Lesson 2: Basic Assumptions, Functions, Philosophies and Nature of Art

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this discussion, the students are expected to:
• Distinguish directly functional and indirectly functional art,
• Explain and discuss the basic philosophical perspectives on the art,
• Realize the function of some art forms in daily life, and;
• Apply concepts and theories on beauty and aesthetics in real life scenarios.
Discussion:
Basic Assumptions of Art
• Art is universal
Timeless, spanning generations and continents
through and through. Misconception: Artistic
made long time ago. Age is not a factor in
determining art. “Art is not good because it is old,
but old because it is beautiful.” (Dudley, et al.
1960) Works of Rizal and Francisco Balagtas Not
read because they are old but they are beautifully written. Arts regardless of
origin, time, and place are liked and enjoyed by people continuously.
• Art is not nature
Man’s expression of his reception of nature Man’s
way of interpreting nature. Art is made by man,
whereas nature is a given around us. Art, not
directed by representation of reality, is a
perception of reality. Five blind men touching an
elephant Art has its reason why the artist made it.
What is it that he wants to show?
• Art involves experience.
It does not full detail but just an experience.
“Actual doing of something.” Radio DJ,
Choreographer, Painter, Sculptor “All art depends
on experience, and if one is to know art, he must
know it not as fact or information but as
experience.” Unlike fields of knowledge that
involve data, art is known by experiencing. A work
of art then cannot be abstracted from actual
doing. In order to know what an artwork is, we
have to sense it, see or hear it, and see and hear it.
Nature of Art
1. Art is not nature; art is made by man- It is man’s interpretation of objects
perceived by him as art has been created by all people at all times.
2. Arts greatest achievement is that it
creates a permanent impression of the
passing scene, unlike a fresh flower which
will not stay fresh - somehow it withers but
the freshness of the flower as captured in
a simple painting will always stay fresh.
Therefore, art never grows old as recorded
by the artist’s vision. The main purpose of
art is to entertain the audience in many
techniques like using colors or lines and
making you really ponder over what you
see
3. Art imitates life and one can tell the values, traditions, feelings and dreams
as well as aspirations of the artist which are clearly manifested in his own use
of colors, lines, forms and symbols. The artists own style and approaches give a
chance to preserve life with the use of particular media.
Functions of Art Arts functions can be classified into:
1. Motivated (Functional)
The purpose of art which are motivated refer to intentional, conscious
actions on the part of the artists or creator.
2. Non-motivated (Non-functional)
 Are those which are integral to being human, transcend the individual, or
do not fulfill a specific external purpose. - Is something which humans
must do by their very nature and is therefore beyond utility.
3.Personal Function Arts
are vehicles for the artists’ expression of their feelings and ideas. The arts
also serve as means of expression for us. The personal functions of art
are varied and highly subjective. Functions depends on the artist who
created the art. An artist may create an art out of self- expression,
entertainment, or therapeutic purpose.
4.Social Functions
One cannot conceive of a society without art, for art is closely related to
every aspect of social life. Art may convey message of protest,
contestation, or whatever message the artist intends his work to carry.
Political art is a very common example of an art with a social function. Art
can also depict social conditions such as photography (pictures of
poverty). Performance art like plays or satires can also rouse emotions
and rally people toward a particular end. Art performs a social function
when:
1. Influences Social Behavior It seeks or tends to influence the collective behavior
of a people. (Guernica by Pablo Picasso)
2. Display and Celebration It is created to be seen or used primarily in public
situation.
5.Physical Functions Tools and containers
are objects which function to make our lives physically comfortable.
Functional works of art may be classified as either tools or containers.
The physical functions of art can be found in artworks that are crafted in
order to serve some physical purpose
6. Other functions
The therapeutic value of music cannot be ignored. Works of art make us
aware of other ways of thinking, feeling, and imagining that have never
occurred to us before. Music was principally used for dance and religion.
The ancient world saw music as an instrument to facilitate worship and
invocation to gods. Music was essential for synchronicity of dancers.
Music guarantees that warriors were simultaneous. Today, music has
expanded its functions and coverage. There is a lot of music that has no
connection to dance or religion. Example: Serenade – People compose
 hymns to express feelings and emotions. Music is also used as
accompaniment to stage plays and motion pictures.
One function of sculpture and painting is the commemoration of important
personages in society. The statues of national heroes that grace our parks and
plazas are commemorative works as are the commissioned paintings of leaders
or rulers. Often, they serve to record important historical events, or reveal the
ideals of heroism and leadership that the community would want the young to
emulate.
Architecture may be the most prominent functional art. Unlike other forms of
art, buildings take so much time to erect and destroy. One cannot dismiss taking
into consideration the function of a building before construction. 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? The design that a
building takes is also adapted to the climate of the region. The architect must
take the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of the family into account
when he designs a house.
Philosophical Perspectives on Art
ART AS AN IMITATION
In Plato’s The Republic, paints a picture of
artists as imitators and art as mere
imitation. In his description of the ideal
republic, Plato advises against the
inclusion of art as a subject in the
curriculum and the banning of artists in
the Republic. In Plato’s metaphysics or view
of reality, the things in this world are only
copies of the original, the eternal, and the
true entities that can only be found in the World of Forms. For example, the chair
that one sits on is not a real chair. It is an imperfect copy of the perfect “chair”
in the World of Forms. Plato was convinced that artists merely reinforce the belief
in copies and discourage men to reach for the real entities in the World of Forms.
Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for two reasons:
1. They appeal to the emotion rather to the rational faculty of men
2. They imitate rather than lead one to reality
Poetry rouses emotions and feelings and thus, clouds rationality of people. Art
is just an imitation of imitation. A painting is just an imitation of nature, which
is also just an imitation of reality in the World of Forms. Art then is to be
banished, alongside the practitioners, so that the attitudes and actions of the
members of the Republic will not be corrupted by the influence of the arts. For
Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for the real
entities than can only be attained through reason.
ART AS A REPRESENTATION

Aristotle, agreed with Plato that art is a form of

imitation. However, Aristotle considered art as an
aid to philosophy in revealing the truth. The kind of
imitation that art does is not antithetical to the
reaching of fundamental truths in the world. Unlike
Plato who thought that art is an imitation of another
imitation, Aristotle conceived of art as representing
possible versions of reality. For Aristotle, all kinds of art do not aim to represent
reality as it is, it endeavors to provide a version of what might be or the myriad
possibilities of reality. In Aristotelian worldview, art serves two particular
purposes: Art allows for the experience of pleasure (horrible experience can be
made an object of humor), Art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its
audience things about life (cognitive)
ART AS A DISINTERESTED JUDGMENT
Immanuel Kant, in his Critique of Judgment,
considered the judgment of beauty, the cornerstone of
art, as something that can be universal despite its
subjectivity. Kant recognized that judgment of beauty
is subjective. However, even subjective judgments are
based on some universal criterion for the said
judgment. How and in what sense can a judgment of
beauty, which ordinarily is considered to be a
subjective feeling, be considered objective or
universal?
HOW ARE THESE TWO STATEMENTS DIFFERENT?
1. “I like this painting.”
2. “This painting is beautiful.”
o The first is clearly a judgment of taste (subjective), while the second is an
aesthetic judgment (objective). Making an aesthetic judgment requires us to be
disinterested. In other words, we should try to go beyond our individual tastes
and preferences so that we can appreciate art from a universal standpoint.
ART AS A COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION
• According to Leo Tolstoy, art plays a
huge role in communication to its
audience’s emotions that the artist
previously experienced.
• In the same that language
communicates information to other
people, art communicates emotions.
• As a purveyor of man’s innermost
feelings and thoughts, art is given a unique opportunity to serve as a
mechanism for social unity.
• Art is central to man’s existence because it makes accessible feelings and
emotions of people from the past and present.
Summary of the Lesson:
• There are four assumptions on art; Art is universal, Art is not nature, and
Art involves experience.
• Art is not nature; art is made by man. Arts greatest achievement is that it
creates a permanent impression of the passing scene. Art imitates life and
one can tell the values, traditions, feelings and dreams as well as aspirations
of the artist which are clearly manifested in his own use of colors, lines,
forms and symbols.
• For a thing to reach its purpose, it also has to fulfill its function. There are
several functions of art and when it comes to function, different art forms
come with distinctive functions.
• Some art forms are more functional than others.

References/Attributions:
Buer R. (2019, June 22). What is Art: Introduction and Assumptions.
Retrievedfromhttps://www.slideshare.net/RyanBuer/what-is-art
introduction-and-assumptions
Jin De, C. (2019, December 2). Lesson 1 What is art appreciation?:
Introduction and Assumptions. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/jinedeth/lesson-1-what-is-artappreciation-
introduction-and-assumptions
Cruz, D. M. D. (2014, September 9). Functions of art. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/dennismarkdelacruz/functions-of
art?next_slideshow=1
Cruz, J. D. (2018, August 22). Functions and Philosophical Perspectives on
Art. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/janril/functions-and-
philosophical-perspectives-on-art