I'm Clive Bell's Art he expresses the belief that the only people that can say something with a notable and impactful way regarding aesthetics are those who have studied it and can make sound judgement. Bell finds that these people must be sensible because one must be able to think deeply about aesthetics in order to make a clear judgement. Bell goes on to explaining that his friend, a smart guy who enjoys art but has no idea about aesthetics. The fact that he knows nothing about aesthetics puts him into a position where he has no sound judgement regarding art. He is free to give his opinion about a piece but no matter what he will never be able to say if Landseer or Giotto are the better artist. Even though some people do not understand
or know about aesthetics does not mean they should never voice their opinions when speaking, as long as they do so truthfully. Like Bell with music, free to voice his own opinion but not to be official in any way, everyone has a voice. Feel free to use your voice and say how you feel with it as everyone can feel something about a piece of work, aesthetics wise or not. These feelings should not be held to high esteem, however, because they are the words of,an inexperienced individual. Some things bring different emotions out of different people much like with ancient works. Some people find certain things more appealing than, say an archeologist to a tomb or a historian to ancient documents. No one person can accurately, and definitively say something on a subject unless they understand it fully.
John Singleton Copley’s painting called Watson and the Shark dramatizes a horrific event that took place in 1749 where fourteen-year-old Brook Watson was brutally attacked by a shark in Havana Harbor. Shortly after the attack, Watson was rescued from the water by his fellow shipmates. The crew of a small boat, which had been waiting to escort their captain to shore, fought off the shark and rescued Watson. Unfortunately, Watson lost his leg (below the knee) as a result of the accident. He went on to live a full life never forgetting that day. In 1778 he commissioned John Singleton Copley to make a painting about this life changing event. I believe John Singleton Copley put pictorial limitations on his historical painting of Watson and the Shark because of political and personal implications at the time the painting was completed.
He clarifies his interpretation of aesthetic value, rejecting the traditionally narrow notions regarding beauty and composition, and expands his view to include insights and emotions expressed through the medium. Explaining that he views overall value as an all-things-considered judgement, he asserts the ethicist’s duty to contrast the aesthetic with the ethical and determine the extent to which one outweighs the other. Gaut calls on readers to defy the popular paradigm equating beauty with goodness and ugly with evil, allowing for great, yet flawed pieces of
Mitchell, Helen Buss. "Aesthetic Experience." Roots of Wisdom: A Tapestry of Philosophical Traditions. 6th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. 303-24. Print.
People can have many different opinions depending on a topic, but what is truly difficult is getting a complete level of understanding from every opinion, or understanding the point of view of each opinion. Even accepting the points of view can be difficult for some people, who believe that their opinions are right. Luckily, people can learn about the other person’s frame of reference, and at the very least understand the topic or the person a little better. This particular topic is art, which is known for its multiple possible perceptions or its many different messages that it can send a person or group of people. In this way, people can learn more about the thought processes and feelings of others. Unfortunately, with differing opinions,
Thousands of artists emerge from their mindless slumber to paint rosy cheeks and draw cat inspired winged eyes. These artists sketch over-plucked eyebrows and draw arches to a create strange self-described works of art, that they believe to be aesthetically pleasing. If these artists see a glimpse of imperfection, their masterpiece is ruined and their canvas has to be wiped clean. The artist is seeking the approval and acceptance from their well-known art critics, so this masterpiece has to be their finest work of art.
Mr. Berger states in his essay, “The reciprocal nature of vision is more fundamental than that of a spoken dialogue. And often dialogue is an attempt to verbalize this- an attempt to explain how, either metaphorically or literally, “you see things” (120). This statement is a use of the rhetorical strategy, ethos, which is what Mr. Berger uses to gain influence and trust with the academic audience that he is intending to instill new knowledge in. This is a strong use of ethos that leads into how art is viewed so
In existential thought it is often questioned who decides what is right and what is wrong. Our everyday beliefs based on the assumption that not everything we are told may be true. This questioning has given light to the subjective perspective. This means that there is a lack of a singular view that is entirely devoid of predetermined values. These predetermined values are instilled upon society by various sources such as family to the media. On a societal level this has given rise to the philosophy of social hype. The idea of hype lies in society as the valuation of something purely off someone or some group of people valuing it. Hype has become one of the main driving forces behind what society considers to be good art and how successful artists can become while being the main component that leads to a wide spread belief, followed by its integration into subjective views. Its presence in the art world propagates trends, fads, and limits what we find to be good art. Our subjective outlook on art is powered by society’s feedback upon itself. The art world, high and low, is exploited by this social construction. Even when objective critique is the goal subjective remnants can still seep through and influence an opinion. Subjective thought in the art world has been self perpetuated through regulated museums, idolization of the author, and general social construction because of hype.
To explain it in a less broad and lofty manner, aesthetics asks questions along the lines of “what is art?”, “...
...of art in the viewers’ intentions and interpretations, and not in the piece of art itself, as opposed to others like Plotinus who would completely put the beauty in the art piece. I would argue that art cannot be ugly and therefore, this whole debate about it holding beauty within itself or not is entirely unnecessary, for art naturally bears the three transcendental ultimate values of beauty, good and truth. In actuality, I wonder: “Does art really have to be beautiful in the first place?” What has pushed me to ask myself this rather confusing question is the tremendous effect arts have on the emotions rather than on the intellect. It is not beauty that helps art get to people, but it is the message and the interpretations behind and given to it. One might perceive a piece of art as ugly, but still experience a feeling while interacting with it.
British art critic and philosopher, Clive Bell, defended abstract art. Abstract art is art without a recognizable subject, it does not relate to anything external or try to look like something. Bell’s aesthetic theory concentrated on aesthetic experience. In his book titled, “Art”, his main claim states that there is a certain uniquely aesthetic emotion that are evoked and there are certain qualities that a work of art contain that evoke aesthetic emotion. In the visual arts, what evokes this emotion are certain forms and relations of forms which include line and color. Bell called this “significant form”. Aesthetic response to significant form is not to be identified with other emotional responses. German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, developed a metaphysical and ethical system that has been described as an exemplary manifestation of philosophical pessimism. Schopenhauer’s writing on aesthetics, morality, and psychology would exert important influence on thinkers and artists throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Arthur Schopenhauer’s theory of aesthetics explains that is is a state of mind. When you are in this state of mind, you are free from misery
Just as other works that reflect art, pieces in the category of fine arts serve the important message of passing certain messages or portraying a special feeling towards a particular person, function or activity. At times due to the nature of a particular work, it can become so valuable that its viewers cannot place a price on it. It is not the nature or texture of an art that qualifies it, but the appreciation by those who look at it (Lewis & Lewis, 2008).
Clive Bell theorizes art in terms of a theory known as Formalism. Formalism is based upon a relatively simple line of logic. All art produces in the viewer an emotion. This emotion is not different but the same for all people in that it is known as the Aesthetic Emotion. There must be a factor common to all works of art that produces in the viewer a state of Aesthetic Emotion thus defining the works as art. This common factor is form. Formalism defines artworks as that which has significant form. Significant form is a term used by Bell to describe forms that are arranged by some unknown and mysterious laws. Thus, all art must contain not merely form, but significant form. Under Formalism, art is appreciated not for its expression but instead for the forms of its components. Examples of these forms include lines, curves, shapes, and colors. Abstract art, twentieth century, or modern art such as color field painting or the works of Mondrian, are examples of art that are not representative and thus are most lik...
Philosophies of Art and Beauty Edited by Hofstadter and Kuhns, (Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1976) chapters one and two for an overview of the aesthetics of Plato and Aristotle.
“The great variety of Taste, as well as of opinion, which prevails in the world, is too obvious not to have fallen under every one’s observation”(text pg 255), Hume states in his opening. He then points out, “Every voice is united in applauding,”(text pg 255) all kinds of values like “elegance” and “simplicity” that are supposedly seen in an object. Hume conveys the idea that every person has their own unique tastes in art, and they all seem to agree on the aesthetic value of an object. He then brings in the critic who analyzes the pieces of the object and proposes that all previous judgments were not accurate. Hume says, “But when the critic comes to particulars, this seeming unanimity vanishes”(text pg 255).
Conversely, upon investigating the artwork’s factual information such as the painting’s context, the artist’s background, the genre and the school or movement associated with the painting, it is possible to obtain knowledge that combines objective information and subjective opinion, confirming that some degree of objectivity, albeit with our ‘cultural imprint’, is possible as an art observer.