Art: Further Debates

We have examined successive attempts to define Art: the representational theory, the expression theory, formalism, the aesthetic theories. All attempted to provide comprehensive definitions of all art, but each of them appears inadequate in some way to identify all and every art.

On the one hand, people grew familiar with arts of other cultures. On the other hand there have been the diverse creations of the avant-garde, which with their radical departures from conventional practice consistently challenged settled ideas of art.

Study the PDF below

(only for academic purposes)

Art: Further Debates PDF

Art is an Open Concept. Morris Weitz believed that the central error of preceding philosophers of art was that, by assuming that art could be defined, they treated art as a closed concept rather than as an open concept. It is an argument that any attempt to define/fix art must fail necessarily.

Morris Weitz’s Art as Open Concept argument. Art is expansive. Therefore, art must be open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty. If something is open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty, then it cannot be defined. Or, If art can be defined. Then, art is not open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty. Therefore, art is not art.

The method of Family Resemblances. The Neo-Wittgensteinians believed that art cannot be defined. The mistake was to attempt to define art essentially. They agreed that we need some way to identify art, but they thought the proper way to go about it is not to frame a definition of art and then to apply it to particular cases.

Following Wittgenstein, they thought the procedure that we should follow is what they called the method of family resemblances. Many of the concepts that we employ in everyday life largely go undefined: the concept of chair, the idea of games, etc.

Contemporary Theories of Art

1. The Institutional Theory of Art: Art is a social institution. Consult the relevant social practice on art –the art-world. Artist makes the art and art-world confers the status on it. The focus is on experts and practices.

2. Historical theory of Art: Some one should make/own it, and regard it as a work of art. Art goes through a chronological process.

3. Definition model to Narrative model: Look at the story of art-making. Identify narratives of a work of art coming into existence.

art, Art identification, what is art? art theories. contemporary debates on art

How to identify art?

Comments

‘Layers of Meaning’ Makes the Difference Between a Good and a Great Visual Design

Visual Design, coming under the broader umbrella of visual art or visual aesthetics, has the limitation of finding common accepted grounds considering a design being design-worthy or not, because aesthetics is very subjective; and each one has one’s own standards of beauty and elegancy. It is difficult to categorically pinpoint why a design looks great or why a design looks ordinary. Comparative study between designs might help us cut the clutter. I place on table two cover designs I have made with the same brief for the Together magazine. I would like to clarify why I went with the option that finally sent to the publication; that might tell the difference also between a good visual design and a better visual design. Understanding Layered Designs The design process begins when the designer receives the oral or writer brief from the publication. Then begins the rigorous non-linear process of understanding the idea/brief (empathising), outlining the idea in clear categori...

Fan Ho’s Street Photography

The history of 20th-century street photography is incomplete without recognising the monumental contribution of Fan Ho. A master of light, shadow, and human connection, Ho captured the soul of mid-century Hong Kong , transforming everyday moments into timeless works of art. His unique vision blended a keen eye for geometry with a profound understanding of human dignity, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire and resonate. Fan Ho was born in Shanghai in 1931 and emigrated to Hong Kong in 1949, arriving at a moment of profound historical rupture when the city was rapidly transforming into a modern metropolis teeming with refugees, traders, and labourers. Armed initially with a simple camera given to him by his father, he began photographing the street life of the city as a teenager and would continue refining this practice over the course of six decades. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Fan Ho's Street Photography PDF To fully appreciate Fan Ho’s photogr...

Compassion Fatigue

What does one do when one’s compassion cup goes dry and empty; when one comes to a point where there is nothing more left to give? I lost my mother very recently. She was 93. For the last two and a half years, she was ill, and for the last one and a half years, she was bedridden. Though all her children, when they visited her, used to be generous in taking care of her needs, it was my brother and his wife who took care of her day in and day out. They did an amazing job; they regulated their daily routine to make sure that mother did not lack anything, they sacrificed their possible travels and outdoor fun activities to make sure that there was someone with mother always. As days passed, weeks passed, months and years passed, I could see exhaustion and a certain level of irritation setting in with them. There were feelings of helplessness and powerlessness in the face of distress and pain, for medically they could do nothing more for mother, except to give palliative care . Other...

Indian Political Spectrum: Left, Right, and Centre

Left-wing, right-wing, and centre are terms used to describe different positions on the political spectrum. The terms left-wing and right-wing originated from the seating arrangements in the French National Assembly during the French Revolution (1789). Supporters of the King and the traditional social order sat on the president's right side. These were generally considered more conservative and resistant to change. Supporters of the revolution and those advocating for a more egalitarian society sat on the president's left side. These were seen as more progressive and willing to challenge the status quo. Over time, these seating positions became symbolic of broader political viewpoints. The terms "left" and "right" were eventually used to describe the entire spectrum of political ideologies, not just those present during the French Revolution. Left Wing focuses on equality, social justice, and reform. Left-wing ideologies generally believe in reducing econo...

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 ...

The 'Last Supper' of Vincent van Gogh: ‘Café Terrace at Night’

In the autumn of 1888, during one of the most prolific periods of his artistic life in Arles, France, Vincent van Gogh produced what would become one of his most celebrated night scenes: Café Terrace at Night. Painted in September of that year and now housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands, the work depicts a lit café terrace on the Place du Forum spilling its warm amber light onto cobblestoned streets under a canopy of stars. On its surface, it is a masterwork of Post-Impressionist urban life — intimate, luminous, and quietly alive. Yet for more than a century, a persistent and provocative theory has shadowed the painting's reception: that Café Terrace at Night is not merely a depiction of a nocturnal café scene, but a deliberate, veiled, reimagining of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Proponents of this theory, most notably the Flemish art historian Jef van der Burgh, argue that van Gogh encoded Christian iconography within the composition through th...

Millet’s Gleaners Is a Social Commentary

Jean-François Millet's The Gleaners (1857) is a seminal work of the Realist movement, noted for its unflinching yet dignified portrayal of the rural poor. It represented a critical turn in 19th-century art that brought the lowest ranks of rural society to the forefront of high art. Exhibited during a time of post-revolutionary tension (following the 1848 French Revolution), the painting was viewed with suspicion by the bourgeoisie and conservative elites. The three women represent the rural, poor—authorised to gather leftover wheat. Critics of the time perceived the painting as a nod to revolutionary sentiment, with some interpreting the three figures as a form of rebellious commentary on the social inequality in post-1848, France. The Gleaners, 1857, Jean-François Millet, Oil on Canvas, in: Musée d'Orsay, Paris. A Mirror to Class Inequality: Millet juxtaposes the hunched, impoverished women in the foreground with the abundant harvest and carts full...

photo.graph.art.design

Search This Blog