Learning Module

in
Art Appreciation

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Course Outline and Timeline
Week Topics
1 Course orientation: Grading system, Requirements, Relevance of the Course
Assumptions and Nature of Arts: Creativity, Imagination
2 Functions of Art and Philosophy
3-4 Art and Artisans: Production Process, Medium, Technique, Curation
5-6 Elements and Principles of Arts
7-12 Art History(Asian, Western, Philippines)
13-18 Soul making (Improvisation and Appropriation)

*Based on the Syllabus of Instruction prepared by Commission on Higher Education

Disclaimer: This module compiled data from a variety of online sources and
acknowledged their authors. This ensures that the information in this module is used
"Fairly." This does not seek to infringe on any copyrights.

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ICCBI Model
Lesson 2: Functions of Art and Philosophy
Topic: Functions of Art and Philosophy

Introduction
Both art and philosophy play an important part in human life. Rather, philosophy is art in
and of itself, just as art is philosophy. The art of critical and analytical thinking, the art of
reasoning, and the art of the illogical and logical are all part of philosophy. It's always a
work of art. Objectives:
At the end of each lesson, you are expected to:
1. Identify the functions of art;
2. Discuss and explain the basic philosophical perspective on the art;
3. Apply philosophical perspective real life scenarios.

Content
This module focuses the functions and philosophical perspective of art. Here are the
main and sub-topic to be discuss.
Aristotle claimed that every particular substance in the world has
an end, or telos in Greek, which translates into “purpose.”
-Every substance, defined as formed 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.
FUNCTIONS OF ART
Functions of art is an inquiry on what art is for. When it comes to functions, different art
form come with distinctive functions, some may be functional more than others. The
value of the art lies in the practical benefits from it. One may look at the value based on
its specific purpose or for personal.

An inquiry on the function of art is an inquiry on what art is for.

Example: What is the Rizal monument for?

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When it comes to function, different art forms come with distinctive functions.
o Some art forms are more functional than others. Architecture and

Applied Arts

• The value of the art in question lies in the practical benefits one gains from it.

• Obviously made for a specific purpose.

Painting and Literature

• One can look at the value of the product of art in and for itself.
DOES IT MEAN THAT PAINTINGS AND LITERARY WORKS CAN NEVER HAVE ANY
FUNCTION?

Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibustirismo

• The novels accrued value and as a consequence, function.

• They are functional in so far as they are designed to accomplish some definite end.
Personal functions of art
The personal functions of art are varied and highly subjective.

• Functions depends on the artist who created the art.

• An artist may create an art out of self-expression, entertainment, or therapeutic
purpose.
Social Functions of Art
 If an art is opposed to personal interest and for collective interest it is considered
to have a social function. Art may convey, message such as to support, to
protest, contestation and other messages an artist intends to carry at his work.
 Political Art is a very common example of an art with a social function.
 Art can depict social conditions such as photography of industrialization and
poverty.

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  Performance art like plays serves social functions as it rouses emotions for a
common situation a society has. Physical functions of Art
 This are artworks that are crafted in order to serve physical purpose such as jars,
plates, and jewelries.
 Architecture, jewelry-making, interior design all serves physical functions
Other functions of art may serve culture, history and religion. Music is an artwork used
for different purposes such events for culture, historical and religious gatherings.
Sculpture, poems, spoken poetry, movies and other form of arts are used for its specific
functions.
Music was principally used for dance and religion.
• The ancient world saw music as an instrument to facilitate worship and invocation to
gods.

• Music was essential for synchronicity of dancers.

• Today, music has expanded its functions and coverage.

• There is a lot of music that has no connection to dance or religion.
• Example: Serenade – People compose hymns to express feelings and emotions.

• Music is also used as accompaniment to stage plays and motion pictures

• Music guarantees that warriors were simultaneous.
• Sculptures have been made by man most particularly for religion.
• In the Roman Catholic world, the employment of sculptures for religious purposes has
remained vital, relevant, and symbolic

• Rizal and Bonifacio’s monument and commemorative coins (Pope Francis)

• Architecture may be 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 a building before
construction.
• It is also in architecture where one can find the intimate connection of function and
form.
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON ART Art as an imitation

 In Plato’s The Republic, paints a picture of artists as imitators and art is mere
imitations. In his metaphysics or view of reality, the things in this world are only

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 copies of the original, the eternal, and the true entities can be found in the World
of Forms.
 Art is just an imitation of imitation. A painting is just an imitation of nature, which
is also an imitation of realty in the World of Forms.
 In his description of the ideal republic, Plato advises against the inclusion of art
as a subject in the curriculum and the banning of artists in the Republic.
 Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for two reasons:
1. They appeal to the emotion rather to the rational faculty of men
2. They imitate rather than lead one to reality
 Poetry rouses emotions and feelings and thus, clouds rationality of people.
 Art is just an imitation of imitation. A painting is just an imitation of nature, which
is also just an imitation of reality in the World of Forms.
 Art then is to be banished, alongside the practitioners, so that the attitudes and
actions of the members of the Republic will not be corrupted by the influence of
the arts.
 For Plato, art is dangerous because it provides a petty replacement for the real
entities than can only be attained through reason. Art as a representation
 Aristotle, agreed with Plato, however he considered art as an aid to philosophy in
revealing the truth.
 Art represents version of reality. In Aristotelian worldview, art serves two
particular purposes: art allows for the experience of pleasure and art has an
ability to be instructive and teach its audience things about life.
 Unlike Plato who thought that art is an imitation of another imitation, 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, it endeavors to
provide a version of what might be or the myriad possibilities of reality.
 In Aristotelian worldview, art serves two particular purposes:
 Art allows for the experience of pleasure (horrible experience can be made an
object of humor)
 Art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its audience things about life
(cognitive)
Art as a disinterested judgment
 Emmanuel Kant, in his Critique of Judgement, considered the judgement of
beauty, the cornerstone of art, as something universal despite its subjectivity. He
recognized that judgement of beauty is subjective.
HOW AND IN WHAT SENSE CAN A
JUDGMENT OF BEAUTY, WHICH
ORDINARILY IS CONSIDERED TO
BE A SUBJECTIVE FEELING, BE
CONSIDERED OBJECTIVE OR
UNIVERSAL?
 HOW ARE THESE TWO STATEMENTS DIFFERENT?

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 1. “I like this painting.”
2. “This painting is beautiful.”
 The first is clearly a judgment of taste (subjective), while the second is an
aesthetic judgment (objective).
 Making an aesthetic judgment requires us to be disinterested. In other words, we
should try to go beyond our individual tastes and preferences so that we can
appreciate art from a universal standpoint.

Art as a communication of Emotion

 According to Leo Tolstoy, art plays a huge role in communication to its audience’s
emotions that the artist previously experienced  Art communicates emotions.
 As a purveyor of man’s innermost feelings and thoughts, art is given a unique to
serve as a mechanism for social unity.
 opportunity Art is central to man’s existence because it makes accessible feelings
and emotions of people from the past and present.

Connect
Discussion: Please see PPT at Schoology entitled Functions of Art and Philosophy.

Build

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 Activity 1: (20 points)
Which is more functional?
Direction: Browse the internet and cite for functions of Statue and Paintings and decide
which is more functional.
Functions of Statues Functions of Paintings

Which is more functional?

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NOTE: To answer this activity, please open your SCHOOLOGY.

Activity 2 (10 points)

Directions: Give your own perception of beauty? What is beauty to you? Do you have
standard to consider art as beautiful? Explain.
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NOTE: To answer this activity, please open your SCHOOLOGY.
Activity 3
Direction: Answer the following questions based on your own understanding/
interpretation of the lesson you learned. 5 points each.
1. Do Arts always have functions? Why? Provide your own example.
2. If an artwork has no function is it still considered as art?

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3. Why perception of beauty is subjective? Support your answer by providing your own
example.
4. What kind of artwork you are capable of doing that can showcase your emotions? 5.
If there is an artwork that changed your perspective in life, what is it and how it
inspired you?
NOTE: To answer this activity, please open your SCHOOLOGY.

Inspire
Direction: Reflect the quotation, before you begin writing, read the passage carefully
and plan what you say. Your essay should be as well organized and as carefully written
as you can make it.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
-Philippians 4:8

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