ASSUMPTIONS OF ART,

FUNCTIONS OF ART, BASIC

PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES
OF ART,
CATEGORIES/CLASSIFICATIONS
OF ART
‘-
by
Vincent N. Masecampo
Course Instructor

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ASSUMPTIONS
‘-

OF ART
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Art is Universal
• These are the principles and bases of appreciating
a work of art since it is in art that man can
communicate one’s individuality and way of life.
‘-

• Art is everywhere, wherever men have lived

together, art has sprung up among them as a a
language charged with feelings and significance.

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Art is Universal
• The desire to create this language appears to be
general, and art as a cultural force can be
pervasive and potent.
‘-

• Art has no limit, and it rises above cultures, races,

and civilization.

• It is timeless because it goes beyond the time of

our own existence. 4
‘-

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‘-

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Art is Not Nature
• Art is man-made; it is a creation of man utilizing
his thoughtful skill and artistry, which undergoes
process and planning.
‘-

• Art is artificial because it is just an imitation or

even an appropriation of reality and nature.

• It is a representation of ideas, thoughts, and

feelings that are communicated in creative and
artistic ways.
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Art is Not Nature
• Art that is created by God is divine, and art that is
created by man is superficial or temporary.

‘-
• Works of art are made by artists to adore the
wonders of life and the beauty of God’s creation.

• Art can never be natural because it is momentary

in the constant transformation of chance; it does
not change by itself unless manipulated by its
creator, which is man. 8
Art is Not Nature
• Artists could make any work of art, but they
definitely could not form nature.

‘-
• From man’s experiences, we cannot even compare
Art with Nature because it is something
mysterious, and it is made by the Divine
Providence whose depth and mystery is beyond
human understanding.

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Art is Involves Experience
• Art is a depiction of our experiences. It demands
taking part.

‘-
• Art involves laying of pigments, moulding of clay,
chipping of marble, casting of bronze, constructing
of buildings, singing of songs, playing roles on
stage, acting, and going through rhythmic
movements in a dance.

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Art is Involves Experience
• Every art does something with some physical
material, the body or something outside the body;
thus, the only way to find conviction and
assertions is through immersion
‘- in the arts.

• We can only appreciate art if we spend time to

look at it, listen to it, touch it, and feel its
presence.

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FUNCTIONS
‘-

OF ART
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1. Personal Function
• It is being used to provide comfort, happiness, and
convenience to human beings. The artist tries to
express his personal feelings through the artwork.
‘-

• 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.

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1. Personal Function
• An artist may create an art 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 with his work.

• An art may also be therapeutic, In some

orphanages and home for abandoned elders, art
is used to help residents process their emotions
or while away their time. 14
1. Personal Function
• Recently, the use of
adult coloring
books to de-stress
has been apparent ‘-
too, now with a lot
of designs being
sold in bookstores
nationwide.

• These all fall under

personal functions
of art. 15
2. Social Function
• 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 an art
with a social function.

• Art may convey message of protest,

contestation, or whatever message the artist
intends his work to carry.

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2. Social Function
• Often, art can also depict social conditions. Photography, as an
art form, delivers this kind of function by taking photos of
subjects in conditions that people do not normally take a look at
or give attention to.
‘-

• Pictures of poverty may carry emotional overtones that may

solicit action or awareness from their audience.

• Moreover, performance art like plays or satires can also rouse

emotions and rally people toward a particular end. In these and
more, the social function of art is apparent.
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2. Social Function
• Often, art can also depict social
conditions. Photography, as an art
form, delivers this kind of function
by taking photos of subjects in
conditions
‘- that people do not
normally take a look at or give
attention to.

• Pictures of poverty may carry

emotional overtones that may
solicit action or awareness from
their audience.
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3. Cultural Function
• Art helps
preserve,
share, and
transmit ‘-
culture of
people from
one generation
to another.

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4. Aesthetic Function
• Art becomes influential
for man to be aware of
the beauty of nature.
Aesthetic is when there
is
‘- real feelings of
appreciation to nature’s
beauty and are
manifested through
appreciation and
enjoyment when in
contact with the
artwork. 20
4. Spiritual Function
• An artist may create a work of art to reinforce the
religious or spiritual support of a culture.

‘-

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 6. 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 in order to serve some
physical purpose.
• A Japanese raku bowl that serves
a physical function in a tea
ceremony is an example.
Architecture, jewelry-making, and
even interior design are all forms
of arts that have physical function. 22
 BASIC
PHILOSOPHICAL
‘-

PERSPECTIVES OF
ART
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 1. Art as mimesis (Plato)
• According to him, art is an
imitation of the real that was
an imitation of the ideal. Art
is an imitation of an imitation.
‘-

• Example: Painting of a Bed,

Sculpture of a Human, Poetry
About Love, Theater
Performance, Photography of
a Landscape, Novel About a
Hero. 24
2. Art as representation (Aristotle)

• According to him, the aim of art is

not to represent ‘-the outward
appearance of things but their inward
significance.

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1. Art as representation (Aristotle)
Vincent van Gogh's The Starry
Night

• Van Gogh's painting is not a

literal
‘- representation of the
night sky but an emotional
and symbolic interpretation.
The swirling clouds, vibrant
colors, and exaggerated
stars reflect his inner turmoil
and spiritual longing,
capturing the "inward
significance" of his
experience.
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1. Art as representation (Aristotle)
Edvard Munch's The Scream

•This iconic painting is not

about the physical appearance
‘-
of a person but about the
universal feeling of anxiety
and existential dread. The
distorted figure and chaotic
background convey deep
emotional and psychological
states.

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1. Art as representation (Aristotle)
Salvador Dalí's The
Persistence of Memory

‘- surrealist painting uses

•Dalí's
melting clocks and dreamlike
imagery to explore themes of
time, memory, and the
subconscious. It goes beyond
physical reality to represent
deeper philosophical ideas.

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3. Art for art’s sake (Immanuel Kant)
• According to him, art has its own reason for being. It
implies that an art object is best understood as an
autonomous creation to be valued only for its success
as it organizes color and line into‘-a formally satisfying
and beautiful whole.

• The value of art lies in its formal qualities—such as

composition, color, line, and shape—rather than in its
subject matter, narrative, or external reference
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3. Art for art’s sake (Immanuel Kant)
Piet Mondrian’s Composition
with Red, Blue, and Yellow

•Mondrian’s abstract works ‘-

are purely about the
arrangement of lines,
shapes, and colors. They do
not represent anything in
the physical world but are
valued for their balance,
harmony, and formal
perfection.
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3. Art for art’s sake (Immanuel Kant)
Jackson Pollock’s Drip
Paintings

• Pollock’s ‘-abstract
expressionist works are not
about depicting objects or
telling stories but about the
dynamic interplay of lines,
colors, and textures.
• The artwork’s value lies in its
formal complexity and the
energy it conveys. 31
4. Art as an Escape
• The ceremony of doing and creating art
touches the deepest realms of the mind and
the sacred dimension of the‘- artistic creative
process.
• 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.

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5. Art is Functional
• Art serves a function.
• Art is meant to be used, to enrich lives to be
spiritually potent, to educate,
‘- to support or
protest existing power structures, to
entertain, and so on.

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 CATEGORIES/
CLASSIFICATIONS
‘-

OF ART
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1. Visual Arts (2D, 3D)
• Painting – is the
application of
‘- pigment (color)
on any flat two-
dimensional
surfaces.

The Making of the Philippine Flag by Fernando Amorsolo

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1. Visual Arts (2D, 3D)
• Sculpture – It is the
carving, modelling,
casting,
constructing, and ‘-
assembling of
materials and
objects into
primarily three-
dimensional works Philippine National Artist Guillermo Tolentino created the

of art.
Oblation statue at the University of the Philippines. The
statue is a symbol of selfless service to the nation.
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 1. Visual Arts (2D, 3D)
The Petronas Twin
Towers located in
• Architecture – It is
Kuala Lumpur are the art and science
of planning,
currently the tallest-
twin buildings in the
world. ‘-designing, and
constructing
buildings and
The Argentine-born
American
architect César
Pelli designed the
nonbuilding
Petronas Twin structures for
human shelter or
Towers in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
use (3D).
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2. Performing / Combined Arts
• Music – is an art form and cultural activity whose
medium is sound organized in time.
• Dance – is the movement of the body in a rhythmic
‘-
way, usually to music and within a given space for
the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion.
• 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.

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2. Performing / Combined Arts
• 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 before a live
audience in a specific place,
often a stage.
• Literary – is concentrating the
writing, study or content of
literature, especially of the kind
valued for quality of form. 39
2. Performing / Combined Arts
• Performance Poetry
– is poetry
specifically
composed
‘- for or
during a
performance before
an audience rather
than on print mostly
open to
improvisation.
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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.
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3. Applied Arts
• Are the applications of design and decoration to
everyday objects to make them aesthetically
pleasing.
‘-

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3. Applied Arts
• Fashion design
– It is the art of
applying
‘-
design,
aesthetics, and
natural beauty
to clothing and
its
accessories.
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3. Applied Arts
• Furniture
design – It is a
specialized
‘-
field where
function and
fashion collide.

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3. Applied Arts
• Interior design - It is
enhancing the interior
of a building to
achieve a healthier
‘-
and more
aesthetically pleasing
environment for the
people using the
space.

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3. Applied Arts
• Graphic design - It is
an artistic process of
effective
‘-
communication.
Designers combine
words, images, and
symbols to create a
visual representation
of ideas.
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ACTIVITY
‘-

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Direction: Answer the following question on a one whole
sheet of yellow paper, following a clear structure and with a
well-organized sentences; each item is worth 10 points, and it
must be submitted no later than 12 noon tomorrow.

‘-
1. If you were an artist, what kind of artist would you be?
2. How can you utilize the arts to express yourself, your
community, and relation to others and the world?
3. Why art is not nature?
4. Why does art involve experience?

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