Lesson 2- Art Forms and Functions in the 21st Century

21st-century art is a burgeoning field of practice, research, and publication, making it

an incredibly dynamic field of study. Many important topics have been resonating in
the new century and inspiring new thinking and scholarly debate, such as the surge
of bio art in response to scientific research in the life sciences, and the critical theory
known as relational aesthetics that developed in response to an increase in art that
invites viewers’ participation and interaction.

Art of the 21st century emerges from a vast variety of materials and means. These
include the latest electronic technologies, such as digital imaging and the internet,
familiar genres with a long history that continue to be practiced with great vigor,
such as painting, and materials and processes once associated primarily with
handicrafts, re-envisioned to express new concepts.

Many artists regularly and freely mix media and forms, making the choices that best
serve their concepts and purposes. Activities vary from spectacular projects
accomplished with huge budgets and extraordinary production values to modest
endeavors that emphasize process, ephemeral experiences, and a do-it-yourself
approach. The notion of influences has also shifted with changes in
communications and technology; every location around the world has artists who
respond to local geographies and histories as well as the sway of global visual
culture.

Recognized Art Forms in the 21st Century

1. Visual Arts- (including 2D and 3D arts)

Visual arts refers to art forms that express their message, meaning, and emotion
through visual means. Visual arts may be categorized as decorative, commercial, or
fine art, such as painting, photography, or sculpture.

Visual arts consist of artwork that is entirely or in part appreciated through sight.
That includes painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, graphic design, fashion
design, film, and more.

The three types of visual arts are:

Representational or figurative art: based on real subjects or events, for example,

realism

Abstract art: aims to represent real subjects in a different way from reality, for
example, impressionism

Non-objective or non-representational: does not depict anything from reality — often

mistaken for abstract art.

As you can see, visual art is about creating visual experience — whether for a setting
like a gallery, as in fine art, or for a product, as in the applied art of graphic design.
To complicate things, there are a few caveats. Performance art, like dancing,
typically doesn’t fall under the visual arts. Although, still others believe it does.

Examples of Visual Art

The following are examples of visual art:

 Drawing starts with lines made from pens, pencils, or other drawing
tools.

 Painting usually uses a canvas, brushes, and paints.

 Photography is artistic photos made with a camera.

 Sculpture is a form made from materials such as clay, wood, or metal.

 Fashion design uses cloth with the intent of display through being worn.

 Printmaking is when an image is taken from one form and transferred

to another.

 Filmmaking is similar to photography but with a series of stills used to

create motion or a story.

The major division in visual art: 2D Art vs. 3D Art

The major division in visual art is between two-dimensional works and three-
dimensional ones.

2D Art
Two-dimensional art produces flat (or virtually flat) images. When we think of a wall
art abstract painting, it’s usually 2D.

Types of 2D Artworks
Sketches, paintings, prints, and pictures are a few well-known forms of 2D art.
Several materials, including charcoal, pencil, ink, watercolors, and oil paintings, can
be used to produce them. Except for sculpture and architecture, the majority of
traditional fine arts are two-dimensional. 2D art is adaptable, expressive, and capable
of conveying a wide range of thoughts and feelings. 2D art is often also used to
make flat but intricate patterns.
What Is 3D Art?

Three-dimensional art is characterized by the fact that it has three dimensions.

These dimensions are the usual height and width of two-dimensional works, plus the
extra dimension of depth. Therefore, anything that can be observed from multiple
angles is considered to be a three-dimensional artwork.

The most prominent example of three-dimensional art is sculptures. Man has been
making three-dimensional objects and figures since the dawn of time. Ceramics and
pottery are also three-dimensional.

Glass art is also a three-dimensional medium that requires great skill, but the results
are truly stunning. Paper crafts are an affordable and fun group of art styles that can
even be enjoyed by young children. Yet, in the hands of experts like the Japanese,
simple paper crafts can be elevated to fine art, such as origami. Pyrography is
another three-dimensional art style that has been around for many years and
involves burning images onto wood.

Glass Art Origami

2. Film (Digital Arts/ Analog)

Refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create
an illusion of movement.

Film making focuses on aesthetic, cultural and social value and is considered as
both an art and an industry.

How does film relate to art?

Art and film are inextricably linked, both employing masterful techniques to
create an incredible aesthetic, tell fascinating stories and evoke powerful
emotions. It therefore comes as no surprise that film directors choose to pay
homage to the world's greatest art masterpieces.

3. Performance Art

Performance Art is an art that has to be acted out live in front of an audience.
This means that people have to be watching.

Performance art was first referred to as Body Art. During the decline of
Modernism and Abstract Expressionism, artists started to look at ways to
make art products even more abstract.

It is a live art and the artist’s medium is mainly the human body which he/ she
uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual arts, props,
 or sounds.

4. Dance

Dance is a series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music

accompaniment. It is a creative form of art that allows people to freely express
themselves.

Dance is undeniably an art, as it allows creative expression, emotion and freedom

of movement to create a desired masterpiece, but the sheer physicality of all
dance forms must allow it to be also considered a sport.

5. Architecture

Architecture is the art and method of building and designing structures with an
artistic element instead of relying solely on construction abilities.

The practice of architectural design is used to meet both functional and artistic
needs, therefore serving both practical and creative goals.
 6. Poetry Performance

Poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions by using words. These
words, when combined with movement, tone, volume, and intensity of the delivery,
add to the artistic value of the poem.

7. Theater

Theatre is a collaborative art form which combines words, voice, movement and
visual elements to express meaning. The field of theatre encompasses not only live
improvised and scripted work, but also dramatic forms such as film, television and
other electronic media.

Theater uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary events before the live
audience. Much like filmmaking, theater also considers several elements such as
acting, gesture, lighting, sound effects, musical score, scenery and props.

8. Literary Art

Literary art is something in the form of writing or stories that have artistic and
cultural value that displays the beauty of speech and language to convey certain
meanings.

An artist who practice literary arts use words to express themselves and
communicate emotions to the readers. Literary art focuses on writing using a unique
style.

9. Applied Arts

Applied art is any form of art created with a specific practical purpose in mind. This
type of art can be found in various mediums, such as design, decoration, and even
advertising. Applied art is often used for commercial or utilitarian purposes, such as
product design or architecture.

Applied arts incorporate elements of style and design to everyday items with the aim
of increasing aesthetic value.

Examples of these are industrial designs, interior design, fashion design, and graphic
design are considered applied arts.

10.Music

Music is also an art of sound which expresses ideas, thoughts, and emotions in
significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, and harmony. It is the
design of giving structural form and rhythmic pattern to combinations of sounds
produce instrumentally and vocally.

It is an art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of

form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm,
melody and harmony.

11.Photography

Photography refers to the process or practice of creating a photograph – an image

produced by the action of light on a light-sensitive material.

Photography as an art form arose from advancements in technology which allowed

photographers to manipulate their images to fit their artistic expression.
Photographers are able to drastically change the outcome of an image through
choosing various cameras, lenses, film, and the framing and timing of a shot.
Topics:

 Functions of Art

 Philosophical Perspectives on Art

Functions of Art

Compared to other activities of man, art is generally regarded as impractical, not

meant to meet the requirements of day-to-day living. Architecture, weaving, furniture
making, and a few other crafts have obvious purposes and are therefore classified
as functional. But painting, sculpture, literature, music, and the theater arts seem to
serve no other end than to amuse or provide a pleasant escape from life’s daily
problems. Thus, they are classified as non-functional. However, all arts have a
function, for man, the maker, creates things because he has a particular need for
them (Ortiz et al., 1976).

Aristotelian “telos”

Every particular substance in the world has an end or telos in Greek, which translates
into “purpose”.

Telos is intricately linked with function: For a thing to reach its purpose, it also has to
fulfill its function.

We may consider art as having the general function of satisfying:

1. Our individual needs for personal expression

2. Our social needs for display, celebration, and communication

3. Our physical needs for utilitarian objects and structures

To know the function of a particular work of art, you must be able to answer the
question, “WHAT IS IT FOR?” (Ortiz et al., 1976).

When it comes to function, different art forms come with distinctive functions. There
is no one-to-one correspondence between an artwork and its function. Some art
forms are more functional than others. Architecture, for example, as an art, is highly
functional, just like most applied arts.

Roughly and broadly, the functions of art are classified into three: personal (public
display or expression), social (celebration or to affect collective behavior), and
physical (utilitarian).

1. Art and the Individual (The Personal Function)

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. An artist may create
artwork out of the need for self-expression. This is the case for an artist who needs
to communicate an idea to his audience. It can also be mere entertainment for his
intended audience. Often, the artist may not even intend to mean anything in his
work.

Arts are vehicles for the artists’ expression of their feelings and ideas. Likewise, for
us, layman or non-artists, the arts also serve as a means of expression for us. Art
helps to educate our senses and sharpens our perception of colors, forms, textures,
designs, sounds, rhythms, and harmonies in our environment. Art makes us more
aware and appreciative of the things around us. Visual and auditory “literacy”
through contact with the arts can lead us to an intensified awareness of the beautiful
in life. It can thus make our existence less humdrum; it can refine and elevate our
aesthetic taste.

Works of art make us aware of other ways of thinking, feeling, and imagining that
have never occurred to us before. They offer us fresh insights into nature and human
nature so that we gain a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
They help us improve our lives. This is especially true of literature, drama, and
cinema, which capture and vivify human experience (Ortiz et al., 1976).

2. Art, Culture, and Society (The Social Function)

One cannot conceive of a society without art, for art is closely related to every aspect
of social life (Ortiz et al., 1976).

Art performs a social function when:

1. It seeks or tends to influence the collective behavior of a people.

(Influencing Social Behavior)

•Many works of art influence the way we think, feel, or act.

•They can bring about in us decisions to collectively change, correct, or improve upon
the human condition.

•Paintings, photographs, posters, and cartoons have been used to express

humanitarian concerns as well as ideological or political comment.

2. It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situations

(Display and Celebration)

• One function of sculpture and painting is a commemoration of important

personages in society.

•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.

•The arts are also linked to rituals. Rituals have played an important role in people’s
lives and have influenced the growth of certain arts as well.
•Public celebrations, such as festivals, involve rituals of some kind, and these, in turn,
employ the arts.

3. It expresses or describes the social or collective aspect of existence as

opposed to individual and personal kinds of experiences.
(Social Description)

• Artworks are vital historical documents. They describe aspects of existence at

certain periods. Because many of them focus on facets of daily life, they tell us what
the societies that produced them were like.

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 art with a social function. Art may convey messages of protest,
contestation, or whatever message the artist intends his work to carry.

3. Art and the Physical World (The Physical Function)

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 to serve some physical
purpose. The best examples are the kitchen utensils we have at home since they
were not just displayed but also serve a physical function.