Art as a form of creation

Visual Art
Creations that fall under this category are those that appeal to the
sense of sight and are mainly visual in nature. Artists produce visual arts
driven by their desire to reproduce things that they have seen in the way that
they perceived them (Collins & Riley, 1931). Visual art is the kind of art form
that the population is more likely to exposed to, but its variations are so
diverse- they range from sculptures that you see in art galleries to the last
movie that you saw. Some mediums of visual arts include paintings,
drawings, letterings, printing, sculptures, digital imaging and more.
Film
Film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create an illusion of
movement. Filmmaking focuses on its aesthetics, cultural and social value and is considered as both
art and industry. Films can be created by using one or a combination of some or all of these techniques:
motion picture camera (also known as movie camera), animation techniques, Computer- Generated
Imagery (CGI) and more. Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond the scope of
our imagination as its aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its viewers. The art of filmmaking is so
complex it has to consider many important elements such as lighting, musical score, visual effects,
direction and more. That is why famous Manila Film Festival and Oscars, a long list of categories is
considered to recognize excellence in the art of filmmaking.

Performance Art
Performance art is a live art and the artists medium is mainly the human body which he or she uses to
perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual art, props, or sound. It usually consists of our
important elements: time, where the performance took place, performance took place, the performers
or performers body, and in the relationship between the audience and the performer(s). The fact the
performance is live makes it intangible, which means it cannot be bought or traded as a commodity.
Poetry Performance
Performance is an art from where the artists express his emotion not by using paint, charcoal or camera,
but express them through words. These words are carefully selected exhibit clarity and beauty of strong
emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow and the list go on. It uses word9s emotional, musical, and spatial
values that goes beyond its literal meaning to narrate, emphasize, argue, or convince. These words,
combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of the delivery, to add the artistic value of the
poem. Some poets make poems out of their emotions picked up from other work of arts., which in turn
produce another work of art through poetry.

Architecture
Art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the
making of beautiful buildings. However, not all buildings are beautiful. Some
buildings only embody the functionality they need, but the structure, lines,
forms, and colors are not beautifully expressed. For example, the Grand
theatre de Bordeaux where functionality of the theater remains, but striking
balance of the lines, colors and shapes completes the masterpiece. Buildings should embody these
three important elements- plan, construction and design (Collins & Riley, 1931).
Dance
Dance is series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music
accompaniment. It has been age-old debate whether dance can be
considered an art form., but we primarily describe dance as a form of
expression. Dancing is creative form that allows people to freely express
themselves. It has no rules. You may say choreography does not allow this,
but in art expression, dancers are not confined to sets steps and rules but are
free to create and invent their own movement as long as they deem them graceful and beautiful.

Literary Art
Artist who practice literary arts use words to express themselves and
communicate emotions to the reader. However, simply becoming a writer
does not make one a literary artist. Literary art goes beyond the usual
professional, academic, journalistic, and other technical forms of writing.
It focuses on writing using a unique style, not following a specific format or
norm. It may include both fiction and non-fiction such as novels,
biographies and poems. Example of famous literary artists and their works
include the Little Prince by Antoine de-Saint Exupery and Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare.
Theater
Theater uses live performer to presents accounts or imaginary events before a
live audience. Theater art performances usually follow a script, though they
should not confuse with literary arts. Theater considers several elements such as
acting, gesture, lightning, sound, effects, musical score, scenery, and props. The
combination of these elements is what gives the strongest impression on the
audience and the script thus become a minor element. Similar to performance
art, since theater, is also a live performance, the participation of the viewer is an
important element in theater arts. Some genres of the theater include drama,
musical, tragedy, comedy, and improvisation.
Applied Arts
Applied art is in incorporating elements of style and design to everyday items with the aim of increasing
their aesthetical value. Artist in the field bring beauty, charm, comfort into many things that are useful
in everyday life (Collins & Riley, 1931). Industrial design, interior design, fashion design, and graphic
design are considered applied arts. Applied is often compared to fine arts, where the later is chiefly
concerned on aesthetic value. Through exploration and expression of ideas, consideration of the needs
and careful choice of materials and technique, artists are able to combine functionality and style.
 Functions of Art and Philosophy and Subject and Content
Desired Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the unit, students must have:
1. distinguished between directly functional and indirectly functional art; and
2. applied concepts and theories on beauty and aesthetics in real life scenarios

Lesson 2: Functions and Philosophical Perspective on Art

Greek philosopher
Aristotle claimed that every particular substance in the world has an end,
or telos in Greek, which translates into <purpose=. Every substance, defined as a
formed of matter, moves according to a fixed path towards its aim.
This telos, according to Aristotle, is intricately linked with function. For a
thing to reach its purpose, it also has to fulfill its function. Moreover, the telos and
its function of a thing are both related to a thing9s identity. The telos, the function,
and the <whatness= of a thing are all connected.
In contemporary life, the connection between the end, thefunction, and the <whatness= of
athing has become closer and more interlaced, suggesting sometimes that the end is the function and
vice versa., and they determine what kind of thing a thing is.

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 it have any purpose?
Do all artworks have a function? Does the function make an object a work of art? An
inquiry on the function of art is an inquiry on what art is for.

Example: What is the Rizal monument for?

Functions of Art
When one speaks of function, one is practically talking about the
use of the object whose function is in question. An injury on the function
of art is an inquiry on what are is for. Alternatively, the answer to the
question <what is it for= is the functionof whatever <it= in the questions
refers to.
When it comes to function, different art forms come with distinctive functions. There is no one-
to-one correspondence between an art and its function. Some art forms are more functional than
others.<Function is so important that it has usurped the name of the art identification of individual
work= (Dudley et al., 1960).
Roughly and broadly, the functions of art are classified into three: Personal (public display or
expression), social (celebration or to affect collective behavior), and physical (utilitarian). Let us try to
understand each of these three.
•Personal Functions of Art
➢The personal functions of art are varied and highly subjective. This means
that its function depends on the person- the artist who created the art. 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 be 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. 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.

•Social Functions of Art

➢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 social function. Art may convey
message of protest, contestation, or whatever message the artist intends
his work to carry. Often, art 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. In these and more, social function of art is apparent.

•Physical Functions of Art

➢The physical functions of art are the easiest to spot and understand. The
physical function 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 tea
ceremony is an example. Architecture, jewelry-making and even interior design are
all forms of arts that have physical function.

•Other Functions of Art

➢Music was principally used for dance and religion. The ancient world saw music as an
instrument to facilitate worship and invocation to God. Music was essential for synchronicity of
dancers. Music guarantees that warriors were simultaneous.
➢Sculpture have been made by man most particularly for religion. In Roman Catholic world, the
employment of sculptures for religions purposes has remained vital, relevant, and symbolic.
Architecture maybe the most prominent functional art. Unlike other forms of art, buildings take so
much time to erect and destroy. One cannot dismiss taking into consideration the function of building
before construction. It is also in architectures where one can find the intimate connection of function
and form.
Philosophical Function on Art
Art as an Imitation
•According to Plato, artist are imitators and art is just a mere imitation. 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.
•For Plato art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for the real
entities that can be only attained through reason.
•Socrates just like Plato claimed that art is just an imitation of imitation.
•Aristotle, Platos most important student in philosophy, agreed with his teacher that
art is a form of imitation. However, in contrast to his mentors 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 Disinterested Judgement

•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.
Things to do:

Direction: Answer the following questions precisely yet as thoroughly as possible. Write your answer
in the space provided under the following question. Write it in 3-5 sentences. Criteria: (5 points)
Insights- 3 points Sentence construction/organization- 2 points

Question:1. Does art always have a function? (5pts)

Question:1. If artwork did not have any function, will it remain art? (5pts)

Direction: Look around your house and identify the product of art. In the box below, paste a picture of
that product of art in your household. Trace the beginnings of this item and identify what functions it
has played in history (e.g. a painting of the Last Supper in your dining room or a spoon). (10pts)