Appreciating the arts

The sixth of the eight new required subjects in the revised General Education Curriculum (GEC) is “Art Appreciation / Pagpapahalaga sa Sining.”

This is not the same as the Humanities subject named Arts in the current (or old) GEC. That subject focuses on art as art (in other words, aesthetics). Students are usually taught how to view a work of art, what to look for, how to tell if an art work is good or bad.

The new subject zeroes in on something that is taken up only as part of the old subject. The new subject is described in this way: “Nature, function, and appreciation of the arts in contemporary society / Kalikasan, tungkulin, at pagpapahalaga sa mga sining sa kasalukuyang lipunan.” While aesthetics is obviously still important because art is, after all, primarily aesthetic, the focus of the new subject is on the relationship of art to the individual student and his or her milieu.

The Appendix to CMO 20, series of 2013, clarifies the subject:

“The course aims to provide students the opportunity to observe, participate in, or otherwise experience works of art in order to appreciate their role and purpose in life. Students will be exposed to various works of art, ranging from the classical art forms to modern art installations, performance art, indie films, enhanced e-books, and multimedia aesthetics. These works of art will be examined from an aesthetic point of view and also as reflections or critiques of the societies that produced them. The course will thus build upon and hone the skills of understanding, critical appreciation, and expression of one’s views.

“At the end of the course, students should be able to approach a work of art from a perspective informed by the history and tradition of art and the social milieu in which it was produced as well as the perspective of aesthetics. Such an approach would require a written appraisal of the meaning and value of the works of art taken up in class and possibly some within the immediate vicinity of the student’s experience. The written essays must clearly demonstrate not only understanding and appreciation of a specified work of art, but also a sense of the work’s importance in life and history.”

Take a simple example. Every college student in the country has been to a mall. A mall is an example of architecture (a classical art). In the old subject, it would have been enough to study the design of a mall from the point of view of form and function. In the new subject, the student has to have an opinion about how the design (not just the existence) of the nearby mall contributes to the history and identity of the city where the school is located, how the design incorporates and blends Philippine and foreign architectural trends, what the design says about the Filipino psyche, and so on. We are talking only of the exterior, not the interior design, but if students are asked to give their opinion of the way the interior is set up, they will understand even more what art is doing to them as persons.

Or take an example of multimedia aesthetics. Students who are on Facebook may be asked to critique the way a typical Facebook page functions. It is not enough to point out the static design of the page (photos on top, birthdays and ads on the side, information and photos on the left, posts in the middle, and so on). What should also be examined is the way the posts are linked, why photos of dishes proliferate, why people put their lives on display, the way modern civilization values transparency and honesty (or dishonesty), what cyber bullying is about, and – yes – why governments have been toppled by movements initiated on Facebook.

Like the other subjects in the new GEC, Arts Appreciation is multi-disciplinary. The students must use tools from various disciplines, not only aesthetics, to come to terms with the way art influences their personal lives.

Too often, students (and even professionals) view art as something one can safely ignore or something not essential to personal survival or to national development. On the contrary, art is central to personal identity, as well as to the nation’s economic health.

For example, in terms of personal identity, how does a student choose which brand of toothpaste to use? How does the product design prod the student to buy a more expensive brand?

The crucial role of art in national development is obvious. What is the link between Korean music and Korea’s GNP? How do Hollywood superhero movies justify unilateral American bombing of Syria? What does the Egg sculpture in front of NAIA 3 signify? Why are Philippine indie films on poverty and homosexuality praised by foreigners? How should we view the burning of effigies and flags? Do the telenovelas have a dumbing effect on the masses and, therefore, discourage them from political action?

In case a controversy erupts like that of Mideo Cruz’s “Poleteismo,” the choice of National Artists, or Carlos Celdran doing performance art inside the Manila Cathedral, students will learn a lot while debating on the nature and function of modern art. (To be continued)