---> sourced from 50 philosophy questions book.
The battle between the artist + the critic.
"The conflict is timeless and beyond resolution because it is motivated by a fundamental disagreement on the most basic of questions: What is Art?"
Representation - - - - - - - - - Abstraction
John Ruskin + James McNeill Whistler
- they disagree on the nature of aesthetic value.
- Greeks (Plato) Art is a representation/mirror of nature. Plato regarded works of art as a poor reflection/imitation of truth.
- Aristotle shared these view, but, more sympathetic view of its objects, they’re a completion of what was only partially realised in nature, insight into the universal essence of things.
The eye of the beholder
- Is beauty inherently in the objects it is ascribed to?
- realist vs anti-realist views.
- support: Kant’s universal validity: aesthetic judgements are based purely on our subjective responses and feelings; but so ingrained in human nature that they are universally valid… “any properly constituted human can share them”
The Institutional Theory
- widely discussed since 1970s…
- Works of art have that status by virtue, bestowed upon them by authorised members of the art world.
- Difficulties… influential, but uninformative, we want to know WHY.
Formalist approach to art in 20th century.
- line, colour _ other formal qualities were considered paramount.
- Form was elevated over content
- Paved the way for Abstractionism
- Another influential departure from representation: expressionism… Expressions of the artist’s subjective emotion and experience were regarded as the hallmark of true works of art.
Family Resemblance
- As with many of Socratic Dialogues, a question is posed to be defined… The problem is a lot of things we seem to know what they are but are unable to define it.
- ONE WAY OUT… Wittgenstein: family resemblance. “games” we can easily give examples of games, but trouble arises when we try and find a definition that encompasses every instance. NO COMMON DENOMINATOR.
- so for art, pieces might have much in common with other pieces, but if we look for features they all possess, we will search in vain.
"any attempt to define art is misconceived and doomed to failure"
The battle between the artist + the critic.
"The conflict is timeless and beyond resolution because it is motivated by a fundamental disagreement on the most basic of questions: What is Art?"
Representation - - - - - - - - - Abstraction
John Ruskin + James McNeill Whistler
- they disagree on the nature of aesthetic value.
- Greeks (Plato) Art is a representation/mirror of nature. Plato regarded works of art as a poor reflection/imitation of truth.
- Aristotle shared these view, but, more sympathetic view of its objects, they’re a completion of what was only partially realised in nature, insight into the universal essence of things.
The eye of the beholder
- Is beauty inherently in the objects it is ascribed to?
- realist vs anti-realist views.
- support: Kant’s universal validity: aesthetic judgements are based purely on our subjective responses and feelings; but so ingrained in human nature that they are universally valid… “any properly constituted human can share them”
The Institutional Theory
- widely discussed since 1970s…
- Works of art have that status by virtue, bestowed upon them by authorised members of the art world.
- Difficulties… influential, but uninformative, we want to know WHY.
Formalist approach to art in 20th century.
- line, colour _ other formal qualities were considered paramount.
- Form was elevated over content
- Paved the way for Abstractionism
- Another influential departure from representation: expressionism… Expressions of the artist’s subjective emotion and experience were regarded as the hallmark of true works of art.
Family Resemblance
- As with many of Socratic Dialogues, a question is posed to be defined… The problem is a lot of things we seem to know what they are but are unable to define it.
- ONE WAY OUT… Wittgenstein: family resemblance. “games” we can easily give examples of games, but trouble arises when we try and find a definition that encompasses every instance. NO COMMON DENOMINATOR.
- so for art, pieces might have much in common with other pieces, but if we look for features they all possess, we will search in vain.
"any attempt to define art is misconceived and doomed to failure"
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