FUNCTIONS OF ARTS
FUNCTIONS OF ART
 FINE/AESTHETIC FUNCTION
 Considered to have been primarily
for aesthetic and intellectual
purposes and judged for its beauty
and meaningfulness, specifically
painting,
sculpture,
drawing,
watercolor,
graphics,
and
architecture
 Ex. The Eiffel tower – appreciated
because of its beauty and unique
work of modern art
 Artworks for aesthetic function are
called fine arts
 CULTURAL FUNCTION
 Reflects a society’s cultural ideas,
values, and concerns, either
collective or individual. Cross-cultural
studies of art shows that it
represents different worldviews,
religious beliefs, political ideas, social
values, kinship structures, economic
relations, and historical memory
 Ex. Bacolod Festival: Maskara Festival
– known as the “City of Smiles”, their
masks have smiling faces
 Philippine festivals portray the
culture of their respective places
 SOCIAL FUNCTION
 Are those that go beyond personal
intrinsic value to art’s social benefits.
It influences the collective behavior
of people. It is seen primarily in
public situations, and it expresses or
describes collective aspects of
distance as opposed to individual or
personal kinds of experience.
Individuals and their society are
dynamically related.
 Ex. Portrait of Queen Victoria of
England, 1846 by Franz Xaver
Winterhalter. The artist made this to
show the shared sense of community
of a family
 PERSONAL FUNCTION
 Artists indulge in art for personal
reasons. For them, it can be a form of
expression of a whole dimension of
one’s personality – their inner or
psychological state of being
 Ex. The Starry Night
 PHYSICAL/PRACTICAL/UTILITARIAN
FUNCTION
 Intended for practical use or utility. It
possess artistic qualities to make
them useful and beautiful.
 Many artworks have both physical
and aesthetic duties. Bridges are built
to connect places that are far from
each other, street signs are large or
small according to their function,
houses and buildings are constructed
to protect the occupants.