Unit II

LECTURE 02
Topics:

1.Basic Assumptions of
Art.
2.Nature of Art
3.Functions of Art
 Basic Assumptions, Functions and
Nature of Art

Art is an expression made visible by a form. The expression contained in

the form is an attempt to translate the unnamed and the unknown.
Intrinsic to our existence as human is our quest to create meaning, and art
allows that process to take place.

Making meaning involves understanding our surroundings and making our

experiences. Art, at its root, is an expression and the artist is an expresser,
translating in order to create meaning. Art expresses and translates, art
acknowledges and reveals, art transfers and art intervenes.
Art is an expression, an expression of feeling, belief and
character. The simplicity of that sentence is rather
deceptive and seems tidier than its implications.
Feelings, beliefs, characteristics – these are what art
expresses, although often they are not easily distilled.
Our lives as humans are full of complications and
complexities, and our thought and experience feelings,
beliefs and characteristics are reflective of these
complexities.
Meaning of ASSUMPTION

Assumption is a thing that is accepted

as true or as certain to happen,
without proof. It is something that you
accept as true without question or
proof. Manu assumption has been
written about arts and some these are:
1. Art has been created by all people at all times,
in all countries and it lives because its well- liked
enjoyed. Naturally, arts linger on particularly if it
is popular and love by the people.
Example: the works and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal
and the movie, The Ten Commandments
2. Art involves experience. In order
to experience something, you have
to make use of your five senses.
Hence, there can never be
appreciation of art without having
experienced it.
Art is not nature; nature is not art. Art is
made by man and nature by God.
However, nature can be enhanced by
man. The enhanced beauty and artistry of
nature, then, can be classified as an art.
Art is cultural. Art is a work of humans and
anything that has been created by human
is part of culture. Art becomes cultural
when it depicts people’s way of life,
religious practices, mores and traditions,
etc.
Art is a form of creation. Art is something that is
created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful
or that expresses important ideas or feelings. As it is
said, human is the creator of art. No art can be
created without human which, uses his/her
imagination and creativity to produce art. According to
the word’s most basic definition, an artist is simply a
person who creates art.
Art is subjective. Henceforth, it cannot be measured
by its significance or the level of skill with which it is
created. Its subjective nature makes arts only
measurable quality is whether or not it exists.
Example: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
meaning, every individual has his/her own
perception and/or interpretation about the subject.
It would never be the same for every individual.
Nature of Arts

1. Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating

visual, auditory or performing artworks, expressing the
author’s imaginative or technical skill, intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. In their
most general form these activities include the production
of works of art, the criticism of art, the study of history of
art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.
Art represents reality. Representation is the use of signs that
stand in for and take the place of something else. It is through
representation that people organize the world and reality
through the act of naming its elements. Signs are arranged in
order to form semantic constructions and express relations.
Art represents reality, since it is often depicting objects or
scenes from the world. An artwork can depict a scene such as
a café or a restaurant, or a park or garden. So, there is a
sense in which art represents the mind’s eye or what the
imagination perceives.
Art is an expression. The expression contained in the
form is an attempt to translate the unnamed and
the unknown. Intrinsic to our existence as humans is
our quest to create meaning, and art allows that
process to take place. Making meaning involves
understanding our surroundings and marking our
experiences.
Art serves as a means of communication of emotions. The
purpose of works of art may be communicate political,
spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty
to explore the nature of perception, for pleasure, or to
generate strong emotions. Art is an act of expressing
feelings, thoughts, and observations of human conditions. A
fundamental purpose common to most art forms is the
underlying intention to appeal to, and connect with, human
emotion.
Art matters. The arts matter because they allow
us to express ourselves and illustrate the world
around us in a different light, helping us to gain
understanding of people and society, and give
hope while living in this world. Art matters
because it illustrates the human experience.
Art is universal. Literally, art can be found in every corner of the
world. Art is everywhere and it is embedded into the way of life of the
people. Exclusivity is out of bounds when we speak of arts because it
is for everyone. Art is the true Esperanto, an artificial language, the
one form of culture that is genuinely beyond national limitations. Art
knows no barriers; not even language is a barrier in understanding it.
Example: foreign arts displayed in museums throughout the world,
paintings such as the Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, and photos of well-
known places are readily viewed. We have also some foreign
performers performing in the country.
Art is creation. It is the combination of already existing
material elements into new forms which become the
realization of a preconceived idea. Both hut and picture
rose in the imagination of their makers before they took
shape as things. The material of each was given already in
nature; but the form, as the maker fashioned it, was new. In
its essence and widest compass art is the making of a new
thing in response to a sense of need. The very need itself
creates, working through man as its agent.
Functions of Art

No piece of art can be assigned a function either in essay form

or in casual conversation, if it is not first considered within the
proper context. Trying to classify function depends on context.
That said, the functions of art normally fall into three
categories. These are personal, social and physical functions.
These categories can, and do, overlap in any given piece of
art.
1. The Personal Function
An artist may create out of a need for self-expression or
gratification. He/ She might have wanted to communicate a
thought or point to the viewer. Perhaps the artist was trying
to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers.
A piece might have been meant to “merely” entertain others.
Sometimes a piece isn’t meant to have any meaning at all.
On a slightly higher level, art may serve the
personal functions of control. Art has been
used to attempt to exert magical control over
time, or the seasons or even the acquisition of
food. Art is used to bring order to a
disorganized and disorderly world. Conversely,
art can be used to create confusion when an
artist feels life is too dull and ordinary.
Example is the statue of Venus, a Roman mythology
goddess. One may wonder why the statue has no
arms yet it is considered to be a national treasure.
Art can also be therapeutic for both the artist and
the viewer. Expressive art therapy is the use of
creative arts as a form of therapy and is a fantastic
field that has proven to work wonders in many
people’s lives.
It can help someone express themselves, explore
their emotions, manage addictions, and improve
their self-esteem. Example, music. 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.
Another personal function of art is that of religious
service. Religious art usually expresses collective ideas
about human life in relation to the divine. For our
purposes, then, art of spiritual concern is any search for
ultimate values through the use of visual form. The
crucifixion is an example of visual form in relation to our
religious belief. Another is the “The Last Supper"
painting.
2. The Social Function
One cannot conceive of a society without art, for art is closely
related to every aspect of social life. Social functions of art are
those that go beyond personal intrinsic value to art’s social
benefits. Individuals and their society are dynamically related.
Art communicates. Most often it is constructed with the
intention of sharing responses to and opinions about life with
others. Art enriches, informs, and questions our world. When
highly valued, it can be both a social and financial asset. Art
can have powerful transformative and restorative effects
within a society as well.
Art perform in social function when:
 A.Influences Social Behavior (Political Function). It seeks
or tends to influence the collective behavior of a people.
Example is the Bayanihan”. Some people think that art
designed to influence social behavior is corrupt, impure,
“mere” propaganda, and so on.
 B.Display and Celebration. It is created to be seen or used
primarily in public situations like fiestas, parade, etc
One function of sculpture and painting is the commemoration of
important personages insociety. The statues of national heroes that
grace our parks and plazas are commemorativeworks as are the
commissioned paintings of leaders or rules. Often they serve to
recordimportant historical events, or reveal the ideals of
heroism and leadership that thecommunity would want the
young to emulate.Social description expresses or describes social or
collective aspects of existence as opposedto individual and personal
kind of experiences
3. The Physical Function
The Physical functions of art are often the
easiest to understand. Works of art that are
created toperform some service have physical
functions
1. Form and Function.
The function of an object is generally essential in the
basic form that it takes. A chair is so designed as to
allow the seated body to rest comfortably on it.
Theshapes, sizes and different parts are harmoniously
related to one another and integrated intoan object that
fulfils and tells about their particular purpose.
 2. Architecture.
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
abuilding takes is also adapted to the climate of the
region. The architect must take thephysical,
psychological and spiritual needs of the family into
account when he designs a house.
Function and beauty.
Many things remain the same in shape
throughout the years because their functional
requirements do not allow for greater
variations in their form. Time has proved that
their designs best enable them to accomplish
their purpose.