FUNCTIONS AND

PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVES ON ART
“TELOS” AND FUNCTION

“One can only be happy when he is

rational”

“What makes a human being a

human being, is his capacity for
thinking”
Functions of Art
Personal - public display or expression
Social – celebration or to affect collective
behavior
Physical – utilitarian

Does Art Always Have to be Functional?

PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVES ON ART
*Art as an Imitation
*Art as a Representation
*Art as a Disinterested Judgment
*Art as a Communication of Emotion
SUBJECT AND
CONTENT
BASIC COMPONENTS OF A WORK OF ART:
1. SUBJECT – VISUAL FOCUS/IMAGE (WHAT)
2. CONTENT – MEANING (WHY)
3. FORM – HOW THE ELEMENTS ARE PUT
TOGETHER(HOW)
Types of Subject

Representational Art – Figurative Art

- types of art that have subjects that refer
to objects or events occurring in the real world.

Non-Representational Art – does not make a

reference to the real world
- a complete severance from the world
Abstract Art – a departure from reality