



























































































Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
The concept of art, discussing the characteristics that define it, the role of aesthetic experience, and the significance of style and symbol in art. It also touches upon the idea that art can be found in various objects and forms, not just in museums or galleries. The document encourages open-mindedness towards art produced in different cultures and by untrained individuals.
What you will learn
Typology: Lecture notes
1 / 99
This page cannot be seen from the preview
Don't miss anything!
Recurrent and distinctive features in works of art (a definition for "style") can be described in relation to the following characteristics. Temporal (time): pre-historic (Paleolithic, Upper-Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Stone Age, Iron Age), Egyptian, Greek, Byzantine, Etruscan, Roman, Early Christian, Medie- val, Carolingian, Ottonian, Gothic,Renaissance, Baroque, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Pre-Columbian, Ming, Sung, Chou, Han, Fugiwara, Ka- makura, Ashikaga, and Nara. Geographical (place): African, American, Assyrian, Chinese, Egyptian, European, Greek, India, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Oceanic, Northern European, Persian, Peruvian, and Sum- erian. Cultural: Balinese, Bamana, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Eskimo, lbu, Kwaktuil, Maori, Ma- yan, Minoan, Moorish, Navajo, Peloponesian, Roman, Senufo, Sioux. Types of Styles: abstract, abstract-geometric, anti-mannerist, archaic, baroque, classic, impres- sionistic, manneristic, naturalistic, neoclassic, non-objective, painterly, realistic, representational, and romantic. School/Custom/Tradition: Abstract Expressionism, Ash Can, Barbizon, Bauhaus, Blaue Reiter, Byzantine, Cinema Verite, Constructivism, Hudson River, Impressionism, Coptic, Cubism, Dadaism, Expressionism, Fauvism, Florentine, Futurism, Hard-edge, Hellenistic, Minimal, Naturalism, New Realism, Op, Orphism, Pointillism, Pop, Precisionism, Primitivism, Realism, Regionalism, Siennese, Song, Surrealism, Venetian,Yamato-e.
Idioms (styles of individual artists, just a few examples): Bergman, Bernini, Bramante, Brunelleschl, Cellini, Duccio, Fellini, Giotto, Kuro- sawa, Rembrandt, La Tours, Van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright. Fusion of Styles: Etruscan-Italian, French-Baroque, Greco-Roman, Hellenistic, Italian Renais- sance, Northern Renaissance, Spanish Gothic.
Introduction to Basic Questions
Works of art become most meaningful for us when they evoke thoughts and feelings. This occurs when we venture beyond merely identifying a work's visual elements (the character of its lines, shapes, colors, etc.) and the ways in which these elements are organized. It is essential to consider the proposition that works of art speak to us through both their formal organization and the signs, symbols and metaphors that can be associated with them. How these additional components can be defined and identified is demonstrated through the follow- ing series of exercises. How does one move beyond what is literally there? When we look at a painting all that we can actually see are shapes and the tex- tures and colors of paint on the canvas which absorb and reflect varied amounts of light. But there is much more to react to if we contemplate the character of the shapes and colors and how they relate to each other. To illus- trate this principle in a very direct way, carefully observe shapes A and B. shape A BOBO shape B KIKI Shapes A and B are drawings of simple shapes. To the left of these shapes are two words. Which word relates to which shape? If you sound-out each word you should readily associate shape B with "tactility" because this word's piercing, staccato-like sounds correspond to the sharp angularity of the shape. The soft, undulating rhythms associated with "bobo" conform to the round, flowing char- acter of shape A. We have just demonstrated that there are implied meanings in both aural and visual forms that are elicited by the nature of what actually exists within these stimuli. Everyone can sense how differences in sound and appearance evoke variations in feelings and thoughts, even though there are only lines that define shapes or letters that create words.
In our next exercise we see another example of this phenomenon. Words can appear in type faces in such a way that what the word describes can actually be felt. The character of the letters evoke these kinds of associations. A person's name may be spelled out without regard for any particular meaning, but the nature of the type selected may suggest something about a person's appearance or character. In the following exercise, what characteristics would you associate with each variation in the use of type to spell out the name Mary? Please check the most relevant characteristic: pleasant austere quiet whimsical tranquil joyous tormented elegant
Two intersecting rectangles appear in both shape A and B; these are their literal (actual) qualities, as are the variations in the thickness of lines that define these forms. What is not literal are the associations which we make with these two shapes. Western culture teaches us that when we see such intersecting rectan- gles we call such forms "crosses." These particular arrangements of shapes be- come signs for a cross. We also are taught that Shape A is referred to as a Greek Cross, and Shape B as a Latin Cross. Other shapes that we encounter elicit other associations. In works of art we often see signs (or representations) for hands, noses, shoes, trees, mountains, animals, houses, furniture, etc. None of these objects actually exist in works of art (except perhaps for tableaux, 3-D collages, interiors, etc.). Signs also become symbols when they represent something else, but also through a process of association; i.e., a material object is used to represent something that is not visible. These crosses function as symbols for us because our western culture has taught us to make particular associations with these images. Shape A symbolizes some type of health service. Shape B stands as a symbol for Christianity. In language, a metaphor is a figure of speech that transfers one thing to an- other through implied comparisons. It is used to infuse writing and speech with vitality, which make both more interesting; e.g., "he was really crucified by his competitors" or "the artist made minced meat out of his colors." Visual meta- phors are implied as a consequence of analyzing the relationships between the formal structures and subject matter of works of art. In addition to their role as symbols, the crosses can also function as visual metaphors if we will take the time to analyze their form-content relationships.
What is art? Is art anything we want it to be, or does art refer to objects and/or events that have particular characteristics? We can begin to answer these ques- tions when we think about how we react to what our senses enable us to per- ceive. We are capable of responding passionately to an extraordinary range of stimuli; e.g., the intensity of reds, oranges and violets in a tropical sunset; the striking black and white patterns on the bark of birch trees; or the extraordi- nary contrast in scale between humans and a massive water fall.
While such natural phenomena often evoke "ooh" and "ah" responses, manufac- tured stimuli can also elicit such reactions. For instance, the graceful arches in a suspension bridge, the thrust toward the sky of a very tall building, or the subtle elegance of a ceramic vase can provoke feelings ranging from astonish- ment to serenity. These kinds of reactions are not always associated with responses to such forms. Natural and manufactured forms often serve as stimuli for thinking about other things. We may, for example, view the sunset to predict the weather for the following day. Or, we can look at the suspension bridge and es- timate how much time will be saved by crossing it rather than taking an other route. But, when we focus on the inherent characteristics or qualities of a phe- nomenon, we respond to its non-utilitarian aspects, and become engaged in an "aesthetic" encounter. To clarify the nature of such a focus we need to contrast it with other types of encounters.
Is Everything That Evokes a Response to Aesthetic Qualities Art? While all types of objects and events -- existing in nature and manufactured by humans -- may evoke an aesthetic response, are we willing to call all of them art? Under what conditions will we classify particular objects and events as art? Can we really refer to a tree or a mountain as a work of art even though these phenomena were created by the forces of nature, and not as forms organized to involve us in their aesthetic qualities? Responses to the aesthetic (inherent) as- pects of natural phenomena are based upon our human predisposition to react in this manner. We may refer to a tree as "lonely" or "stately" and to a mountain as "majestic" or "foreboding" but such responses are based upon our acquired sense of what constitutes such characteristics, and not anything that nature has prescribed within a given form. We may respond aesthetically to a variety of objects produced by people who have no word for art in their native language. Are we willing to call such objects art even though they were produced as objects to give form to tribal values and traditions, and not as art, per se; i.e., objects to be experienced aesthetically? Why is it possible for art to be produced under such conditions? Because the qualities that we respond to aesthetically were implanted within the forms cre- ated, not by an accident of nature, but as a consequence of the imperatives of a human society. Tradition requires particular organization of inherent qualities that results in evoking responses that are congruent with responses to ac- knowledged works of art. Can people who have not been taught how to make art produce art? Can chil- dren produce art? The untutored and the child can produce art because the forms they create can and do involve us in aesthetic encounters. The organiza- tion of sensory elements -- shapes, colors, etc. -- that evokes our responses occurs, consciously or subconsciously, because of the predisposition of human beings to produce (and respond to) aesthetic stimuli. Untrained artists, referred to as primitives, have produced works that are in world renowned museums. Spontaneity, naiveté, and a direct appeal to our emotions are characteristics we often associate with works produced by three to ten year olds, which we classify as "children's art."
Anonymous, The Cat, c. 1840. Museum of American Folk Art Washington, D.C. Angel, a watercolor painting by a 10 year old English boy Apparently, if we think about art as manufactured forms (but not natural phenomena) which involve us primarily in the aesthetic aspects of experience, then it is possible to assign the term "art" to all manner of objects and/or events, including commercial and primarily utilitarian objects, as well as works produced in preliterate societies and by those without training regardless of age.
approached in ways that are relevant to particular groups, these areas can also be investigated by non-philosophers; e.g., students ranging from the primary grades through graduate school can also address the following questions in terms of their own levels of sophistication.
To initiate our discussion, let us observe this full color reproduction of a por- trait by Amedeo Modigliani. How might one react to this work of art? One per- son might assert that this lady was not to his liking, he could never fall in love with someone that looked like her. Another, might believe that she was just plain ugly and, therefore, would hate this painting. Amedeo Modigliani La Femme de l'Artiste, 1918 Oil on canvas, 39 ½ x 25 3/4" Norton Simon Museum Pasadena, California The Modigliani portrait distorts, exaggerates and simplifies facial and bodily features for expressive purposes. Its almost flat areas of color, delicate contour line, and gesture of head and hands echo the central figure in Botticelli's great Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus. Modigliani's work is a metaphor for a classical view of femininity. Most people will observe these distortions but they do not readily see how these function to say something special about the
consists of orange, mixed with vermilion and two or three yellows, edged with a thin line of black or bistre. Claude Roy, Modigliani (Albert Skira: New York, 1985), pages 72- Although it cannot be expected that everyone can achieve this level of sophisti- cation, instead of "I like it ...don't like it" responses, one can learn to provide reasons for preferences. When reasons are provided for one's judgments, a ba- sis exists for both discussion and evaluation. Attempting to articulate the rea- sons for one's responses enables observing with greater clarity and accuracy.
The skills associated with making informed responses to visual stimuli are also related to other aspects of being art educated. In order to engage responsibly in the production of art, one must continually assess the nature of what is be- ing created; i.e., the artist must serve as his or her own critic. This is accom- plished intuitively (without conscious thought) and/or by engaging in the ob- jective analysis of what is created. As was alluded to previously, making relative and comparative judgments requires that one possess a background of infor- mation that relates to what is being evaluated, therefore, the need for studying art history. Explore the nature of art history Relating philosophical issues (aesthetics) to art criticism consists of inquiring into and speculating about not only the possible values of art criticism but also its methodology. For example, speculating about the criteria that should be utilized to make judgments about the value of art forms. Or, discussing (talking or writing about) whether it is sufficient that a work of art involves us in aes- thetic experience or must it possess other attributes in order to be judged truly exceptional: what about the level of the work's innovation? concern for impor- tant social values? reflection of significant historical events? Reasonable expectations for what can be accomplished include asking our- selves to engage in identifying and discussing the visual qualities (sensory properties) in works of art, as well as in one's own works. As one attains greater sophistication, he or she should be expected to also begin to analyze how works are organized and to speculate about their possible meanings. When dis- cussing works with others, agreed upon criteria should be employed for as- sessing the extent to which works have been successful in meeting these crite- ria. The wrong question to ask is "do you like it?" Much better questions are
concerned with directing perceptual and analytical activity. What do you see? How is it organized? What ideas or feelings are being expressed? These are the types of more directive open-ended questions that provoke thought and dis- cussion. One of the best strategies is to actually study examples of art criticism, which are easily available in local and national newspapers. However, journalistic criti- cism is usually superficial compared to the more scholarly criticism that is found in books and journals; e.g., the quote about Modigliani. When we carefully examine works of art, we are sharpening our perceptual tools; we are both building and utilizing our storehouse of the images required for making sense out of experience. When we make objective judgments about what works of art do for us emotionally and intellectually, we are engaging in analytical and critical thinking. Specifically, art criticism leads to a greater un- derstanding and appreciation of works of art, ranging from recognized master- pieces to the monuments of our built environment to forms that make-up our popular culture.
Answering what, when, where, who, how, and why Perceiving works of art aesthetically begins with an objective analysis of their inherent qualities or properties, which can reveal the following features of a work of art.