Functional Art

 refers to art that we use in our

daily lives such as tools,
architectural structures, roads,
bridges, buildings, furniture.
Kitchen utensils, coins, bills, dress,
weapons, etc.
Indirectly Functional Art
 refers to the arts that are
“perceived through the senses “
such as fine arts, painting, music,
sculpture, dance, literary piece,
theatrical performances and the
like.
1. Personal Function – depends
on the viewer or the artist
who created the art.

2. Social Function – addresses a

particular collective interest.

3. Physical Function – art that

fulfills and satisfy man’s need.
Aesthetic Function
 An artwork functions aesthetically
when it becomes instrumental for
a man to be cognizant of the
beauty of nature and where the
real feelings of joy and
appreciation to nature’s beauty
are manifested through
appreciation and enjoyment
when in contact with the artwork.
Cultural Function
 Art serves as an aperture
towards skills, knowledge,
attitudes, customs, and
traditions of different groups of
people. The Art helps,
preserves, shares and
transmits culture of people
from one generation to
another.
Political Function – campaign
art; politician promoting political
agenda

Religious Function – almost all

forms of art evolved from religion

Economic Function – people

believe it does not pay to be an
artist
Does art always
have to be
functional?
 It has been shown that most
arts are functional, still there
are some which are not.

 The value of a work of art

does not depend on
function but on the work
itself.
 Not all products of art have
function. This should not
disqualify them as art though.

 Nevertheless, a functional
object cannot be claimed to
be beautiful unless it can
perform its function
sufficiently.
PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVES
ON ART
Art as an Imitation
 According to Plato,
artist are imitators
and art is just a
mere imitations.
 The things in this
world are only copies of the
original, the eternal and the true
entities that can only be found in
the world of forms.
The theory of
Forms or theory of
Ideas is Plato's argument
that non-physical forms (or
ideas) represent the most
accurate reality
A Form is an objective
"blueprint" of perfection. The
Forms are perfect themselves
because they are unchanging.
For example, say we have a
triangle drawn on a blackboard.
A triangle is a polygon with 3
sides. The triangle as it is on the
blackboard is far from perfect.
However, it is only the
intelligibility of the Form
"triangle" that allows us to know
the drawing on the chalkboard
is a triangle, and the Form
"triangle" is perfect and
unchanging. It is exactly the
same whenever anyone
chooses to consider it.
 Plato was deeply suspicious
of arts and artist for 2
reasons:
1. They appeal to the
emotions rather than to the
rational faculty of men.
2. They imitate rather than
lead one to reality.
 Socrates just like Plato
claimed that art is just an
imitation of imitation.

 For Plato art is dangerous

because it provides a petty
replacement for the real
entities that can be only
attained through reason.
Art as a Representation

 Aristotle, Plato’s
most important
student in
philosophy,
agreed with his
teacher that
art is a form of
imitation.
 However, in contrast to his
mentor’s disgust, Aristotle
conceived of art as representing
possible versions of reality.

 For Aristotle, all kinds of art do not

aim to represent reality as it is but
to provide a vision of what might
be or the many possibilities in
reality.
Art as a Disinterested Judgment
 Immanuel Kant
considered the
judgment of beauty
the cornerstone of
art, as something
that can be
universal despite its
subjectivity: and
therefore, art is innately
autonomous from specific interest.
 For Kant, every human being,
after perception and the free
play of his faculties, should
recognize the beauty that is
inherent in a work of art.

 This is the kind of universality

that a judgment of beauty is
assumed by Kant to have.
Art as a Communication of Emotion

 According to Leo
Tolstoy, art place
a huge role in
communication
to its audience
emotions that the
artist previously
experienced.
 Tolstoy is fighting for the
social dimension of art. This
means that art serves as a
mechanism of cohesion for
everyone.