FUNCTIONS OF
ART
Lesson objective
• Discuss and identify the function of art;
• Distinguish directly functional and indirectly
functional art;
• Explain and discuss the basic philosophical
perspectives of art; and
• Realize the function of some art forms in
daily life,
Do artists craft artworks just to bring
something not present into existence
and to merely express themselves?
Do these artworks serve a great and
specific purpose towards advanced
civilization and social change?
Motivated UnMotivated
Architecture Painiting
Weaving Sculpture
Furniture-making Literature
Music
Theater arts
functional and
non-functional
Functional non-functional
Painiting
Architecture Sculpture
Weaving Literature
Furniture-making Music
Theater arts
Directly Useful
Indirectly Useful
Personal
The personal functions of art are
varied and highly subjective.
This means that its functions
depend on the person – the
artist who created the art.
Personal
An artist may create an art out of the
need for self-expression. This is the
case for an artist who needs to
communicate an idea to his audience.
LDR Painting
Wilfredo Alicdan
Personal
It can also be mere
entertainment for his intended
audience. Often, the artist may
not even intend to mean anything
The Happiest Place On Earth
with his work.
Elmer Borlongan
Social
One cannot conceive of a
society without art, for art
is closely related to every
aspect of social life.
Social
• Influence Social Behavior
-it seeks or tend to influence the
collective behavior of people.
Social
2. Display and celebration
-It is created to be seen or used
primarily in public situation.
Social
3. Social Description
-it expresses or describes social or
collective aspects of existence as
opposed to individual and personal
experiences.
Fruit Gatherer (1950) – Fernando Amorsolo
Planting Rice (1951) – Fernando Amorsolo
Physical Functions
The physical functions of art are the easiest to
spot and understand. The physical functions of
art can be found in artworks that are crafted in
order to serve some physical purpose.
Tell whether the following is a tool or container.
• A spoon
• A car
• A building
• A community
• A Ceramic vase
• A chair
Form and Function
The function of an object is
generallly determines in the
basic form that it takes. A
chair is so designed as to allow
the seated body to rest
comfortably on it.
Architecture
The design of the building is
determined primarily by its
operational function. What is
the building for? Who are
going to use it? How many are
they?
Community Planning
A community is more than just
a group of buildings. It is a
group of individuals and
families living in a particular
locality because of common
interest and need.
Cultural Function
Art helps preserve, share, and
transmit culture of people from
one generation to another.
➢ Example: Panagbenga
Cultural Parade (Baguio City,
2017)
BASIC
PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVES
OF ART
ART AS MIMESIS
(PLATO)
• According to him, art is an imitation of the
real that was an imitation of the ideal. Art is
an imitation of imitation or another imitation.
• For Plato, art is dangerous because it
provides a petty replacement for the real
entities that can only be attained through
ART AS
REPRESENTATION
(ARISTOTLE)
• According to him, the aim of art is
not to represent the outward
appearance of things but their
inward significance.
• ARISTOTLE conceived of art as
representing possible versions of
ART FOR ART’S SAKE (KANT)
OR ART AS A DISINTERESTED
JUDGEMENT
• Immanuel Kant recognized that judgement of
beauty is subjective. However, Kant advanced
the proposition that even subjective
judgements are based on some universal
criterion for the said judgement.
