Chapter 11: Areas of knowledge The arts (p. 328) Discussion: Activity 11.1, p. 329 What is art? (p. 330) Discussion: Activity 11.2, pp. 330 1 Calling something art because of the intentions of the artist (pp. 331 3) Basis: Something is a work of art if the maker intended it to evoke an aesthetic response. If something is intended as a work of art, then it should not be made with a practical use in mind. Criticism: Does intending something to be art automatically make it art? Or might it just be junk? Discussion: Activity 11.3, p. 332 Calling something art because of the quality of the work (pp. 333 6) Basis: The idea of quality is very closely connected with the idea of skill. A great work of art is a perfect combination of content (what it shows) and form (how it shows it). It may not be beautiful. It may even be intended to shock. Criticism: A work of art may be technically excellent but lack originality, e.g. kitsch art clichéd or mass-produced art, forgeries. It may be original but lack technical skill, e.g. Picasso s Bull s Head (see p. 335). Discussion: Activity 11.5, p. 334 Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 1 of 6
Calling something art because of the response of the spectators (p. 336) Basis: A work of art requires people to appreciate it. Experts may understand the meaning of a work of art better than the artist who made the work. Discussion: Activity 11.7, p. 337 Criticism: The response to a work of art may: change over time (or may be just a fashion) differ between ordinary people and experts. Calling something art because it is found in an art gallery (pp. 337 8) French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887 1968) took everyday objects, renamed them and exhibited them as art called readymades. So where does art begin? Is everything art? Or does that devalue the idea of art? Or is everything art if you just look at it differently? Are aesthetic judgements objective or subjective? (p. 338) Examples of canonical works (the classics ): literature: Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), works of Shakespeare and Goethe visual arts: Leonardo, Picasso music: Mozart, Beethoven How far are our judgements about what distinguishes good art from bad objective and how far are they influenced by the culture in which we grow up and our personal tastes? The paradox of aesthetic judgement (p. 339) It is accepted that there are standards to judge by, but different people have different tastes which are fully valid for each of them. Discussion: Activity 11.9, p. 339 Should aesthetic judgements be disinterested? (pp. 339 40) If I say, I like this painting and you say you don t like it, these two statements can coexist. If I say that the painting is beautiful and you say that it is not beautiful, the two statements contradict each other. To say that something is beautiful implies that other people ought to find it beautiful. Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 2 of 6
Kant (1724 1804) said that, unlike personal tastes, aesthetic judgements are disinterested. If you like a piece of music because it reminds you of a happy time in your life, you are interested. To be disinterested, we should go beyond our personal tastes and preferences so that we can appreciate a work of art on its merits. Note: Disinterested is not the same as uninterested. Aesthetic judgement parallel with sport: someone may not like a sportsman but may appreciate that he/she is technically good. Are there universal standards in art? (pp. 340 2) Psychological factors Discussion: Activity 11.10, p. 340 Look at a selection of other paintings: Do horizontal lines in paintings always give a feeling of peace? Do diagonal lines generally give a disturbing feeling? Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid (Russian artists) conducted research into visual art. They: examined the most popular paintings across a wide range of cultures found that popular paintings depict landscapes in which the viewer can see without being seen. Possible explanations: Our preference for such landscapes may result from our evolved survival instincts. The world is dominated by US culture globalisation of taste. Komar and Melamid also found a similar universality in musical taste. Sense of rhythm in music may reflect the human pulse. Discussion: Activity 11.12, p. 343 Cultural differences (pp. 343 4) Comparing art is difficult: some people are inclined to see similarities between things and others to see differences. Discussion: Compare and contrast the styles of the two pictures of Derwent Water, p. 343 Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 3 of 6
Other examples: Opera: Chinese and European opera differ greatly. Sport: baseball differs from cricket. Contrasting cultures may not understand the nature of art in other cultures without help. Discussion: Activity 11.13, p. 344 Art and knowledge (pp. 344 6) Art as imitation Mimesis is Greek for imitation. The mimetic theory suggests that the purpose of art is to copy reality. Example artists include Michelangelo (1475 1564) and Auguste Rodin (1840 1917). Important developments: Fifteenth century: development of perspective Nineteenth century: invention of the camera Why try to copy reality in paint when it can be copied at the click of a button? Led to revolutionary changes in the nature of visual art, music and literature. Discussion: Activity 11.14, p. 345 Criticisms: The copy theory does not apply to music. Art does not merely copy reality, it creatively interprets it. Paul Klee (1878 1940), a Swiss painter, said that Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible, i.e. it helps us see things we would not otherwise notice. Art can also influence the way we subsequently view the world, e.g. paintings, plays, books, music. Discussions: Activities 11.15 and 11.16, pp. 345, 346 Art as communication (pp. 346 7) The language of art is a form of communication between the artist and the spectator. Implies there may be a grammar and vocabulary of art that needs to be learned to allow understanding. Art can arouse in a way that words cannot, e.g. the last movement of Beethoven s Ninth Symphony. Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 4 of 6
Discussion: Activity 11.17, p. 347 Art as communication has: breadth, e.g. literature can project us beyond personal experience and help us to learn from others depth, e.g. ordinary language may not adequately express deep emotions. Discussion: Activity 11.18, p. 347 Art as education (p. 347) Art provokes emotions that can influence decisions/actions links to ethics. It may challenge us to question our assumptions. Science, art and truth (pp. 349 50) Similarities and differences: art and science Both Art Science Look at the patterns in things. Expresses patterns in more altruistic, intuitive, imaginative forms. Expresses patterns in mathematics, logic, formulae, reason. May be seen as beautiful, e.g. Einstein said that the theory of relativity was too beautiful to be false. Needs imagination. Does not always need prior knowledge to appreciate. Needs imposed reason. Mathematical beauty is no guarantee of truth. Usually needs prior knowledge to appreciate. Discussion: Activity 11.23, p. 350 Discovered or invented? (p. 351) Most people agree that science is discovered and art is invented. However, some artists feel their work is already there, just waiting to be uncovered, e.g. the sculptor releases the sculpture hidden in the marble. Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 5 of 6
Science and art as complements (p. 352) Science and art could be seen as complementary ways of making sense of the world: science looks at things from outside; art looks at things from inside. Subjective experience is important as well as objective, measurable facts. The arts and truth (pp. 352 3) The paradox of fiction: Fiction can reveal deep truths about the human condition. Humans often turn to fiction in search of truth. Discussion: Activity 11.24, p. 353 Two scientific theories may be mutually exclusive. Two works of art may equally reveal truth. Discussion: Activity 11.25, p. 353 See also: Linking questions: p. 355 Reading resources: (Teachers may wish to set their own assignments on these.) How much art can the brain take? p. 356 Which side are you on? p. 361 Cambridge University Press 2011 Page 6 of 6