Basic Assumptions, Functions and Nature of Arts

Art is an expression made visible by a form. The expression contained in the form is an attempt to translate the
unnamed and the unknown. Intrinsic to our existence as human is our quest to create meaning, and art allows that
process to take place.

Making meaning involves understanding our surroundings and making our experiences. Art, at its root, is an
expression and the artist is an expresser, translating to create meaning. Art expresses and translates, art acknowledges
and reveals, art transfers and art intervene. Art is an expression, an expression of feeling, belief, and character. The
simplicity of that sentence is rather deceptive and seems tidier than its implications. Feelings, beliefs, characteristics –
these are what art expresses, although often they are not easily distilled. Our lives as humans are full of complications
and complexities, and our thought and experience feelings, beliefs and characteristics are reflective of these
complexities.

Art is a way of expressing ideas, feelings, and experiences through visible forms like paintings, music, or dance. It
helps us make sense of the world and gives meaning to our lives. Artists take what cannot always be named or explained
and transform it into something we can see, hear, or feel.

Art captures emotions, beliefs, and personality, even when these are difficult to describe. Just like life is full of
complexities, art reflects those complexities, allowing us to connect and understand things in new ways.

Basic Assumptions is a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. It is something that you
accept as true without question or proof. Many assumptions have been written about arts and some of these are:

1. Art has been always created by all people, in all countries, and it lives because it’s well-liked or enjoyed.
Naturally, arts linger particularly if it is popular and love by the people.

Example: the works and writings of Dr, Jose Rizal and the movie, The Ten Commandments.

2. Art involves experience. To experience something, you have to make use of your five senses. Hence, there can
never be appreciation of art without having experienced it.

3. Art is not nature; nature is not art. Art is made by man and nature by God. However, nature can be enhanced
by man. The enhanced beauty and artistry of nature, then, can be classified as an art.

4. Art is cultural. Art is a work of humans and anything that has been created by human is part of culture. Art
becomes cultural when it depicts people’s way of life, religious practices, mores, and traditions, etc.

5. Art is a form of creation. Art is something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that
expresses important ideas or feelings. As it is said, human is the creator of art. No art can be created without
human which, uses his/her imagination and creativity to produce art. According to the word’s most basic
definition, an artist is simply a person who creates art.

6. Art is subjective. Henceforth, it cannot be measured by its significance or the level of skill with which it is
created. Its subjective nature makes arts only measurable quality is whether or not it exists.
 Example: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” meaning, every individual has his/her own perception and/or
interpretation about the subject. It would never be the same for every individual.

Nature of Arts

1. Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory, or performing artworks, expressing the
author’s imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. In
their most general form these activities include the production of works of art, the criticism of art, the
study of history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.

Art is all about creating things that people can see, hear, or experience through performances. It shows an
artist's imagination or skill and is meant to be enjoyed for its beauty or emotional impact. Art includes making
artworks, talking or writing about them, learning their history, and sharing them with others.

2. Art represents reality. Representation is the use of signs that stand in for and take the place of something
else. It is through representation that people organize the world and reality through the act of naming its
elements. Signs are arranged in order to form semantic constructions and express relations. Art represents
reality since it is often depicting objects or scenes from the world. An artwork can depict a scene such as a café
or a restaurant, or a park or garden. So, there is a sense in which art represents the mind’s eye or what the
imagination perceives

Art shows how we see and understand the world. It uses signs or symbols to represent real things, ideas, or
places. Through these representations, people make sense of reality by naming and organizing what they see.
For example, a painting might show a café, a park, or a garden—these scenes represent everyday life or what
the artist imagines. In this way, art becomes a reflection of both the real world and the artist's imagination.

3. Art is an expression. The expression contained in the form is an attempt to translate the unnamed and the
unknown. Intrinsic to our existence as humans is our quest to create meaning, and art allows that process to
take place. Making meaning involves understanding our surroundings and marking our experiences.

Art is a way of expressing thoughts and feelings. It helps us understand and give meaning to things we can't
easily name or explain. As humans, we naturally want to make sense of the world, and art is one way we do that
by capturing our experiences and emotions.
4. Art serves as a means of communication of emotions. The purpose of works of art may communicate political,
spiritual, or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty to explore the nature of perception, for pleasure, or
to generate strong emotions. Art is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts, and observations of human
conditions. A fundamental purpose common to most art forms is the underlying intention to appeal to, and
connect with, human emotion.

5. Art matters. The arts matter because they allow us to express ourselves and illustrate the world around us in
a different light, helping us to gain understanding of people and society, and give hope while living in this
world. Art matters because it illustrates the human experience.

6. Art is universal. Literally, art can be found in every corner of the world. Art is everywhere and it is embedded
into the way of life of the people. Exclusivity is out of bounds when we speak of arts because it is for everyone.
Art is the true Esperanto, an artificial language, the one form of culture that is genuinely beyond national
limitations. Art knows no barriers; not even language is a barrier in understanding it. Example: foreign arts
displayed in museums throughout the world, paintings such as the Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, and photos of well-
known places are readily viewed. We have also some foreign performers performing in the country.

Art is universal—it exists everywhere and is part of people's daily lives. It's not limited to a specific group; it's for
everyone. Art goes beyond language and cultural differences. For example, famous paintings like the Mona Lisa
or the Sistine Chapel can be appreciated by people from any country. Museums display artworks from around
the world, and foreign performers often visit other countries to share their talents. Art connects people across
the globe without barriers.

7. Art is creation. It is the combination of already existing material elements into new forms which become the
realization of a preconceived idea. Both hut and picture rose in the imagination of their makers before they
took shape as things. The material of each was given already in nature; but the form, as the maker fashioned it,
was new. In its essence and widest
compass art is the making of a new thing in response to a sense of need. The very need itself creates, working
through man as its agent.

Art is about creating something new from materials that already exist. It starts as an idea in the artist's mind,
just like a hut or a painting exists in the imagination before becoming real. While the materials come from
nature, the shape and form are original, made by the artist. Art happens because there's a need to express or
create, and that need drives the artist to bring it to life.

Ref. : https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-nueva-caceres/ab-psychology/basic-
assumptions-functions-and-nature-of-arts-updated-1/17952592
GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Basic Assumptions of Art:

How does the assumption that "art is subjective" influence how people appreciate and interpret
different artworks? Provide examples to support your answer.

2. Functions of Art:

In what ways does art serve as a means of communication for emotions and ideas? How does this function
make art significant in both historical and contemporary contexts?

3. Nature of Art:

Explain how art represents reality. Can an abstract piece of art still be considered as a representation of
reality? Why or why not?

4. Cultural Aspect of Art:

How does the cultural dimension of art reflect the traditions and values of a particular society? Give specific
examples of how art has preserved cultural heritage.

5. Creative Process in Art:

Discuss how the creative process in art transforms ordinary materials into meaningful expressions. How is
this process different from other forms of human creation?