Artist and Artisan

• Oftentimes, the term artist and artisan are

interchanged. A clear distinction is given by Uriel
Dana(2017). She states that an artist is into the
fine arts- painting, sculpture, illustration,
including those into film making, poetry and
short stories. On the other hand, an artisan is a
skilled worker that uses his hands to make
something often functional or that will enhance
something else; furniture, gold leafing, decorative
arts (like faux finishes), jewelers, upholstery,
embroidery, glassblowers, leather workers (like
shoemakers), potters, weavers.
 Five Main Functions of Art
1. Personal Function
2.Social Function
3.Spiritual Function
4. Cultural Function
5. Utilitarian Function
1.Personal Function-While it is
true that an artwork is an
artist’s expression, its impact
may be individualized and
personal. Through the artist’s
ability, a shared theme or
experience could be felt and
appreciated by an individual.
2. Social Function- Feldman(1967)
states that art performs a social
function when it influences the
collective behavior of people, it is
created to be seen and experienced
by the public, and when it expresses a
collective feeling rather than an
individual one. These characteristics
lead to global understanding and
peace.
3. Spiritual Function The
statues of saints, Jesus, and
Mary were all created to
enhance one’s spiritual
connection. Through these
works, man feels connected
with the Higher Being.
4. Cultural Function Art’s
cultural footprints can reveal
much about the culture in
which it is created. Some
cultural practices such as dances
and body tattoo have been
passed on to preserve not only
the art but also the culture.
5. Utilitarian Function-
Some forms of art were
and are created to be
used. These works make
man’s life more
comfortable.
 Content in Art
• The terms content and subject are usually
interchanged because of how they are related.
To holistically appreciate an artwork, one has
to understand the relationship between a
subject and the content. Margaret Ryall(2009)
explains that content is the communicated
feelings, reactions, and ideas connected with
the subject. It is something that appeals and
speaks to the heart, spirit, and soul of the
audience or viewer. Simply put, it is the
meaning derived from the arrangement of the
subjects.
 Three Levels of Meaning
1. Factual meaning- the literal statement of the
work because of recognizable figures or
images.
2. Conventional meaning- the special meaning
that a figure, color, line, or image has to a
specific group or culture.
3. Subjective meaning- the personal meaning
conveyed by an artist unconsciously or
consciously that stem from the artist’s
experience or exposure.