May 21st, 2008
Square Frames
Let’s go to a museum and find the most deranged thing we can, sorted neatly in a frame, near a hundred other pieces of matching classification. What do you think of art theory?
Transcriptorial: Your very own frame, / your very own square on the wall.
Deliciously ironic.
First time posting here. I’ve enjoyed your Secret Vespers (burning title, by the way!) for a long time!
Art appreciation is one of my passions. The basic art theory definition (sometimes called Aesthetics) is: commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as “critical reflection on art, culture and nature.” -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_theory
I believe a lot of art ‘theory’ has one thing in common: arrogance. In the end, who cares what every society-defined ‘highly-educated’ person thinks? I’m completely for education and learning, but what matters is trusting and believing in ourselves. Why always second-guess ourselves (feelings, thoughts, ways of living, beliefs) in favour of searching out what some ‘official’ says we SHOULD feel. It is what the individual experiencing the art work (or individual life!) thinks, feels and is moved to remember and influence. There is no ‘wrong’ way to experience art (or life!).
While I perfectly agree with you, ButterflyFomori, that no official, educated PhD can tell anyone what’s important in their lifes, it IS important to second guess yourself. Trusting is good, but trust alone brings us no further; static, we die.
I think art theory is the attempt of critics to understand art. They can’t watch it and say, “hey, that’s nice, it tells me this and that about the world”, they have to categorize it, since as soon as you can put something into a category, you are allowed to say your opinion. This has become an institution, so much that even some artists obey to it.
pardon my ignorance but, art has a theory? how exactly can art have a theory?
‘Doesn’t everybody have their own Rock Island,
Their own little patch of sand?
Where the seabirds call and your angels fall
And you find you can hardly stand?
Just when you’re drowning, the tide goes out.
You’re back on your
Rock Island…’
(Ian Anderson)
Art is an abstraction. Judge it only for yourself, you can only recommend and describe it to others.
Do you think the most deranged thing is without value?