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Importance of art and aesthetics
Aesthetics in art
Importance of art and aesthetics
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What does the term aesthetic mean? How many different theories and concepts are there? What can be classified as aesthetic? The primary objective of this study is to introduce the meaning of the word aesthetic and give specific examples of aesthetic in art from period of Symbolism. Symbolism was an art movement originated in late nineteenth century in France as reaction to Realism and Impressionism. The leading focus of Symbolism was to “Aesthetics. Also called philosophy of art. Roughly, that branch of philosophy concerned with the creation, value and experience of art and the analysis and solution of problems relating to these. The primary topic is the appreciation of art, and major problems centre on what makes something a work of art” (A.R. Lacey, 1976 p.5). Before analysing selected art works in more detail it will be worth introducing a few different definitions and hypothesis of aesthetics in art based on theories of well-known critical thinkers. The first theory argues that art is an imitation of reality. The inability to represent reality flawlessly results in a piece of...
The use of line, form, and color placement on a canvas can dramatically impact the compositional setting of a painting. It will influence the way viewers interpret modern works of art. The modern abstract painting style from Wassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse set in motion works of art that could be aesthetic without being representational. While comparing Study for Composition II and Le Bonheur de Vivre (The Joy of Life); I will argue their experimentation and exploration pioneered into an artistic vision that changed how line, form, and color appeared in modern art. They influenced several future generations of young painter’s art styles.
Bell, Clive. The Aesthetic Hypothesis. Aesthetics. Edited by Susan Feagin and Patrick Maynard. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Critical thinking is a very important aspect to understanding art. As David Perkins put it in “The Intelligent Eye”, we must avoid “experimental thinking”, a rash, quick way of thinking based on observations and use “reflective intelligence”, a way of thinking in which a viewer takes their time and dissects details and nuances to fully understand a work of art. A majority of viewers will look at a piece of art and come to a quick analysis of it, without much thought. But, according to Perkins, “The more attentive the observation is, the better the opportunity is for deeper learning” (Perkins 14). As Banksy said in Exit Through the Gift Shop, “the reaction to the work of art is the most important thing about it.” Without a reaction or an opinion, the work of art has no meaning. Therefore, in order to trul...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Cliche as it may be, this maxim holds true throughout the world, whether it be in regards to celebrities, cars, rural lanscapes, gritty cityscapes, your co-worker’s children, or your father-in-law’s turkey carving skills. Holding differing points of view in regards to what is considered beauty is something that humanity has argued over for centuries. What one sees as merely a rundown subway car, another may see the small sparks of creativity in the walls’ grafitti, the colorful bursts of commuters’ clothing, the sheer beauty of humanity itself in the hidden spaces of the train. Discussions over what is truly beautiful are common throughout humanity’s history, though nowhere are they as obvious or as well documented as they are in the art world.
I am sure that we have all, at one time or another, noticed that almost any discussion concerning the merits and demerits of art, if it goes on long enough will come to the qualities of innovation and traditionalism in regards to aesthetic value. As soon as these two qualities are mentioned, there comes an inevitable forming up of those who favor innovation and deride tradition and those who favor tradition and deride innovation. Either side usually admits only enough merit to their opposition, and limitation of their own view, to make themselves seem reasonable and objective: but the bulk of their effort goes into savaging their opponents and extolling the ultimately ascendant nature of their position. I am inclined to take neither view, but to propose a third. It is not enough that we should pursue either innovation or traditionalism simply because we have some sort of aesthetic attraction to them, such as, for example, sentimentality or novelty. There may be those who would respond that there is simply no arguing about taste: that you like what you like and that is that. Certainly such people are right in one sense, but this response seems too simplistic and of a ‘sour grapes’ nature to convince me that this is the end of the matter. Rather, I suggest, it is the purpose to which we apply either innovation or traditionalism which dictates whether or not they have aesthetic merit: too often, our adherence to either of the two qualities becomes a thoughtless habit of our culture rather than anything useful in itself. In order to prove the viability of this qualification, I will first explore the negative and positive qualities of innovation, and the possible causes thereof. Then I will look at the negative and positive qual...
In this text, three essays extracted from the compilation “Design and Art” by Alex Coles, are being analyzed or commented. This three essays seek to explain a clear definition of the word design and then proceed to relate/separate design, giving details about the function and goals of design and determining the motto and characteristics of art.
The Aesthetic movement in Britain began as a reform impulse. It was a part of a larger critique of the Industrial Revolution, which had radically altered Britain following the Napoleon...
What is the first thing that comes to mind when the word “art” is presented? Is it a magnificent painting, such as the Mona Lisa? Perhaps it is a pop song that is heard on the radio. Perhaps it is an orchestral combination that unites with an operatic solo to create the symphonic finale of a Broadway production. Maybe it is a poem or a story. It could be a grand display of architecture, a pencil sketch of this display, or a photograph of a glorious sunset on a mountain range. It may possibly be a flawless plot line in a Hollywood production. It could even be a public address presented with excellent communication skills. There are so many different types of art. The varieties in which it comes are endless. Though some art forms are similar
In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man.
To the casual viewer, Modern art is often shocking, amusing, indecipherable and unnerving because art has always been understood in terms of traditional representation. However at the turn of the nineteenth century, European artists began to rebel against the institution of classical art. To gain success as an artist in Europe up until this time, acceptance by the Royal Academies of Art was essential (Rosenfeld 2000). The approved style was that of classical antiquity depicting idealised historical, mythological and religious scenes and because the Academies controlled official patronage for artists, they set the rules for standards of “beauty” in art (Rosenfeld 2000). However with the rise of modernity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, art theory evolved. Modernity in this period was characterised by rapid growth of industry and technology in the city, which meant substantial social and economic innovation across Europe. Feelings of anxiety and instability accompanied this rapid transformation (Sturken and Cartwright 2009, 449) and lead to a self-conscious awareness within artists and consumers alike. So strongly were the changes felt that artists began reinterpreting traditional subject matter to reflect this new modern age. Ultimately, Modern artists sought truth over beauty, a concept which encompassed both the physicality of painting as a medium as well as the artist’s sense of self in an endeavour to create “pure” art (Greenberg). Academic art strove to overcome the limitations of painting as a medium; surface flatness, canvas structure and properties of paint pigment (Kleiner 2009, 822), to create illusions of space and aesthetics. Modern artists reacted by emphasising the same properties to communicate original insights and observations. However, the popular notion that Modernism was a...
The idea that esthetic perception is an affair for odd moments is one reason for the backwardness of the arts among us. The eye and the visual apparatus may be intact; the object may be physically there, the cathedral of Notre Dame, or Rembrandt's portrait of Hendrik Stoeffel. [...] But for lack of continuous interaction between the total organism and the objects, they are not perceived, certainly not esthetically [...] For to perceive, a beholder must create his own experience. And his creation must include relations comparable to those which the original producer underwent. [...] Without an act of recreation the object is not perceived as a work of art.“ (Dewey, 1958)
Art is the creation of products (material or immaterial) consisting great aesthetic values can spread strong feelings to the viewers. Art can be enjoyed through senses and emotions, through skills and techniques far beyond the normal level. What is called art requires humanism, great moral values and high technical levels. One of the most fundamental and significant features of art is ideology. Art is ideological. This statement will be supported with the examples drawn from the lectures, tutorials and readings such as…..
The key themes in this module are about the effects visual elements and the principals of design have on how we, the audience, see and describe art. Visual elements: line, shape, mass, light, value, color, texture, and space are “what we perceive and respond to when we look at a works form” (Getlein 77) and help us “analyze our visual experience” (Getlein 77). For example, artists can use lines for a wide variety of purposes, Keith Haring and Sarah Sze use line to convey direction and movement in their works Untitled and Hidden Relief, respectively. Artists also uses lines to help the viewer navigate the artwork, as demonstrated by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photograph Aquila, Abruzzi, Italy. The eye naturally follows the movement of the winding staircase and has their attention drawn to what the photographer wants them to notice, the woman holding a tray of bread atop her head. The way in which artists organize these elements is called composition, or design, and the principals or guidelines of design and the effect they have on the viewer is the other major theme in this module. The principals of design are: unity, variety, balance, emphasis, subordination, proportion, scale and rhythm, artists can also use some of these tools to direct the movement of the eye. One of the ways artists do this is by placing emphasis, making certain areas purposefully
The Aesthetic literary movement is a nineteenth century movement that appeared in France and England. The French term "fin de siècle," or the "end of the century," is often linked to the Aesthetic movement; it refers to the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. The movement appeared at a time where the ideals of the Victorian Age were not a priority anymore as it got replaced by Aesthetic values. “The main characteristics of the movement were: suggestion rather than statement, sensuality, massive use of symbols, and synaesthetic effects—that is, correspondence between words, colours and music. It was the music that set the mood.” This essay focuses on the massive use of symbols in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Thus, it seems, the processes of appreciation and evaluation which lead to the conclusion that an object, whether a work of art or otherwise, is beautiful, are the same in all cases, and the paradigm for those processes must be that which is furnished by the appreciation and estimation of a natural beauty free of all intervention by concepts, whether the concept of art or any more specific concept.