ROMULO B.

PARAS II, LPT

Instructor
Assumptions and
Nature of Arts
Lesson 2
Art Appreciation: Creativity, Imagination, and Expression
ART FORMULA

+ + =ART
The Role of Creativity in Art Making

Creativity requires thinking outside the box.

Lesson 3
Functions and Philosophical Perspectives on Art
 The Greek philosopher Aristotle
claimed that every particular
substance in the world has an end,
telos in Greek,
which translates to ‘” purpose”

This telos is intricately linked with function.

For a thing to reach its purpose, it has to also
fulfill a function.
 Man, in Aristotle’s view of reality,
is bound to achieve
a life of fulfillment and happiness,
or in Greek, eudaimonia.
All men move toward this final end.

Happiness, however, the supposed end of man,

is linked with his function, which is being rational.
One can only be happy when he is rational.
 In contemporary life, the connection between the end, the function, and the
“whatness” of a thing have become closer and more interlaced, suggesting
sometimes that the end is the function and vice versa, and that they determine
what kind of a thing a thing is.

Does art necessarily have an end?

When an artist creates
a work of art,
does she have an end in mind?
What function does an artwork perform? Does it have any purpose?
Do all artworks have a function? Does the function make an object a work of art?
 Functions of Art
When one speaks of function, one is practically
talking about the use of the object whose
function is in question.

An inquiry on the function of art

is an inquiry on what art is for.
 The functions of art
are classified into three:
• personal (public display, expression),
• social (celebration, to, affect collective behavior)
• physical (utilitarian).
Personal Functions of Art
The personal functions of art are varied and
are highly subjective. This means that it
depends on the person-the artist who
created the art.
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.
 Social Functions of Art

Art is considered to have a social function if and when it addresses a particular collective
interest as opposed to a personal interest. Political art is a very common example of an art
with a social function.
Physical Function of Art
The physical functions of art are
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
 Other Functions of Art

Music as an art is also interesting to talk about in

relation to function.
Music in its original form was principally
functional.
 Other Functions of Art

Another art from that readily lends itself to multiple functions is

architecture. In fact, architecture might be the most prominent
functional art form. Buildings are huge, expensive, and are not easily
constructed and replaced.
 Other Functions of Art

Sculpture, on the other hand, is another functional art form that has
long existed for various purposes
 Does Art Always Have to Be
Functional?
A functional object cannot be claimed to be beautiful unless it
can perform its function sufficiently.
Consider a house that cannot even protect its resident from
the nasty weather outside or a spoon that spills the food on it.
Adequate performance of function partly determines the
beauty of a design in these functional art forms.
Philosophical Perspective on Art
Plato (2000) in his masterpiece, The
Republic, particularly paints a picture
of artists as imitators and art as mere
imitation.
In his description of the ideal republic,
he advises against the inclusion of art
as a subject in the curriculum and the
banning of artists in the Republic.
Plato was deeply suspicious of
arts and artists for two reasons:
1. They appeal to the The arts then are to be banished,
emotion rather than alongside the practitioners, so that
the attitudes and actions of the
to the rational faculty members of the Republic will not
of men. be corrupted by the influence of
2. They imitate rather the arts.
For Plato, art is dangerous because
than lead one to it provides a petty replacement for
reality. the real entities that can only be
attained through reason.
 Art as a Representation
Aristotle, Platoss most important student in philosophy, agreed
with his teacher that art is a form of imitation. However, in
contrast to the disgust that his master holds for art. Aristotle
considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth. The
kind of imitation that art does is not antithetical to the reaching
of fundamental truths in the world.
Unlike, Plato who thinks that art is an imitation of
another imitation.
Aristotle conceives art as representing possible
versions of reality.
Aristotelian worldview, art serves
two particular purposes:

1.Art allows for the experience of

pleasure .

2. Art also has an ability to be instructive

and teach its audience things about life,
thus it is cognitive as well.
Art as Disinterested Judgment
Art as a
Communication of Emotion
The author of War and Peace and Anna
Karenina, Leo Tolstoy, provided another
perspective on what art is. In his book,
What is Art (2016).
Tolstoy defended the production of the
sometimes truly extravagant art like
operas despite extreme poverty in the
world.
 Summary of Learning
• Art has remained to be relevant in our daily lives because
most of it has played some form of function for man.
• Since the dawn of the civilization, art has been at the
forefront of giving color to man’s existence.
• The different functions of art may be classified as either
personal, social, or physical.
• As mentioned and elucidated by some of the most important
thinkers in history, art may serve either as imitation, representation,
a disinterested judgment, or simply a communication of emotion
 Let’s Work On This
1. What art form/artwork has changed something
in your life? Why? Account for the experience .
2. Does art always have a function? Why? Support
your response. Provide your own example .
3. If an artwork ceased to have a function, will it
remain an art? Why?
 Let’s Make It Happen
Look around your house and identify a
product of art. In the box below, paste a
picture of that product of art in your
household.
Trace the beginnings of this item and identify
what functions it has played in history.
NEXT MEETING
Lesson 4
Subject and Content
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:
1. differentiate representational art and non-
representation art;
2. discuss the difference of between an artwork9s subject
from its content;
3. identify the subject matter and content of specific
examples of art; and
4. enumerate the sources of the subjects of some of the
most recognizable works of art in Philippines art history.
Subject and Content
the subject is seen as the
“WHAT”
the content is the “WHY”
the form is the “how”
(Chapter 6) .
Let’s get down to SUBJECT
Figure 21. Leonardo da Vinci9s
Mona Lisa (1503).
Musẻẻ du Louvre Collection.
Photo courtesy of Josh Hallett.
TYPES OF SUBJECT
Representational Art.
These types of art have subjects
that refer to objects or events
occurring in the real world.
It is also termed figurative art.
 TYPES OF SUBJECT

Number 1A, 1948, oil and enamel on canvas by Jackson

Pollock, 1948; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York
Jackson Pollock painting in his studio on Long
Island, New York, 1950.
TYPES OF SUBJECT
NON-Representational Art.
There were no clear figures that jot out
from the canvas; there were only drips
and splashes. This kind of work can be
subsumed under the category of non-
representation. It is also termed non-
figurative art.
Reflection of the Big Dipper, paint on canvas by Jackson
Pollock, 1947; in the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
Non-representational Art and
Abstract Art ?
As a guide, an artwork, depending on the
degree of distortion or abstraction, may be
judged as leaning more toward one over
the other.
Abstract art is in itself a departure from
reality, but the extent of that departure
determines whether it has reached the
end of the spectrum which is non-
representationality.
Sources and Kinds of Subject
NATURE
NATURE
Sources and Kinds of Subject
Greek and Roman Mythology
Greek and Roman Mythology
Sources and Kinds of Subject
RELIGION
RELIGION
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
Proceeding from a kind of a hybrid between
literature and sacred text is
India’s miniature paintings.
HISTORY
HISTORY
Content in Art
Why
was the artwork
created in the first place?
Content in Art
Factual Meaning

Conventional Meaning

Subjective Meaning
 SUMMARY
In gaining the basics of deciphering the subject and content of art, it
is hoped that an individual’s sensitivity and perceptiveness to art will
be developed.
As discussed in the lesson, one may begin by looking at perceivable
features of the artwork.
Taking note of what is apparent will provide clues as to what the
intended meaning of the artist might be.
Knowing more about the context of its creation, from the artist’s
inspiration, reference, or source, will prove useful in
understanding the meaning of the artwork.
7 major art forms
1.Visual arts.
2.Literature.
3.Music.
4.Stage.
5. Dance.
6.Architecture.
7. Film.