Art as Representation

In different times and in different places and in different context Art critiques, thinkers have made efforts to understand the underlying essence of a piece of Art.

Most were limited to their own times and philosophy of the world and human persons.

Fortkochi, Kerala

They were at finding ‘necessary conditions’ and ‘sufficient conditions’
for the truth of the statement that an item is an ‘art work’.

We go back to the first of such an attempt.

It was the Greeks who first said, Art is Imitation of nature.

And they broadened it saying, Art is Representation.

Study the PDF below.

(to be used for educational purposes only)

Art as Representation PDF

Most art we do and we encounter on a day today basis are all imitation of nature. Those who are able to do it best are the best artists.

What makes them to be candidates for Art is the attribute of Verisimilitude they posses. More similar they are better they are appreciated.

Nothing is an artwork, unless it is an imitation.

For Plato and Aristotle, to be an artwork requires that the piece in question be an imitation of something. That is, being an imitation—of a person, place, object, action or event.

So plato emphasised that Art is Imitation, Mirroring nature, copying nature.

Plato went a step ahead and claimed that as is also

1. useless

2. deceptive

3. potentially dangerous

1. Art is useless because art unlike philosophy does not produce any new knowledge. Art is the reflection of the reflection of reality (world of ideas).

2. Art is deceptive because, Artists were unconcerned with facts/truth (as against philosophers). It made no difference to artists nor to the success of their works whether the images or stories they depict were real or their messages true or good.

3. Art is dangerous because, art feeds the senses/appetite and that begins to control the mind and spirit. Instead for plato the mind and spirit must control the appetitive.

Aristotle enters the discourse.

Aristotle agreed that art was essentially Mimesis.

But, he maintained, (good) art was neither useless and deceptive nor dangerous, but rather natural and beneficial.

Aristotle Rejected that Mimesis is mere Mirroring of Nature

Art is the outcome of a mental process

1. Rendering (perception of a thing by senses)

2. Construing (the artist interprets what he/she sees)

3. Draw / Illustrate / imaging (translates what is seen to lines and colours and words etc.)

4. Idealising (he makes it look complete, interesting and new)

5. Representing (then its represented to the viewers)

Unlike mirroring, these are acts of intellect.

Therefore good art puts forward ideal truths. (what something aught to be)

Aristotle also claimed that art is not dangerous but cathartic and therapeutic

Aristotle offers a broader theory of Art:

Art as Representation

Aristotle reconstructed Imitation theory to Representation theory

Representation happens by

1. Resemblance

2. Illusion

But Problem still surfaced. Even with this additional breadth, the representational theory of art remains not sufficient, since much of what is called art is not representational.

How do we add these too to the ambit of art?

This problem gave rise to an advanced representation theory, called

The neo-representational theory of art. According to the neo-representational theory of art,

anything that is a work of art necessarily possesses the property of ‘aboutness’

It must have semantic (meaning) content.

It has a subject about which it expresses something.

We can take the case of Duchamp's ready-mades.

Duchamp’s ready-mades (urinal, snow shovel etc.) demand interpretations. It makes sense to ask what they are about.

On the other hand, it does not make sense to ask what ordinary urinals and snow shovels are about. Ordinary urinals and snow shovels are not about anything;

They have no semantic (meaning) content; they are mute—meaningless. They also do not imitate or represent anything else.

Comments

Visual Analysis: SEMIOTICS

Visual analysis is a systematic and scientific approach to examining visual materials that goes far beyond casual observation. In our visually saturated world, images have become a inescapable universal language that shapes our perceptions, attitudes, and experiences. From the artworks adorning gallery walls to the advertisements lining city streets, visuals communicate narratives, evoke emotions, and reflect sociocultural ideologies. However, the process of seeing and interpreting visuals is not as spontaneous or natural as we often assume. As John Berger notably stated, "seeing is an active decision," suggesting that the process of interpreting visuals is neither spontaneous nor natural, but rather requires conscious effort and critical thinking. The way we perceive and interpret visual content is heavily influenced by habits, conventions, and our individual perspectives. Serious visual analyses requires conscious effort and critical analysis to unravel the laye...

A Critical Visual Analysis of Jan Banning's ‘Bureaucratics’

Jan Banning's photographic series Bureaucratics offers a remarkable anthropological study of civil servants across eight countries, revealing how power, hierarchy, and cultural identity manifest in governmental spaces. Through meticulously composed photographs taken from a citizen's perspective, Banning unveils the theatre of bureaucracy the most immediate visual impact comes from Banning's consistent methodology: each photograph is taken from the same height and distance, positioning the viewer in the role of a citizen approaching the bureaucrat's desk. The bureaucrats are photographed in their natural habitat – their offices – which become stages where power dynamics and cultural values are performed daily. Make visual analysis of Bureaucratics by Jan Banning given below. Bureaucratics by Jan Banning PDF (for academic use only) In examining the spatial arrangements, a clear pattern emerges: the desk serves as both barrier and symbol of authority. In many image...

Sigmund Freud on Creative Writing and Day-Dreaming

Freud in his essay, Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming, explores the psychological origins of artistic creativity and the impact of literature on readers. He draws parallels between the imaginative activity of creative writers and the day-dreaming of ordinary people. It is a discussion about the relationship between creative art and unconscious phantasy. In it, Freud talks about the role of daydreaming and fantasy in human behaviour, and how creative writers are able to express their daydreams without shame or self-reproach. Read the essay below (for academic use only) Creative Writers and Day Dreaming PDF Freud argues that the child's play and the adult's phantasies/daydreams share a common element—the desire to alter an unsatisfactory reality and fulfil unfulfilled wishes. The creative writer is like a successful daydreamer who is able to transform their private fantasies into works that provide pleasure to the audience. Freud suggests that the writer's choice of subject...

Sound Recording for Films: A Crucial Element of Cinematic Storytelling

Sound recording is a fundamental aspect of filmmaking that significantly contributes to the overall cinematic experience. It is the process of capturing and recording audio elements that complement the on-screen visuals. These audio elements form the foundation for creating an immersive auditory experience that enhances the film's storytelling and emotional impact. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Sound Recording for Films PDF The components of a film's soundscape are diverse and multifaceted. They include dialogues , which are the actors' spoken lines recorded on set or dubbed later; Foley sounds, which represent the actors' interactions with their surroundings and add authenticity to scenes; ambient sound, which creates a subtle background soundscape to transport the audience to the film's environment; music or score, which evokes emotion and enhances the narrative; and sound effects , which augment the film's realism and atmosphere. To capture ...

Photojournalists Covering Traumatic Events

The article, The difficulty of documenting a tragedy, discusses the challenges photojournalists face when covering tragedies and disasters. The author, Thulasi Kakkat, notes that most journalists have no training in saving lives or rescuing people during emergencies. Yet they are compelled to rush to the scene of accidents and calamities to document the events unfolding. At the site of a disaster, a photojournalist is expected to remain objective and convey the reality of the situation through images, even though they may be confronted with disturbing and emotional scenes. The article cites the example of a photojournalist who covered a building collapse in Kerala, India, where several construction workers were trapped and injured. The journalist wanted to get an image of the workers caught under the debris, but felt conflicted about his responsibility to simply document versus intervene to help. Kevin Carter lived this conflict. His photograph of a dying child, The Vulture and t...

Film Genre: A Discussion

Film genre is a fundamental concept in cinema studies, serving as a framework for categorising and understanding motion pictures based on shared narrative elements, aesthetic approaches, and emotional responses they evoke in audiences. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Film Genre PDF Genre theory posits that films can be classified into distinct categories based on conventional factors such as narratives, characters, settings, cinematography, and editing style. These classifications not only help in organising and studying films but also play a crucial role in shaping audience expectations and filmmakers' creative decisions. One of the primary distinctions in film genres is between documentaries and fictional narratives. Documentaries are rooted in reality, capturing real people, events, and experiences. They often employ rhetorical positions to explore, analyse, or debate subjects, sometimes breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly. In contras...

Left, Right, Centre, and Gandhiji

Every politician, when he leaves office, ought to go straight to jail and serve his time, thus goes an American folk saying. Politics and politicians have come to be synonymous with dishonesty, favouritism, and corruption. This perhaps is the underlying reasoning for many good and competent people to stay away from active politics; and many corrupt and incompetent people to get attracted to active politics. The good people’s silence and inaction make it easy for the wicked people to fill the world with their opinions, lies, and propaganda; and establish their agendas and actions as normal and standard. For Gandhi, being political was not a choice, but an imperative. He famously said, “Anyone who says they are not interested in politics is like a drowning man who insists he is not interested in water.” Gandhi returned to India on 19 December 1914, after his sojourn in England and South Africa, as quite a matured man of forty-five, having seen the worlds of exploiters and the exploi...

photo.graph.art.design

Search This Blog