CARA'S TIPSWhat art is: branches, classification, functions, appreciation, careers and entrepreneurship
JAMBWAECNECO
What the syllabus asks
JAMB: General knowledge in art (nature and branches of art, careers, inter-relationships of the arts, art terms, sacred and secular functions, animism/fetishism/mythology). JAMB Art: Section A 1 and 3; Section D 1–3 (appreciation, functions in society and media, entrepreneurship). Scheme of examination.
WAEC: General knowledge in art (nature and branches of art, careers, inter-relationships of the arts, art terms, sacred and secular functions, animism/fetishism/mythology). JAMB Art: Section A 1 and 3; Section D 1–3 (appreciation, functions in society and media, entrepreneurship). Scheme of examination.
NECO: General knowledge in art (nature and branches of art, careers, inter-relationships of the arts, art terms, sacred and secular functions, animism/fetishism/mythology). JAMB Art: Section A 1 and 3; Section D 1–3 (appreciation, functions in society and media, entrepreneurship). Scheme of examination.
What you will learn
- Define art and distinguish art from craft and nature.
- Differentiate visual, performing and literary arts.
- Compare fine and applied art and classify works.
- Explain the functions of art in society and the media.
- Explain sacred and secular art and related beliefs.
- Appreciate artworks using four steps.
- Identify careers and plan a simple art business.
- Use key art terms correctly.
Key points
- Art is skilled, man-made, expressive; natural beauty is not art.
- Branches: visual, performing, literary.
- Fine art for expression; applied art for use; the overlap is strong in Africa.
- 2-D vs 3-D matches WAEC Paper 3B and 3C.
- Functions: religious, social, cultural, political, therapeutic, economic, educational.
- Animism, fetishism, ancestors and mythology shape traditional forms.
- Arts interrelate in festivals, theatre and film.
- Criticism: describe, analyse, interpret, judge.
- Careers: ceramist, curator, designer, photographer, cartoonist, illustrator, sculptor.
- WAEC: P1 40 MCQ, P2 4 of 8 essays, P3 practical; JAMB: 40 MCQ.
Start here: What is art?
Art is the conscious use of skill and imagination to create objects, images, sounds or performances that express ideas and feelings, communicate, or serve a purpose in a way people find meaningful or beautiful. Three key ideas run through every definition you will meet in WAEC and JAMB questions:
- Art is man-made. A sunset over the Jos Plateau is beautiful, but it is a natural phenomenon, not art. A painting of that sunset is art. JAMB Section D asks you to differentiate natural aesthetic phenomena (Zuma Rock, Ikogosi Warm Springs, Olumo Rock, Gurara Falls) from man-made ones (the National Theatre in Lagos, the Benin bronzes, the Abuja National Mosque).
- Art involves skill and creativity. The artist plans, selects materials and controls tools. A child’s scribble shows curiosity, but a trained artist chooses where every line goes.
- Art communicates. It carries meaning: religious, political, social or purely personal. A Gelede mask in Ketu communicates respect for the “mothers”; a newspaper cartoon in Lagos comments on fuel prices.
Art and craft
A craft is skilled hand-making of useful objects, usually following tradition: pottery, weaving, basketry, leatherwork, calabash carving. Traditional Africa never drew a hard line between “art” and “craft”; the same Yoruba carver made a door, a house post and an ancestral figure. In the modern school, however, examiners use the words in this way: art stresses expression and imagination; craft stresses skill, utility and tradition.
Why study art?
Art trains observation, problem-solving and patience; preserves culture (think of how Nok terracottas tell us about life over 2,000 years ago); supports industry (packaging, textiles, advertising, fashion, film); and offers careers. The WAEC syllabus states that it aims to develop aesthetic awareness, skills in the use of tools and materials, appreciation of indigenous material culture and an understanding of the role of art in socio-economic development and self-reliance.
Exam tip: when asked to “define art”, give a definition, then two or three features (man-made, skilled, expressive), then a Nigerian example. That earns more than a one-line definition.
Worked example 1.1 WAEC-style essay: “What is art? Explain three reasons why art is important to a developing nation such as Nigeria.” (15 marks)
- Open with a clear definition: art is the conscious, skilled and imaginative creation of objects or images that express ideas and feelings or serve a purpose (3 marks).
- Reason 1, economic: art feeds textile, fashion, advertising, printing and tourism industries; give Aba garments or the adire trade in Abeokuta as evidence (4 marks).
- Reason 2, cultural: art preserves identity and history; Nok, Ife and Benin works are evidence of an ancient civilisation and a source of national pride (4 marks).
- Reason 3, educational and communicative: illustrations, charts and health posters make information understandable even to people who cannot read (4 marks).
Answer: A definition and three developed, illustrated reasons. A bare list of reasons usually earns less than half the marks.
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Practice questions
- applied art
- fine art
- performing art
- literary art
Show answer
A: applied art
Applied art combines use and beauty.
- applied art
- industrial art
- literary art
- fine art
Show answer
D: fine art
Fine art is valued mainly for its expressive and aesthetic qualities.
- applied arts
- plastic arts
- performing arts
- visual arts
Show answer
C: performing arts
They are presented through performance.
- worship
- communication and persuasion
- healing
- decoration only
Show answer
B: communication and persuasion
Posters carry persuasive messages.
- twins
- harvest
- kingship
- hunting
Show answer
A: twins
Carved for a deceased twin.
Key words
- Art
- Skilled, creative human expression.
- Craft
- Skilled hand-making of useful objects.
- Fine art
- Art mainly for expression and beauty.
- Applied art
- Art mainly for use.
- Aesthetics
- Study of beauty and taste.
- Animism
- Belief that nature has spirits.
- Fetish
- Object believed to hold power.
- Sacred art
- Art for religious use.
- Secular art
- Non-religious everyday art.
- Curator
- Keeper of a collection.
- Motif
- Single design unit.
- Pigment
- Colouring powder in paint.
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