 LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART

LESSON 1:

INTRODUCTION TO ART

FUNCTION OF ARTS

          Each art form has specific purpose to satisfy particular needs. To an ordinary person, art
may be of a little use. To find art’s meaning, it must contain or provide a practical purpose and
be capable of functioning the objective for which it was intended. Evidently, architecture is
directly and nearly completely functional because buildings and other structures are always
constructed for some particular purpose. Architectures permits man to communicate his desires
for beauty. In a building, the purpose is very clear for its construction is designed according to
the principles of functionalism. Music and dance were used for rites and worship of the gods
and for social and folk entertainment of the people as well as for military purposes. Paintings
and sculptures may be used to recount events, to portray people or events, to teach (as in case
of religious art), to commemorate individuals or historical events and to serve as medium of
personal expression of a vision of nature and its splendor. Some examples of art or crafts are
glassware, ceramics, mosaic, tile work, textile, furniture, metal works, stained glass, and
religious articles are made for exact and particular use.

The four main functions of art are:

 
1.   Aesthetic Function - Man becomes aware of the beauty of nature though arts. He learns
thru his and others work which moves him to use, love, preserve, and care for the environment
for his pleasure and appreciation.

2.   Utilitarian Function - Art enriches man's life. The basic needs such as food, clothing,
shelter, medicine and other necessities and conveniences in life such as language, beautiful
environment, transportation and personal accessories are provided by arts to man. Also art
enhances nature through landscaping, gardening, construction of roads and highways, and
propagation and conservation of natural resources.

3.   Cultural Function - Through books, clippings, magazines, and other printed matters, art is
transmitted, and skills and knowledge are preserved and handed from one generation to
another. It becomes the basic and sources of one's cultural background and makes man more
educated and refined and his life more substantial and lasting.

4.   Social Function - Civil and graphic arts that evoke emotions conveying love and generosity
make man learn to empathize and cooperate. Collective behavior is influenced by art and is
manifested by the way men think, feel, and decide. Catchy words and striking designs
presented in vivid colors can attract and present social realities that can muster a phenomenon
of change.

THE SCOPE OF ART

 
Art is classified in different ways. Various general dimensions of arts namely, (1) fine arts or
independent arts made principally for aesthetic enjoyment through the senses, especially visual
and auditory such as painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, theater and performing arts,
and (2) practical arts or utilitarian arts intended for practical use or the development of raw
materials for functional purposes such as industrial art, civil art, commercial art, graphic art,
agricultural and fishery art.

As said by Sanchez (2002), art consist of visual arts, literature, drama and theatre music, and
dance. Visual arts are those which people perceived with their eyes. They may be classified into
two groups as (1) graphic arts, which includes drawing, painting, photography, graphic arts, and
commercial art which portrayals of forms and symbols are two-dimensional and (2) plastic arts
which comprise all field of visual arts for which materials are arranged in three-dimensional
forms namely structural architecture interior arranging, crafts, sculpture, industrial design dress
and costume design and theatre design.

Estolas (1995) grouped arts into: visual arts (graphic arts and plastic arts); performing arts
(theatre, play, dance, music); literary arts (short stories, novels, poetry, dramas); gustatory art of
cuisine (food preparation and beverage preparation); and decorative or applied arts
(beautification of houses, offices structures, and cars).

Panizo and Rustia (1195) classified arts into two (2) major divisions:

(1)  according to purpose

 
a.   Practical or useful arts - directed to produce crafts for the fulfilment of human needs.
Some of the examples include basket making, cloth weaving, embroidery, iron and metal crafts,
pottery and ceramics, tin can and bottle manufacturing, etc.

b.   Liberal arts - focused towards intellectual growth. The study of philosophy, psychology,
literature, mathematics, and sciences are few examples.

c.   Fine arts -concentrated towards creative activities for the contemplation of the mind and
upliftment of spirit. Painting, sculpture, drawing and architecture are some of the examples.

d.   Major arts -characterize by actual and potential expressiveness such as music, poetry, and
literature.

e.   Minor arts -concerned on practical uses and purposes, such as interior decoration and
porcelain art.

and (2) according to media and forms:

a.   Plastic arts -developed through space and perceived by the sense of sight. Such arts
include decorative materials and crafts.

 
 b.   Kinetic arts -involve the element of rhythm such as dance.

c.   Phonetic arts -directed towards sounds and words as media of expression such as music,
drama, and literature.

d.   Pure arts -take only one medium of expression such as color in painting and sound in
music.

e.   Mixed arts -take more than one medium of expression such as the stage play which
combines music, poetry, and drama.

 THE SUBJECT OF ART

The subject of art is diverse, and it may represent a person, object, scenery, or event in an
artwork.

The subject matter of art or what a masterpiece is about as defined by the Global Almanac in
2012 maybe an object: functional or useful subjects, still life, found objects, and objects used as
symbols of ownership, culture or value; people: portraits of particular person or human figures
used in stories as heroes or gods, or used for religion or self-discovery or personality; other
living things: plants and animals from land, air and sea, used to decorate, as a part of a story
or as study in themselves. They are also used as symbols or motifs for design or expression of
feelings, themes, and issues; places and spaces: landscape, seascapes, cityscapes, interiors,
maps or keys to locations; events: important events in life i.e. birth, death, sickness, work etc.
historical, and public or social events i.e. wars, coronation, executions, festivals, plagues,
etc.; issues and themes: controversial and most often universal issue or topics such as
feminism, multiculturalism, pollution or human rights, and themes such as abstraction, color,
love, hate, cruelty, etc.

The subject matter servers as the basis of the creation of the masterpiece. It is often
called theme in literature. Works of art that portray something recognized with ease by most of
the audience are called representational or non-objective arts. Paintings classified as such.
Artworks that do not have similarity to real objects are classified as non-representational of non-
objective arts. They are what they are because they do not represent anything Their appeal is
directly towards the senses because of the satisfying organization of their sensuous and
expressive elements. Music, architecture, and many functional arts are categorized as such.

 Modern artists have shifted their interest to the artwork as an object itself, applying harmonious
combinations of shapes and colors that satisfy an aesthetic need without representing images
or relay stories. Most contemporary paintings contain purely visual appeal that literal-oriented
spectators have difficulty in appreciating them.

The artist has the freedom to choose his subject. This is in consideration of how he feels and
thinks about the environment he lives in. As well as his personal interest that will evidently
produce fulfilling results. The artist should only consider the availability of the medium he would
like to use, the time or the culture from which he lives and the patronage he will get if the work is
for profit and not solely for art's sake.