Purposes of Art Professor Melissa Hall

1. The Purposes of Art
Art 108 Ancient to Medieval
Prof. Melissa Hall

2. Why Make Art?
Human beings have been making
art since the beginning of time
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3. Why Make Art?
Why do we do this?

4. Why Make Art?
There are five major “purposes” of
art

5. Ceremonial
The oldest form of art was made
for religious or ceremonial
purposes

6. Ceremonial
Our ancestors made art to honor
their gods, and to control their
environment through “magical”
intervention

7. Narrative
Narrative art is art that tells a story

8. Narrative
We have been using art to tell
stories since the very beginning of
civilization

9. Functional
Functional art is made to be used
in every day life
It includes pottery, quilts, and
furniture

10. Functional
Our ancestors enriched their
surroundings with decorative
objects that expressed wealth
and status, or gave praise to their
gods

11. Persuasive Art
Persuasive art is usually “public” in
nature, and is made to persuade
people to do something, or think
a certain way
Advertising and propaganda are
types of “persuasive art”

12. Persuasive Art
Many ancient rulers used art to
promote their power, and mold
public opinion

13. Persuasive Art
Indeed, before the age of
modern technology, art was the
“media” of the age!

14. Expressive Art
Expressive art is made to express
the personal feelings or emotions
of the artist

15. Expressive Art
Vincent Van Gogh is a perfect
example of an “expressive artist

16. Expressive Art
But the idea of art as personal
expression is a modern concept

17. The Artist in the
Ancient World
In most ancient societies, artist’s
were not expected to express
their own individual vision

18. The Artist in the
Ancient World
They worked in teams, rather than
alone, and they were valued for
their skill rather than their intellect
or creativity

19. The Artist in the
Ancient World
As artisans, their social status was
similar to other skilled laborers
such as carpenters and masons

20. The Artist in the
Ancient World
Because of their low status they
remained mostly anonymous

21. The Artist in the
Ancient World
Because of their low status they
remained mostly anonymous

22. The Artist in the
Ancient World
Far less important than the
powerful priests and kings they
worked for, ancient artists were
expected to meet the demands
of their patrons, rather than
express their own personal vision

23. The Artist in the
Ancient World
Only with the dawning of the
Renaissance (where this class
ends) will the modern concept of
the artist begin to emerge, when
artists such as Leonardo and
Michelangelo were appreciated
for their intellect and creativity,
rather than their skill