FUNCTIONS OF
ART
INTRODUCTION
• This topic discusses the practical usefulness of an art. The
functions of art normally fall under three categories:
physical, social, and personal. This will be further discussed
in the module. As you read and analyze, you will
differentiate and observe that these categories can and often
do overlap. Moreover, it covers also the subject of art which
is dynamic and forceful as man’s way of life.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• a. distinguish between directly functional and indirectly
functional art;
• b. differentiate content from subject; and
• c. apply concepts and theories on beauty and aesthetic in
real life scenarios.
FUNCTIONS OF ART
PERSONAL FUNCTION
Is used to provide comfort, happiness and convenience to
human beings.
It satisfies individual needs for personal expression.
It educates our senses and sharpen our perception of colors,
forms, textures, designs, etc.
PHYSICAL FUNCTION
This tends to address our physical needs for utilitarian objects and
structures.
The need for beauty in functional objects for everyday use.
Planning of communities according to environmental and
operational efficiency.
SOCIAL FUNCTION
It is used for social needs for display, celebration and
communication.
It seeks to influence the collective behavior of people.
It expresses or describes social or collective aspects of
existence as opposed to individual and personal kinds of
experience.
BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES OF
ART
1.) Art as Mimesis (Plato)
• “Art is an imitation of the real that was an imitation of the ideal.”
• “Art is an imitation of an imitation.”
2.) Art as Representation (Aristotle)
• “The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things but their inward
significance.”
3.) Art for Art’s Sake (Kant)
• “Art has its own reason for being.”
4.) Art as an Escape
• --The sacred level of art not only transforms something into art but also transforms the artist at
the very core of his or her being.
5.) Art as Functional
• -- Art serves a function. Art is meant to be used, to enrich lives to be spiritually potent, to
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
1. VISUAL ART (2D, 3D)
a. Painting –It is the application of pigment on any flat two-dimensional surfaces
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
1. VISUAL ART (2D, 3D)
b. Sculpture –it is the carving, modelling, casting, constructing, and assembling of materials
and objects into primarily three-dimensional works of art.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
1. VISUAL ART (2D, 3D)
C. ARCHITECTURE –It is the art and science of planning, designing, and constructing buildings
and nonbuilding structures for human shelter or use (3D).
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
2. Performing/ Combined Arts
a. Music –is an art form and cultural activity
whose medium is sound organized in time.
b. Dance –is the movement of the body in a
rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given
space to express idea or emotion.
c. Film –also called movie or motion picture, is a
series of still images that when shown on a
screen creates an illusion of moving images.
d. Theater –is a collaborative form of art that
uses live performers, typically actors or actresses,
to present the experience of a real or imagined
event.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
2. Performing/ Combined Arts
e. Literary –is concentrating the
writing, study or content of
literature, especially of the kind
valued for quality of form.
f. Performance poetry –is poetry
specifically composed for or during a
performance before an audience
rather on print mostly opens to
improvisation.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
3. Digital art- it
is the art that is
made with the
assistance of
electronic devices,
or intended to be
displayed on a
computer, which is
the most important
element in digital
art.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
4. Applied arts-
are the
application of
design and
decoration to
everyday objects
to make them
aesthetically a. Fashion Design–is the art of applying design, aesthetics, and
pleasing. natural beauty to clothing and accessories.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
4. Applied arts-
are the
application of
design and
decoration to
everyday objects
to make them
aesthetically b. Furniture Design–is a specialized field where
pleasing. function and fashion collide.
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
4. Applied arts-
are the
application of
design and
decoration to
everyday objects
to make them
aesthetically c. Interior Design–is enhancing the interior of a building to
achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment
pleasing. for the people using the space
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS OF ART
4. Applied arts-
are the
application of
design and
decoration to
everyday objects
to make them d. Graphic Design–It is an artistic process of effective
aesthetically communication. Designers combine words, images, and symbols to
create a visual representation of ideas.
pleasing.
