CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART APPRECIATION

Lesson 5:
Functions of Art
Learning Outcomes
1) distinguish between directly functional art and indirectly functional
art;
2) explain and discuss the basic philosophical perspectives on the art;
3) realize the function of some art forms in daily life; and
4) apply concepts and theories on beauty and aesthetics in real-life
scenarios.
Aristotle
- TELOS - every particular substance in the world has an
end which translates into “purpose”.

- Intricately linked with function.

- For a thing to reach its purpose, it also has to fulfill its

function.
Functions of Art (Menoy, 2009)

❖Personal Function ❖Historical Function

❖Social Function ❖Cultural Function
❖Economic Function ❖Physical Function
❖Political Function ❖Aesthetic Function
Personal Function
❖Individual function
❖varied and highly subjective.
❖An artist may create an art out of self-expression,
entertainment, or therapeutic purpose.
❖Ex: A singer presents a concert for free because of
his advocacy and the love of singing.
Social Function
❖Art is considered to have a social function when it addresses a
particular collective interest.
❖Art may convey message of protest, contestation, or whatever
message the artist intends his work to carry.
❖Ex: association are the choral singing, group dancing, public
art exhibits and other practices.
Economic Function
❖Arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life
of people.
❖An essential role as a direct and indirect contributor to
state economies.
❖Ex: generating economic vitality in under-performing
regions through crafts, tourism, and cultural attractions.
Political Function
❖To reinforce and enhance a sense of identity and ideological
connection to specific political views, parties and/or people.
❖Art provides a forum for ideas that will lead to employment,
prestige, status, and power.
❖Ex: During election period, the candidates created their artworks
(poster) which expresses their propaganda, agendas and political
views about making a stable society.
Historical Function
❖It serves to document or reconstruct historical figure and events.
❖Most arts that are in Museums are filled with amazing stories
about the world most excellent and most creative people who
brought us the treasures.
❖By looking at a work of art’s colors, materials, and symbolism, we
can learn about the story and culture that produced it in the past.
Cultural Function
❖Art is an articulation and transmission of new information and
values.
❖Example, when you think of Manila, you probably think of Fort
Santiago, Luneta Park, and its world-renowned churches, or the
famous Intramuros..
Physical Function
❖The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand.

❖Works of art that are created to perform some service have

physical functions.
Aesthetics Function
❖Any artwork means beauty.

❖It is visual spice for gracefully adorned interiors and can bring
out the most elegant features of different décor elements.
Philosophical Perspective of Art
❖Art as Imitation (Mimesis)
❖Art as Representation
❖Art as Disinterested Judgments
❖Art as a Communication of Emotion
Art as Imitation (Mimesis)
• For Plato (The Republic), when one ascribes beauty to another person, he
refers to an imperfect beauty that participates only in the form of beauty
in the World of Forms.
• Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artist for two reasons: they appeal
to the emotion rather than to the rational mind of men and they imitate
rather than lead one to reality.
• For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for the
real entities that can only be attained through reason.
Art as Representation
• Aristotle considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth.
• What art endeavors to do is to provide a vision of what might be or
myriad possibilities, Aristotle conceived art as representing possible
versions of reality.
• In the Aristotelian worldview, art serves tow particular purpose:
- First, art allows for the expression of pleasure.
- Secondly, art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its
audience things about life;
Art as Disinterested Judgements
• Kant considered the judgment of beauty, the cornerstone of
art, as something that can be universal despite its subjectivity.

• Kant mentioned that judgment of beauty, and therefore, art,

is innately autonomous from specific interests.
Art as Communication of Emotion
• For him art plays a huge role in communication to its audience’s
emotions that the artist previously experienced.

• Art then serves as a language, a communication device that

articulates feelings and emotions that are otherwise unavailable
to the audience.

• In the same way that language communicate information to

other people, art communicate emotion.