Name: Jane Rose G.

MIiones
Year/Section: BTLEd 2 Home Economics

Lesson 3
Functions and Perspectives

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, you should have been able to:
1. Distinguish between directly functional and indirectly functional art;
2. Explain and discuss the basic philosophical perspectives of art;
3. Realize the function of some art forms to daily life, and;
4. Apply concepts and principles on beauty and aesthetics in real life scenarios.

Time Frame: One week

Introduction
Have you ever picked up an item you see in a department store and asked yourself,
“What is this and what is this for?” Perhaps the item’s design did not seem to match its
purpose. Or perhaps the style was too fancy for a task so practical. However, because
the purpose appears to be able to address your needs, you actually contemplate on
purchasing that item.
Greek philosopher Aristotle said that every particular substance in the world has
an end—a telos—which translates into “a purpose.” Telos is intricately linked with
function. For a thing to reach its purpose, it has to fulfil its function. What makes a chair
a chair is the fact that it does perform its function. If a chair is missing a leg or is wobbly,
then it does not serve its purpose of being a sturdy place to sit on. In telos, the “whatness”
of things are all interconnected.

ACTIVITY: Let’s Get Started!

Study the two images that follow. Have you ever seen anything like these?

Fig. 6. Blue item #1 Fig. 7. Blue item #2

 ANALYSIS: Let’s Think about It!

After examining the two objects, answer the following questions.

a. What do you suppose the item on the left is for? What made you think this way?
I think the item on the left is for preventing clogged drains. It catches hair
and stops it from going down the drain. I think this item is a tub shroom. It made
me think that way because the shape is similar to those other tub shrooms.

b. What do you suppose the item on the right is for? What made you think this
way?
I think the item on the right is for folding clothes. It is used to neatly fold
clothes. It also makes the work faster and easier. I think this item is a T-shirt
folder. It made me think that way because the item looks like other T-shirt
folders.

c. Do you suppose these two items are used alongside each other? What made
you think this way?
I don’t think these two items are used alongside each other. It is because
these items were made for different purposes, their functions are greatly
different however these things are efficient tools at home. The tub shroom is
used for preventing clogged drains and the T-shirt holder is used for easier
folding of clothes.

ABSTRACTION: Let’s Explore!

When we examine art, some philosophical questions may come into mind: Does
art necessarily have an end? When an artist creates a work of art, does he have an end
in mind? What function does an artwork perform? Does the function make an object a
work of art? What makes an artwork aesthetically pleasing?

Functions of Art
Art has three distinct functions: personal, social, and physical. A particular art piece
may have one, two, or all of these functions.
The personal function of art has to do with public display or expression. Because
it is personal, it can be varied and highly subjective, depending on the person. For some,
art has some therapeutic effect on a person. Some adults, for one, find coloring books for
adults to be of help in relieving stress.
Art also has a social function which is addressing a particular collective interest.
Mostly through photography, art performs this function through the depiction of social
conditions. One of the most controversial photographs illustrating this function is Kevin
Carter’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of a starving Sudanese child with a vulture in the
background. (You may view the photo at [http://100photos.time.com/photos/kevin-carter-
starving-child-vulture].) The photo showed the reality happening in the village of Ayod in
Sudan (now South Sudan) in 1993: extreme famine. It chronicled the emaciated child who
collapsed on the way to a feeding center. In the background, a vulture stood ground,
waiting for the child to die so it can be eaten. The image has spawned numerous debates
on ethics.
The third function of art is physical or utilitarian wherein an artwork does not only
present itself to be aesthetically pleasing but also physically useful. Music, for instance,
is used for dance, religion, and therapy. Dance is an art form that can also function as a
religious or ritualistic form. Sculptures are used in religion and in commemorating
important figures or events in history.
Of all the forms of the arts, the most prominent functional art form is architecture.
Architecture is defined as the art and science of designing buildings and other physical
structures. It abides by the principle of “Form follows function.”

This means that before a structure can be designed to be beautiful, it has to, first and
foremost, serve its purpose. Before an architect designs a house to be beautiful, he or
she should first consider whether or not it is liveable and functional. A fireplace, for
instance, is considered as a beautiful and artistic part of a house but given the climate in
Davao City, a fireplace in a house located in Obrero will not be useful at all.
Architecture lives by the tenet of “strength, utility, beauty.” This means that an
architectural piece cannot just be one of these things but it must be all of these things.
Imagine a house that is beautiful and is created to be used as a place to live in but is not
able to withstand even a slight gust of wind. Or imagine a classroom building that has
structural integrity, is useful as a classroom, but is not pleasing to look at. If an
architectural structure is strong and beautiful but is not useful, that structure is simply just
a sculpture and not an architectural piece.
This thought poses another question: Does art always have to be functional? Poetry
(such as Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee”) and plays (like William Shakespeare’s “Romeo
and Juliet”) are still examples of great works of art despite now having a known purpose.
However, what is important to remember is this:

A functional object cannot claim to be beautiful

unless it can perform its function.

Look at your dining table. The function of the table is to provide a sturdy place for
you to eat your meals. If the table, however, is missing a leg, it does not provide the
stability it is supposed to give even if the table is made of narra, is varnished to perfection,
and has cute little carvings of flowers at the sides. Ergo, it cannot claim to be beautiful
because it could not do its function,

Philosophical Perspectives on Art

Over the course of history, both philosophers and artists have had their own take
on art. The great philosopher Plato, for one, sees art as an imitation. Plato was deeply
suspicious of arts and artists for two reasons:

1.) Arts appeal to the emotion rather than to the rational faculty of men, and;
2.) Arts imitate rather than lead one to reality.
For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for real entities
that can only be attained through reason. Something to think about on this subject: have
you ever imagined your love story to be something similar to a favorite Korean drama of
yours? If so, this is the reason Plato wants to keep things real.
For another philosopher, Aristotle, art is a representation. It allows for the
experience of pleasure, allowing experiences that are otherwise offensive to be
entertaining. Filipinos in particular enjoy watching that scene in a soap opera when the
legal wife and the mistress cross paths. All the slapping, hair-pulling, and catchy lines
make the entire experience pleasing to look at rather than painful and repugnant.
Aristotle further added that art has an ability to be instructive and teach its audience
things about life, thus, it is cognitive as well. When we watch an episode of Bob Ross’
The Joy of Painting, we do not only get to see a beautiful painting, we also learn about
using a brush and angling it to make a painting of a pine tree. You may view the video at
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HvdsIkY9mY ].
Immanuel Kant, on the other hand, considers art as a form of “disinterested
judgment.” He believed that the judgment of beauty, and therefore, art, is innately
autonomous from specific interests and, as such, is subjective. However, it is true that
that even subjective judgments are based on some universal criterion for said judgment.
To illustrate, not everyone has the same idea of who a beautiful or handsome person is.
For some, Chris Hemsworth is more handsome than Chris Evans yet for some, it is the
other way around. Question: what did people base their decision on? Answer: a set of
criterion. Perhaps for some, a criterion to being handsome is having a clean-shaven face.
For some, a criterion is having a well-managed beard.
For Leo Tolstoy, art is a way to be able to communicate emotions which the artist
has previously experienced. Art serves as a language, a communication device that
articulates feelings and emotions that are otherwise unavailable to the audience. A
songwriter might talk about his feelings of falling in love through a song and considers it
as a way to express to the listeners the feeling of being in love.

Aesthetics
The term “aesthetics” is from the Greek word eisthesis which means “perception.”
It is a branch of philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the 18th
Century by Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. The term also refers to the
principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in visual art (Rader
1979). Essentially, when we speak of aesthetics, we speak of beauty. Something that is
visually aesthetic is something that is pleasing to look at. We can safely say that what
moves us in any work of art is the beauty that we perceive from it.

Beauty is something we perceive and respond to. It

may be a response of awe and amazement, wonder
and joy, or something else.

Aesthetics are classified according to its elements which are perceived by our five
senses. Visual aesthetics can be examined by an item’s color, shape, pattern, line,
texture, visual weight, balance, scale, or movement.
Auditory aesthetics, those pertaining to sound, can be judged in terms of a sound’s
volume, beat, repetition, pitch, melody, pattern, or even noise.
Tactile aesthetics have to do with touch. We assess the aesthetic value of a tactile
material based on its texture, shape, weight, ability to provide comfort, temperature,
vibration, sharpness, or its ease of use.
Gustatory aesthetics deal with things that we taste: its strength, sweetness,
saltiness, sourness, or texture.
Finally, olfactory aesthetics are concerned with those that we can smell: its
strength, its sweetness, its pleasantness, and others.
A good reading to go with the study of aesthetics is an article found in www.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/masteryart1/chapter/oer-1-11/.
 APPLICATION: Let’s do it!
Earlier, we discussed about how a functional object cannot claim to be beautiful if
it does not serve its function. Below are four items. Study these items carefully and answer
the questions that follow.

1. What makes each of these four items aesthetically pleasing to look at?
The four items are individually unique as these are unusual things we do not
commonly see in our lives. The item on the upper left corner seems to be a sunglass
however the lens that is supposedly place at both sides was placed at the center part
making it useless. But on the other hand, its uniqueness makes it aesthetically
pleasing to look at as well as its color and shape. The item on the upper right corner
is a chair, however it seems like it is very uncomfortable to sit on that chair. That chair
is one of a kind but doesn’t provide comfort. The third item seems like a tea pot, but
this one is a bit strange. I do not know where I should hold the tea pot and where I
should pour the tea from. This one is very rare but the color makes it aesthetically
pleasing to look at as well as its shape, however we cannot deny the fact that it is
useless at all. The last item is a pair of boots. The color is attractive and this one is
also unique as the toes can be seen when being worn.
2. What makes each of these four items dysfunctional or difficult to use?
The items are difficult to use because they cannot play their functions or purpose
of their invention. The first item or the sunglass is dysfunctional because the lens are
supposedly to protect the eyes but the lens was placed at the center making it
useless. The second item is difficult to use because chairs are supposedly to provide
comfort yet this one is very uncomfortable to use. The third item is a tea pot but it is
dysfunctional since the handle and spout seems to be misplaced making it useless.
The last item is a pair of boots and it is difficult to use since the boots were supposedly
to protect the feet and toes but this one is different because the toes can be barely
seen.

3. What role does functionality play in a work of art?

Functionality plays an essential role in a work of art. I think art should not be solely
beautiful but functional as well. As stated above, a functional object cannot claim to
be beautiful unless it can perform its function. Every art has its own specific purposes
and a reason why it was made. It may be a function to relieve stress, to convey
emotions and feelings, to depict social conditions, and of course to be physically
useful. The function of art does not only employ to the artist but to the viewers or
public as well. Thus, it can be interpreted and used differently making it more worth
to be appreciated.

CLOSURE
Congratulations for finishing Lesson 3. By this time, you should now have a clearer
picture of the functions of art, as well as the philosophical perspectives of art. Remember
that knowing these things will aid you in being able to appreciate what art is. In the next
lesson, you will learn about the historical perspectives of art, where it came from and how
historical events have helped shape the way we know art today.