What Is A Theory Of Art - 1446 Words

Jen Ransom PHIL 421 11-13-15 Danto offers three criteria that must be met for something to be an artwork. What are these criteria? What is the difficulty with the first two criteria that led him to offer the third and final criteria. What is a theory of art? Why might one think these criteria lead to a circular theory of art? Why would one be wrong in this assessment? Critics have been trying to determine what exactly the definition art is for many years now. Throughout history, identifying what was art and what was not was presumed to be obvious. Therefore, one was able to differentiate between art and ordinary things as easily as one could tell one ordinary object from another. However, in the twentieth century, art began to change and works of art either were, or appeared to be, objects of daily life and use. Arthur Danto questions these works of art by asking: if we were given two things that were meant to represent one another, where one is art and the other is not, how do we determine the differences in status? Danto states that an artistic theory is required to determine what is art. He uses the ‘is’ of artistic identification and the ‘Artworld’ theories to distinguish between two objects that are identical, when one is an artwork and the other is not. He develops different criteria that must be met for som ething to be considered an artwork: aboutness, embodiment of the aboutness and context/history. When looking at three different people’s creations ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on What Is The Expression Theory Of Art1484 Words   |  6 Pages Art has evolved and regenerated itself many times during our human existence. These differences are defined through changes in styles under various theories. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, a style known as Expressionism became popular. During this movement the artists were trying to use their artwork as a tool of expression toward life. It was mainly dominant in the nonrepresentational arts, such as abstract visual arts and music. It also was probably one of the most difficultRead MoreWhat Is Freud’s Unconscious Theory and How Is It Applied in the Art Work of Dada/ Surrealist Artists?1958 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is Freud’s unconscious theory and how is it applied in the art work of Dada/ surrealist artists? Sigmund Freud was a Jewish Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis. Freud went on to develop theories about the unconscious mind. The concept of the unconscious theory was central to Freud’s ideas of the human mind. He first introduced his ideas around the unconscious theory when trying to explain what happens to ideas that are repressed but remain in the mind. InRead MoreWhat Is Freud’s Unconscious Theory and How Is It Applied in the Art Work of Dada/ Surrealist Artists?1968 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is Freudà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s unconscious theory and how is it applied in the art work of Dada/ surrealist artists? Sigmund Freud was a Jewish Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis. Freud went on to develop theories about the unconscious mind. The concept of the unconscious theory was central to Freudà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ideas of the human mind. He first introduced his ideas around the unconscious theory when trying to explain what happens to ideas that are repressed but remain in the mind. Read MoreArthur C. Danto s The Artworld1336 Words   |  6 Pagessee something as art requires something that the eye cannot descry-an atmosphere of artistic theory, a knowledge of the history of art: an artworld.† Danto shows us the importance of the artworld in order to know that a work of art is more than just what we can plainly see. Danto provides two theories he calls the â€Å"IT† (Imitation theory) and the â€Å"RT† (Reality theory). With these two theories, Danto explains how we can define art and why â€Å"The Artworld† is needed to help understa nd art, because afterRead MoreSummary Of The Artworld By Arthur Danto1115 Words   |  5 PagesC. Williams 4 Dec. 2013 Nature of Art Philosopher Arthur Danto, author of â€Å"The Artworld,† an artistic criticism, states that â€Å"to see something as art requires something that the eye cannot descry—an atmosphere of artistic theory, a knowledge of the history of art: an artworld† (201). Artistic theory, according to Danto, requires the presence of a subject, style, rhetorical ellipses, and that of historical context. Danto is capable of developing this view on art with the aid of an imaginary characterRead MoreDavid Hume Philosophy1172 Words   |  5 Pagesneed to find structure in the one of the most complex aspect of life, art. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines art as â€Å"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects†. Paul Ziff, an American philosopher, defined art using a very broad phrase. According to the philosophy of Paul Ziff, â€Å"something fit to be an object of aesthetic attention† can be classified as art. Both definitions are rather ambiguous. This ambiguity seems to be aRead MoreIs it Possible to Define ‘Art’?1656 Words   |  7 Pagesdefinition of art. It is one of the many definitions and theories written in answer to the question â€Å"what is art?† However, that very question implies an inhibited and essentialist answer such as â€Å"Art is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Throughout the centuries philosophers, critics and authors have attempted to edge us ever nearer to the evasive concept that is ‘art’. It is an incredibly difficult concept and practice to theorise and define, especially in the twentieth century, as it is the very essence of art, as with all creativeRead MoreArt Has Perplexed The Minds Of Both Scholars And Laymen1075 Words   |  5 PagesArt has perplexed the minds of both scholars and laymen for centuries due to the inherent complexity derived from its ability to express creativity, convey meaning, and express emotion – all while coming in various forms subject to interpretation from the audience. Rather than debate the definition of art or how it can be used to communicate, I have chosen to focus this essay upon the following question: How does art express emotion? Exploring the connection between art and emotion is an essentialRead MoreEssay on Adoros Aesthetic Theory 1704 Words   |  7 PagesArt can be interpreted in varying ways. One could take the Kantian approach by placing special importance on art’s autonomy, while proclaiming that art prescribes to its own set of self-created maxims. These maxims facilitate the creation of normative idea of art, where excellent is determined by how well it meets arts self-created maxims. Therefore the Mona Lisa is only a good painting because it greatly conforms to the maxims of the art normative. Another approach would be the Hegelian interpretationRead MoreThus, Barwell Presents Her Own Sentence Schemata, Arguing1663 Words   |  7 Pages Barwell presents her own sentence schemata, arguing that sentence schema 1-4 are meant to be understood as the following: â€Å"This artwork is well suited to be a product of an expression of E-ness† The recognition of expressive qualities within an art piece – whether it be features of a face in a painting, gestures of a thespian during a theatrical performance, or the timbre of a guitar at a concert – are able to be used by the audience member for their own purposes. Barwell argues that the audience