Unit 2: Functions of Art

Question 1

• most difficult to explain
• many types and are highly subjective
• are not likely to be the same from person to person
• artist may create a piece out of a need for self- expression or gratification and might want to communicate a thought or point to the viewer
• a piece might be meant to entertain, provoke, thought, or even have no effect at all
• vague for a reason
• knowing the background and behaviors of an artist helps interpret this functional art

Answer 1

Personal Function

Question 2

• it influences the collective behavior of people (Feldman, 1967)
• created to be seen and experienced by the public, and when it expresses a collective feeling rather than an individual one
• lead to global understanding and peace.
• artists may produce art to reinforce and enhance the shared sense of identity of those in a family, community, or civilizations (family portraits, uniforms for bands, celebration floats, costumes, etc.)
• Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746–1828) and English portrait artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) both went this route
• examples: “Comprador” by Pablo Baens Santos (1978)

Answer 2

Social Function

Question 3

• statues of saints, Jesus, and Mary
• man feels connected with the Higher Being
• destiny of life controlled by the force of a higher power
• may reinforce the shared beliefs of an individual or a human community
• examples:
  ~“Pieta” commissioned for the French Cardinal Jeane De Vilheres who was a representative in Rome
  ~ “Myriad of Faces of the Christ” by Arnel David Garcia

Answer 3

Spiritual Function

Question 4

• appearance of ceramic artifacts generally coincides with the advent of a sedentary lifestyle that revolved around agriculture rather than a nomadic lifestyle
• tattoos to express themselves; their bodies were the canvas, and the tattoos were their art & ethnic groups have been performing this practice for centuries to mark their social status or accomplishments in the community, or as a symbol of beauty among women

Answer 4

Cultural Function Art

Question 5

• Visayan warriors
• most of their bodies were covered in elaborate tattoos intended to intimidate the rivals
• markings gradually increase in number depending on the number of battles one has had
• Facial tattoos are reserved only for the most valiant and strongest warriors
• celebrated annually during the Pintados Festival (now)

Answer 5

Pintados

Question 6

• art were and are created to be used
• make man’s life more comfortable
• artist and crafts people constantly invent new ways to create functional art
• honors the functionality of the building and space
• examples:
  ~ “Bauhaus School” by Walter Gropius in 1919, Germany
  ~ Jeepneys

Answer 6

Utilitarian Function or Physical Function of Art

Question 7

Purpose of art is grouped according to:

Answer 7

Non-motivated and Motivated Functions of Art

Question 8

• those that are integral to being human, transcend the individual, or do not fulfill a specific external purpose
• art, as creativity, is something humans must do by their very nature
• beyond utility

Answer 8

Non-motivated Functions of Art

Question 9

• not an action or an object
• an aspect of being human beyond utility

Answer 9

Basic human instinct for harmony, balance, rhythm

Question 10

• may often come unmotivated, as one appreciates art, music or poetry
• “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” —Albert Einstein

Answer 10

Experience of the Mysterious

Question 11

• express in non -grammatic ways that are not tied to the formality of spoken or written language
• art provides a range of forms, symbols and ideas with meanings that are malleable.
• example: “Jupiter’s Eagle” by Immanuel Kant

Answer 11

Expression of the Imagination

Question 12

• art is used in rituals, performances and dances as a decoration or symbol
• anthropologists know that they often serve a purpose at the level of meaning within a particular culture
• not furnished by any one individual, but is often the result of many generations of change, and of a cosmological relationship within the culture

Answer 12

Ritualistic and Symbolic Functions

Question 13

• refer to intentional, conscious actions on the part of the artists or creator
• bring about political change, to comment on an aspect of society, to convey a specific emotion or mood, to address personal psychology, to illustrate another discipline, to sell a product, or simply as a form of communication

Answer 13

Motivated Functions of Art

Question 14

• have an intent or goal directed toward another individual, this is a motivated purpose
• the content need not be scientific
• emotions, moods and feelings
• examples: scientific illustration & maps

Answer 14

Communication

Question 15

• bring about a particular emotion or mood, for the purpose of relaxing
• industries of Motion Pictures and Video Games

Answer 15

Art as Entertainment

Question 16

• art movements that had this goal— Dadaism, Surrealism, Russian constructivism, and Abstract Expressionism
• example: “Russian Embassy building” in Miramar, Havana, Cuba

Answer 16

The Avante-Garde. Art for Political Change

Question 17

• enhanced its tolerance towards cultural differences as well as its critical and liberating functions, becoming a more open place for research and experimentation

Answer 17

Art as a “free zone,” removed from the action of the Social Censure

Question 18

• similar to art for political change, may seek to question aspects of society without any specific political goal
• may be simply to criticize some aspect of society

Answer 18

Art for Social Inquiry, Subversion, and/or Anarchy

Question 19

• raise awareness for a large variety of causes
• number of art activities were aimed at raising awareness of autism, cancer, human trafficking, ocean conservation, human rights in Darfur, murdered and missing Aboriginal women, elder abuse, and pollution.
• example: “Trashion” by artist Marina DeBris

Answer 19

Art for Social Causes

Question 20

• used by art therapists, psychotherapists and clinical psychologists as art therapy
• end product is not the principal goal in this case, but rather a process of healing
• resultant piece of artwork may also offer insight into the troubles experienced by the subject and may suggest suitable approaches to be used in more conventional forms of psychiatric therapy
• example: “The Diagnostic Drawing Series”

Answer 20

Art for Psychological and Healing Purposes

Question 21

• can be used to subtly influence popular conceptions or mood
• art that tries to sell a product also influences mood and emotion
• the purpose of art here is to subtly manipulate the viewer into a particular emotional or psychological response toward a particular idea or object

Answer 21

Art for Propaganda or Commercialism

Question 22

• ability of the human brain by far exceeds what was needed for survival in the ancestral environment
• One evolutionary psychology explanation for this is that the human brain and associated traits are the human equivalent of the peacock’s tail

Answer 22

Art as a Fitness Indicator

Question 23

Bahay Kubo

Answer 23

Soul and Space

Question 24

Functions of Art

Answer 24

1. Personal Function
2. Social Function
3. Spiritual Function
4. Cultural Function Art
5. Utilitarian Function or Physical Function of Art

Question 25

Non-motivated Functions of Art

Answer 25

1. Basic human instinct for Harmony, Balance, Rhythm
2. Experience of the Mysterious
3. Expression of the Imagination
4. Ritualistic and Symbolic Functions

Question 26

Motivated Functions of Art

Answer 26

1. Communication
2. Art as Entertainment
3. The Avante-Garde. Art for Political Change
4. Art as a “free zone,” removed from the Action of the Social Censure
5. Art for Social Inquiry, Subversion, and/or Anarchy
6. Art for Social Causes
7. Art for Psychological and Healing Purposes
8. Art for Propaganda or Commercialism
9. Art as a Fitness Indicator