acting
3. Production Design which includes the props, set design, costume
and decor
4. Staging or Directing
5. Cinematography
6. Editing
7. Sound Design
The Analysis of the Combined Arts

Form

Form refers to the elements, principles of composition, conventions


and techniques that are used to organize a work of art.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the form,


here are some guide questions he/she can answer:

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the art work?
3. How do the dominant elements affect you?
4. What are the principal principles, conventions and techniques that
are used in the art work?
5. How do these principles apply to the dominant elements and vice
versa to effectively convey the main theme of the art work?

Medium

Medium refers to the material used by the artist. There are a variety of
materials used in the combined arts. Theater uses the body and voice
as the principal media while music makes use of the voice and sound.
The media are the vehicles with which the artist conveys the content of
his or her art work.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the form,


here are some guide questions he/she can answer:

1. What is the principal medium used by the artist?


2. How does the medium bring forth the beauty of art work?
3. What other media can help convey the theme of the art work?
Why and how?
4. How well does the medium convey the meaning of the art work?

Subject Matter

Subject Matter is what the artwork is about. It may be a person,


nature, an event, feeling or idea that is central in the art piece.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the


subject matter, here are some questions he/she can answer:

1. What is the theme of the art work?


2. What are the other sub-themes that connect to the central theme?
3. What is the significance of the central theme/s to you in terms of
personal, historical, social or political value?

Style

Style refers to the set of characteristics that identifies an artwork with


an individual, a historical period, a school of artists, or a nation.

To guide the viewer in describing, interpreting and analyzing the style,


here are some questions he/she can answer:

1. What particular characteristics does this art work have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the art work within the same genre and period.
The guide questions provided can lead to an appreciation of the
aesthetic qualities of art.

Knowing the:

1. Form (elements, principles and conventions)


2. Medium
3. Subject matter and style of an artwork gives us a ready outline on
which to begin a formal analysis of an artwork.
MUSIC

Music as a human activity is very complex. It involves creativity in


putting together melody to express an experience, a feeling, idea,
words and other things. Human feelings of pride, satisfaction, hope,
accomplishment, failures, fears and joy may be expressed beyond
words but can be conveyed through music. In most cases, music
requires musical instruments. Man has invented wind instruments,
bass, percussion, string or combination of objects that create beautiful
sound.

The power of music goes beyond words. It can penetrate thinking,


change moods, stimulate ideas, create space around man or affect
man in a negative way. Although words are used in some music pieces,
the listeners’ reactions to it differ, depending on the person’s
disposition, mood and many other human characteristics.

What Music Is

Music is the organization of sound through a musical composition,


sometimes aided by musical instruments. Unlike in the visual arts that
do not move, music is fleeting. We have only a fleeting moment to
capture many of the characteristics of music.

Twelve common forms of Music

• Art Song – a setting of a poem for solo voice and piano.


• Cantata – a sermon in music drawn from the lectionary (based on
Bible reading)
• Mass – a sacred choral composition with five sections: Kyrie,
Gloria, Credo, Santus, and Agnos Dei.
• Motet – a polyphonic choral work that is shorter than a mass and
employs a sacred Latin text other than that of the mass.
• Opera – contains music, drama, poetry and visual arts. It ranges
from tragedies to music dramas and comedies.
• Concert Overture – an independent composition for orchestra,
contains one movement, composed in sonata form.
• Oratorio – a large-scale composition that uses a chorus, vocal
soloists and orchestra. Here, the narrator uses recitatives (vocal
lines initiating the rhythms and inflections of normal speech) to tell
the story and connect the various parts.
• Sonata – an instrumental composition in several movements
written for one to eight players.
• Concerto – an extended composition for an instrumental soloist
and orchestra where the soloist virtuosity in the interpretive skills
joins the wide-ranging dynamics and tonal colors of an orchestra.
• Suite – comprises of dance-inspired movements written in the
same key but differing in tempo, meter and character.
• Symphony – an orchestral composition, usually in four
movements, a symphony typically lasts between 20 and 45
minutes.
• Fugue – a polyphonic (two or more melodic lines of relatively
equal importance performed at the same time) composition based
on one main theme or subject, written for a group of instruments
or voices or for a single instrument like an organ or harpsichord.

The Composition of Music

The Elements of Music

One’s impression or gut feelings to any piece of music may be


substantiated through the elements. The elements could provide the
rationale to one’s emotional or passionate outbursts to any piece of
music. How the elements are used, manipulated or maneuvered by the
composer could make or break a musical composition; some
compositions lack imagination, perhaps because the rhythm, melody or
harmony are too predictable; thus the composition may not have much
to offer in terms of artistic merits. A simple melody could become more
beautiful.

On its own, it may just be a run-of-the-mill kind of melody because it is


dressed up and accessorized by the clever use of harmony. In
assessing musical compositions, whether intelligent, awesome, cleverly
composed, or lack-luster, common, uninspired by the gods, could be
attributed to the use and combination of the elements. Other factors like
the performer’s understanding of a composition, the quality of the
performance, have also their stake in how a musical composition
strikes listeners. The most common elements of music are rhythm,
melody, harmony and texture.

Rhythm

Rhythm refers to the placement of the duration of notes and rests in


time, creating a pattern. It is the flow of music in terms of time. When
one says rhythm and/or beat, he/she might associate it with counting.
Thus, it is important to know the different counts for each beat. There
are two half notes in every one whole note and two quarter notes in
every one half note, etc.

There are components that make up rhythm:


a) Beat
b) Meter
c) Syncopation
d) Tempo

Beat

The beat is the recurrent throb or pulse that makes one want to move
along with the music. Beat is divided in terms of time. When at a
concert or just listening to a favorite song, one might notice people’s
feet tapping unconsciously. He/she is actually doing a beat of that
music! It can be fast, slow or moderate. It should never be erratic.
Having frequent starting and stopping or going faster or slower makes
the music sound disorganized and annoying to listen to.

Meter

This is the way of measuring rhythm where the beats are organized into
regular groups. It is the organized pattern of music. There are many
types of meter. An example is the duple meter which has two beats per
measure or a triple meter, which has three beats in each measure. For
these examples, count loudly the counts in capital letters. The vertical
lines serves as a division of the measures: When you counted the
capitalized numbers out loud, what you did was placed an accent on
those numbers.

An accent is an emphasis on a note, wherein it is played loudly than


the rest. The first beat in the measure, and the stressed note in general
(in this case, the ONE) is called a downbeat. The beat preceding
(occurring before) the downbeat would be the upbeat. Quadruple is
another example which has four beats in a measure. Here, there will be
another stress on a beat, which is the third. It is not as strong as the
downbeat (one), but it is stronger than two and four. This is counted as:
There are many other meters as well, such as the Quintuple, with five
beats per measure, and the Septuple, with seven beats in a measure
and so on. The time signature is the written indication of meter. The
numerator (number above) tells how many beats there are in each
measure, while the denominator (number below) tells you the beats
duration value.

Syncopation

Syncopation is the deliberate misplacement of the rhythmic emphasis


(accent) and puts it where it is not expected or removes it where it is
expected. This is prominent in jazz and 20th century music.

Tempo

Tempo is from the Italian word “time.” This means the speed of the
music is measured in beats per minute. To get an idea, try counting
your watch; it moves at a rate of 60 beats per minute. In a song, that
would be 60 beats per minute.

Examples of Tempo

• Andante (walking speed)


• Adagio (comfortably slow)
• Allegro (comfortably fast, happy, cheerful)
• Presto (quick and light)

Categories of Tempo

• Grave • Larghetto
• Largo • Adagio
• Lento • Not quite as slow as largo
• Andante • Slow
• Moderato • Slow
• Allegretto • Medium slow tempo
• Allegro • Moderate, or medium
• Vivo, or vivace • Not as fast as allegro
• Presto • Fast
• Prestissimo • Lively and brisk
• Very slow and solemn • Very fast
• Slow and broad • Very, very fast

Melody

Melody refers to the succession of single tones that must “hang


together” to show that indeed, there is the presence of melody; it is not
an arbitrary selection of single tones, for music must always exhibit
some sense of logic. From a non-musician’s point of view, melody
provides the interest to any piece of music as it is what we watch out
for; in a song, the melody is the song itself.

Horizontal Movement

Melody exhibits a horizontal movement. Melody may be played in


symphony, a musical form for orchestra alone in 3-5 contrasting
movements. A movement is merely a part of a bigger work; 1st
movement is always fast as it acts as the opening salvo of a
composition; it is meant to catch the attention of the listener.

In songs, melody is synonymous with the piece itself. It can be a


unifying head in a long musical work. The features of the voice or
instrument contribute or detract from the effect of the melody itself.
They all have rhythm and most melodies tend to center around one
particular pitch, the home pitch.

Pitch

Pitch refers to the quality of highness or lowness of sound. Melody is a


cohesive series or lines of pitches. These pitches must hang together if
the melody is to be any good. Melody is created when a series of
individual pitches are lined after another. Together, they constitute an
entity.

Tune, Melodic Curve and Climax

Another name for this is tune. This can be easily recognized in a song
since it is the “body” itself. It can move in an up and down motion. This
motion of movement of the pitches are called melodic curve. Melody
has other aspects. When the curve reaches its highest point, that would
be the climax.

Range

There is also a label for the distance between the highest and the
lowest pitches, i.e. range. As for distance, it can either be narrow or
wide. If there are many notes separating the lowest and the highest
pitch, that is a wide range. If there are few notes in between them, it is
a narrow range.

Interval, Prime or Unison

Interval refers to the distance in sound and notation between two


pitches. There are two notes on the same line or same space, which is
called prime or unison. Interval of a 2nd occurs when two notes are on
an adjoining line and space. Interval of a 3rd has two notes from line to
line, or space to space. Intervals may be major or minor.

Scale, Octave

A scale is a series of pitches that proceeds upward or downward


according to a prescribed pattern of intervals. When two pitches are
separated, one being either double or half the number of vibrations of
the other pitch, it is called octave. The notes on an octave sound
similar and bear the same letter names and signing names.

Major and Minor Scales

• A major scale has half steps between the 3rd and 4th notes and
the 7th and 8th notes.
• A minor scale has half steps between the 2nd and 4th notes and
the 5th and 6th notes.

Harmony

Harmony refers to the simultaneous sounding of tones; it is the


combination of two or more tones sounded together. It is synonymous
to chords. If melody exhibits horizontal movement, harmony exhibits a
vertical movement. Harmony provides the body or support to a
melody; it dresses up the melody; thus, a very simple melody can
sound more interesting and beautiful because of the composer’s
imaginative use of chords.
It also determines the texture of a composition, where thin or thick.
Harmony adds to the total effect and makes the music sound more
complete although the listener’s attention is not on it.

• Harmony refers to the combination of pitches at any given


instant.
• Counterpoint implies attention to melodic lines as the progress at
the same time.

In both harmony and counterpoint, pitches sound at the same time, and
yet they also progress in terms of time.

Two kinds of harmony

• If the sound that it produces gives the impression of agreement


and equilibrium, it is called consonant.
• If it gives the impression of disequilibrium and tension, it is called
a dissonant.

Since we have different concepts and tastes in music, there is no clear


line that divides the two. In this case, it is subjective wherein beauty is
in the ear of the beholder.

Chords

A chord is three or more pitches sounded together. It is the


simultaneous sounding of three or more tones.
Texture

Texture refers to whether a piece of music is conceived more in terms


of melodic lines or in a sense of simultaneous sounds or chords. It
describes how many layers of sound are going on in a certain piece of
music the way the sounds are combined together. These can either be
monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic.

Monophonic has only one melodic line, no harmony. In other words,


no accompaniment of any sort, as in Gregorian chant.

Homophonic has accompaniment for the melody. The accompaniment


may sound great alone, but it is not independent with the melody
because it is designed to go with it. Some examples are singing with a
guitar or choir singing with one main vocalist as melody while the rest
do “second voices” to accompany that main voice.

Polyphonic - If you and your friends were to talk at the same time, it
would sound irritating and confusing. In music, when different
instruments play at the same time and blending the sounds together,
great music is produced. Such is the polyphonic texture, wherein it has
more than one independent melody occurring at the same time.

SOUND IN MUSIC

When sound is organized using the elements discussed in this section,


a musical composition is created. Musical compositions depends on
controlled and shaped sound consistent in quality.
Four Basic Properties

• pitch
• dynamics
• tone color
• duration

Pitch

Pitch is the highness or lowness of a sound. Press one note on a


keyboard and this gives you one pitch. Similarly, if you play do re mi,
you increase the pitch. If you press the key backward mi re do, you
decrease the pitch.

Dynamics

Simply put, it means how quiet or loud a sound is. Dynamic levels
indicate the mood of the music and appeal to the emotions. Loudness
indicates the mood of victory or suspense or happiness. Softness
indicates calmness or sadness. The degrees of loudness or softness
are classified into the following Italian terms:

Dynamics

• Pianissimo • Forte
• Decrescendo • Fortissimo
• Piano • Very soft
• Diminuendo • Gradually softer
• Mezzo Piano • Soft
• Crescendo • Gradually softer
• Mezzo Forte • Moderately soft
• Gradually louder • Loud
• Moderately loud • Very loud

Tone

How does tone differ from pitch? Tone is a sound that has a definite
pitch. Play do re mi fa sol la ti do on the keyboard or simply sing it.
Did you notice that you started with do and ended with another do?
Both dos have different pitches and with the second do, you ended
with the higher pitch, although they have the same sound. In cases
where the tone sounds alike, it is separated with an octave. Timber is
the “tone color” in music, much like how you have different colors when
you paint. It is the quality of the sound. Take for example, a violin and
an oboe playing at the same time with the same volume, note, and
length. You can distinguish between the two instruments despite their
similar performance because of their different sounds. They have
differences in their timber.

Duration

Duration constitutes the length of time in which vibration is maintained


without interruption. Duration in musical composition uses a set of
conventions called musical notation.

Example of a Musical Notation

Musical Form

Form describes how the music is set up. Most songs aired on the radio
are in verse-refrain form. Songs may have forms with varied
techniques called repetition (e.g. the refrain of a song), and variation
(as in songs where the rhythm changes within the song). In describing
the form, each section of the music is given letters that identify each
part of the song.

For example, in Josh Groban’s song To Where You Are, he sings with
piano accompaniment in the first stanza.

Let us label this “A.” When it comes to the refrain, it is very different
from the sound of the first stanza as the melody changes and few
instruments are now being played. This can be labeled as “B.”

It is in noticing the differences in each part of the song that you can
recognize its form and give them labels. The difference can be in the
melody, the harmony or in the rhythm and the lyrics. If the first
stanza/chorus is exactly the same as the second stanza/refrain, then
you can just repeat the label that you gave the first stanza/refrain for
the second (e.g. A for the first stanza and another A for the second
stanza).

If there are similarities with the different sections but are quite different
from each other (e.g. all stanzas are the same but differ in a little from
each other), you can add another apostrophe to the letter. (e.g. A for
the first stanza, A’ for the second, and A” for the third, etc.) If there are
many differences in each part (e.g. a section is so different from your
previous letter labels and you already have A and B), you can add
letters like “C.”

This kind of labeling is used by musicians in describing the form. The


most common are the two basic types of form: Binary (AB), and
Ternary (ABA).
Musical Instruments

In the Asian and Philippine cultures, musical instruments are classified


according to material, shape and size. In traditional Chinese music, the
material of the instrument itself --- stone, metal, wood, and so on ---
forms the basis for classifying it under the major categories for tonal
color. The materials represent the components of the physical universe
and their presence in a musical grouping has philosophical and
religious significance.

Thus, in ya-weh (ritual music of Confucianism), eight kinds of


instruments, representing the eight materials --- metal, stone, wood,
earth, membrane, bamboo, gourd and string --- must be present, both
to create a satisfying musical sound and to reflect a complete cosmic
system.

In the Philippines, musical instruments vary in shape and size. And


example can be found among the Maguindanaon of Mindanao. The
kulintang is made up of five instruments, four of which are different-
sized brass gongs with bosses. Each of the four types of gongs laid out
in a row, is struck on the bosses with light wooden sticks.

The agung, a large, deep rimmed, hanging gong, is also struck on the
boss, but it is damped by inserting a knee into the gong and holding the
boss with one hand to produce a deep, muffled timbre. The gandingan
are also large gongs, muffled as they are played, but they have large,
shallow rims and produce a higher, resonant sound. Finally, the
babandil, a small hanging gong, is struck on the rim to produce a crack
sound.
When all the gongs are played together, they combine different types of
gong timbres into a single ensemble. These musical instruments are
used in rituals and social gatherings. Palabunibunyan instruments are
heard in various occasions such as weddings (kailang), baptisms
(paigo sa ragat), and healing rites (kapagipat). Festive gatherings
become venue for musical competitions, which are opportunities for
gong players to display their skill and virtuosity.

Agung players are judged by the quickness of their rhythm and


tempos, playing positions and techniques in beating the gong, while
kulintang players are judged by the melodic-rhythmic ornamentations
they create on the spot. In general, musical instruments are classified
according to its operation. There are those that can be bowed or the
strings, blown, or the brasses and woodwinds, and struck, or the
percussions.

The String Instruments

Guitar

The guitar is the most familiar stringed instrument of all. Generating the
sound for instrument would be by strumming and plucking the strings
with the fingers, or sometimes using a pick. The guitar usually has six
strings, but interestingly, there are other versions such as seven string
guitar, a four, an eight, a ten, even twelve strings. With its application in
many music types, its versatility makes the guitar a very valuable
instrument.
Violin

Perhaps this reminds you of Sharon Corr (with the Corrs) or Lucia
Micarelli (with Josh Groban). This is the famous instrument you see
cradled over the shoulder and under the player’s chin. This beautiful
instrument is called the violin. It is part of the violin family. Among them,
the violin is the smallest and has the highest pitch. Sometimes, it is
called a fiddle, so if you play the violin you can be called a violinist or a
fiddler. It is a bowed string instrument.

Lute

It looks like a fat guitar with a broken end, but it isn’t; and neither is it a
guitar. This instrument is called the lute, which is a general term for any
plucked string instrument with a round deep back with a neck.

Harp

The harp is a stringed instrument usually used in most classical and


ballad music. Its strings are either made of wire, gut nylon, or silk.
Plucking the strings would produce its sound, and requires the use of
all your fingers except the last finger in each hand. While harps as we
know are operated by hand, there is an exception which uses the feet,
called the Pedal Harp.
The Brass and Woodwind Instruments

Trumpet

Perhaps one of the most common instruments is the trumpet, which


enjoys having the highest register in the brass section. Like the sax, it
bears a cylindrical bore.

Saxophone

The saxophone (also known as sax) is another member of the


woodwind family. This instrument is made of brass and has a curved
shape.

The Percussion Instruments

Snare Drum

The snare drum derives its name from the fact that it has a set of
“snares,” cords that are placed together either made out of metal wire,
gut, or cable (plastic or metal).

Bass Drum

The largest drum of the orchestra, the big drum on a marching band
and the most visible drum part on band set-ups, the bass drum has a
low pitch and due to its size has a boomy sound when struck. For this
reason, it is usually muffled either by holding it or placing a foam,
pillow, or blanket inside it.
Bongos

The bongos are two drums connected to each other by a block of


wood. The smaller drum called “macho” produces higher sounds than
the bigger drum, called “hembra,” which is placed on the right side
when held. Played by placing the instrument between the knees or on a
stand and struck by the fingers and palms, the bongos are one of the
most popular instrument today.

Conga

Looking like the bongos is the conga, which is played by using the
hands for striking. It is made either of fiberglass or wood.

Cymbals

Made of different alloys such as brass and bronze, the cymbals are
used in most music. The cymbal is designed according to its usage,
such as cymbals to be suspended on a stand or held by hand, struck
by stick or crashed to each other.

Tambourine

Usually heard in your local church, this instrument is the tambourine. It


is made of frame (usually plastic or wood) and zils, which are small
metal jingles paired together. Shaken or struck by hand or stick, the
tambourine also can be made with a drum head for some types.
Triangle

With the instrument and the beater made of metal, the triangle is struck
to produce a ringing tone. It is either hung by string or by hand, used in
different types of music including rock music.

Marimba

With its keys arranged like the piano, this percussion instrument called
the marimba is struck by mallets to generate its sound.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED MUSICAL PIECES

The Use of Rhythm in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Badinerie

The tempo of Badinerie is allegro. Since it has a fast tempo, it is natural


for the listener to tap his foot, drum his finger/s on a surface or nod his
head. It is not natural to be doing these activities while listening to a
slow, meditative and somber piece of music. In the melodic
configuration of the melody, its skips and relatively wide leaps are
appropriate for the tempo and for the instrument used.

Melody is played in the middle to high registers of the flute, contributing


to its cheerful and light character. If in the lower registers, it would
sound serious, ominous, or even threatening. It would also sound
heavy. Besides, a composer has to take into consideration the
possibilities of the instrument he is using: it range and timbre/tone,
color/tone quality or the distinctive and unique sound of an instrument
that allows the listener to identify the instrument. There is the use of the
flute accompanied by a harpsichord.

The flute is appropriate for birdlike, fast and cheerful passages. The
use of the harpsichord, a 17th-18th century keyboard instrument,
contributes to the light character of the piece; perhaps also to establish
its historical authenticity as a composition that belongs to the Baroque
period. As for the dynamics, there is not much contrast between soft
and loud; it is generally moderately loud; thus, one can say that there is
no drama in the piece; it simply gives the impression of children
frolicking in the meadows, or simply having fun.
Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities
of J.S. Bach’s Badinerie

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the musical?

Analysis

1. The dominant element is rhythm as indicated by its melody.


2. In the melody, its skips and relatively wide leaps are appropriate
for the tempo and for the instrument used.
3. Melody is played in the middle to high registers of the flute,
contributing to its cheerful and light character.

The Medium

1. What instruments are used in the musical piece?


2. How does the use of these instruments enhance the beauty of the
music?

Analysis

1. There is the use of the flute accompanied by a harpsichord.


2. The flute is appropriate for birdlike, fast and cheerful passages,
although the instrument does not have to be stereotyped to such
passages.
The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.

Analysis

1. The use of the harpsichord, a 17th-18th century keyboard


instrument, contributes to the light character of the piece; perhaps
also to established its historical authenticity as a composition that
belongs to the Baroque period.

The Use of Melody in Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony #40, G Minor,


1st Movement

In Symphony #40, G Minor, 1st Movement, the melody of the 1st


movement is catchy, easy to hum and cheerful because of its allegro
tempo. In terms of timbre, it is dominated by the strings, particularly the
violin, and supported by the other string instruments such as viola, cello
and double bass. The melodic configuration is by steps and skips
where the notes are close to one another. This contributes to the easy
recall of the melody, its simplicity and beauty and quality. Since it is
dominated by strings, especially the violin, the range of the melody lies
between the lower-middle to high registers, which gives the piece a
child-like, innocent, cheerful and Mozartean quality.

Mozart was able to separate his personal life full of sufferings,


disappointments, etc. from his artistic life, full of optimism, oblivious to
what was going on in his personal life; perhaps, he was a child of his
times, for Mozart, strictly speaking, belongs to the Rococo period,
although he is classified as a composer of the classical period. There is
evenness in dynamics or the loudness and softness of sound which
contributes to the qualities already mentioned. It is a piece of music that
is sans drama, precisely because of the evenness in the dynamics,
whose range could be between pp (pianissimo or very soft), to f (forte
or loud). Even the crescendo, which is the gradual increase of sound,
is nothing more than gradual; no sudden change in dynamics.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony #40, G Minor, 1st Movement

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the musical?

Analysis

1. The melody of the 1st movement is catchy, easy to hum and


cheerful because of its allegro tempo.
2. The melodic configuration is by steps and skips where the notes
are close to one another.
3. This contributes to the easy recall of the melody, its simplicity,
beauty and quality.
4. There is evenness in dynamics or the loudness and softness of
sound which also contributes to the qualities of the music.
The Medium

1. What instruments are used in the musical piece?


2. How does the use of these instruments enhance the beauty of the
music?

Analysis

1. In terms of timbre, it is dominated by the strings, particularly the


violin, and supported by the other string instruments such as
viola, cello and double bass.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.

Analysis

1. Mozart belongs to the Rococo period, although he is classified as


a composer of the classical period.
2. It is a piece of music that is sans drama, precisely because of the
evenness in the dynamics, whose range could be between pp
(pianissimo or very soft), to f (forte or loud).
3. Even the crescendo, which is the gradual increase of sound, is
nothing more than gradual; no sudden change in dynamics.
The Use of Harmony on Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony #5, C
Minor, 1st Movement

In Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony #5, C minor, 1st movement, the


opening notes of the work, consisting of 4 notes played in unison by the
orchestra, immediately call the attention of the listener. This is followed
by the same configuration, one cannot help but take notice. The notes
are played in the middle-lower register. As such, there seems to be
something sinister that one has to watch out and be on guard.
However, the next lines are in contradistinction, more relaxed and
gentle, and these are played in the middle-upper registers which
contribute to such feelings.

Dynamics, which provides the color to a piece of music, are in sharp


contrast to one another, ranging from pp (pianissisimo or very, very
soft) to fff (fortessisimo or very, very loud). More importantly,
Beethoven made use of subito piano or subito forte (sudden soft or
loud respectively), which injects into the piece some element of drama.

If you listen to the harmony, there are more notes sounded together,
some are dissonant of the chord that gives a feeling of discomfort or
anxiety. Thus, in traditional harmony, this has to be resolved so that
there is a feeling of finality, relaxation or rest. Otherwise, just like in
contemporary compositions, the impression given is one of “hanging,”
no resolution or closure.

By and large, the harmony of the piece is consonant, which gives a


feeling of repose. Dissonant harmonies are simply for contrast, color
and sudden “fits of insanity,” which are, as mentioned earlier, resolved.
Considering that there are more notes played, the texture is thicker,
which makes the wider use of dynamics possible, and with more
instruments used, there is a variety of tone color/timbre. Because of
how the different elements are used, critics have subtitled this work
“Fate Symphony.”

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony #5, C Minor, 1st Movement

The Form

1. What are the dominant elements?


2. How are these used in the musical?

Analysis

1. Harmony is the dominant element which is consonant, which


gives a feeling of repose; dissonant harmonies are simply for
contrast, color and sudden “fits of insanity,” which are, as
mentioned earlier, resolved.
2. Considering that there are more notes played, the texture is
thicker, which makes the wider use of dynamics possible, and
with more instruments used, there is a variety of tone color/timbre.

The Medium

1. What instruments are used in the musical piece?


2. How does the use of these instruments enhance the beauty of the
music?
Analysis

1. The opening notes of the work, consisting of 4 notes played in


unison by the orchestra, immediately call the attention of the
listener.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.

Analysis

• Beethoven made use of subito piano or subito forte (sudden


soft or loud respectively), which injects into the piece some
element of drama.
• Because of how the different elements are used, critics have
subtitled this work “Fate Symphony.”
THEATER ARTS

How and when theater originated is uncertain but various kinds of


rituals considered to be important in the lives and well-being of people
already demonstrate some elements that make up the theater as we
know it today. These are the performance space, performer, make-up,
costume, music, dance and the audience. Although how it emerged is
not clear, theater has achieved its own identity as an art form and has
been developed and valued at different times or era.

Theater as a form of art uniquely employs a specific language that


applies to visual and auditory elements, media, techniques and
conventions, which take place in both space and time. This aspect is
precisely what sets it apart from other human activities and other forms
of art. At the same time, this also serves as its unique creative device
that helps us order and shape our perception about human experience
and our views about the world in which we live.

The stage or theater is a world that reflects different patterns of human


behavior, and as such, possesses a great humanizing force. As
theater uniquely relives or recreates innumerable happenings that
occur in our lives, it reveals patterns of human behavior that help us
reflect on ourselves and make us understand more what it means to be
human. Broadly speaking, it also operates to make us understand the
world through the varied human experiences that it represents.

What Theater Art Is

Theater refers to performance based on a dramatic text that is staged


using techniques of theater production and enacted and interpreted by
artists, directors, designers and other personnel before audiences who
are situated in sites of performance. The dramatic text that is
interpreted into a theater piece narrates a story involving a character or
several characters who struggle to pursue a desired goal or ideal. Its
heart is the conflict, which develops into a series of crises that reaches
a climax. It resolves either happily or unhappily in the end.

The theme of a dramatic text practically comes from any human


experience. In the tradition of the West, the function of theater is
reduced to interpretation or communication of the dramatic text.
However, within and across different cultures, the boundaries of theater
are flexible and dispense with the requirements of drama. Theater then
expands to religious rituals, cultural events such as fiestas and
entertainments such as juggling and tumbling, small scale practices
involving story-telling or event performed by one person to at least one
other, among others, which only require minimum essentials to
complete --- at least one person who demonstrates certain skills to at
least one other.

Peter Brook, one of the world’s greatest directors, alludes to these


requirements as follows:
“I can take an empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks
across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him,
and this is all that is needed for an act of theater to be engaged.”

Indeed, as Eric Bentley suggests, all it takes for theater to complete is


for A to perform B for C, where someone (performer) performs
something (performance) for someone else (audience).
How Theater Is Done

A theater performance comes from many forces coming together. Its


elements are varied and complex, and may include the physical
presence of the actors, the colors and shapes of the costumes and
scenery, sound and music, drama, and the ideas and emotions
expressed by the playwright. Among other things, that dynamically
interplay with each other within specific temporal and spatial frames at
each point of the performance.

This whole event of combining the elements, techniques and


conventions results to a unique “shape,” which we call the theater
Form. Eastern and Western theater traditions have their own unique set
of elements, techniques, processes and conventions, and therefore
differ in Form.

The Performance of the Theater Actor

In Theater, the performance refers to acting that takes place within the
dynamics of space and time of the theatrical setting. A performance
requires many special vocal and physical skills on the part of the actor
or actress. There had been no devised method or system to carry out a
credible performance. Constantin Stanislavski, Russian actor and
director and founder of the Moscow Art Theater, forwarded a realistic
acting grammar which is now called the Method of Physical Actions or
simply the Stanislavsky system.

Some of the major features of Stanislavski’s system for naturalistic


acting include relaxation, concentration and observation, dealing with
specific objects, use of the power of fantasy or imagination to achieve
inner truth in a role, developing a thorough line or a spine which runs
through a character’s role throughout the play, ensemble playing, and
developing voice and body. In contrast, Bertolt Brecht, German poet,
playwright, and theater director, proposes a system that negates role
identification and realistic portrayal in order to distance the audience
from the stage events for critical viewing.

He calls this alienation effect Verfremdungseffect which translates as


to make strange. In this method, the actor or the actress shows or
presents the character he or she portrays rather than becomes him or
her. One of the many conventions that Brecht adopts along this line
involves the actor speaking in third person and saying or verbalizing his
character’s action, for instance. He also resorts to other theater devices
such as changing the scenery in front of the audience, projections,
treadmills, hoists and musicians on the stage to heighten this effect.

Furthermore, Brecht insist that each element must make its own
statement because such would highlight the disparity among them, and
consequently help the audience to become critically aware of their
implications. For example, Brecht would apply ironic lyrics to
lighthearted songs to make the listener even more aware or critical of
the implications of the song. In Theater, the demonstration of skill or
performance of the actor or actress varies constantly as it depends on
the kind of audience to whom the actor or actress responds. As a live
event, a theatrical performance would always have a unique impact on
the dynamic real-time interplay between the actor and the audience.

The Audience

Besides the performer and his performance, the audience is also


important in a theater event. As spectator, the audience combines what
he sees or hears within the theatrical set-up, and finally complete the
theatrical process through his imagination and mind. He is the final
individual who brings all the parts of the play together. Viola Spolin,
actress, director, educator, underlines this role by saying that without
the audience there is no theater, and everything that formally makes up
theater is simply for the audience’s enjoyment.

The Theater Space

Theater has a designated space. It is customarily assembled through


visual and acoustic signs such as properties, performers, lighting and
sound. An orchard, for instance, may be constructed acoustically
through the blows of axes that cut down trees or a depressed area
through an actual barong-barong structure on the stage, The theater
space is usually set up on stage, which has four basic types. Each type
has its own advantages and disadvantages, and uniquely provides
different viewing experiences.

The four basic theater stages:

1. The Proscenium or picture frame stage


2. Arena or circle stage
3. Thrust Stage with three quarter seating
4. Created and Found stage space

Stage directions:

L, C, R, US, DS etc., Plaster and Center Lines:

The part of the stage in from of the Proscenium is the Apron, or


sometimes the Thrust.
The audience seating is the Auditorium or the House.

Proscenium, FOH, Wings, Apron, Traps and traproom:


Scene house, Fly loft, Lock rail, Fly rail, Loading rail, Grid House, Box
boom, Beams, Cove, Booth

Ancillary areas:

 scene and prop shops,


 storage,
 light storage and maintenance,
 costume shop and storage,
 dressing rooms, green room,
 lobby & box office, publicity, administration.

The Stage is usually set up at the Loading Dock end of the building for
ease of setup. Opposite the stage is Front of House or FOH,
sometimes called "Sound World", as the Mixing consoles are located
here. Standard stage directions are usually used (Stage Right, Stage
Left, Downstage, Upstage, etc.). The Monitor mixer often go SL in
"Monitor World", and lighting dimmers go SR in "Dimmer Beach".

The main floor at the Reisch Center is designed as a hockey rink, and
is surrounded by a protective wall called a Dasher, even during
concerts. Seating is located on the main floor between the Stage and
FOH, and also in the bleachers. Audience entrances from the
concourses (lobby areas) into the seating bowl are called VOMs, short
for "Vomitories", the old Roman name for such entrances.
The Proscenium or Picture Frame Stage

The most familiar type of stage, consist of a frame, which is originally in


the form of an arch that separates the stage from the auditorium. As the
term picture frame suggests, it looks like a large picture frame through
which the audience looks at the stage. Since the action takes place
behind the proscenium opening or frame in this type of stage, the seats
in the auditorium face the stage like how seats in a movie theater face
the screen.
The auditorium is slanted downward from the house or the back of the
auditorium while the stage is raised to aid visibility. Another term for this
type of stage is the fourth wall, which comes from the idea of the frame
being a glass wall through which the audience looks at the other three
walls of a room.

Arena or Circle Stage or Theater in the Round

Parts of an Arena:

An Arena is designed for sporting events first. Setting up a concert


means fitting it into a space meant for a different kind of event.
Compromise and accommodation is frequently required. The stage is
usually set up as an End Stage, or occasionally in the center as an
"Arena" Stage.

Arena or Circle Stage or Theater in the Round

It consists of a stage either in the form of a square or a circle with seats


arranged around it.
The stage of this type may either be raised a few feet above the floor
with seats rising from the floor level, or it may be on the floor with seats
raised on levels around it. Some of the advantages of this stage is that
it is more intimate and economical than the Proscenium Stage. Unlike
in the Proscenium Stage, it does not have barrier in the form of a frame
that separates the performers from the audience, and it dispenses with
the elaborate scenery as it would block the view of the large parts of
the audience.

Thrust Stage

The Thrust Stage has been the most widely-used stage space. It has
its seats on three sides or arranged in a semi-circle, which enclose a
stage that protrudes into the center. It has entrances and exists at the
back of the playing area and a sort of stage house for scene changes.
This stage is said to fall between the Proscenium and Arena stages as
it combines the sense of intimacy and focused stage set of the
Proscenium.

Created or Found Stage

Created or found stage spaces include non-theater buildings or virtually


every kind of structure that maintain their original architectural elements
intact as lofts, warehouses, fire stations, basements, churches,
breweries and gyms. It also includes adapted spaces that fit the play,
spaces outdoors such as streets, or multi-focus environments with
several playing areas.
Additions and Modifications

Proscenium and In-The-Round stage types are only the basic


templates for stage layout. There are also extras which can be added in
order to improve the stage.

Aprons

Are pieces of stage added to the front of a proscenium stage which


protrude past the proscenium arch, pushing out into the audience in
order to make them feel more involved. They provoke a feeling of
being more part of the action, rather than just looking at it through a
transparent fourth wall. Aprons can usually also be removed to
uncover the theatre orchestra pit. Thus, it is only used when there is an
event not needing an orchestra while taking place (i.e. a concert).

Boxes

Are a feature of more modern stage designs in which temporary walls


are built inside any proscenium stage, at a slight angle to the original
walls, in order to allow audience members located to the left or right of
the proscenium (the further out, the larger the angle) to see the entirety
of the stage. They enable the creation of rat runs around the back of
the stage, which allow cast members to walk between entrances and
exits without being seen by the audience.
The Aesthetics, Elements and Conventions of Noh Drama

Zeami Motokiyo

The greatest master of Japanese Noh Drama, presents a different


approach to analyze drama by identifying the fundamental aesthetic
concept of Noh. Observes that the pleasure of the audience resides in
the experience of “no action” in Noh. The pleasure in watching this
drama comes nit so much in the dialogue, dancing, singing and
performance of the actors but in moments of no action” between
actions. The delight springs from the strength of the actors shown as he
or she holds the attention or the tension when the dancing, singing or
action come to an end.

Two Aesthetic Elements of Noh

• Yugen – a Japanese term which means mystery, refers to a deep


and tranquil beauty that is tainted with sadness.
- greatest Yugen is shown in the display of exquisite emotional
agony

• Monomame - often mistaken for the Aristotlean of mimesis refers


otherwise to non-representational and physical imitation.
- it is shown in the many non-realistic elements or gestic
performance of Noh which includes stylized or conventional
movement and gestures, music, costume, vocal patterns and
wordless sounds, choral and narrative speech

Different Categories of Noh Drama

• Waki Noh or Kami Noh – feature gods


• Shura or Bushi Noh – features warriors
• Katsura Noh – presents beautiful women
• Kiri or Miscellanous Noh – presents time figures and super
natural beings like demons.

Edo Period

No drama are performed according to the order cited above during a


full-day program. Series of performances starts off with ritual piece
called Okina Sanbanso which is a ritual piece.

• Kyogen play – a spoken drama based upon laughter and


comedy which uses the daily life of the common people in a
feudal society or folk tales as its subject.
• Katsura Noh or women play – the slowest in tempo but the most
poetic and expressive of Yugen.
- it suggests quiet elegance and grace and subtle and fleeting
beauty.

Illustration of the Noh stage

Noh drama is performed on a raised wooden stage with a roof held by


four pillars. On the back wall of the stage is found a painted pine tree
which represents the epiphany pine” where priest, possessed by a god
once danced around. Under the floorboards, ceramic jars are placed to
enhance the sound of the actors’ stamping feet. The setting, lighting
and props are only minimal and symbolic. Connected to the stage is a
bridgeway or hashigakari which leads from the stage to the curtained
“mirror room” where actors prepare.
The Plot of Noh Drama

The plot often recreates famous scenes from well-known Japanese


literary works such as the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) or rthe Tale
of the Heike (Heike monoga.tari)

The Characters and Order of Performance in a Noh Drama

Noh (能, Nō), or Nogaku (能楽, Nōgaku) is a major form of classical


Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th
century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and
female roles. A Noh performance often lasts all day and consists of
five Noh plays interspersed with shorter, humorous kyōgen pieces.

The repertoire is normally limited to a specific set of historical plays.


While the field of Noh performance is extremely codified with an
emphasis on tradition rather than innovation, some performers do
compose new plays or revive historical ones that are not a part of the
standard repertoire. Works blending Noh with other theatrical traditions
have also been produced.

Characters

• Shite (pronounced sh’tay) - the main character of a Noh play,


mostly wearing a mask.
• Waki – the secondary character
• Tsure – companion of the Waki
• Hayashi – musician/instrumentalist
• Jiuta – chorus
• Kouken – stage assistants
The main character in a Noh drama is the shite. The secondary
character is the waki who is accompanied by the tsure. The
progression of “action” in Noh starts off with the entrance of the waki or
secondary character, usually a travelling priest, who describes the
locale or scene. The main character or shite, who is disguised as a
local person then enters and tells the importance of the site in relation
to the theme of the play. Then the waki converses with the shite, and
the latter to tell a story.

He tells a story through a dance while the kyogen then recapitulates the
story. The shite returns dressed as his true self with a mask and new
elaborate clothes. His performance peaks in a dance at the close of the
play. In the performance, the chorus, which is usually eight to fifteen in
number, chants the words of the shite as he dances. They are found on
kneeling position at the opposite side of the bridgeway or hashikagari
or on the right side of the stage from the audience viewpoint.

The musicians or hayashi, on one hand, who play flute and drums are
seated in front of the painted pine tree. They also vocalize kakegoe or
rhythmical sounds as part of the musical score. There are stage
assistants or kuoken who are clearly visible to the audience when they
fix and handle props, straigthen costumes, or prompt actors.
Order of Performance in a Noh Drama

1. Orchestra enters
2. Chorus enters
3. Waki crosses bridge, traveling song; Waki goes to Waki pillar
[waki-bashira]
4. Shite enters; song stating theme of play
5. Waki converses with Shite; asks Shite to tell tale
6. Shite tells tale; story dance
7. Kyogen or lower character recapitulates story
8. Shite returns in new costume, often with new identity; tempo
increases; performance peaks in dance.

The Performance in Noh Drama

The actor makes his entrance. Previously, he had been standing in the
mirror room where he looked into a full-length mirror to help him get in
character. He leaves the room and the curtain between the mirror room
and the stage is lifted from the bottom by backstage assistants. The
actor moves to the bridge area, railed on either side, behind the stage
of the Kasuga shrine in Nara, about 6.5 feet wide and from 33 to 52
feet in length.

The bridge is roofed. On the rear wall of the stage is painted a stylized
pine-tree which serves as a reminder of the pine trees. Basically in slow
motion the actor moves towards the stage proper. He slides his feet
alone the floor. When he reaches the stage proper he passes a pillar
referred to as "the pillar of the principal character." The actor then
usually moves towards the front of the stage. Since he is wearing a
mask, it is difficult to see exactly where he is going so he focuses on a
downstage pillar, called "the pillar on which the eye is fixed.”

Opposite on the stage is the Waki's pillar since the subordinate


character places himself near that pillar when the principal character
makes his entrance. On the left side of the stage is an area about 4 feet
wide where six or eight members of the chorus sit, having entered
through the Hurry Door, a door in the upstage-left corner of the stage
and also used by lesser characters.
The Noh Costumes

The oldest surviving Noh garments date from the 15th century during
the reign of the sixth shogun, Yoshimasu (reigned 1440-1473). The
particular costume worn by the actor depends on the role played. Thus,
a certain kind of costume indicates a certain kind of character type such
as a young woman, a handsome man or a demon. The color of the Noh
costumes is important.

White is considered to be the most dignified color and is used for


characters of nobility. Brown is considered to be the least dignified
color and is used for servants and country people. Red is worn by
young girls and older women wear darker colors. Light blue indicates a
quick temperament. Dark blue indicates an extroverted person. Light
green is used for menials.

• Kara-ori (this costume from early 17th century). It is usually worn


to indicate female but sometimes can be used to indicate very
elegant young man. Another 17th century Noh costume worn for a
female role.
• Atsuita - for male roles. This is another type that indicate
aristocratic gentlemen, Shiento priests and divine being are called
the kariginu. Costumes is used to indicate deitis and men of high
rank are lined and the ones worn to indicate Shiento priests are
unlined.
• Nuihaku and Surihaku - Are undergarments used when playing
female roles. Nuihaku can be used for courtiers, the youth or
children.
• Happi - a common jacket used for males roles. This is a knee
length garment with long hanging sleeves which are folded back.
Example of trousers
Okuchi: Red ground with swirling water-and-shell motif with
flowers
Hangire: Purple ground with gold lozenge and arrow-wheel motif

These costumes reveal the type of character being portrayed and


follow prescribed conventions as to their use. Still, there is much
variety. The detail of design, the color combinations, the richness
of texture, and the strength of form give Noh its visual impact.
Costumes in Noh are elaborately made with gorgeously dyed silk
and intricate embroidery. All characters, whether rich or poor,
young or old, male or female, are beautifully costumed. The
costuming process is complex. Rather than the actor putting on
his own costume, two or three costumers are needed to sculpt the
costume on the actor.

• Masks - Masks are used in many different cultures. In Japan, Noh


masks are used for theatre and dance performances. Each mask
represents a certain person, hero, devil, ghost, or legendary
animal, depending on what the character is in the performance.
Masks have been used in Japan since the Jomon period of time
(10,000 B.C.- 300 B.C.). The Japanese masks are made out of
materials such as clay, dry lacquer, cloth, paper, and wood. The
oldest existing mask is the gigaku mask. These were used for an
ancient dance drama that was brought up during the 7th century.

The people that would perform the shows were professional


dancers who were accompanied by music. There are 14 different
gigaku masks. All these masks are different because they cover
the whole face as well as the ears. Hair was sometimes put on
the masks for decoration with black outlines for facial features.
Some masks were lion heads, bird- beaked creatures, demons,
and super humans. A lot of the gigaku masks were influenced
India, Indonesia, and China.

Bugaku masks were used during the Heian period. The masks
varied in size and were usually made up of cypress wood. The
bugaku masks do not cover the ears like the gigaku mask. The
mask can be 7 to 13 inches long, 6 to 9 inches wide, and 4 to 7
inches deep. The carvings on these masks are supposed to
resemble Buddhist statues.
The bugaku masks were used in only dances and since they
were, the masks showed abstract looking expressions. Theses
masks were used or dancing to different types of music such as
togaku and komagaku.

The gyodo mask was specifically used for Buddhist outdoor


worshipping. The processions were held with an inauguration of a
temple. The masks were made into things such as bodhisativas,
guardian deities, dragon gods, bishamonten, and certain demons.
These masks would cover the entire face and more, which
represented a superhuman. The gyodo masks were used from
the late Heian period (792- 1185) in towards the Muromachi
period (1392- 1568). The masks that have been talked about
above were the early masks of Japan.

Noh masks were created from the traditions of sarugaku,


dengaku, and many other rituals. Sarugaku was originally a
combination of performances from China and some of them were
acrobatics, juggling, and miming. The dances and rituals were
performed inside of temples and shrines. The masks, which were
used in okinamai, show the first signs of making Noh masks. The
masks were most likely influenced by bugaku and gigaku masks
to form the unique Japanese design.

There are about 80 different types of masks that are needed for
Noh plays, but there are over 200 different types of masks. The
normal Noh mask is designed to have a smaller face. These
masks are carved from hinoki wood and if you move them a
certain way then the shadow will make the mask look like its
changing expression. Being able to allow the mask to do this is
important because the actors have be allowed to change
expression and mood. The only people that wear masks in Noh
plays are the main characters, the shites, and their followers.

In some Noh plays the shite will change masks to show the true
character and his nature. Choosing masks for characters is very
important because it is used to show what the shite is in the
character. One type of Noh mask is the hannya mask. The
person who wears this mask is supposed to play a jealous and
evil woman who has turned into a demon. The pointed horns and
the metal eyes and teeth are used to show anger and wrath. The
hannya masks were designed based on the early snake masks
and by painted scrolls, which were dated back to the Muromachi
period.

The coloring of the masks shows how much passion that certain
character has in that demon’s anger. Ko-omote is another Noh
theatre mask. This mask represents a young woman who is calm.
The Ko-omote mask represents the traditional Heian beauty
featuring shaved eyebrows, blackened teeth, and neat hair.
Some ko-mote masks have lips that are farther apart and fuller
looking cheeks. You can tell how old a character is supposed to
be depending on how wide the masks eyes. The ko-mote masks
have eyes that are closer together to represent that it is a younger
woman. Otoko masks are the masks that young man wear.

There are many different masks that can be used to represent


young men. Just like ko-mote masks, the eyes represent how old
and wise that character is. In the beginning of Noh theatre, there
were no masks for young and middle aged men. As time went on,
the Japanese decided to make masks for men and young men as
well.

Uba masks were used to represent old woman. An uba mask is


usually used in the Noh play Takasago. Woman that wear uba
masks are usually shown with a broom and rake. The wrinkles
and the gray hair on the mask show that this character has
obviously experienced a lot.

The uba mask was originally made for Takasago but then was
later on added to other plays. The shikami masks are used as the
demon masks. You can tell when you look at the masks that this
is what they are used for because of the way they look. The fang
teeth and the evil looking mouth show the fear that is portrayed in
this mask. There is a red complexion on the mask. This shows the
anger in the demon just like in the hannya mask. Both the teeth
and the eyes are painted a metallic gold as well. The chujo mask
is another mask worn by a young male. These masks have very
light skin and high eyebrows as well as black teeth, which was
normal for a court nobleman at that time.
This mask is said to represent the famous poet Ariwara no
Narihira. The chujo mask is usually used for the character of
Prince Genji in The Tale of Genji. This mask can also be used to
show different parts as well. These are some of the masks that
are used in Noh theatre.

Noh theatre has been around for hundreds of years, and has
almost always used masks to portray different characters. Each
mask has a specific use and feeling to it. All of the masks that
have been mentioned have been used in numerous different Noh
plays in Japan for thousands of years. Masks are a very important
part of Noh theatre and it would not be the same without them.

Space and time

In general, the use of space and time is not portrayed realistically.


Rather, there is a freedom of portrayal which requires the audience
members to use their imaginations. Characters take only a few steps
and through their song or that of the chorus, the audience knows that
they have traveled a great distance.

Two characters may appear on the stage nearly side- by-side, but
again the audience comes to understand that they are not yet in each
other’s presence. While this may be confusing for the first time viewer,
for many people who come to understand these and other conventions,
Noh creates a much more powerful theatrical expression than realistic
theatre.
Theatrical Elements in Ritual Performances

Props

The most commonly used prop in Noh is the fan, as it is carried by all
performers regardless of role. Chorus singers and musicians may carry
their fan in hand when entering the stage, or carry it tucked into the obi.
In either case, the fan is usually placed at the performer's side when he
or she takes position, and is often not taken up again until leaving the
stage.

Chant and Music (Nohgaku 能楽)

Noh theatre is accompanied by a chorus and a hayashi ensemble


(Noh-bayashi 能囃子). Noh is a chanted drama, and a few
commentators have dubbed it "Japanese opera." However, the singing
in Noh involves a limited tonal range, with lengthy, repetitive passages
in a narrow dynamic range. Clearly, melody is not at the center of Noh
singing. Still, texts are poetic, relying heavily on the Japanese seven-
five rhythm common to nearly all forms of Japanese poetry, with an
economy of expression, and an abundance of allusion.
THE ELEMENTS OF WESTERN CLASSICAL DRAMA

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and scientist who lived from 384-322


B.C., identifies and describes the elements of tragic drama in the
Poetics. In this brief book, he makes use of the tragedies of Sophocles
as models to draw out and define its elements, which consequently
have also been applied to all drama and art in general.

There are six elements in a tragedy --- and by extension, all drama.
The first three, the basic subjects of drama are Plot, Character and
Thought. The last three elements deal with language and performance.
They are Diction, Song and Spectacle. Hence, the organization of the
Western Classical Drama may be approached through the parts of the
dramatic action.

Plot

It is the most important element of the drama. Aristotle calls it the “soul
of tragedy.” It refers to the arrangement of the incidents, which has a
Beginning, Middle and End. The parts of the plot are unified such that if
any of its parts is displaced or removed, the whole play will be
disjointed or disturbed. This also means that this “single” action should
take place in one day. During the Renaissance, dramatists derived the
“unities” of action, time and place, which come from their translation or
interpretation of the Poetics.

Character

The character is the principal material from which plots are developed.
Characterization delineates a person from other persons. It operates on
physical, or biological, societal, psychological and moral levels. The
physical or biological level defines gender, age, size, coloration, and
general appearance. The societal level includes factors that place a
character in a particular societal environment. It defines the economic
status, profession, religious belief, and family relationships, among
others.

The third level is psychological and reveals the character’s inner


workings of the mind and includes his habitual responses, desires,
motivations, likes and dislikes. The fourth level reveals what characters
usually do when he makes a difficult choice. These decisions
differentiate his character more fully as such leads to scrutiny of his
values and motives that reveal the true nature of his character.

Thought

It refers to the main idea or abstract concept that characters make


concrete in the dramatic action. The meaning in drama is usually
implied rather than expressed directly. Meaning is suggested or
revealed through a variety of ways --- through the relationships among
characters, by the ideas of the characters, by the conflicts and their
resolutions, and by devices such as spectacle, music and song.

Sometimes, meaning is stated clearly in the script. To convey the Plot,


the Character and Thought, playwrights utilize two means, which are
sound and spectacle. Sound includes language or diction, music and
aural effects whereas spectacle refers to the visual elements of a
production, such as the physical appearance and movement of
performers or actors, the costumes, scenery, props and lighting.
Diction

It refers to language or the “expression of meaning in words.” It is the


primary tool of a playwright’s expression. Language or diction is not
only used to impart information but also to characterize, focus on
important elements in the plot, convey meaning, establish a mood,
tempo and rhythm and internal logic. In a play, language is always
abstract and more formal than that of a normal conversation as the
dramatist arranges, selects and heightens language. Diction must be
appropriate to characters, situations, internal logic, and type of play.

Song or Music

This originally refers to the singing and dancing of the chorus, which is
an integral part of drama during Aristotle’s time. Music in drama
extends to all patterned sounds and may include the sound of actors’
voices, incidental songs and background music, and instrumental
accompaniment. Music may serve to establish variety, convey a mood,
characterize or suggest ideas.

Spectacle

This last element refers to all the visual elements of a production. It


includes the character’s movement and spatial relations, lighting,
settings, costumes, and properties or props. They serve as aid to
visualize the action in a play and convey the play’s full power. All visual
aspects of a production are composed of basic elements such as line,
shape, space, color, texture and ornament. In applying these
elements, certain principles are used such as harmony, variety,
balance, proportion, emphasis and rhythm.
Adolphe Apphia, one of the 20th century’s major theoreticians of
Theater, in Action, Space, Light, Painting, not only comments on the
relative importance of these elements in staging but also forwards the
idea of hierarchy in production design. In this hierarchy, he points to the
first three important elements --- the actor, space and light. He places
the actor on the first rung of the ladder as he carries out the action, and
hence the drama. All other elements are subordinated to or put in the
service of the actor.

Space for instance, must conform to the plastic feature of the actor, and
must work to serve the actor’s moving, alive and three-dimensional
character. Light, the third important element in the hierarchy must also
become active to bring out the drama established by the actor. In this
order, the Actor presents the drama in a three-dimensional Space,
while Light gives life to both. Moreover, the ultimate integration of all
the elements of a play takes place in the spectator’s mind. He is the
final individual who brings the parts together to complete the theater
event.

Theatrical Elements in Ritual Performances

Rituals are solemn ceremonies consisting of a series of actions


performed according to certain prescribed order. As special occasions,
they intend to achieve a certain result --- to heal, to protect, to harm, to
propitiate an ancestor spirit or god, or to mark a major transition in
one’s status, such as birth, puberty, a new relationship or death.

Within the ritual process, there are also elements that provide pleasure
or entertainment. To achieve these ends, masking, costuming,
impersonation, dance, music, narrative, humor are used or performed
in rituals. The demonstration of skills or expertise by the ritualist in the
execution of an action or a series of action and recitation of chants
always significantly counts in the performance of rituals.

Guide questions in analyzing the aesthetic qualities of the theater


arts

The Form

1. What are the dominant theatrical elements?


2. How are these employed in the performance?
3. How do the dominant elements affect you?
4. How do these elements effectively convey the main theme of the art
work?

The Subject Matter

1. What is the theme of the art work?


2. What are the other subthemes that affect the central theme?
3. What is the significance of the central theme/s to you in terms of
personal, historical, social or political value?

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this performance have that are


also present in other works within similar genre?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the performance with other performances of similar genre.
The Aesthetic Qualities of Selected Performances

Spatial Convention in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King by Sophocles is considered to be the


epitome or perfect example of a Greek tragedy. Most historians
assume that it was first staged in 427 B.C. in Athens. The play begins
with King Oedipus learning that his predecessor, King Laius, had been
murdered years ago, and that the incident has caused the plague in the
ancient city of Thebes and the suffering of its people.

Oedipus vows to bring back prosperity to the kingdom and to avenge


the King’s death. He pronounces a curse on the murderer without
knowing that he actually puts a curse on himself. The excerpts shows
part of the first episode of the play, when Oedipus sends for Tiresias,
the blind prophet, to ask what he knows about the murder. It is shown
here that Tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus what he knows, so Oedipus
curses and insults him up to the point of accusing him of the murder.

This Tiresias into revealing that Oedipus himself is the murderer.


Oedipus refuses to believe his accusation and turns the table by
accusing Tiresias of conspiring with his brother-in-law, Creon, against
his wife Jocasta, and by discrediting him for forsaking the city of
Thebes when it was previously held captive by the Sphinx. At that
time, the Sphinx refuses to free the city until his riddle is solved.
Tiresias vindicates himself by saying that Oedipus’ parents believes
him. Oedipus, who grew up in Corinth ask how Tiresias knew his
parents but the latter rather puzzles him and puts forth another riddle
before leaving the stage.
He says that the murderer of the former King is both father and brother
to his children, and the son of his own wife. The major theme of the
play conveys the precariousness of man’s destiny. In the Greek period,
theater plays are first performed when springtime begins during the 5-
day religious festival held in honor of Dionysus, the god of fertility and
wine-making. On the first day of this Greek festival, the major officials
of Athens and its citizens together with theater actors parade in
procession within the city, and dance and sing for various ceremonies
at altars along the procession route until they reach the main alter
where a bull is sacrificed. Just like other Greek festivals such as the
pan-Greek Olympic games held I honor of Zeus which is held after
every four years following the summer solstice, this festival includes
competitions.

Dithyramb (hymn songs and dance by a group of fifty men or boys)


competitions are probably held on the second day, comedies on the
third day, while tragedies on the 4th and 5th days of the Great festival.
On the last day, prizes are awarded to the best plays. Oedipus Rex is
first staged within this bigger festival framework. Though evidences are
not conclusive, experts assume that just like other several Greek plays,
the action in Oedipus Rex took place around an altar (thymele)
dedicated to Dionysus that is set on the center of an open playing area
called the orchestra (dancing place) set at the base of a curving
hillside.

The orchestra could be either circular or trapezoidal. A low wooden


grandstand or theatron, which seats about 15,000 or so spectators
surrounds it. Some records suggest that spectators from the theatron
while looking downhill would respond with stomping of feet, whistling,
prolonged noises, as well as heavy applause. Opposite the audience is
a wooden building called the skene, which serves as an offstage are for
changes and entrances and as setting of the play. At the further back
of the skene is a temple of Dionysus and a sacrificial altar where the
slaughtering and roasting of bulls took place.

Actors are given the chance to explore not only the interior but also the
central and peripheral playing spaces (through the orchestra and the
skene) in this kind of physical set-up. Greek actors also rely on large
simple gestures or movements and their ability to declaim the script
since facial expressions and vocal inflections could not be depended on
with the theater‘s physical expanse. The actors would wear masks
made of lightweight wood, cork or linen to help portray their character
and other roles including female characters. Some experts say that
masks also work as a megaphone to help project the actors’ voices.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of Oedipus Rex

Form

1. What are the dominant theatrical elements?


2. How are these employed in the performance?
3. How do the dominant elements affect you?
4. How do these elements effectively convey the main theme of the art
work?

Analysis

1. Space is a dominant element in the play.


2. Space is employed not only to facilitate the movement of the
actors in the performance arena but also to accommodate a huge
religious community in the conduct to appease god.
3. As a part of a religious festival, the element of space in this play
actually extend beyond the orchestra.
4. It reminds me of man as part of the vast cosmos.
5. The expanse of the performance area reinforces the idea that
man is a part of a vast universe with which he has very little
control of.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the theme of the art work?


2. What are the other sub-themes that affect the central themes
3. What is the significance of the central theme/s to you in terms of
personal, historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The play speaks of the uncertainty of human destiny.


2. The other subtheme points to the incapacity of man to control his
fate. As a Christian, it reminds me God's divine plan for man.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this performance have that are


also present in other works with similar genre?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the performance of similar genre?
Analysis

1. This play follows the staging conventions of drama during the


Greek Period.
2. Some of the elements or conventions in this play include the use
of space, dramatic plot, limitation of talking characters into 3 male
actors, performance of the chorus between episodes,
performance of female roles by male actors, use of embroidered
tunic or ample length native dress or chiton as costume, among
others.

The Conventions of Movement and Space in the Japanese Noh


Play, Dōjō-ji, attributed to Kanze Kojiro Nobumitsu

Kanze Kojiro (?1435 or 1450-July 7, 1516)

He was a Japanese noh playwright and secondary actor during the


Muromach Era, from the house of Kanze. He was the grandson of Noh
playwright Zeami Motokiyo, and is considered one of the last important
playwrights of the golden age of Noh.

The Japanese Noh Play, Dōjō-ji

This play starts off with the waki, a male Buddhist Abbot of the Dojo
Temple or Dōjō-ji announcing that a new bell would be dedicated in the
Temple, which has had none for years. He leaves the temple with
warning, forbidding the priests to admit women. The shite, an elegant
woman dancer then appears who declares that she should be allowed
to perform the shirabyoshi dance in the dedication. The priests allows
her to enter. The shite starts to dance in triangular patterns, which later
become disarrayed and chaotic. The dancer finally knocks the hat
she's wearing, stamps her feet and looks at the bell.

The Dōjō-ji Bell

Then she swings her fan back and forth and then leaps up causing the
giant bell to crash to the ground around her. The bells become fiery hot.
The Abbot (waki) then returns and tells why women are forbidden in the
temple by telling a story about a girl who was told to marry a priest. The
girl asked the priest to marry her but the latter fled in terror. The girl
transformed into a serpent because of fury, and chased the priest until
the temple of Dōjō-ji.

In the Temple, the priest hid in an unraised bell to which the serpent
coiled itself around. It set a fire because of the latter's intense passion,
and burned the priest alive. In the play, the girl's ghost comes back
through the shite and reveals herself as a snake-demon when the bell
is finally raised in the dedication. The priests attempt to defeat her but
to no avail, so she is simply chased away in the end.

One of the highlights of this play is the ranbyōshi, which is performed


by the shite or the principal character and the small-drum player. In
this part, the shite dances according to the playing of the drummer and
vice versa as if they are locked into each other's world for about fifteen
minutes. Here, only breathing cues each other's performance. The
shite dances and moves in a very stylized manner according to the
convention of Noh, to express strong emotion and a kind of suppressed
tension that come from her profound misery and internal anguish.

It requires the shite's perfect timing because he can be injured or even


killed as the bell is very heavy. This scene also focuses attention on
the verticality of the theater space, which is not so common in Noh. As
a convention, the movement in a Noh stage generally maintains or
follows a horizontal progression, but with the bell as a prop, the vertical
dimension of the theater space is also explored. The highest point of
this drama is the scene where the shite jumps underneath the falling
bell.

Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities


of the Dōjō-ji Noh play.

Form

1. What are the dominant theatrical elements?


2. How are these employed in the performance?
3. How do the dominant elements affect you?
4. How do the conventions of Noh apply to the dominant elements to
effectively convey the main theme of the art work?

Analysis

1. The dominant elements in the play are the movement, gesture


and music.
2. The actions or movements and music are controlled or performed
in a highly stylized or conventionalized manner.
3. They lead me to think about those who are gripped with
indignation, and to the ways with which they cope such
experience.
4. The controlled or stylized movement and gesture conveys
restrained tension and certain deep and mysterious sense of
uncertainty, which is the principal theme of the play.
Subject Matter

1. What is the theme of the art work?


2. What are other sub-themes that affect the central theme?
3. What is the significance of the central theme/s to you in terms of
personal, historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The play speaks of unseen or uncertain future as the bell hides


unseen forces of evil that might break off any moment.
2. The other sub-themes are indignation and requital.
3. It alludes to some difficult transformations that people and society
go through.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this performance have that are


also present in other works within similar genre?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the performance with other performances of similar genre.

Analysis

1. All the conventions of Noh theater that apply to stage, movement,


props, costume and language are present in almost all theater
works of this genre.
2. The use of the elements is unvarying in all Noh plays especially
during the Tokugawa period.
3. They are utilized according to the theatrical prescriptions' or
conventions of Noh theater.
Diction and Central Ideas in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

This play concerns Hamlet who is tasked to punish the murderer of a


king who happens to be his father. Hamlet finds out that his father was
murdered by Claudius, his uncle; that his mother, Gertrude, has been
unfaithful to his father; that his mother agreed to his uncle's usurpation
of the throne which was supposed to be his; And that his supposed
friends, Rosencarntz and Guildenstern have become his uncle's spies.
Apart from pervasiveness of betrayal (between brothers, husbands and
wives, parents and children, and between friends) as theme. The play
also points to another equally important idea-----revenge.

In the play, Hamlet express revenge by stating his desire to kill


Claudius in a way that would damn his soul eternally. This theme of
immortal revenge is captured in one of the specific situations that
Hamlet envisions:

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous


pleasure of his bed; At gaming, swearing, or about some act that
has no relish of salvation in 't; Then trip him that his heels may
kick at heaven, And that his soul may be as damn'd and black as
hell, whereto it goes.

In the foregoing paragraph, he expresses his plan to take revenge on


Claudius by killing him at the state of sin it eternally condemn him to
hell. Moreover, Hamlet does not only desire to kill Claudius but also
takes a specific action to carry out his plan. In the end, Hamlet's
revenge lead to death. On the question of revenge, however,
Shakespeare reiterates that no matter how evil one's enemy, or how
hopeless one's chance for a legal redress is, it must be left to Heaven.
Shakespeare succinctly echoes this plea in another play, when
Clarence in Richard III addresses his assassins.

If God will be revenged for this deed, O, know you yet, he doth
publicly;
Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm;
He needs no indirect or lawless course, To cut off those that have
offended him.

Another important element in this drama is figurative language.


Shakespeare effectively uses figures of speech to make direct and
indirect comparisons to emphasize meaning without withdrawing
attention from the dramatic situation. During performance, this kind of
language would require from the actor an acute sense and expression
of the emotional content of Shakespeare's poetic language. Otherwise,
his performance would be contrived or pompous.

Guide questions to analyze the aesthetic qualities of Hamlet by


Shakespeare

Form

1. What are the dominant theatrical elements?


2. How are these employed in the performance?
3. How do the dominant elements affect you?
4. What are the dominant principles, conventions or techniques that are
used in the play or performance?
5. How do these principles apply to the dominant elements and vice
versa to effectively convey the main theme of the art work?
Analysis

1. The plot and use of language are some of the dominant theatrical
elements in the play.
2. They are employed to emphasize the theme or meaning of the
play.
3. The play makes use of the thematic convention of immortal
revenge.

The Subject Matter

1. What is the theme of the artwork?


2. What are the other sub themes that affect the central theme?
3. What is the significance of the central theme/s to you in terms of
personal, historical, social or political value?

Analysis

1. The other sub theme centers on how an evildoing can affect a


chain of other wrongs.
2. The central themes of the play are the pervasiveness of betrayal
and deception between brothers, husbands, wives, parents and
children and between people in general and revenge.
3. It reminds me of the importance of trust and the implications of
the betrayal of that trust in one's relationship with another.

The Style

1. What particular characteristics does this performance have that are


present in other works within similar genre of the playwright?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the performance with other performances of similar genre.

Analysis

1. The same convention of immortal revenge as theme is played out


in other plays during the Elizabethan era.
2. The convention of immortal vengeance is expressed either in the
desire to ensure the eternal damnation of his victim or to carry out
a specific action to fulfill such a plan.
CINEMA

Cinema is aesthetic communication through the design of time and


three-dimensional space compressed into a two-dimensional image.
Cinema is one of the youngest art forms with only about a century of
history tucked under its belt. Its popularity is easily proven by the long
queues in theaters across the country and the world. Its integrative
character lies in the fact that it brings together several of the art forms
and uses them as material to its unique form. These two things:
popularity and integrative character; are the reasons why it is important
to study cinema and used as a tool to influence how people think and
live.

Cinema’s integrative character makes it a complex art form that


demands a complex spectatorial activity. It brings together painting,
music, theater and literature and adds dimensions that only it
possesses: cinematography and editing. Because of this, cinema
demands from the spectator certain skills that will allow him to
understand the non-relation of images spread across a flat surface or
screen, the relation of sound to the said images, the patterns of
movement of the images to create actions on the screen and follow a
plot and construct a story based on the actions portrayed.

Add to this the ability to understand the movement of the camera and
the transitions from one moving picture to the next in relation to the plot
and aesthetics, and the result is a spectatorial activity that requires
undivided attention and makes one realize that watching a movie is not
at all easy and relaxing as commonly thought.

What Cinema Is?


Cinema comes from the Greek word, kinema, which means movement.
Cinema as an art form uses skills to make beautiful moving-pictures.
As such, any moving-picture skillfully made properly belongs to cinema,
and it includes movies that do not have a story, e.g. Jean Renior’s
movie of Pablo Picasso painting. But more popular form of cinema, the
one that incorporates theater and literature, is that which tell stories.
Cinema properly deals with recorded movement, and movement
necessarily takes place in time. For these reasons, cinema can be
classified as a “time art”.

But cinema is also projected on a screen, a flat surface with specific


dimensions or aspect ratios. Images are composed for the screen as in
a painting and can be studied as a painting. This allows cinema to be
classified as a space art. In fact, in the film medium a movie is
composed of a series of still pictures that are projected at the rate of 48
frames per second. Each frame is composed as paintings are
composed. Even the movement that takes place when the frames are
projected is staged in consideration of the spatial boundaries set by the
screen.

What happens is that when a spectator goes to a movie, he/she


watches movement projected on a static, stable, 2-dimensional surface.
Because cinema presents recorded movement projected on a flat,
stable surface it is reasonable to conclude that it straddles both
classifications, i.e. time art and space art, and requires the spectator to
be sensitive to the nuances of the artistic manipulation of time and
space.
Techniques of Presentation

Narrative

This technique tells a story, using the techniques of theatre. This type
of film follows literary construction in that it begins with expository
material, adds levels of complications, builds to a climax, and ends with
a resolution of all the plot elements.
Documentary

This type attempts to record actuality using either a sociological or


journalistic approach. It does not use reenactment by professional
actors and is often shot as the event is occurring.

Absolute

This film exists for its own sake, to record movement or form. There is
no story and rarely runs longer than twelve minutes (one reel) and has
no commercial intent.

Shots

What the camera records over a period of time: the basic unit of
filmmaking.

 Master shot - A single shot of an entire piece of action, taken to


facilitate the assembly of the component shots of which the scene
will be composed
 Establishing shot - A long shot introduced at the beginning of a
scene to establish the relationship between time & place, which
will then be elaborated upon during subsequent shots
 Long shot - a shot taken with the camera at a considerable
distance from the subject
 Close-up - a shot taken with the camera quite near the subject
 Two shot - a close-up of two persons with the camera as near as
possible while still keeping both subjects within the frame
 Bridging shot - a shot inserted in the editing of a scene to cover
a brief break in the continuity of the scene

Editing

The editing process creates or builds the film. Artists rarely record
cinema in the order of its final presentation. They film it in bits and
pieces and put it together

• Plasticity - is the quality of film that enables it to be cut, spliced,


and ordered according to the needs of the film and the desires of
the filmmaker

Editing: How the film is put together

• Cut - the joining together of shots during the editing process


• Jump cut - a cut that breaks the continuity of time by jumping
forward from one part of the action to another that is separated by
an interval of time, location, or camera position
• Form cut - cuts from an image in a shot to a different object that
has a similar shape or contour, and is used to create a smoother
transition
Director films - then arranges the segments

• Montage - compression or elongation of time; also rapid


succession of images to illustrate an idea or create comparisons
• Crosscutting - alternates between separate actions related by
theme, mood, or plot but usually within the same time period

Camera movement- adds variety & impact

• Track - shot taken as the camera moves in the same direction


and speed as the object
• Pan - rotates the camera horizontally, while remaining fixed
vertically
• Zoom - moves the camera toward or away from the subject

Viewpoint: elaborates on director’s ideas

• Objective viewpoint - allows us to watch the action as a


universal spectator
• Subjective viewpoint - present the scene as if we are actually
participating in it

Camera Focus

• Depth of focus - clear focus of images both near and far


• Differential focus - focuses on one element within a shot, while
other parts are left out of focus
Dissolves: Smooth Transitions

Transitional devices can be worked into a scene during the editing and
usually indicate the end of one scene and the beginning or another.
The camera can cut or jump to the next scene, but a smoother
transition occurs if the scene fades out into black and the next scene
fades in. This is a dissolve. As viewers, we need to develop an
awareness of how the director articulates movement from one section
to another and how that form of articulation contributes to the rhythm
and style of the film.

Types of Dissolves

• Lap dissolve - occurs when the fade-out and the fade-in are
done simultaneously and the scene momentarily overlaps
• Wipe - a line moves across the screen, eliminating one shot and
revealing the next
• Iris-out or iris-in - a transition is created by the closing or
opening the aperture of the lens

Sensory Impact

The aim of film and all arts is to involve us in its product, either
emotionally or intellectually. Filmmakers enhance their final product by
using techniques that manipulate us toward a deeper involvement or
heightened intellectual response. Cross-cutting – alternates between
two separate actions related by theme, mood, or plot but usually within
the same time period. Its most common function is to create suspense.
Tension

Tension release- if the plot of a film is believable and the director


talented a feeling of tension will be built up. If this becomes too great,
the viewers seek some sort of release to break the tension and destroy
the atmosphere.

Magnitude & Scale

Magnitude - large panoramas and full-scale action scenes do not


translate effectively to TV. TV films should be built around the close-up
and concentrated action and movement because the TV audience is
closer to than image.

Accepted Practices

Convention - accepted practices of the medium. We do not ask where


the orchestra is playing when music enhances an exciting chase scene,
or a performer begins singing in a musical film- we accept the
background music as part of the totality of the film.

Dynamics

Structural rhythm - this reflects the manner in which the various shots
join together and juxtapose with other cinematic images, both visual
and aural. The filmmaker creates a rhythm and pattern based on the
way they choose to tell the story and indicate deeper meanings and
relationships.
Symbolic images - are used by filmmakers to direct our attention to the
ideas inherent in the philosophical approach underlying the film (hero
dressed in white, villain dressed in black)

Audio Techniques

In addition to dialogue, audio techniques are used to


• create symbolism
• to reinforce the emotional quality of a scene
• for stronger emphasis

More About Audio

• Abrupt cutting done to beat of a soundtrack


• Sound effects - amplified ambient or accompanying sound
• Audio motif to introduce visual elements or convey meaning
symbolically
• Create sentimentality by accompanying dialogue with certain
songs
• Changing the tempo and timbre of songs replayed during scenes

Critical Viewing

• Cinematic style impact


• Characters with complex inner lives
• Relevance to the times: response to social conditions
• Integrity: serious problems have believable solutions
• Avoidance of stereotypes
• Gravity of theme- timeless subjects
The Types or Medium of Cinema

Cinema refers to the art form, and hence includes all the art works that
deal with the beautiful moving pictures. Two sub-categories classified
according to the type of recording and projecting medium used: Film
and Video.

Film

- uses colluloid strips divided into several frames to record


images.
- to create movement films project still images in a rate fast
enough---(24-48 frames per second)---for human eye to miss the
gaps

Video

- uses either tape or digital recording devices (VCD, DVD, Mini


DV).
- video create movement by changing pixels regularly.

The Types or Medium of Cinema

 “cinema” will be used to refer to the art form as a whole.


 “movie” will be used to refer to artworks regardless of medium.

Film and video will be used when the need to distinguish the medium
arises. (this section only provide a sketch of the production process.
For a detailed look at how movies are made, please refer to Sidney
lumets making movies or watch the extended edition DVDs of lord of
the rings.) The creation of a movie is a very long and tedious process
that demands the cooperation of a group of artists that share a
cinematic vision.

The process starts with the creation of a script by a screenwriter, which


is then turned over to a director who breathes life to the contents of the
written page translating it to visual reality. Aiding the director in realizing
his vision of the story and plot are a myriad of talented people that give
flesh to the words. Among them is the production designer that designs
and supervises the building of the physical structures and costumes.
Then there are actors that give vitality to the characters. All these
things are part of the pre-production stage when all the things needed
for shooting are prepared.

When the sets are up, the actors in character and the scene is
staged, then the cameras, begin to roll. This part is commonly called
the shooting, filming or production stage. This stage records all the
things that will be shown on screen, in film or video. For budgetary and
practical reasons, shooting is never done following the plot. Because of
this, the contents of film rolls are never sequential. To put scenes in
order, the services of the editor is sought.

The editor primarily assembles the movie by arranging the shots


according to the plot sequence. After passing through the editor's keen
eye and able hands, the movie passes to the sound designer who
supervises a team that dubs sound: voices, affect and music, to the
footage. This pre-production stage wraps up the whole production
process, and soon after, the movie is released to be watched in whole
process, the hand of the director is always felt to ensure that the
directional vision is achieved in all stages of production. For this
reason, the creation of a movie is given to the director, because it is
vision that people see on screen.
Understanding a Movie

Ideally, watching once allows the spectator to understand the meaning


of a movie. But a single encounter with a movie definitely does not
allow one to see and hear everything. Although a good director
presents a movie in a clear way, not everything is gasped the first time.
While watching the movie several times, the spectator should analyze
the movie. It is therefore recommended that a movie be seen twice or
more to understand more fully its meaning, purposes and form ( Boggs
and Petrie 5 )

This requires him to break down the movie into parts or elements and
understand how each of these interrelates with the others and to the
whole with a view to the plot and aesthetics. In this way, the spectator
becomes accustomed to noticing finer details. After constant practice ,
he/ she accounts for more things even during the first watch and leaves
the theater understanding more of the movie.
THE ELEMENTS OF CINEMA

What then are these elements that the spectator need to consider? A
movie can be divided into seven elements: 1) script or narrative; 2)
acting; 3) production design; 4) stage or directing; 5) cinematography;
6) editing; and 7) sound design.

Script or Narrative

The script is the basis of a movie. It provides the story that a movie
presents to the spectator. This story is composed of several elements
namely:

1) Characters
2) Dialogue
3) Setting
4) Plot

Characters

Are the agents of an act that constitutes an event. They are usually
persons --- human beings --- but there are occasions that animals,
machines, ordinary things, and fantastic creatures play the role of
characters in an animated film. There are two basic types of characters
in a movie: protagonists and antagonists.

• Protagonists - are the main characters in movies. The


protagonist causes the chain of events that will unfold. The
narrative usually centers on the actions that this character does to
achieve his goal.
Superwant - is a term used to describe principle that drives the
protagonist to do what he does; a deep inner longing of a
character which impels him to act. It is to satisfy this desire that
makes the character put himself in out-of-the-ordinary situations.
For a spectator, knowing the superwant is important to
understanding the motivations and actions of both the protagonist
and the antagonist.

• Antagonists - are characters that oppose the protagonists. An


antagonist’s sole aim is to prevent the protagonist from acquiring
his goal thus thwarting the acquisition of the superwant.
Ordinarily, the antagonist is another character that is the polar
opposite of the protagonist, but there are occasions when the
antagonist is not even a person.

Sometimes animals, monsters, machines, nature, in fact anything


imaginable can be used as an antagonist in a movie.

There are also instances that the protagonist also functions as the
antagonist which is the case in most psychological movies. It is
important to note that the protagonist-antagonist paradigm does not
equal the hero-villain paradigm. Not all protagonists are good people.
Take for example the numerous movies involving thieves as
protagonists like Bonnie and Clyde or Ocean’s series or the local bio-
pics about criminals of the late 70s to the mid 80s like Ben Tumbling
and Alias Waray.

These protagonists are not exactly paragons of virtue. In the same


way, not all antagonists are villainous. The same movies that revolve
around the life of criminals often have good people as antagonists. The
cop that chases and arrests or kills the criminal is not the bad person;
he may actually be the good guy. This protagonist-antagonist
paradigm belongs to the form of the movie while the hero-villain
paradigm falls under its content. The former is a technical tool,
something used in creating the narrative while the latter is more a tool
used to define characters.

Character Traits

Are personal qualities that a character possesses. They are important


because these make a character convincing. Knowing the character
traits allow the spectator to empathize and root for some characters
and despise others. It also explains why certain characters act in a
particular way. Traits also explain the actions a character takes to
achieve his goal. Anything a character does that does not coincide with
the traits he possess is considered an action done out-of-character and
is a mark of inconsistency.

Being aware of character traits also makes it possible for a spectator to


construct hypotheses on how characters will act. The confirmation and
rejection of these hypotheses trigger reactions from the spectator ---
reactions that constitute an indispensable part of the cinematic
experience. The tension that flows from the formulation of a hypotheses
and the confirmation or rejection of it is one of the causes of
excitement.

Character traits are revealed through what the character says, chooses
and does. While watching then, the spectator needs to account for the
patterns that emerge with regard to these things. This will enable him
to tract how the character develops throughout the whole movie.
Dialogue

It is composed of the words that a character utters. In sound movies,


dialogue is delivered orally by the actors but in silent movies, dialogues
is shown as text inserted between shots. Perhaps the most expected
function of dialogue in cinema is the same as the function it serves in
everyday life, to reveal the thoughts of characters. These thoughts are,
more often than not, unfilmable, i.e. very difficult, even impossible to
express visually. For some radical directors, this is the only justification
for dialogue --- to express orally what cannot be otherwise expressed
visually.

Oftentimes, dialogue becomes a major element spectators consciously


use to understand the ideas a movie is expressing. Ask someone to
point to something in the movie that will support what he understands
to be the idea being expressed and chances are… he will quote from a
line of dialogue. This reliance on dialogue perhaps originates from the
fact that people primarily use verbal language to communicate their
thoughts and, sometimes, feelings. And since cinema, with the
exception of animation, is very naturalistic, allowing the spectator to
easily overcome the limits set by the medium and experience the
subject as if first hand, it is almost automatic for every spectator to pay
very close attention to dialogue.

Dialogue can serve as a means to explicitly state the point of the


movie. It can also function as a tool to reveal character. The choice of
words, for example can reveal the type of character the spectator is
watching. Scatological quips revel a juvenile pervert, incomprehensible
technical jargon characterizes a college geek, aphoristic phrases mark
a sage, and so on.
Setting

It is the spatial and temporal locus of the events in the plot. It ensures
that events enacted by the characters happen in a particular place and
time. More than spatially and temporally containing the events, the
setting also contributes to the narrative by providing the context of the
action. To some extent, the setting shapes the characters and events
by providing the basic assumptions the movie uses. It gives the
spectator a framework in which to “participate” in the events. The
setting shapes the world that the movie presents to the spectator. And
the spectator should respond to the movie based on the context
provided by the setting. If the setting makes it possible for a man to fly
or for hobbits to roam the fields, then the spectator should accept it.
The setting disposes the spectator to the suspension of disbelief.

Plot

It is the arrangements or sequence of events and the things that are


shown on the screen. It is sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably
with story but the two are different.

Story and Plot, a Distinction

Story and plot are actually two different, though related things. This
lack of distinction is due to the fact that both the story and plot deal with
the same thing, i.e., actions or events that take place in the movie. But
closer study reveals that there are two very important differences
between the two.

The first has something to do with the sequencing of events while the
other refers to the quantity of narrative information present. With regard
to sequence, story events are always ordered chronologically while plot
events are not necessarily so. A plot may be temporally disjointed,
relying heavily on flashbacks or flash-forwards. There are occasional
movie plots that deliberately blur and confuse the temporal structure of
the narrative.

When the spectator watches, what he sees are the events are ordered
in the plot. And while watching, he needs to understand how each
event temporally relates to other events. This means that he needs to
mentally situate events in their chronological place. Understanding the
story thus requires an active mental chronological re-ordering of the
plot events.

In this sense, the plot events serve as raw material in the attempt to
mentally construct the story. The story is a result of re-ordering the plot
events. The plot is what the spectator watches; the story is what he
mentally possesses after re-ordering the plot. To make sense of
events, the spectator considers certain things that he sees, hears and
infers in the movie and relates them with each other. These things:
actions, persons, voices, noises, buildings, cars, etc. form what is
called diegesis - which Bordwell and Thompson define as “ the total
world of the story action.”

As the definition suggests, all the narrative or diegetic information


present in the movie constitutes the story content. The plot, on the
other hand, simply contains diegetic information that the spectator
actually sees and hear. Some diegetic information may simply be
hinted or altogether ignored in the plot. The plot also includes visual
and aural elements that are neither present nor essential to the story’s
deigesis like some instances of voice-over narration.
Background music, inter-titles, superimposed texts, etc. (Bordwell and
Thompson 61-62) These things are not present in the world of the story
in that the characters do not hear or seem them; only the spectator
does. These non-diegetic elements contribute not so much to the
articulation of the story but serve to create and or enhance the effect
that the movie has on the spectator. Moreover, the plot also presents
some information that does not contribute anything to the flow of the
story but is nonetheless present to emphasize ideas related to the
meaning and purpose of the movie. The most basic goal of a spectator
is to follow the plot and then mentally construct the story using plot
information.

On top of this, the spectator also needs to think about the intended
meanings or purposes of the movie as elaborated by the plot that do
not directly affect the casual flow of the story. The point of the movie
becomes clear after considering the information contained in both the
story and the plot. The events in the plot are caused by a protagonist
driven by a superwant and meets antagonists which prevent him from
achieving his goal. Conflicts arise as the protagonist struggles to
overcome the obstacles presented by the antagonists.

These events unfold in three major parts:

Beginnings - introduce the major characters especially the protagonist


and establishes his superwant and the conflict.

Middles - contain the series of events that the protagonist goes


through to fulfill his goal.

Ends - begin with the climax when the protagonist and antagonist meet
in a final confrontation and continue in the denouement which shows
the aftereffects of the climax and finally complete the movie in the
resolution.

A plot can resolve in three possible ways:

• reward the desire


• frustrate the desire
• leave the resolution open

Not all plots are done in this conventional way, though. There are
some plot structures that do not follow the cause and effect principle
throughout the whole movie. The more common of these is the episodic
plot. This kind of plot divides the movie into a series of self-contained
units that are not related causally.

These units are called episodes. Episodes are small conventional plots,
meaning each of them has its own beginning, middle and end. An
episodic movie strings together these episodes and usually unites them
with the presence of a single character in each. These episodes may
also be linked by a common theme. To make sense of an episodic
movie, the spectator needs to understand the plot of each episode and
discover how each of the episodes relates to each other to bring out the
meaning of the movie.

In well written movies of this kind, the episodes may not be clearly
defined from each other. They may be inter-weaved, with episodes
unfolding gradually as events from each alternate as the movie
progresses. A spectator gains access to the script content through
visual and aural elements employed by film makers. These elements
are the raw materials that the spectator processes to follow the events
presented by the movie.
The three elements: production design, acting, and staging or direction
is easily referred to by anybody as mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene,
originally a theater term, refers to the things that happen on stage. In
film, it refers to the things present in the shot the things the spectator
sees on screen ( Bordwell and Thompson 156). The elements that fall
under mise-en-scene are:

Production Design

It transforms the setting into cinematic reality. It aids the spectator to


immerse himself in the “reel world” created by the movie. The movie
highlights the world of mental instability, thus the production design
creates precisely that effect, a world that is distorted and disorienting.

Sub-elements of Production Design

Set Design

Deals with the look and construction of the physical structures in a


movie. Sets are usually built on studio lots in order for the film makers
to have control over the shooting. At other times, movies are shot on
location where the set is a real, functioning structure.

Costumes

Are the clothes worn by the actors to portray a character. People often
claim that the clothes a person wears show his personality; “You are
what you wear” as the saying goes. This is very true in cinema where
costumes play a vital role.
Props

Are the things that a character uses. Day-to-day existence places


people in situations where they utilize objects that aid them in their
tasks. Movies re-create this reality by making use of props. Like the
tools people use, props are handled by the actors. Props are also
meant to convey meaning.

Decoration

Are the things that are not touched by the characters. On the superficial
level, decorations make the set of a movie visually appealing. It is like
make up on the face of the set. On the other hand, decorations help
establish the setting and give veracity.
ACTING AND STAGING

Acting

Element that allows the spectators to understand the characters in a


movie. Brings to life the characters sketched out in the script. Through
it characters traits, emotions and reactions are displayed. These are
conveyed through gestures, mannerisms and facial and vocal
expressions. Together with dialogue, acting reveals the complexity of
the character being portrayed.

Staging

Staging makes the event in the plot a reality. Complete control of what
will happen.

Importance of Staging

It is through this art that the spectators gains primary access to the
meanings and effects is making.

The Director

• Art lies in his ability to stage the event to be shot in front of the
camera.
• Blocking
• Placement and movement
• Screen dimension and aspect ratio.

Considerations in watching the staging of scene the spectators


needs
• Pay attention to how the actors physically interact with each other
and with the set.
• Account for how these elements are arranged on the screen
• Pay attention to how the production elements and the actors are
used in relation to one another.
CINEMATOGRAPHY

The main source of narrative information for the spectator is the mise-
en-scene. He can access it through the meditation of the camera and
the projector. Since the projector simply projects what the camera
records, it is passive medium in the transmission of cinematic
information. It does not contribute anything to movie narrative and
aesthetics; rather, it allows the spectator to see what is achieved using
the camera. The most basic use of camera is to record what is placed
in front of it.

The camera, which has the aesthetic and narrative uses, are achieved
through the following aspects:

1. photographic quality
2. framing
3. Distance
4. Movement
5. Rate of recording/projection speed

Photographic quality is an effect primarily of the film stock (see


Bordwell and Thompson’ s Film Art: An Introduction and Monaco’s How
to Read a Film) and the amount of light exposure it receives. These
have cinematic uses in that the image values, color intensity, tactile
quality and focus depend on it. Value is the relationship of dark and
bright images in a movie. It is caused by lightning conditions and the
amount of exposure the film undergoes under the light. Value may be
used to evoke certain moods or emotions.

Darker values have a tendency to convey heavy emotions like grief and
melancholy while brighter values usually evoke lighter, happier things.
Intensity of colors is the degree of color saturation of an image. Most
movies approximate the colors of daily experience but there are movies
that exploit the artistic effects of color intensity.

Tactile quality refers to the feeling of roughness or smoothness of the


movie image. While most movies have a somewhat crisp smooth
texture, some movies have a course, grainy feel.As the camera records
images to the film strip, the light reflected from the subject passes
through a lens to the film, and it helps create the tactile qualities. The
type of lens used also affect the quality of the image on film.

There are four types of lenses used in cinema:

1. Normal lens
2. Short-focal lens
3. Long-focal lens
4. Zoom lens

Normal lens approximates the quality of images as seen naturally and


are produced by the normal lens. This lens that has virtually no
distortion in the image is used in all movie.

Short-focal lens or wide-angle lens emphasizes the distance


between objects and very useful for photographing wide spaces and
big crowds.

Long-focal lens or telephoto lens has the ability to make far things
look closer by compressing the spaces between objects. This results
into flat, depthless, almost two-dimensional images.
Zoom lenses have the ability to frame a panoramic scene and then
move closer to a subject and isolate her and vice versa, without
changing the position of the camera. Making an image appear to come
closer is called “zooming-in” and making an image appear to go farther
is referred to as “zooming-out.”

Focus refers to the degree of sharpness or blurriness of an image.

These are three kinds of focus, namely:

1. Shallow focus or soft focus


2. Racking focus
3. Deep focus

Shallow focus or soft focus

Shallow focus or soft focus shows images that are blurred. The more
common use of shallow focus is to have one plane in the picture sharp
and the rest clear. It is common, for example, to see shots where the
foreground is clear while the middle-ground and background is blurred.

Racking focus

Racking focus shifts the positions of the sharp and blurred images. It
shifts the attention of the spectator from one subject to another.

Deep focus

Deep focus keeps everything in the shot clear. This allows the
spectator freedom to choose what he will look at. It also forces him to
pay attention to how the shot is composed.
Framing

Framing refers to how a camera is placed in relation to the subject with


respect to what side or angle is shown. The most common framing
angle places the camera in a position that sets the spectator vertically
at the level of the subject and horizontally face-to-face. It is as if the
spectator and the subject character are the same height and looking at
each other. This creates a sense of equality and some extent,
familiarity between the subject and the spectator.

This eye-level (vertical), straight-on (horizontal) shot allows the


spectator to see the face of the character as clearly as possible without
distortion. If the straight-on angle shows the facial features as clearly as
possible like an ID picture, profile shots can add a dramatic flavor to a
face because of shadows cast on some parts. It is also used to hide
some facial flaws on the actor’s face.

Aside from the eye-level angle, the other framing angles are: high-
angle, low-angle and canted frame shots.

• High angle shots place the camera, and consequently the


spectator above the subject.
• Low-angle shots have the camera placed below the subject and
usually accompany high-angle shots.
• Canted frame or Dutch angle shots present the image in an
eschewed position. This angle is commonly used to show
imbalance or express tension and disquiet.

Although in rare instances of cinematic genius, the Dutch angle is used


to create the opposite effect commonly associated with the technique
as in Zhang Yimou’s Hero, for an example. Distance indicates the
space interval between the camera and the subject. The distance of
the camera to the subject plays a significant role in the delivery of story
information and the creation of effects on the spectator.

Camera distance has a direct bearing on the amount of information


given in a shot. This achieved through several distances particularly:
the extreme long shot, long shot, medium shot, medium close-up,
close-up and extreme close-up. Extreme long shots show the subject
as a very small figure on screen. It makes the spectator imagine and
aware of objects around the subject even when these things are off-
screen in tighter shots. Long shots shows images occupying almost the
entire height of the screen leaving less room for the background.
Medium shots show a character from the knee up. Directors in
Hollywood believe that the medium shot affords the best view for the
spectator because the distance allows the body language, gestures
and facial expressions to be sufficiently seen.

It also reveals more of the background without it overwhelming the


character. Medium close-ups show part of the torso and the whole face.
The subject dominates the screen and little of the background is
evident. The subject dominates the screen and little of the background
is evident. Close-ups fill almost the entire screen with the face of the
character for emphasis. It calls attention directly to the subject. Due to
the closeness of the camera to the face, facial expressions can be seen
more clearly and allows the spectator to emphasize more with the
character. The closeness establishes a sense of intimacy that enables
the spectator to feel with and for the character. Extreme close-ups give
undivided attention to features or things smaller than a face.

It emphasizes features as small as, say, a pimple. Medium close-ups,


close-ups and extreme close-ups are very valuable to suspense and
horrors films. By stitching together a scene composed of only these
kinds of shots, the movie can put the spectator in a very suspenseful
mood.

Movement refers to the mobility of the frame due to the action of the
camera. The early days of the cinema has the camera mounted on a
fixed position to record whatever subject is placed before it. The
technology then does not allow the camera to be mobile. But now it is
common to see the camera change angles and positions in one
continuous shot. The camera can move in basically two ways: it can
move on axis from a stationary point or the whole camera- - lens,
mechanism, and base - - can physically change in location.

Axial movement is further divided into the pan, tilt and roll. The first
two mimic the head turning sideways or nodding up and down. Rolling
approximates the head rotating from side to side with the tip of the nose
as axis, although it is possible to complete a 360 degree camera roll.

• Panning has the camera swivel horizontally on a vertical axis.


• Tilting has the camera swivel vertically on a horizontal axis.
• Rolling moves the camera along the axis of the lens. It creates
an uneasy and dizzying effect because the base is shifty while a
reference point in the image is fixed.

Aside from recording a scene, cinematography is also responsible for


controlling the pace of the images movement. This is achieved by
manipulating the recording and projection speed of the film. Slow
motion occurs when the images move slower than normal. It is
achieved by recording the image fast (more than 24 frames per
second) and projecting it at a normal or slower rate. Fast motion is an
effect created when the image is recorded at a slower rate than 24
frames per second and projected at normal or faster rates. As the
elements show, cinematography is not simply used to record moving
images, it is also important in conveying the story and in creating
aesthetic effects. To be sensitive to cinema, then, requires an
understanding in the use of the camera both as a narrative and as an
aesthetic tool.

EDITING

Is the process through which a movie is put together. In this process,


some footages take n in the production stage are included and others
discarded. This is done to ensure that only the best footage that
contributes to the plot find their way into movie. It also makes sure that
the movie flows as it should with the proper rhythm. To achieve these
results, the editor creates temporal, spatial and graphic matches in the
movie.

Temporal Match Guarantees

That the timeline of the plot is adhered to. This does not mean that the
plot always needs to have chronological sequencing.

Continuity Editing

Requires that all shots in a movie flow continuously and smoothly in


another. The idea is for the editing to be invisible.
Match-On Action

Shows a movement from different angles without breaking its


continuity. The shot after a cut is a continuation of the movement in the
former shot, even though the views are different.

Non-Continuity Editing

Together shots without regard to a smooth flow of transition.

Elliptical Editing

Passes over dead plot time and jumps directly to a point in the plot that
is significant. A movie may jump only a few seconds to a span of years
depending on the requirements of the plot.

Montage

Is an editing technique where individually unrelated shots are


juxtaposed to create a third meaning.

Jump Cuts

Shift to shots later in the timeline without regard to continuity. It results


in a choppy pace and forces the spectator to notice the editing
involved.
Spatial Match

Requires that the spaces in shots in scene are the same. The positions
of characters and things in the shots should not change location so as
not confuse the spectator.

Parallel Editing

Puts together two scenes of different locations while suggesting that


they are happening at same time. It is achieved through cross-cutting
which alternates shots from the two scenes.
Graphic Match

Establishes unity by using similar objects in at least two consecutive


shots.

Superimposition

Presents a frame with an image that is a composite of two or more


images from different frames. Images from separate frames are made
to overlap in another frame, forming a new image.

Shot Overlaps

Repeat the same shot or shots of the same image taken from different
positions two or more times. It only shows one action several times
consecutively. A scene is usually composed of several shots and the
changing of one shot to the next is called a transition. There are several
transitions in cinema that are used to achieve myriad of effects
depending on what the filmmaker intensions are:
• Cut - is a transition where a shot is immediately replaced by
another shot.
• Fade - is a transition where images in a shot either gradually
disappear into a black or white screen. It is used to introduce a
scene a fade-in or to conclude it fade-out.
• Dissolve - is a transition where images from a shot are gradually
replaced by imaged from another. There is a point in the dissolve
where the images from both shots overlap.
• Wipe - is a transition where a second shot takes over the first by
sliding over it. A visible bar that marks the edge of the second
shot is seen passing over the first shot.
• Iris - is a transition and a framing technique that uses a circular
frame around images. As a transition, an iris can close or open to
conclude or introduce a shot respectively.
MOVIES

They are sometimes judged to be slow and boring or fast and exciting.
This is primarily influenced by the movie’s pace and rhythm which is
dictated by the duration of the takes or how long a shot lasts before a
cut is made.

• Long takes are shots that go over a minute in duration. They


have a tendency to slow down movies to a more relaxed, even to
a boring pace.
• Short takes are shots that are less than a minute long. The usual
short take is around three to five seconds and hasten the pace of
movies.
• Rhythm Depends heavily on the combination of long and short
takes. The movie’s rhythm has a strong aesthetic impact on
spectators.

Sound Design

Although early cinema does not use sound extensively, and many a
good directors claim it is dispensable, it is now an integral part of
cinema. Sound has special uses in cinema. Even during the so called
“silent days” when movies are accompanied by live music to enliven it.
This is still applied today although contemporary cinema is no longer
purely ornamental.

Its design now has narrative and aesthetic functions. Sound design
refers to the interrelationship of sounds and silences in a movie. It
includes every auditory sensation from noises to music as well as
silences. Sound is done during post production which is designed
according to the rhythm and pace of the images created during editing.
Sound in Cinema has two kinds

• Diegetic Sounds - Diegetic sounds are sounds that are present


in the story world. These sounds are heard by at least one of the
characters and fall into two categories:

• External diegetic sounds


• Internal diegetic sounds

External Diegetic sounds are sounds that come from the objects
in the story. These include ambient noises, voices, music, etc.
These sounds are used to make a scene realistic.

Internal Diegetic sounds are sounds heard only by one character


because the source is internal, usually his imagination. These
sounds may be found on or off- screen and may either be
synchronous or not.

• On-Screen sounds come from a source that is visible on the


screen.
• Off-Screen sounds are sounds whose source is not visible
on screen.
• Synchronous sounds are sounds that match the source
and its movements.
• Non-Synchronous sounds are sounds that do not match
the source and its movements.

• Non-Diegetic sounds are sounds that are not present in the story
world. The most common of these is background music. They
used to enhance or create moods or to explain things as in
narration.
Aside from the abovementioned functions, sounds, like editing ensures
that unity in the movie is maintained. Sound bridges are used for
linking together two scenes. It is achieved by a sound overlap wherein
sound from a previous scene continuous into the next or a sound from
the proceeding scene is introduced at the end of the preceding time.
Sound is also responsible for rhythm in the movie. A rural rhythm
complements visual rhythm and the speed of the sound is usually
congruent with the speed of image movement and shot transitions.
When studying the use of sound, therefore, it must always be done in
connection with the cinematic elements.

The Aesthetic Qualities of Selected Cinematic Artworks

The Script (Conventional Plot) and Production Design in Edward


Zwick’ The Last Samurai

• Fade-in hills to Japan. A Samurai meditates and receives a vision


of a white tiger.
• Cut to San Francisco: John Algren (Tom Cruise), ex-war hero,
gets drunk, ruins his presentation and is fired.
• Algren accepts a job to train the New Imperial Japanese Army in
modern warfare.
• Algren travels to Japan and experiences nightmares about
massacred Indians.
• Algren engages the rebel samurai and is captured.
• Algren learns the way of the samurai
• Algren is released, returns to Edo and sympathizes with the
rebels.
• Algren is ambushed by government agents and gets visions of the
impending fight.
• Algren joins the rebels.
• Algren fights with the samurais and survives.
• Algren visits the Emperor and offers to commit seppuku when so
ordered.
• Algren returns to the samurai village.

Algren

• Algren participates in the massacre of Indians. (Hinted in the


nightmares and inferred by the spectator)
• Algren self destructs and works as a spokesperson for
Winchester rifles.
• John Algren, ex-war hero, gets drunk, ruins his presentation and
is fired.
• Algren accepts a job to train the New Imperial Japanese Army in
modern warfare.
• Algren travels to Japan and experiences nightmares about
massacred Indians.
• Algren engages the rebel samurai and is captured.
• Algren learns the way of the samurai.
• Algren is released, returns to Edo and sympathizes with the
rebels.
• Algren is ambushed by government agents and gets visions of the
impending fight.
• Algren joins the rebels.
• Algren fights with the samurais and survives.
• Algren visits the Emperor and offers to commit seppuku when so
ordered.
• Algren returns to the samurai village.
Katsumoto

• Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) mentors the emperor Meiji.


• Against Katsumoto’s advice, Meiji directs the total modernization
of Japan.
• The Meiji government does away with class distinctions.
• Some samurai clans revolt, including Katsumoto’s.
• The Japanese government modernizes the Imperial Army to quell
the rebellion.
• The government hires American consultants, one of which is
Algren.
• The samurai attack and defeat the ill-prepared Imperial Army.
• The samurai capture Algren.
• Katsumoto, the clan leader, befriends Algren and learns the way
of the West.
• Katsumoto releases Algren and appeals to the emperor.
• Katsumoto fails, is placed on house arrest and is pressured to
commit seppuku.
• A group of samurai and Algren rescue Katsumoto.
• The samurai prepare for the last battle.
• The samurai are defeated.

In the example, it is noticeable that many things in the story are missing
in the main plot of the movie. Although both versions of the story share
some same events, some of the events that revolve around the
Japanese are either implicit in the plot or inferred by the spectator. This
is also true for the first event in Algren’s story, where the plot revolves
around.

In The Last Samurai, the spectator is introduced to John Algren, an


emotionally and physically scarred Indian Wars veteran, who sets out
on a mission to train the fledging Japanese Imperial Army in the ways
of modern warfare in exchange for a handsome fee. The
accomplishment of his goal is put on hold when he is captured by rebel
samurai under the leadership of Katsumoto. It appears here that the
desire of the protagonist is to get paid for services rendered to the
Japanese Imperial Army. Conflict is achieved when Algren is captured
thus preventing him from his paycheck.

The stumbling block is Katsumoto who is presented as an antagonist.


As the plot develops, Algren discovers the reason behind the rebellion.
His captors introduce him to the ways of the samurai, ways which
Algren begins to imbibe. In his captivity, Algren begins to experience an
inner piece brought about by the values he is beginning to make his
own. Returning to Edo upon his release, Algren experiences a dramatic
reversal when he shifts allegiances from the Japanese Imperial
Government to the samurai rebels.

He leaves the government and the money and fight alongside the
samurai for honor and the samurai for honor and restoring the good
values of the old samurai way. His new desire is to do the honorable
act of fighting against the eradication of a group of people and the
tradition they embody. Blocking his goal is another American military
consultant, Col. Bagley and the Japanese merchant, Omura, adviser to
the young Emperor. The second up to the last part of the film reveals a
deeper longing in Algren much different from the need of financial
compensation.

Algren is in search of inner peace by restoring lost honor; honor which


he loses in his participation in the massacre of another group of people,
a Native American nation. The inner turmoil raging in Algren, which
comes as a result of his ignoble act, is conveyed to his nightmares.
Images of this event appear earlier in the movie. When the images of
the massacre connect with other information present in later
expositions, the longing for inner peace and honor emerges as a
deeper and stronger driving force behind all the protagonist’s actions.
The movie then resolves when Algren fights alongside the samurai; a
decision which, to his mind, is the honorable choice.

Set design

In The Last Samurai, the production design brings back the spectator
on the end of 19th century San Francisco and Japan through the set,
costumes, props and decoration. San Francisco is depicted without the
modern skyscrapers that are a familiar sight in the city. A shot of the
city street showcases wood buildings side-by-side brick structures;
images which hearken to the days when the city is transitioning into a
modern cityscape.

The set design accomplishes two things:

• it establishes the locale through the rolling terrain and the cable
car commonly associated with the city and
• it establishes the historical situation through the absence of
skyscrapers and juxtaposing wood and masonry buildings.

The set design also makes it possible to distinguish between San


Francisco and Edo. The Edo set comprises of busy narrow streets and
all wooden structures indicating “non-modernity.” This lack of industrial
progress is further emphasized by the absence of mechanized vehicles
like the cable car present in the San Francisco set. The primary means
of transportation is the human-pulled rickshaw. It is similar to San
Francisco though, in a way that the structures line-up along the street
leaving no spaces in between buildings.

Later in the film, Edo is show as a more “modern” city throughout the
use of Western looking masonry structures. A chaotic mess of
telegraph lines also line the once clear skyline of Edo. In both the sets
of Edo and San Francisco, there is a strong feel of overcrowding and
hard, fast-paced living. The village of Katsumoto is starkly different from
San Francisco and Edo. In this set, the houses are farther apart from
which gives a sense of peaceful serenity. The houses are made in the
traditional plan using traditional materials: wood, thatch and washi–
paper walls.

Compared to the other two sets, the village appears more rustic and
definitely non-modernized but also more comfortably habitable. Aside
from the structures, this is made possible through the greenery that is
very much present in the village set which contrasts sharply against the
absent of plant life in the other two industrialized sets.

Costume

Algren’s blue uniform reveals that he is an army officer but the way he
wears it suggests that he is wary of his profession; he is burned-out
soldier. He wears his uniform sloppily with the coat unbuttoned. The
only time the spectator sees him wear it with pride and in full regalia is
during the audience with emperor after the battle. Used this way, the
uniform seems to be the outward image of his once lost and now
restored honor.

Another significant use of this costume in the movie is when Algren


dons the armor of the samurai he slew. It tells the viewer that he is
resolute in fighting alongside the samurai. It also suggests that is now
fully accepted by the people, whom he was hired to exterminate, as
one of their own: a warrior, a samurai. Moreover, the armor belongs to
the husband of Taka (Koyuki), the sister of Katsumoto who is now in
love with Algren.

Donning the armor with the aid of Taka shows the latter forgiving her
husband’s killer and also reveals her feelings. It also suggests the
close affinity between Katsumoto and Algren. In a way, the two are now
brothers. The armor reveals that Algren is now part of the family. The
change in costume from the US army uniform to the samurai armor is a
visual indication of the character’s reversal. Once a mercenary tasked
with the extermination of the samurai, Algren is now part of the
rebellion.

But this transition is gradually achieved and costumes play an


important role here too. In his captivity Algren wears the kimono and
hakama, the traditional garb of the Japanese men. He wears this as he
learns the culture of the Japanese and is slowly introduced to the
Japanese society. After his “education,” Algren is made a samurai by
being given the armor. He now takes the place of the samurai that died
by his hand.

Props

The katana given to Algren before the battle is used as a symbol of the
man who will wield it. The etching of the blade, which Katsumoto reads,
reveals it: “I belong to the man where East meets West.” This use of
props exploit the metonymic power of the object by using the sword as
an image that stands-in for the person of Algren. Placed within the
context of the whole narrative, the sword also alludes to the theme of
the movie. The etching serves as a thematic statement. Being given to
Algren, the sword also implies that bushido, which the sword
symbolizes in Japanese culture, is now embodied in the American.

Decoration

In the scene that introduces the main character of The Last Samurai,
Algren, in his army uniform, is shown slumped, drunk, on a chair
surrounded by crates and irreverently hung flags in a dimly lit room.
The state of the roof somehow reflects the state of the man occupying it
– a soldier that lost his sense of patriotism. This is confirmed in the later
scenes especially by the flashbacks to the slaughter of Native
Americans. After this pathetic image of Algren, in the room, a strong
sense of irony is achieved when he is introduced as great American
hero to the public. This would not have been possible if the room
decoration is neat and orderly. It is clear then that the decorations
deserve as much attention as the costume and props, because it, too,
has a story to tell.
THE NARRATIVE

Elements

What are the important components of the narrative?

Treatment

How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Purpose

Why are the elements employed in this way? The important elements
of the narrative are the characters, setting, plot and superwant. The
major character is presented as a dishonored ex-soldier. The setting
shows turn of the nineteenth century San Francisco and Japan. The
plot is conventional and begins in the middle of plot, a deeper longing is
revealed – to regain lost honor.

The personality of Algren is a reflection of his inner longing and a result


of his past. His behavior only makes sense when his superwant is
understood. This want is only given in the middle and is hidden beneath
the other wants to give the character depth. The setting is appropriate
to underscore a point being stressed by the movie. The ramifications of
progress are clearly illustrated in the Japan caught in modernization
efforts.
Production Design

Elements

What are the important components of the narrative?


Treatment

How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Purpose

Why are the elements employed in this way? The set, costume and
props are key aspects of production design in the movie. The set
shows San Francisco without the tall buildings. The Tokyo set is set like
San Francisco with its rows of structures and crowded streets. These
two sets are contrasted with the spacious fields of the village. The
American military costume of Algren is always worn lousily. He trades
this for a set samurai and clothing and armor in the middle and end of
the movie respectively.

In the epilogue, he dons his Army uniform again, but this time with
proper bearing. The katana is given to Algren by Katsumoto. It is
emphasized by being focused on and by translating the engraving on
the blade. The set not only shows the spectator a picture of the late 19th
century Japan, it also shows the effects of a false sense of modernity
as shown in the set of Tokyo which lost its old charm, pleasantness,
and Japanese character. The contrast of Tokyo with the village offers
an alternative that is threatened by advance of “progress.” The costume
reflects Algren’s personality. Exchanging his old uniform for samurai
garb indicates his reversal and redemption. The sword is the symbol of
Algren where the “Old meets the new.” The engraving serves as a
thematic statement.

Acting, Staging and Cinematography in Akira Kurosawa’s Akahige

Akahige is the story of a young haughty doctor who is assigned at a


public clinic instead of his dream assignment, the sogun’s medical
team. The poor clinic is administered by Dr. Niide Kyojo (Toshiro
Mifune) who continues the education of the new doctor on the real
nature of healing. In one memorable scene, the young Dr. Katsumoto
(Yuzo Kayama)confronts a psychotic female patient people call the
“mantis” played by Kyoko Kagawa who seduces men and then stabs
them with her hairpin.

The “Mantis” enters the room of inebriated Yasumoto and confides to


him the reason behind the murderous condition. Initially, her gestures
and soft, high-pitched voice evoke a pitifully fragile girl, embarrassed of
her past and fearful death. With the hapless doctor playing into her
trap, the “mantis” restrains her victim with her hairpin. In this turn and
events, the woman’s voice and facial expression change. Suddenly,
her face, especially her eyes betray wrathful insanity. The veins on her
forehead begin to bulge as if ready to explode. This physical feat of
acting by Kagawa is complemented by the effective use of her voice.

Her voice once high and small, drops to a low guttural drone and then
rises to a high, painting moan: bedlam sounds that underscore her
mental instability. In the confrontation scene between the “ Mantis” and
Yasumoto, the placement of the two characters at the opposite ends of
the screen suggests a sense of uncomfortable tension between the two
characters. The actual physical distance also reflects the emotional and
psychological distance of the two
The movement of the actors around the set and in the relation to the
other actors also creates the same narrative effects. As Yasumoto
closes in on woman n the same scene, his interest in the madwoman’s
tale is very clearly evident. The slow and gradual approach reveals
caution on the part of the doctor. The girl’s reactions and gestures, on
the other hand, betray her dark motives. Through her movements, the
spectator is given access to her real motive: deceive and seduce the
doctor with the story She represents herself as a fragile and submissive
by sitting down.

When the doctor becomes more comfortable, she baits him further by
turning her back, which arouses the man’s interest even more. When
they’re already touching, and the doctor’s guard is down, the
madwoman makes her move, traps the doctor and attempts to stab
him. Aesthetically, the actor occupying the foreground usually receives
the most attention because his placement makes him larger than the
other actors placed at the back. This is shown in the scene preceding
the confrontation when the mantis” enters the doctor’s room.
Yasumoto is in the foreground and occupies most of the scene, this
directs the spectator’s attention to him. But to give emphasis to the
woman, Kurosawa shows the man’s back.

Because of this placement attention is drawn from Yasumoto to the girl


whose face is clearly seen. Faces have a tendency to attack more
attention than the back of heads. Also, Kurosawa makes the girl
brighter to make her standout of the dark background. The pattern on
her kimono also adds emphasis. The final effect is the spectator’s
attention is given to both characters. In the confrontation scene, the
placement of the characters at the opposite sides of the screen not only
emphasizes the two’s distance, it also makes the scene very
symmetrical.

Even when the doctor closes in on the woman, the symmetry is still
maintained. The angle from where the spectator watches the scene
allows him to see both characters. This omniscience results in a
heightened suspense because spectator knows something-the “Mantis”
intention-that Yasumoto does not.

As Yasumoto moves closer, the spectator becomes excited and at the


same time realizes the doctor’s folly. The pace of the movement, which
starts slow, gradually accelerates and ends fast, contribute to the
excitement of the scene. It also gives the spectator a vicarious
experience of the deceitful seduction taking place but form a distant
position.
This scene is also a good example of how actors interact with the set
and its contents. As Yasumoto listens to the story, the “Mantis” is
weaving, the spectator will notice that a candle separates the two
characters. The candle divides the set in two equal parts. As the man is
drawn in by the tale, he slowly approaches the candle and when he
finally crosses the imaginary barrier it creates, the girl begins to panic
or at lest feign it.

The relation of the movement of the actor to the candle suggest that the
decoration serves as a territorial mark that when crossed the girl who
occupies the space inside the barriers feels threatened. Crossed the
girl who occupies the space inside the barriers feels threatened. On
the girl’s part, the crossing of the line is the signal that the seduction is
successful and therefore begins to play-up her condition to bait the
foolish doctor even more.
Let’s analyze the aesthetic qualities of Akahige

ACTING

Elements

What are the important components of acting in the movies/scene?

Treatment

How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Purpose

Why are the elements employed in this way? The important


components of the acting are facial expression, bodily gestures and
vocal expression. The facial expression of the “Mantis” change from
scared that implies her weakness to fierce, which betray her psychosis.
Her voice, too, transforms in this manner: from a pleading high –pitched
tone to a low guttural grunt. Her bodily gestures in the beginning of the
scene where small and restrained showing timidity and
embarrassment which then transforms into very forceful movements
towards the end. Acting was used to show the deceitfulness and
insanity of the Mantis.
STAGING

Elements

What are the important components of staging in the movie/scene?

Treatment

How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Purpose

Why are the elements employed in this way? The important


components of staging are blocking, movement and screen
composition. The actors blocked opposite each other with the big
distance between them. Their movements are slow, small and
controlled in the beginning. They accelerate when the action is nearing
the climax. Each character reacts in a particular way depending on how
the other moves.

The blocking of the characters contributes to a balanced composition


on the screen. It also highlights the psychological and emotional
distance between the two characters. Their movement betrays their
intentions and allows the spectator to understand what is happening, at
the same time, creating suspense and excitement.
CINEMATOGRAPHY

Elements

What are the important components of cinematography in the


movie/scene?

Treatment

How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Purpose

Why are the elements employed in this way? The important


components of cinematography in the scene are: distance, movement
and lens. The scene opens with a long shot and then slowly dollies
forward and to the right until a medium shot is achieved. As the girl
panics, the camera becomes dynamic and follows the girl’s movement
across the room, keeping up with her speed. It then utilizes close –ups
on the characters faces and other body parts finally cuts to medium
shot in the end.

Throughout the whole scene, a long –focal lens is used thus flattening
the scene. The camera distance shows the blocking of the actors and
keeps them in a balances frame even as they move closer. It allows
the spectators to see the movements of the characters. It also
increases anticipation and suspense and draws the interest of the
spectator as it moves closer to the characters. The flattened images
contribute to creating surprise and tension especially in the introductory
shot of the scene.
Editing and Sound Design

In the Mood for Love

Sound in “In the Mood for Love” is as sensual and leisurely as its
visuals. The rhythm of the music complements the visuals. The music
breathes romance into the movie and an occasion intentionally leads
the spectator to make abrupt conclusions that the movie later-on
proves false. The music in the restaurant the first time Mr. Chow invites
Mrs. Chan to dinner does this. It is easy to assume that what is taking
place is a date, but the conversation that takes place proves it is not.

The combination of the music and dialogue results in powerful sense


bitter irony in the scene. In some instances, the music somewhat
suggests what characters are thinking as in the scene when Mr. Chow
proposes to elope. He invites Mrs. Chan to move with him in
Singapore. In the waiting hours, before his departure, the spectator is
treated to Nat King Cole’s smooth rendition of “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas”
as in the music is giving us the answer to the mystery on whether the
woman will accept the offer.

Will she come?...”Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps!” The music suggests an


answer to the question in the spectator’s head as the tune brings about
a nostalgic feeling for the 50’s. There are no bombastic sound effects in
the movie; just the conversation of people and the noises of daily life.
Although the voices of the subject characters in a scene are unnaturally
amplified, the choice of what sounds to use makes the movie very
realistic. Listening to what the characters hear also puts the spectator
in the uncomfortable position of an eavesdropper, as what the
cinematography does with its concealed camera effect. Like editing, the
sounds also contribute to the unity of some scenes as sound bridges
are constantly used to connect some graphically mismatched shots.

GUIDE QUESTIONS

Editing

Elements

1. What are the important components of sound design in the


movie/scene?

Analysis

1. The important components of editing in scenes cited are cuts,


fades, slow-motion and montage.
2. How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?
3. Cut appear like wipes in some scene. Transitions cut to an object
while maintaining a pan or tilt. Fade-outs create slow transitions
and are used as an ellipsis to condense the plot time.
4. Slow-motion is used in private scenes. Montage in the scene
mentioned above is cut very fast and shows images randomly.

The Purpose

1. Why are the elements employed in this way?

Analysis
1. The cuts contribute to the unobtrusive fluidity of the transitions.
Together with the fades, the cuts contribute to the leisurely pace
of the movie.
2. The slow-motion also contributes to the rhythm and pace of the
movie while it is also giving sensuality and grace to the
movements of the images.
SOUND DESIGN

Elements

1. What are the important components of sound design in the


movie/scene?

Analysis

1. The important components of sound design in the movie is music.

Treatment

1. How are the elements employed in the movie/scene?

Analysis

1. Music is used as background in scenes.

The Purpose

1. Why are the elements employed in this way?

Analysis

1. The music complements the pace of the movie. It is also used to


create a feeling of romance.
2. In some instances, it serves as a way to answer some of the
spectator’s questions.

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