LECTURE 3

Aesthetics: Study of
Art and Beauty

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
OBJECTIVES
a. Define aesthetics as a branch of philosophy concerned
with art.
b. Enumerate the various terms used in aesthetics.
c. Classify the arts based on perception by the senses
d. Discover the Filipino aesthetic worldview.
e. Demonstrate the Filipino sense of beauty in some
indigenous, folk and pop arts.
f. Compare the Filipino sense of art and beauty to that of
Western and Japanese.
g. Formulate an aesthetic approach to Art Appreciation.
h. Make an artwork that shows the Filipino concept of art
and beauty. DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
READINGS
3.1. Miller, Ellen (2004), “Introduction to Aesthetics” in
http://users.rowan.edu/~millere/Introduction %20
to%20Aesthetics.htm

3.2. Jocano, Landa F (2001). “Aesthetic Dimension,” in

Filipino Worldview, Quezon City: PUNLAD Research
House, 2001. pp.135-144.

3.3. Lloren, Gregg S (2011). “Horror Vacui and the Pinoy

Inclination for Filling Up Every Inch of Space” in
https://www.academia.edu.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
VIDEOS
3.1. “Japan Minimalists: A New Way of Life,” https://
www.youtube.com/watch? v=ACUE_Y67qlk.

3.2. “Pop Art Jeepney in the Lovely Philippines,” in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxt8YziLy8Q

3.3. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon” (1972), in

https://www.youtube.com/watch7v=BJ99YMQzs

3.4. “Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas,” https://www.youtube.

com/results?search_query=piliin+mo+ang+pilipin
as+angeline+quinto+official+music+video

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

LECTURES

3.1. The Field of Aesthetics

3.2. Aesthetics Terms

3.3. Hierarchy of Beauty

3.4. The Filipino Aesthetic Worldview

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

 LECTURE 3.1
The Field of Aesthetics

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 Etymology
“AESTHETICS”

GREEK
aesthesis
ENGLISH
Magritte, The
“sensory perception” False Mirror
 ALEXANDER
BAUMGARTEN
(1714-1762)

Aesthetics

The word “aesthetics” was first employed by Baumgarten

to mean “the science of sensory perception.” Particularly,
he used it to denote a realm of concrete knowledge, as
distinct from the abstract where content is communicated
in sensory forms.
 AESTHETICS

Theory about the ultimate

Philosophy reality of things

Nature of Beauty: Why are

of beauty
beautiful things beautiful?

and art Essence of Art: What makes

something a work of art?
AESTHETIC
DEFINITION

is the creation by the artists in their creativity

and appreciation by the art spectator with artistic taste

of BEAUTIFUL anything with a value that delights

human-made art distinguished from nature

objects.
 TWO WAYS OF
CONSIDERING BEAUTY
RELATIVE ABSOLUTE
“Beauty is in the “Beauty is in
eye of the beholder.” the thing itself.”

SUBJECT OBJECT
DIVISION OF AESTHETICS

THEORY OF BEAUTY
Nature of beautiful things

THEORY OF ART
Essence of art

THEORY OF ART CRITICISM

Evaluation of the merit or
demerit of works of art
 Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482

Zyphers

Venus
Nymph

THEORY OF ART: Is this art? Why?

THEORY OF ART CRITICISM: Is this art great? Why?
Model:
Simonetta
Vespucci

THEORY
OF
BEAUTY:
Is she
beautiful?
Why?
 LECTURE 3.2
Aesthetic Terms

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
CATEGORIES OF VALUE

LOGICAL True and False

ETHICAL Good and Bad

AESTHETIC Beautiful and Ugly

 AESTHETICS VALUES

BEAUTIFUL UGLY
Delights Glooms

Wow! Yak!
Walastik! Eww!
Hanep! Sus!
 AESTHETIC VALUES ACCORDING TO THE SENSES
SENSES SENSING: Sense-Data FORMS OF ART
VISUAL ART: Painting,
SEEING: Color,
EYE Sculpture, Architecture,
Shape, Size, Motion
Dance, Drama

EARS HEARING: Sound AUDITORY ART: Music, Drama

OLFACTORY ART:
NOSE SMELLING: Odor
Perfume Making

TONGUE TASTING: Taste CULINARY ART: Cooking

TOUCHING: Texture, TACTILE ART:

SKIN
Shape, Size, Motion Sculpture, Lovemaking

IMAGI- IMAGINATIVE ART:

IMAGINING: Images
NATION Literature, Drama
 AESTHETIC VALUES ACCORDING TO THE SENSES
SENSES SENSING: Sense-Data FORMS OF ART
VISUAL ART: Painting,
SEEING: Color,
EYE Sculpture, Architecture,
Shape, Size, Motion
Dance, Drama

EARS HEARING: Sound AUDITORY ART: Music, Drama

OLFACTORY ART:
NOSE SMELLING: Odor
Perfume Making

TONGUE TASTING: Taste CULINARY ART: Cooking

TOUCHING: Texture, TACTILE ART:

SKIN
Shape, Size, Motion Sculpture, Lovemaking

IMAGI- IMAGINATIVE ART:

IMAGINING: Images
NATION Literature, Drama
AESTHETIC VALUES ACCORDING TO THE SENSES
SENSE-DATA BEAUTIFUL UGLY
COLOR Picturesque Blur
SHAPE Pretty Grotesque
SIZE Cute Piquant
MOTION Graceful Awkward
SOUND Lovely Droll
ODOR Fragrant Foul
TASTE Delicious Pungent
TOUCH Pleasant Harsh
IMAGE Fantastic Ridiculous
AESTHETIC VALUES ACCORDING TO THE SENSES
SENSE-DATA BEAUTIFUL UGLY
COLOR Picturesque Blur
SHAPE Pretty Grotesque
SIZE Cute Piquant
MOTION Graceful Awkward
SOUND Lovely Droll
ODOR Fragrant Foul
TASTE Delicious Pungent
TOUCH Pleasant Harsh
IMAGE Fantastic Ridiculous
Kandinsky, Color Composition PICTURESQUE Beautiful Color
PICTURESQUE
Beautiful Color

Pink Floyd, Brain Damage:

The Dark Side of the Moon,
Psychedelic Rock Music
Video, 1972
 Mondrian,
Composition with
Red, Yellow and
Blue, 1924

PICTURESQUE
Beautiful Color
Malevich
White on
White
1924

BLUR
Ugly
Color
PICTURESQUE: Rainbow: Beautiful Color in Nature
Sunset in a Beach, San Roque Northern Samar
Amorsolo, Sunset ROMANTIC REALISM
Van Gogh, Sunset in the Wheatfield EXPRESSIONISM
Lichtenstein, Sinking Sun POP ART
Monet, Venice at Twilight IMPRESSIONISM
 Munch
Scream
1894

EMOTIONAL
EFFECT OF
COLOR
 COLORFUL BUILDING

St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow Russia

 FILIPINO
SENSE OF BEAUTY
The colorful is
beautiful.
 HORROR VACCUI:
Fear of Empty Space
Horror Vacui
Oil on Canvas
Painting by
Alfonso Ossorio
Horror Vacui
Oil on Canvas
Painting by
Alfonso Ossorio
Horror Vacui
Oil on Canvas
Painting by
Alfonso Ossorio
COLORFUL DESIGN IN PHILIPPINE FOLK ART
PICTURESQUE
Beautiful Color in
Philippine Art

Video 3.1.
THE COLORFUL ART OF THE PHILIPPINE KALESA
THE COLORFUL ART OF TRICYCLE DESIGN
COLORFUL PHILIPPINE ICE CREAM CART
COLORFUL
ART OF THE
PAROL

Lanterns
made of
capiz shells
with twikling
light design
Giant Lantern Festival, Pampanga
COLORFUL PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS ART
Vinta
Badjao
Art
Sarimanok Design
Maranao Art
Abdul Mari Imao, Sarimanok, 1975
Tinalak, Tiboli Art
 Tiboli Woman
Weaving Tinala’k,
(Dreamweaver)
Tinalak
Clothes
Nike Shoes with Tinala’k Design
 COLORFUL COSTUMES
ACCESSORIES AND DECORATION
COLORFUL BANDERITAS DURING PHILIPPINE FIESTA
PAHIYAS FESTIVAL, LUCBAN QUEZON
SINULOG FESTIVAL, CEBU CITY
KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL, DAVAO
PENAGBENGA FESTIVAL, BAGUIO CITY
DINANGYANG FESTIVAL, ILOILO
ATI-ATIHAN FESTIVAL, KALIBO AKLAN
MASSKARA FESTIVAL, BACOLOD
TINALAK FESTIVAL, SOUTH COTABATO
THE COLORFUL
IS BEAUTIFUL
Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas
Angeline Quinto
Music Video
2012
 PRETTY
Beautiful Shape

GROTESQUE
Ugly Shape
THE BEAUTIFUL SHAPE OF A DOME

St.Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

 DOME

House of Congress, Washington D.C.

 DOME

Taj Mahal, Agra India

 DOME

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Turkey

 Beautiful Shape

Sydney Opera House, Australia

 SEXY
Beautiful shape of the
female body
Ingres, The Grande Odalisque
Ingres, The Odalisque with a Lute Player
Juan Luna, The Odalisque
Mucha
Absinthe Robette
1901

STYLE
Art Nouveau
 Venus of
Willendorf,
35,000 BC

GROTESQUE
Ugly Shape
Grotesque
Face
Leonardo,
Grotesque
Faces, 1492
Leonardo, Grotesque Faces, 1492
 CUTE
Beautiful Size

PIQUANT
Ugly Size
 GREEK AND
WESTERN SENSE
OF BEAUTY
The big is
beautiful.

Statue of Zeus
435 BC, 40 ft. high
Colossus of Rhodes
280 BC, 100 ft. high
 Statue of
Liberty, 1886
305 ft. high
 THE TALLEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD
Burj
Khalifa,
Taipei Dubai,
Sears 101, 2,772 ft.
Empire Tower, Taiwan,
State Chicago, 1,666 ft
Building, 1,450 ft.
Pyramid New York
of Kufu 1,250 ft.
Egypt,
420 ft.
 Burj Khalifa
Dubai
2,772 feet high
163 Floors

Scene from the

Making of Mission
Impossible: Ghost
Protocol, 2011
TALLEST BUILDING IN
THE PHILIPPINES

PBCom Tower
Ayala Makati City
790 feet high
55 floors
 JAPANESE
SENSE OF
BEAUTY
The small is
beautiful.

BONSAI
Miniature Tree
in a Pot
 SMALLEST ORIGAMI

Folded from a
piece of plastic
film measuring
0.1 x 0.1 mm
by Naito Akira
in 2004
 HAIKU
Japanese short poem
composed of 3 lines
with 17 syllables

An old, silent pond…

A frog jumps into the pond,
Splash! Silence again.
(Basho Matsuo) I walk across sand
And find myself blistering
In the hot, hot sun.
JAPANESE
SENSE OF
BEAUTY
The less is
beautiful

MINIMALISM
Use of least
number of
elements

ZEN PAINTING
Landscape
 ZEN
PAINTING
Circle
ZEN PAINTING
Bamboo
ZEN PAINTING River
ZEN PAINTING
Monk Meditating

ZEN BUDDHISM
AND MINIMALISM

The cause of suffering in life is

attachment to material things. The
lesser the possessions, the lesser the
suffering. So the secret to happiness
is living a simple life.

Video 3.2.
 君が代は
千代に八千代に
さざれ（細）石の
KIMIGAYO いわお（巌）となりて
こけ（苔）の生すまで
Waka Poem
794 AD Kimigayo wa
Chiyo ni yachiyo ni
National Sazare-ishi no
Anthem of Iwao to narite
Koke no musu made
Japan

May your reign

Continue for a thousand,
Eight thousand generations,
Until the pebbles
Grow into boulders
Lush with moss
GRACEFUL
Beautiful
Motion

Michael
Jackson
Beat It
1986
 LOVELY Beautiful sound
DROLL Ugly sound

TIMBRE OF THE HUMAN VOICE

FLOWING EFFECT Jose Mari Chan,

(Continuous Sound) Constant Change

TREMBLING EFFECT Louis Armstrong,

TREMOLO OR VIBRATO It’s a Wonderful
(Vibrating Sound) World
 PLEASANT
Beautiful Touch

KAMA SUTRA
Art of Pleasure
 FANTASTIC
Beautiful Image

RIDICULOUS
Ugly Image
Dali, The Dream
 De Chirico,
Soothsayer’s
Recompense
Jacek Yerka,
Don’t Slam
the Door
Jacek Yerka,
Quiet Balance
 Jacek Yerka,
Brontosaurus
Civitas
 Magritte
Fine Realities
1964

FANTASTIC OR
RIDICULOUS
IMAGES?

Surrealist
Rene Magritte,
Documentary
2013
 LECTURE 3.3
Hierarchy of Beauty
BEAUTY

UGLY
 Simonneta
Vespucci in the
Venus Paintings
by Botticelli
 A Samburo
Woman from
Kenya, Africa
 Nikki Zeiring,
International
Supermodel
Vogue Magazine
2001
 Dalagang
Pilipina in
Amorsolo’s
Painting
 Durer
Self-Portrait
1500
 Leonardo
Grotesque Face
of Scaramuccia
1492
 Tom Cruise,
Hollywood Actor
Time Magazine
2003
 Van Gogh
Self-Portrait
1886
14 DEGREES OF AESTHETIC VALUES
1. SUBLIME purely delights
B
2. GRAND delights and awes
E
3. ELEGANT delights and impresses
A
4. CHARMING delights and attracts
U
5. COMIC delights and entertains
T
6. TRAGIC delights and saddens
Y
7. TERRIBLE delights and fears
8. SCARRY glooms and fears
U 9. HORRIBLE glooms and saddens
G 10. BIZARRE glooms and entertains
L 11. POIGNANT glooms and attracts
Y 12. PERVERSE glooms and impresses
13. RUSTIC glooms and awes
14. PATHETIC purely glooms
SCARRY
Glooms
and fears
Larry Alcala, Splice of Life COMIC Delights and Entertains
COMIC

CHARLIE CHAPLIN
The Tramp
Sotein
Carcass of
Beef, 1925

BIZARRE
Glooms and
Entertains
Sotein,
Carcass
of Beef,
1925
Sotein,
Carcass
of Beef,
1925
 Sotein
Mad Woman
1922
 Sotein
Woman in
Red, 1922
Damien Hirst ,This little piggy went to market, this little
piggy stayed at home (1996), INSTALLATION ART
Damien Hirst ,This little piggy went to market, this little
piggy stayed at home (1996), INSTALLATION ART
 Hirst
God
Alone
Knows,
2007
Kalo, My Birth, 1932
RUSTIC Glooms and awes Gericault, After
Death, 1721
Bernini, Ecstasy of St. Therese, 1592 SUBLIME Purely delights
 GRAND
Delights and awes

Beethoven
Choral: Ode to Joy
From the Ninth Symphony
Performed by Choir and
Orchestra of 10,000 Members
Osaka, Japan Comic
2014 Version
 LECTURE 3.4
The Filipino
Aesthetic Worldview
ANALYSIS OF AESTHETIC TERMS
ACCORDING TO FILIPINO
ANTHROPOLOGY

Pagkataong Filipino and the

COVAR Concepts of Labas and Loob

The Beautiful Personhood

(Ang Magandang Pagkatao)

JOCANO Filipino Aesthetic Worldview

Filipino Worldview:
Ethnography of Local
Knowledge, 2001

By F. Landa Jocano
Filipino Anthropologist

ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY
Historical Particularism
Cultural Relativism
Cognitive Theory
 A way people look at the universe
WORLDVIEW
People’s picture of the universe that lies
deep in the heart of culture

Worldview
=
Language

A system of symbols and meanings people

CULTURE use to organize their ideas which they
express through language

LANGUAGE Contains words that carries culture.

Analysis of the meaning of words in a language is analysis

of the form of culture on which lies people’s worldview
 1. Natural Dimension
DIMENSIONS
OF FILIPINO 2. Biological Dimension
WORLDVIEW 3. Communal Dimension
4. Social Dimension
5. Normative Dimension
6. Ethical Dimension
7. Moral Dimension
8. Aesthetic Dimension
9. Teleological Dimension
10. Ideological Dimension
 The primary Filipino aesthetic term

“Sum total of katangian (traits) of anything that gives

GANDA the highest pleasure to the senses.”

Relative term since its use defends on the judgment of

(Beauty) the beholder.

When applied to person, ganda involves both physical

appearance (ayos) and social character (ugali).

Ganda then is about the “totality of the person,” both

his pagkataong panlabas (physical appearance) and
his pagkataong panloob (social behavior).

Ganda and buti (good) are interchangeable terms so

that whatever is maganda is also mabuti. Aesthetic
taste involves moral judgement.

GANDA BUTI
(Beauty) = (Good)
 AESTHETICS OF FILIPINO PERSONHOOD
(ESTETIKA NG PAGKAKATAONG FILIPINO)

Maayos
(Pagkataong Panlabas)
Beautiful physical
appearance Pagkataong Maganda Kanais-nais
Pareho sa Labas at Loob = Desirable,
Mabuti ang Ugali (Beautiful Personhood) Valuable
(Pagkataong Panloob)
Good social
behavior
Video 3.3.
 GANDA
CATEGORIES (Beauty)
OF GANDA
DILAG ALINDOG RIKIT
(Gorgeousness) (Charm) (Loveliness)

RANGYA DINGAL KINANG NINGNING

(Grandeur) (Magnificence) (Radiance) (Luster)

LAMBING AMO
(Affection) (Gentleness)

INAM KINTAB LUNINGNING

(Goodness) (Radiance) (Luster)

KISIG GILAS KISLAP

(Proportion) (Symmetry) (Radiance)
 GANDA
CATEGORIES (Beauty)
OF GANDA
Ganda that is
overwhelming
DILAG ALINDOG RIKIT
(Gorgeousness) (Charm) (Loveliness)

RANGYA DINGAL KINANG NINGNING

(Grandeur) (Magnificence) (Radiance) (Luster)
Gorgeous display Gorgeous display
of ganda in of ganda in
appearance cosmetics, jewelry
speech, action or LAMBING
attire AMO
(Affection) (Gentleness)

INAM KINTAB LUNINGNING

(Goodness) Implies orderliness, (Radiance) (Luster)
neatness or fineness

Masculine atrributes of handsomeness

KISIG GILAS KISLAP
(Proportion) (Symmetry) (Radiance)
 GANDA
CATEGORIES (Beauty)
OF GANDA
Feminine
DILAG ALINDOG attribute of RIKIT
(Gorgeousness) (Charm) being (Loveliness)
attractive

RANGYA DINGAL KINANG NINGNING

(Grandeur) (Magnificence) (Radiance) (Luster)

LAMBING AMO
(Affection) (Gentleness)
Affectionate feminine The charm of being
attractive behavior and ways of gentle and docile
INAM KINTAB LUNINGNING
speaking. Wholesomeness in
(Goodness) (Radiance) (Luster)
appearance or act that draws
the attention of perceiver.

KISIG GILAS KISLAP

(Proportion) (Symmetry) (Radiance)
 GANDA
CATEGORIES (Beauty)
OF GANDA The form of
beauty that
DILAG ALINDOG glows RIKIT
(Gorgeousness) (Charm) (Loveliness)

RANGYA DINGAL KINANG NINGNING

(Grandeur) (Magnificence) (Radiance) (Luster)
Kinang,
ningning,
kintab and
luningning
LAMBING AMO
all refer to
(Affection) (Gentleness)
glittering
beauty
INAM KINTAB LUNINGNING
(Goodness) (Radiance) (Luster)

Sparkling beauty, like

enthusiasm or
KISIG GILAS KISLAP
excitement
(Proportion) (Symmetry) (Radiance)
THE PHENOMENON OF GANDA

As an affective phenomenon

Ganda is judged in terms of NAKAKABIGHANI: Ganda evokes desirability

the emotion or the sentiment NAKAKAAKIT: It attracts
it evokes from the perceiver NAKAKATAWAG NG PANSIN: It calls attention

As an olfactory sense phenomenon

Ganda is judge through NANANATILI O NAMAMALAGI: Ganda makes its

scent or sense of smell presence felt (amoy bagong paligo)
MALINIS: It fells or smells clean (malinis
haplusin/amoy-malinis
SARIWA: It smells or fells fresh (amoy-sariwa,
amoy-pinipig)
 As behavioral, ethical phenomenon

Ganda is judged in terms of MAHINHIN: It is coy, dainty, demure

action, public appearance or MABAIT: It is good-natured, considerate
human relation (ugali) MAGALANG: it is respectful or polite

As a physical phenomenon

Ganda is judge as a concrete MAKINIS ANG BALAT: Smooth skin

entity with physical attributes MAAMO ANG MUKHA: Gentle, docile face
MATIPUNO ANG KATAWAN: Healthy body
MATIKAS ANG TINDIG:

As a capability phenomenon

Ganda is judge as the ability MASIPAG MAGTRABAHO: Industrious

to perform work or do things MAGALING MAGLUTO: A good cook
MAHUSAY KUMANTA: A good singer
 MASIPAG MAKISIG
MAGTRABAHO

MATIPUNO MAHUSAY
ANG KATAWAN MAGPINTA
 MAAMO
ANG MUKHA MARANGYA

MARIKIT MAALINDOG
 "[The women I paint should
have] a rounded face…. The eyes
should be exceptionally lively,
not the dreamy, sleepy type….
The nose should be of the blunt
form but firm and strongly
marked.... The ideal Filipina
beauty should not necessarily be
white complexioned, nor of the
dark brown color of the typical
Malayan, but of the clear skin or
fresh colored type which we
often witness when we met a
blushing girl.“
FERNANDO AMORSOLO

Amorsolo, Girl with

a Basket of Fruits
Amorsolo,
The Fruit
Gatherer
Amorsolo,
The Fruit
Gatherer
Amorsolo,
Woman in
a Tobacco
Field
 Amorsolo,
The Smiling
Palay Maiden
Amorsolo,
Girl with
a Jar
Amorsolo,
Girl with
a Coconut
Amorsolo,
Girl Taking
a Bath
Amorsolo,
Girl on a
Bath
Amorsolo,
Dalagang
Filipina
All societies have aesthetic standards for
appreciating things. This appreciation is
essentially a collective formation, deeply
embedded in symbols and meanings of
society. These symbols and meanings are
closely associated with the people’s concept
of ganda as this materializes in their ways
of experiencing the world or rationalizing
their relationship with it. Ganda may be
viewed not only as an emotion experienced
in the encounter of what is pleasurable but
also as a particular cast of mind out in the
world of objects.
Jocano, Filipino Worldview
ACTIVITY AND
ASSESMENT

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
ACTIVITY AND ASSESMENT

Individual Activity: Make an artwork that shows the

Filipino concept of space and beauty (horror vacui) by
painting the white oslo paper with many different
colorful representational or formal designs until the
paper is completely covered with colors.

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

 RUBRICS FOR ACTIVITY 3
Needs
Excellent Good Fair
CRITERIA Improvement
(10-12 points) (7-9 points) (4-6 points)
(1-3)

The application of
The application of The concept is The concept is
Application of the concept is
the concept is correct correctly applied to wrongly applied
the concept of correct but only in
in the whole the large part of the to the whole
horror vacui the small part of the
composition composition. composition
composition

The composition
The composition Some instruction No instruction are
Following the does not follow
follows all the are not followed in followed in the
instruction many of the
instructions. the composition composition.
instructions.

There are some

The whole Many parts The whole
Aesthetic parts of the
composition is of the composition composition is
value of the composition that
very pleasing to are not pleasing not pleasing to
composition are not pleasing
look at. to see. look at.
to see.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE