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

Why Make Art? Human beings have been making art since the beginning of time

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Why Make Art? Why do we do this?

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

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

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

Narrative Narrative art is art that tells a story

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

Functional Functional art is made to be used in every day life

It includes pottery, quilts, and furniture

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

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”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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