Introduction to Art Function of Art

Art - Telos: every thing in the world has an end;

- Diverse range of human activities in creating translates to purpose
visual, auditory, or performing artifacts - For a thing to reach its purpose, It has to also
- Something that we do (verb) fulfill a function
- Expression of our thoughts emotions, - When talking about the function of art, we are
intuitions, & desires talking about what art is for
- Generally understood as any activity or 1. Motivated (Functional)
product done by ppl w/ a communicative or - Art that have a practical function
aesthetic purpose o Architecture
- Various branches of creative activity (painting, o Weaving
music, literature, & dance) o Furniture-making (Kenneth Cobonpue)
2. Non-motivated (Non-functional)
Purposes - No practical function
- At its most profound level, art can take us from o Painting
the everyday to a place of introspect and o Sculpture
contemplation o Literature (anything that is written)
- Allows us to see the bigger picture of human o Music
condition o Theater arts
- Make us feel something (joy, sorrow, anger, 3. Personal
etc) - Art is vehicles for artist’ expression of feelings
- Way to express our emotions & feelings & ideas
- Can be used to communicate ideas & thoughts - Makes us aware of other ways of thinking,
- Can be used as a form of therapy feeling, & imaging that have occurred to us
1. Delight before
2. Persuasion 4. Social
3. Self-expression - Art is closely related to every aspect of social
4. Worship life
5. Ritual - Art performs a social function when
6. Commentary o Influences social behavior
▪ Seeks/tends to influence the
Wide agreed purposes of art collective behavior of people
1. Provide an escape from reality o Display & celebration
2. Provide a sense of belongingness ▪ Created to be seen or used
3. Enable self-expression & self-awareness primarily in public situations
4. Provide a means for contemplation & reflection o Social description
5. Provide a source of entertainment & enjoyment ▪ Expresses/describes social
6. Create feelings of awe, wonder, or inspiration in aspects of existence as
the beholder proposed to individual &
7. Convey messages personal experiences
5. Physical
Assumptions - Serves some physical purpose
1. Art is universal (constantly present) o Architecture
2. Art is not nature o Jewelry-making
- Made by humans as an expression of their o Interior design
reception of interpretation about nature
- May include distortion, modification, or
alteration to satisfy humans’ creative
imagination that is influenced by nature
3. Art involves experience
- Depicts the actual doing of something
Philosophical Perspectives Subjects of Art
of Art 1. Dream and Fantasy
- From artist’s imagination
Art as an imitation - May be inspired by a real event but was
1. Plato distorted or changed
- “artists are imitators and art is just an imitation” 2. Event
o Things in this world are only copies of - Can be based firsthand from events of
the original everyday life, history, legends, etc.
o Eternal & true entities can only be found 3. Nature
in the World of Forms - Animals, plants, mountains, bodies of water,
o Theory of Forms: nonphysical forms forests, etc.
(ideas) represents most accurate reality 4. Objects
- Deeply suspicious of art & artists because: - Chairs, tables, buildings, gadgets, etc.
o They appeal to the emotion rather than 5. Persons
to the rational faculty of humans - Can be 1 or several people
o They imitate rather than lead one to - Sometimes called portraits
reality 6. Scene
2. Socrates - Landscapes, topography, terrains, panorama
- Art represents only the things in this world
- Art copies reality Classifications of Subjects
- Art is just an imitation of imitation 1. Objective (Representation)
o Ex. A painting about nature is just an - Represents descriptions, stories, or references
imitation of nature, which is also just to identifiable objects or symbols
an imitation of reality in the World of 2. Non-objective art (Non-representation)
Forms - Doesn’t represent any concrete object/symbol

Art as a Representation Ways of Presenting a Subject

Aristotle 1. Realism
- Agreed w/ Plato that art is a form of imitation - Movement or style of representing things as
- Considered art as an aid to Philosophy in they actually are
revealing the truth - Subjects appear naturally & replicates reality
o Art represents a version of reality 2. Abstraction
- 2 particular purposes of art - Does not attempt to represent external reality
o Allows experience of pleasure - Based on a particular object but does not
o Has the ability to be instructive & present it as it is
teach us about life - Seeks to achieve its effects using shapes,
- All kinds of art doesn’t aim to represent reality forms, colors, & texture
as it is - There is still a resemblance of the actual
o Art, instead, provides a vision of what subject to the art made
might be or possibilities in reality 3. Distortion
- Art of twisting, stretching, or deforming the
Art is a Disinterested Judgement natural shape of an object
Immanuel Kant
- Considered the judgement of beauty Mediums of Art (Visual Art)
- Beauty of subjective 1. Acrylic – paint
2. Drawing – initial or fundamental sketch of a
painting
Art is a Communication of Emotion 3. Encaustic – application of a hot bee wax, resin, &
Leo Tolstoy ground pigment followed by heat application
- Art plays a huge role in communication to its 4. Engraving – decorating metal artwork w/ a burn
audience’ emotion, that is the artist’s previous 5. Etching – strong acid to cut into unprotected parts
experience of metal surface to create designs
- Art serves as vessel for artists to pour out their 6. Fresco – application of earth pigments (usually
emotions, thus they are communicating from flowers) via mixing water in a plaster (early
form of watercolor)
7. Intaglio
8. Mosaic – small cubes/irregularly cut pieces of
stone or glass
9. Painting – applying pigments on a smooth surface
(does not have to be on a canvas)
10. Printmaking – graphic image that results from - Depicts the feeling of equality in weight,
duplication process attention, attraction
11. Stained glass – decorations made of irregularly - Distribution of objects, colors, textures, &
cut pieces of glass formed into 1(common in space
churches) - Ensures that there is harmony & unity in the
12. Tempera – application of a mixture of eggs and artwork
earth & mineral pigments - Symmetrical or formal balance
13. Watercolor – adding water to a pigment - Asymmetrical or occult balance
14. Sculpture 2. Emphasis
- 3-dimensional form constructed to represent a - Reflects between more & less important
natural/imaginary shape artworks
- Carving stone is the most common medium - Stressing proper importance to the parts &
- Can also be made of wood, metal, plaster, etc. whole artwork
- Can be made via: 3. Harmony
o Substractive process - All important parts of the image are related &
▪ Deducting from original form complement each other
▪ Ex. Carving - There is an agreement between the parts of
• Removing of unwanted composition, leading to unity
portion of raw materials to 4. Proportion
reveal the form that the - Ratio of 1 part to another or 1 part to the whole
artist has visualized - Can be expressed in size, number, or position
o Additive process - Rule of thirds
▪ Adding to the original form - Can be seen as a comparative or harmonious
▪ Ex. Fabrication relationship between 2/more elements of
• Process of composition with respect to size, color,
joining/fastening via quantity, or degree
nailing, stapling, 5. Rhythm
soldering, or welding - Repetition or continuance of regular art
▪ Ex. Modeling - Patterns
• Malleable materials are - A feeling of movement is achieved
molded into 3- - Arrangement of shapes that creates an
dimensional form underlying beat
6. Variation
Elements & Organization of Visual Art - Elements are slightly different & prevents
1. Color monotony
- Adds to attractiveness - Complexity & visual interest of the artwork
- Gives quality to the picture -
- Has ability to elevate the sensation of pleasure
2. Line
- Can depict emotions
3. Shapes
- Represents the subject
- Natural shapes (circle, triangle)
- Abstract shapes (irregular shapes)
- Non-objective shapes
4. Texture
- Tactile quality of the surface of an art
- Creates a spatial depth, may be 2-dimensional
or 3-dimensional
- Surface quality of an artwork
- Can be felt by touch, including the appearance
or consistency of the artwork
5. Value
- Depicts the tonal relationship between light &
dark areas of the painting
- The more tonal variants, the lower the contrast
- How light or dark a color is

Principles of Design
1. Balance
- Gravitational equilibrium