DOCSLIB.ORG

Accepts That the Traditional Definition of Abstrac- Tion Does Apply to Some

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Accepts That the Traditional Definition of Abstrac- Tion Does Apply to Some 9781405169226_4_00A.qxd 12/8/08 7:50 PM Page 107 A abstraction Artworks are abstract, we might accepts that the traditional definition of abstrac- think, when they do not represent: abstraction tion does apply to some paintings. The prob- is simply the absence of representation. After all, lem is that it does not apply to most of those we there is a natural contrast between abstract think of as abstract. and representational painting; and music, at We can flesh out the second difficulty by least in its “absolute” (i.e., abstract) form, does considering either abstract painting or music. not clearly represent at all. Absolute music, It is hardly plausible that these never make like abstract painting, expresses feelings and any reference to things beyond themselves. perhaps thoughts, but, we suppose, expression The idea that they express emotions and ideas and representation are different. is intended to concede as much, without rein- However, there are two difficulties with tak- troducing representation. But is it clear that ing this to capture the nature of abstraction. expression is not simply another form of repre- First, on closer inspection it excludes art that sentation? Of course, it differs from some kinds intuitively counts as abstract; and second, the of representing – from the depiction that con- definition is only as clear as the rather murky cerns Wollheim, for instance, or from describing notion of representation itself. things in language. But the notion of represen- To illustrate the first difficulty, consider tation is both highly general and resists easy Richard Wollheim’s argument (1987: ch. 2) analysis. Until we settle whether expression is that a good deal of abstract painting in fact itself representing, our definition of abstraction represents in the same way as painting of leaves us uncertain whether expressive absolute other kinds. In looking at a typical Kandinsky, music, for instance, counts as abstract or not. for instance, while I may not see in it everyday Of course, there is nothing in itself wrong objects such as men and buildings, I do see with a definition leaving boundaries vague. colored shapes arrayed in three-dimensional Many phenomena exhibit hinterlands where space. The red trapezium that breaks a long it is simply unclear whether they hold. The black line is seen as a red rectangle, tilted at problem is rather that defining abstraction as an angle to the viewer, and lying in front of a absence of representation leaves the limits of black strip. I am thus simultaneously aware of the latter unclear as those of the former, on our how marks are distributed on the canvas and intuitive understanding, are not. of rather different objects arranged in depth. The alternative is to see abstraction, not as Since for Wollheim pictorial representation the absence of representation, but as a mat- just is the deliberate generation of experiences ter of what is represented. Wollheim suggests with this twofold nature, he concludes that that what marks out the Kandinsky from more the Kandinsky represents shapes in three- traditional painting is that the latter is figur- dimensional space. And although the details of ative. Traditional works represent things of Wollheim’s argument invoke his views about readily identifiable kinds (dogs, houses, battles, pictorial representation, his conclusion has one-eyed giants), and individual members of independent appeal. Now, Wollheim does not those kinds (Louis XIV or Polyphemus). Much think every abstract painting can be treated abstract painting instead represents things in this way. Certain works of Mondrian and which themselves belong only to relatively Barnett Newman, he says, resist being seen as abstract kinds – red rectangles or black strips, other than simply marks on a canvas. Thus he for instance. In similar vein, Kendall L. Walton 107 9781405169226_4_00A.qxd 12/8/08 7:50 PM Page 108 abstraction (1988) explores the idea that what marks Never far behind questions about the nature out abstract works is that what is represented of abstraction are questions concerning its value. or conveyed is purely general. While a novel may Abstraction is sometimes itself a source of value describe a specific locale and specific events (and not a mere accompaniment to other qual- that occur within it, abstract works (Walton’s ities that are valuable). Where abstract art is focus is music) convey, for instance, only the profound – in the greatest works of absolute general notion of struggle, or the dynamics music, or the masterpieces of abstract painting of an emotion. In the context of painting, a – the abstractness of the works is surely central natural relative of Walton’s thought lies in the to their achieving what they do. Something idea that abstraction should be understood as like this thought no doubt underpins the per- the product of abstracting from the specifics sistent tendency to valorize absolute music of visual phenomena. While a nineteenth- as the purest form of that art, and the attempts century Realist painter might have sought to made during the heyday of Abstract Expres- capture all the detail of some scene, his more sionism to do the same for it in relation to abstract successors seek instead to extract painting (Greenberg 1971). Yet it can seem from it the bare essentials of form and structure. puzzling how abstraction can be of value. How This idea is familiar from the work of Cézanne, can eschewing representing altogether, or for instance, in which buildings and natural limiting oneself to representing only what is features are stripped down to their basic geo- general, help produce art worth caring about? metry. But it also runs through a good deal of Where art is abstract in our second sense, later work, such as the drawings of Picasso (in there is no real difficulty in understanding how almost any of his periods). Abstraction in this that promotes value. Less abstract art captures sense need not mean abandoning the repre- the details of particular things, or of specific sentation of particulars – Picasso’s own portrait types: the precise features of a sitter’s face, per- of Françoise Gilot as a flower shows that what haps, or the character of a typical Victorian can be preserved is the form of an individual’s pickpocket. But why, apart from historical or look, abstracted from the details of her appear- psychological curiosity, should we care about ance. What it does necessarily involve is representations that capture such features? abandoning detail in favor of the basic form, The sitter is available to be studied for herself, structure, or gestalt. and the pickpocket probably never existed. Although it is perhaps not entirely clear What are either to me, and what does the quite what any of these suggestions involves, and painting or novel make of either that I could thus whether there are one or several proposals not make for myself? Surely one of the things here, it is clear that they all tend in the same to want from art is something more universal, direction. The result is a definition of abstrac- something to take away that can be found in tion that, in contrast to its predecessor, treats other instances of the types, and in life more gen- it as a matter of degree. It also opens up the erally. For that, however, what matters is the prospect of making sense of abstraction in arts, more general content of the artworks. That such as literature, in which it is unclear what might be present in nonabstract works – they would be left if representation were absent. may represent the general by representing the A full account of abstraction will need specific. It is also, however, certainly present in to deploy both definitions now before us. As works that are abstract in our second sense. Wollheim notes, some, if not many, paintings That leaves untouched, of course, works are abstract in virtue of not representing at that are abstract in the other sense, those that all; and perhaps there can be musical art that do not represent at all. Since abstraction here neither represents in any more straightfor- is conceived purely negatively, the prospects ward way nor expresses anything. (Some for understanding how it contributes to value indeed, have considered this to be the true mis- are limited. We may instead ask a related sion of absolute music.) So the first notion can- question: how can the work have value at all, not be dispensed with entirely. But, equally, given that it does not represent anything? we have seen good reason not to rely on it But puzzlement over that is only in place to alone. the extent that we understand how in general 108 9781405169226_4_00A.qxd 12/8/08 7:50 PM Page 109 adorno, theodor w(iesengrund) representation contributes to art’s value. Since (1970). His aphoristic style reaches a high point I doubt our understanding of that issue goes in the wide-ranging Minima Moralia (1951), deep, we should not rush to find it mysterious one of the great books of the postwar period. how art can be successful in representation’s Adorno’s primary aesthetic interest is in the absence. “autonomous” art that emerged from earlier functional contexts at the end of the eigh- See also drawing, painting, and printmaking; teenth century. This autonomy “was a function music and song; cognitive value of art; ex- of the bourgeois consciousness of freedom that pression; picture perception; representation. was itself bound up with the social structure” (1997: 225); thus art expressed the autonomy bibliography of the individual subject vis-à-vis society. Art’s Greenberg, Clement. 1971. Art and Culture. Boston: autonomy means a development of its own Beacon.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Walter Pater's Aesthetic Historicism
    Transfigured World · CAROLYN WILLIAMS · Transfigured World · WALTER PATER'S AESTHETIC HISTORICISM · Cornell University Press ITHACA AND LONDON Copyright © 1989 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850, or visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. First published 1989 by Cornell University Press. First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2016. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Williams, Carolyn, 1950– Transfigured world: Walter Pater’s aesthetic historicism / Carolyn Williams p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-8014-2151-8 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-5017-0724-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Pater, Walter, 1839–1894—Aesthetics. 2. Pater, Walter, 1839–1894— Knowledge—History. 3. Historicism. I. Title. PR5138.A35W5 1989 824'.8—dc20 89-42883 The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ For Cecil Lang Contents Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations xi Introduction I Part One • Opening Conclusions II I. "That Which Is Without" 14 2. "The Inward World of Thought and Feeling" 18 3. Aestheticism 26 4. Answerable Style 37 5. Iiistoricism 46 6. Aesthetic Iiistoricism and "Aesthetic Poetry" 57 7. The Poetics of Revival 68 Part Two • Figural Strategies in Th e Renaissance 79 I. Legend and Iiistoricity 82 2. Myths of Iiistory: Th e Last Supper 94 3. The Iiistoricity of Myth 103 4.
    [Show full text]
  • And Their Addresses for Titles Cited in Both Editions; and a Short List of Book Stores Specializing in Outstanding Sources of Asian Studies Materials
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 059 132 SO 002 365 AUTHOR Embree, Ainslie T., Comp.; And Others TITLE Asia: A Guide to Basic Books. 1971 Supplement. INSTITUTION ASIA Society, New York, N.Y. PUB DATE 71 NOTE 53p. AVAILABLE FROM Asia Society, 112 East 64th Street, New York, New York 10021 (Supplement .500; Original Edition and Supplement .750.) EDRS PRICE MF$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *Annotated Bibliographies; *Area Studies; *Asian History; Burmese Culture; Chinese Culture; *Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Awareness; Developing Nations; *Foreign Culture; Higher Education; Indians; Japanese; Non Western Civilization; Resource Guides; Secondary Grades IDENTIFIERS Asia; *Asian Studies; China; India; Japan; Southeast Asia ABSTRACT This selective bibliography, compiled and annotated by Asian specialists, is intended for the general reader as a continuation of Asia: A Guide to Basic Books published in 1966. The purpose is to identify 156 books covering extensive subject areas about Asia. The supplement is a geographically arranged into four major sections: General Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Books pertaining to India, China and Japan comprise over onethird of this bibliography supplement and are classified by subjects under the categories: 1)general works;2)cultural, economic, and political history;:1) religion and philosophy; 4) literature; 5) art; and 6) modern political, social, and economic developments. Alphabetically arranged author and title indices are provided for both the original and the supplement. Special features include additional title bibliographies; a list of recent pub.`ishers and their addresses for titles cited in both editions; and a short list of book stores specializing in outstanding sources of Asian studies materials.
    [Show full text]
  • IV. Concerning the Relation of Mind and Medium in Aesthetic Appre- Ciation Little Need Be Said
    MIND AND MEDIUM IN ARTf. (1V.j BY EDWARD BULLOUGH. I AGREE with Mr Walkley’s criticism of Mr Marriott’s proposal to base an aesthetic theory upon Medium and its technical manipulation. The attempt has been made more than once-the example of Semper has been mentioned by Mr Watt-and has always broken down in the face of objections such as are urged by Mr Walkley-in the last resort because Art is a manifestation of mind and cannot be satisfactorily accounted for by the nature and treatment of the material it employs. The second part of Mr Walkley’s paper rests upon the theory of Benedetto Croce. I am in doubt how far I agree or disagree with him. Croce’s aesthetic theory does not stand by itself, as is far too commonly supposed. It is part of a general philosophical, and in addition monistic, system and is exposed to all the difficulties created by such a depen- dence. I feel doubt about the fourfold division of the activities of the spirit; about the precise limits of the theoretical and practical activities; about the ultimate implications of his general point of view; as regards the aesthetic sphere in particular, about the nature of the ‘intuition’ and the essential ‘lyricism’ of Art, and their consequences. Indeed, I am inclined to agree with the objections recently urged by G. A. Borgese in the Preface to the new edition of his Storia della critica romantica in Italia2. I readily admit that Croce’s conception of intuition as the A contribution to the Symposium presented at the Congress of Philosophy in Oxford, 24-27 September, 1920.
    [Show full text]
  • AH 302: the Idea of the Aesthetic Syllabus Course Description Texts
    Fall 2020 AH 302: The Idea of the Aesthetic Syllabus The schedule of classes/readings is subject to change. Registered students should consult the syllabus on Google Classrooms, which will be kept updated. Instructor: Katalin Makkai Course times: Monday and Wednesday 15:45-17:15 Email: [email protected] Office hours: TBA Office: P98 004 Course description “Aesthetics” and “aesthetic” are terms that are often taken for granted inside as well as outside academic discourse. We speak of aesthetic experiences and judgments and qualities, and we employ “aesthetics” to designate the study of such matters. Although their root is taken from the Greek, the now-familiar terms (in their now-familiar usages) are, however, comparatively new. They are commonly regarded as having been introduced into the philosophical lexicon in the eighteenth century—a few hundred years ago. This course studies some of the texts that were key to the discovery, or perhaps the invention, of the “aesthetic”. What work was the idea meant to do? How did its evolution retain or reconfigure its original senses and purposes? Is the idea of the aesthetic problematic, ideological, or chimerical? Do we need an idea of the aesthetic to think about art? Texts All readings will be provided during the semester electronically and are to be brought to class as printouts. Electronic devices Students may not use any electronic devices (laptop, tablet, mobile phone) in the classroom, unless an accommodation letter has been issued. Requirements ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ​ ​ ​ Bard College Berlin maintains the staunchest regard for academic integrity and expects good academic practice from students in their studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Karun Rasa and Tragic Feeling
    THE TWO SIDES OF A SINGLE COIN: KARUN RASA AND TRAGIC FEELING ANUPAM NAGAR University of North Gujarat, India 91 The tragic feeling (stress mine) is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing — his sense of personal dignity Arthur Miller, “Tragedy and the Common Man”, New York Times, 27 February 1949 In Sanskrit Poetics (SP) there is a discernible absence of tragedy perhaps on account of its idealistic character. Though conflict is present it is not the type of conflict as perceived between individuals. It is based, rather, on inclination and idealism in which idealism ultimately triumphs. In Indian thought Death is a fantasized happening; the body is prone to decay, while the soul is eternal. The issue then is how do we address Death, even when the manure of rotten leaves gives birth to new shrubs? Death possibly is not the denouement of life. On the contrary Life and Death are corollaries of each other. The second possible reason for SP being idealistic in nature is that here time does not follow a chronological sequence —it is circular in movement (chakravat parivartante). Therefore tragedy along western lines becomes impossible on account of philosophical compulsions. A man here after casting off his body assumes a new form and then takes another when the present body decomposes. This intermittent process goes on and on till he accomplishes total deliverance. And salvation can only be realized after having attained the first three goals of righteousness (dharma), prosperity (artha) and pleasure (kama).
    [Show full text]
  • The Ethical Significance of the Aesthetic Experience of Non-Representational Art Taylor Rogers Oberlin College
    The Ethical Significance of the Aesthetic Experience of Non-Representational Art Taylor Rogers Oberlin College May, 2011 I. Introduction II. Key Terms III. Key Features of Aesthetic Experience: Attention & Distraction IV. Delicacy & Distance V. The Ethical Significance of Perceptual Delicacy VI. Ethico-Aesthetic Properties VII. Delicacy and Representational Art VIII. Conclusion Bibliography 1 I. Introduction This paper‟s aim is to give an account of the distinctive ethical significance of the aesthetic experience of non-representational art. I hope to demonstrate how perceptual skills necessary for such engagement prove to be ethical as well as aesthetic skills. First, I will offer some background on the nature of aesthetic experience, before adopting Noël Carroll‟s content- oriented account for my own investigation. After clarifying my use of “aesthetic experience,” I explain my focus on non-representational art, illustrating the way in which it more accessibly fosters pure aesthetic experience, as opposed to art that is representational. By employing the terms „non-representational‟ and „representational,‟ I will be referring to paradigm cases of each sort of art as a way of circumventing the need for an account of when and how art represents. Mitchell Green in “Empathy, Expression and What Artworks Have to Teach” asserts, “Some forms of engagement with works of art…either convey or activate a skill1.” In light of this assertion, I analyze how one‟s aesthetic engagement with non-representational art distinctly cultivates the skill of sensitive perception, or, „delicacy,‟ which allows one to perceive all of the aesthetically relevant features present in a work of art, no matter how subtle.
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophy 585: Emotions in the Arts Spring 2009 Professors Paul Guyer and Elisabeth Camp
    Philosophy 585: Emotions in the Arts Spring 2009 Professors Paul Guyer and Elisabeth Camp Contact Information Paul Guyer Office: 421 Cohen Hall Office Hours: Thursdays 2-4 and by appointment Email: [email protected] Elisabeth Camp Office: 426 Cohen Hall Office Hours: Thursdays 1:30 to 3 and by appointment Email: [email protected] Course Description This course will investigate historical and contemporary philosophical views on the role of the emotions in the arts. Do we have genuine emotional responses to works of art – to fiction? paintings? music? If so, what are the conditions under which we do and don't have such emotional responses? When are such responses appropriate? In particular, does an appropriate aesthetic attitude require emotional distance from the object of the artwork? Is it inappropriate to respond emotionally to morally depraved artworks? How do formal devices induce, constrain, and otherwise alter our emotional responses to art? Readings will be drawn from philosophers including Jean-Baptiste Du Bos, David Hume, Edmund Burke, Moses Mendelssohn, Henry Home Lord Kames, Arthur Schopenhauer, Edward Bullough, R.G. Collingwood, Tamar Szabo Gendler, Richard Moran, Kendall Walton, and others. Course Requirements Everyone registered for the course will be expected to lead discussion for one meeting; auditors are strongly encouraged to do so as well. We hope you can do this in pairs. Your main task is to bring out the philosophical issues in play, and specifically to locate the readings in relation to each other; raising questions for discussion is much more important than summarizing. You should also prepare a handout, no more than 2 pages long, which can easily be reviewed in class, to help coordinate the discussion.
    [Show full text]
  • (RJELAL) BHARATA MUNI and WESTERN DRAMATIC THEORY Lecturer, Govt. Acharya Sa
    Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.2.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSN 2321 – 3108 BHARATA MUNI AND WESTERN DRAMATIC THEORY MANOJ KUMAR SORTHA Lecturer, Govt. Acharya Sanskrit College Chirana (Jhunjhunu) Raj ABSTRACT This Paper highlights a few generalizations about the Western dramatic theory represented by Aristotle and Indian dramatic theory represented by Bharata Muni. The purpose of this paper is not to suggest that Indian theory of drama is superior to the western but is to point out their differences. Obviously there is a fundamental difference between the Western and the Indian modes of thinking. Aristotle’s Western dramatic theory is based on tragedy. On the other hand Bharata Muni’s dramatic theory is based on the Indian theory of Karma. In Bharata’s theory “Rasa” is the sole object of dramatic representation. But there is one interesting point. Whereas western dramatic theory cannot be applied to Sanskrit drama, Bharata’s theory of rasa, as S.C. Sen Gupta MANOJ KUMAR SORTHA has shown, can be employed with profit in appreciating the western drama. The Paper concluded by suggesting that both the Indian and the Western theories of drama as Article Info: represented by Bharata and Aristotle respectively have broken down and splintered. In Article Received :13/06/2013 fact, the very idea of tradition, which had sustained these theories, has disappeared Revised from : 14/06/13 from the modern world. Its place is now occupied by individualization and Accepted : 26/06/2013 experimentation. KEY WORDS : Dramatic theory, Theory of Tragedy, Indian theory of Karma, Rasa, Aesthetic pleasure, bhava, vritti, pravitti, siddhi, svaras, vinoda(amusment).
    [Show full text]
  • The Philosophy of Art : an Introduction Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    THE PHILOSOPHY OF ART : AN INTRODUCTION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Theodore Gracyk | 284 pages | 20 Dec 2011 | Polity Press | 9780745649160 | English | Oxford, United Kingdom The Philosophy of Art : An Introduction PDF Book It makes centralized list management across all your devices simple. Many great works of painting and sculpture , for example, were created to glorify a deity and not, insofar as can be ascertained , for an aesthetic purpose to be enjoyed simply in the contemplation of them for their own sake. In the seventies and the eighties two excellent readers saw the light: George Dickie and Richard J. Do we have free will? This will help you develop your critical reasoning and argumentative skills more generally. This process still continues today. Google Scholar. If you acquire expensive pieces, insure them against theft and disasters. Download pdf. Give Feedback External Websites. It takes time to curate the perfect collection for your interests, tastes and passions. What Happened to Aesthetics? For the purposes of further, more advanced introductory reading, I have confined suggestions to two books that have appeared since the first edition was published the Routledge Companion to Aesthetics and the Oxford Handbook of Aesthetics, both of which are accessible, comprehensive and authoritative. Martin's Press, Originally published Not surprisingly, every new movement is accompanied by a theoretical discourse to justify its premises. Inhalt Introduction. Over that long period a number of important answers have been developed and explored, and the purpose of this book is to introduce newcomers to the field of aesthetics and art theory to both the problems and their resolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Psychical Distance As a Factor in Art and An
    VOLUMEV JUNE, 1912 PART2 ‘PSYCHICAL DISTANCE ’ AS A FACTOR IN ART AND AN AESTHETIC PRINCIPLE, BY EDWARD BULLOUCH. I. 1. Meaning of the term ‘ Distance.’ 2. Distance as a factor in Art. 3. Diutunce as an aesthetic principle. 11. 1. Distance describes a personal relation. 2. The antinomy of Distance. 3. The variability of Distance. 4. Distance as the psychological formulation of the anti- realism of Art : naturalistic ard idealistic Art. 5. Distance UB applied to the antithesis ‘ sensual’ and ‘ spiritual.’ 6. Distance as applied to the antithesis individualistic’ and ‘ t9pical.’ 111. Distance as an aesthetic principle : 1. as a criterion between the agreeable adthe beautiful. 2. as a phase of artistic production : falsity of the theory of ‘self-expression of the artist.’ [3. Distance and some recent aesthetic theorbs.] 4. Distance as a fbndamentd principle of the ‘aesthetic cmciousness.’ I. 1. THE conception of ‘ Distance ’ suggests, in connexion with Art, certain trains of thought hy no means devoid of interest or of specu- lative importance. Perhaps the most obvious suggestion is that of actual spatial distance, i.e. the distance of a work of Art from the spectator, or that of represented spatial distance, i.e. the distance repre- sented within the work. Less obvious, more metaphorical, is the J. of Psych. v 7 88 Psychical Distance meaning of temporal distance. The first was noticed already by Aristotle in his Poetics; the second has played a great part in the history of painting in the form of perspective; the distinction between these two kinds of distance assumes special importance theoretically in the differentiation between sculpture in the round, and relief-sculpture.
    [Show full text]
  • Download (7Mb)
    A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick Permanent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/136077 Copyright and reuse: This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications The Myth o f Psychical Distance in Aesthetic Experience Jacqueline H.M. Bazin Submitted for the Degree of Ph.D. University of Warwick Department of Philosophy October 1997 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 1 Summary 2 PART ONE The Concept of ‘Distance’ in Aesthetic Experience Chapter I Introduction to the Concept of ‘Aesthetic Experience’ 3 Chapter II An Account of Psychical Distance in Aesthetic Experience 9 Introduction 9 Edward BULLOUGH’s theory of ‘Psychical Distance’ 10 Conclusion 35 PART TWO An Investigation into Modes of Aesthetic Experience Chapter III The Aesthetic Experience of Natural Beauty 40 Chapter IV A Comparative Analysis of Craftsmanship and Art 58 Chapter V Genius in Creative Art 71 PART THREE Art and Symbolic Expression Chapter VI 80 1. The Concept of ‘Expression’ in Art 80 2. LANGER’s Theory of Symbolic Art 94 Introduction 94 Symbolic Agency in Art 101 Implementation of Symbolic Agency in Art 108 Representational Symbolism in Literature 117 A View of ‘Psychical Distance’ in Aesthetic Experience
    [Show full text]
  • Indian Aesthetics in Sri Aurobindo's Criticism
    www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research journal ISSN 2278-9529 Indian Aesthetics in Sri Aurobindo’s Criticism Dr. K. Ujjwala Associate Prof of English K. L. University Vijayawada. The origin of Indian culture and philosophy marks the beginning of literary criticism in India. Indian poetic theory bears evidence to the impact of rich, cultural, philosophical and religious heritage on Sanskrit literature. The theory of beauty is not only confined to literary forms of Poetry, Literature and Drama but also applicable to other arts like music, dance, painting, sculpture etc. The Hindus first developed the science of music from the beginning of Vedic Hymns. The Samaveda was especially meant for music. And the scale with seven notes and three octaves was known in India centuries before Greeks had it. Probably Greeks learned it from Hindus. According to Swami Abhedananda, “It will be interesting to know that Wagner was indebted to the Hindu science of music, especially for his principal idea of the ‘leading motive’; and this is perhaps the reason why it is so difficult for many people to understand Wagner’s music.”1 Eminent Indologists and art critics like A. K. Coomarawamy vouchsafe that the theory is capable of considerable extension even to the other Indian arts like painting. He points out, “It is true that this theory is mainly developed in connection with poetry, drama, dancing and music, but it is immediately applicable to art of all kinds, much its terminology employs the concept of colour and we have evidence that the theory also infact applied to painting.”2 The ancient Indian critical texts had concentrated more on theory; and philosophy was not dissociated from literary criticism.
    [Show full text]