Lesson 4
Functions of Art
General Functions
There are different perspectives as to the functions of art. Nevertheless, they can
be classified further into general and specific functions. As to the general functions,
Sagario, Macinas, and Diokno (2020) give the following:
1. Aesthetic Function
Aesthetics is concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty (Oxford
Languages, 2020). By this definition, art is valuable because it is used to
beautify our surroundings. A dull room is brightened up with a painting,
exquisite furniture, elegant wall paper etc.
Art does not only serve to beautify. Through art, man becomes conscious of
the beauty of nature. There are countless of art works where nature and
things in nature are the subjects portrayed. Through art, man’s aesthetic
faculties or the ability to sense and appreciate beauty , not only of the
created art piece but appreciation of the skill of the artist is roused.
2. Utilitarian Function
With the creation of the various form of art, man now lives in comfort.
Various art forms produced shelter, clothing, food, light, medicine, beautiful
surrounding, personal ornamentals, entertainment, language, transportation,
and other necessities and conveniences of life. Art not only enriches man’s
life but also improves nature through landscape gardening, creation of super
highways, and through propagation and conservation of natural resources.
3. Cultural Function
Among the assumptions of art is that art is cultural. Every culture has its own
art unique to them. Through art, the identity and culture of a people is
preserved through generations. Through art, the culture of a people is
transmitted and preserved – the knowledge and skills of a people are passed
down from one generation to another. Art makes people aware of their
cultural background and heritage cultivating in them their sense of pride of
their identity as a people.
4. Social Function
, In a sense, all works of art performs a social function, since they are created
for an audience. Feldman (n.d.) declared that the art performs a social
function when:
It influences the collective behavior of people;
It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situations; and
It expresses or describes collective aspects of existence as opposed
to individual and personal kinds of experience.
No matter what the instance maybe, all these cases show that people
respond to art with the awareness that they are members of a group. Many works
of art are deliberately designed to influence group thinking. Artists may try to make
us laugh; to accept economic, religious, or social ideologies; to identify with a class
or ethnic interest; or to see our social situation in ways which had not previously
been apparent. Here are examples of art performing social functions:
The visual arts. Like the other
forms of art, the visual arts can function
as languages of praise and celebration,
anger and protest, satire and ridicule. In
other words, art can influence the
attitudes of people in groups, affecting
the way they think or feel and ,
ultimately, the way they act. A common
illustration of this are the editorial
cartoons that makes a statement through
Source:
the image of a drawing. Advertising art is
https://www.panaynews.net/editorial-
another illustration of social function, one
cartoon-of-the-day-735/
that influences the collective purchasing
behavior of people.
During a war, governments use posters as an attempt to arouse hatred
towards the enemy, or stimulate the citizens to enlist in the army such as the Uncle
Sam poster of the U.S. Army shown herein.
In times of peace however, art is used to affect every
conceivable kind of group goal, attitude, or desire.
Some people, including artists, regard art which
influences social behavior as impure, as mere propaganda,
and as sociologists views it – a debased art. The fact
remains however, that art has always influenced collective
behavior.
Some artists are interested in the freedom to solve the
special problems of style or technique which fascinate
Source: them (art for art’s sake), while others seek the freedom to
https://blogs.scientific
american.com/illusion
-chasers/an-illusion-
to-celebrate-uncle-
sams-birthday/
Functions of Art
General Functions
There are different perspectives as to the functions of art. Nevertheless, they can
be classified further into general and specific functions. As to the general functions,
Sagario, Macinas, and Diokno (2020) give the following:
1. Aesthetic Function
Aesthetics is concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty (Oxford
Languages, 2020). By this definition, art is valuable because it is used to
beautify our surroundings. A dull room is brightened up with a painting,
exquisite furniture, elegant wall paper etc.
Art does not only serve to beautify. Through art, man becomes conscious of
the beauty of nature. There are countless of art works where nature and
things in nature are the subjects portrayed. Through art, man’s aesthetic
faculties or the ability to sense and appreciate beauty , not only of the
created art piece but appreciation of the skill of the artist is roused.
2. Utilitarian Function
With the creation of the various form of art, man now lives in comfort.
Various art forms produced shelter, clothing, food, light, medicine, beautiful
surrounding, personal ornamentals, entertainment, language, transportation,
and other necessities and conveniences of life. Art not only enriches man’s
life but also improves nature through landscape gardening, creation of super
highways, and through propagation and conservation of natural resources.
3. Cultural Function
Among the assumptions of art is that art is cultural. Every culture has its own
art unique to them. Through art, the identity and culture of a people is
preserved through generations. Through art, the culture of a people is
transmitted and preserved – the knowledge and skills of a people are passed
down from one generation to another. Art makes people aware of their
cultural background and heritage cultivating in them their sense of pride of
their identity as a people.
4. Social Function
, In a sense, all works of art performs a social function, since they are created
for an audience. Feldman (n.d.) declared that the art performs a social
function when:
It influences the collective behavior of people;
It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situations; and
It expresses or describes collective aspects of existence as opposed
to individual and personal kinds of experience.
No matter what the instance maybe, all these cases show that people
respond to art with the awareness that they are members of a group. Many works
of art are deliberately designed to influence group thinking. Artists may try to make
us laugh; to accept economic, religious, or social ideologies; to identify with a class
or ethnic interest; or to see our social situation in ways which had not previously
been apparent. Here are examples of art performing social functions:
The visual arts. Like the other
forms of art, the visual arts can function
as languages of praise and celebration,
anger and protest, satire and ridicule. In
other words, art can influence the
attitudes of people in groups, affecting
the way they think or feel and ,
ultimately, the way they act. A common
illustration of this are the editorial
cartoons that makes a statement through
Source:
the image of a drawing. Advertising art is
https://www.panaynews.net/editorial-
another illustration of social function, one
cartoon-of-the-day-735/
that influences the collective purchasing
behavior of people.
During a war, governments use posters as an attempt to arouse hatred
towards the enemy, or stimulate the citizens to enlist in the army such as the Uncle
Sam poster of the U.S. Army shown herein.
In times of peace however, art is used to affect every
conceivable kind of group goal, attitude, or desire.
Some people, including artists, regard art which
influences social behavior as impure, as mere propaganda,
and as sociologists views it – a debased art. The fact
remains however, that art has always influenced collective
behavior.
Some artists are interested in the freedom to solve the
special problems of style or technique which fascinate
Source: them (art for art’s sake), while others seek the freedom to
https://blogs.scientific
american.com/illusion
-chasers/an-illusion-
to-celebrate-uncle-
sams-birthday/
