Basic Assumptions, Functions and Nature of Arts
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.
Basic Assumption of Arts
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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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 in
society. The statues of national heroes that grace our parks and plazas are commemorative
works as are the commissioned paintings of leaders or rules. 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.
Social description expresses or describes social or collective aspects of existence as opposed
to 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 to
perform 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. The
shapes, sizes and different parts are harmoniously related to one another and integrated
into an 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 a
building takes is also adapted to the climate of the region. The architect must take the
physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the family into account when he designs a
house.
3. Community Planning. A community is more than just a group of buildings. It is a group of
individuals and families living in a particular locality because of common interest and needs.
Community planning involves the efficient organization of buildings, roads and spaces so
that they meet the physical and aesthetic needs of the community.
Community planning takes into consideration the assignment of areas for proper land use.
These are:
3.1.Residential districts. Special areas are assigned for residential purposes. The present
trend is to get away from overcrowded downtown districts and the attendant problems
and settle in areas where it is possible to blend the charms of rural living with
conveniences of urban living.
3.2.Industrial and commercial areas. These areas are usually located near the source of raw
materials. A commercial area can be a cluster of small neighborhood stores, a shopping
complex in the suburbs, or a central downtown district. It is usually situated where it can
be reached easily by car or public transport.
3.3.Civic centers. A community governs itself; it, therefore provides structures where the
functions of government can be efficiently carried out, and which would, in appearance,
be symbolic of community dignity and pride.
3.4.Parks, plazas and malls. The need for a balance between man-made structures and
natural areas is answered in the design of plazas and malls. These may provide some
relief from problems such as air and water pollution, inadequate facilities for recreation,
and lack of parking space.
3.5.Streets and roads. Transportation must function with reasonable ease and rapidity from
one area to another. Streets are large or small, according to their function.
4. 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.
