Art can be literally anything. If the artist is famous enough, they could urinate on the side of a building, take a photograph of it, title it something obscure and meaningful-sounding, and it could sell for millions of dollars. In this way, art can be difficult to understand and interpret, but it can also be as simple as a children’s story. One thing that is ubiquitous in all works of art is emotion.
This emotion can be one of pride, in one’s culture or customs, and a desire to record them for posterity, to make a mark on the world that will be visible once the maker is gone. Though some people do not believe that graffiti is art, it meets the definition. Gangs often “tag” locations with their name or some sort of symbol that indicates their control in that location. Gang members tag with their name or a symbol that represents them not only because they want other gangs to recognize the tag, but also because they want to make a lasting claim over an area. Graffiti is also an important form of expression because it is often the only affordable way to create works of art for people without the same means as “classical” artists. This view that art is an expression of pride disagrees with the Eurocentric approach to interpretation of art, which “puts aside all ordinary concerns… and just focuses in the object for the sake of its own form alone” (Eaton, 25). However, it agrees with the social constructionist approach, which states that “one can learn a lot from art- but only when art is broadly construed… not simply as an individual act, but as a social enterprise with a history” (Eaton, 28). The social constructionist approach to aesthetics is more widely accepted in the current age, as we have collectively realized that history can be instrumental in the interpreting of a piece of art, especially when that history is unfamiliar to us, such as the ancient art Running Horned Woman, which we understand almost nothing about due to the lack of written history in the culture from which it emerged. Art historians agree, however, that Running Horned Woman is an expression of culture, whether it is simply a narrative or part of that community's history.
Emotions themselves can also be the driving forces behind the creation of works of art. This art, which can be found especially in modern and abstract works, is made in an effort to display an emotion on its own, without any other figures or themes attached. This kind of art is harder to understand for some people, and is not as straightforward as art driven by cultural pride or religious devotion. Les Fauves (the wild beasts) were a group of artists known for their extraordinary use of color. They “believed that color had a direct link to your emotions and they loved to use it at the highest pitch possible. The function of color in their painting was not to describe their subject matter, but to express the artist's feelings about it. Their ideas liberated the use of color for future generations of artists and ultimately gave them the freedom to explore color as a subject in its own right” (Color, 1). A movement known as Abstract Expressionism was one in which emotion was more important that form or accuracy. One abstract expressionist, Barnett Newman, “described his reductivism as one means of ‘… freeing ourselves of the obsolete props of an outmoded and antiquated legend … freeing ourselves from the impediments of memory, association, nostalgia, legend, and myth’” (Paul, 1). The use of art to express emotion often uses a reductionist style, to reduce distractions for the viewer. However, some art intended to express and create emotion did exactly the opposite, trying to overwhelm the viewer and force them to experience the emotion depicted. Art does not need to be abstract to have the purpose of expressing an emotion. Often an artist’s use of color is enough to indicate mood and purpose.
Art is, and historically has been, a very important way for humans to express their emotions, their faiths, their cultures and to leave a mark on the world that proclaims, “I was here!” Though art can take many different forms, and often is difficult to understand and interpret, it is almost always created by the artists in an outpouring of emotion, be that pride, faith, or just anger and pain. The vast variability of art allows all three to be expressed in a single work. Art is not restricted in its expression, and has been utilized for expression even before the creation of written language.
Taking AP Art History has made me aware of the vast possibilities that exist for artworks, and has broadened my knowledge of both art and world history. Art tells stories, whether they are intended to or do so accidently, and I still believe emotion to be the overarching and unifying element behind all works of art in all cultures and forms.
Works Cited:
"Color as Emotion." Color Theory Lessons - Color as Emotion. Artyfactory.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015.
Eaton, Marcia Muelder. "Philosophical Aesthetics: A Way of Knowing and Its Limits." Philosophical
Aesthetics. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 19-30. Print.
Paul, Stella. "Abstract Expressionism." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
2000. Web. 07 Sept. 2015.
This emotion can be one of pride, in one’s culture or customs, and a desire to record them for posterity, to make a mark on the world that will be visible once the maker is gone. Though some people do not believe that graffiti is art, it meets the definition. Gangs often “tag” locations with their name or some sort of symbol that indicates their control in that location. Gang members tag with their name or a symbol that represents them not only because they want other gangs to recognize the tag, but also because they want to make a lasting claim over an area. Graffiti is also an important form of expression because it is often the only affordable way to create works of art for people without the same means as “classical” artists. This view that art is an expression of pride disagrees with the Eurocentric approach to interpretation of art, which “puts aside all ordinary concerns… and just focuses in the object for the sake of its own form alone” (Eaton, 25). However, it agrees with the social constructionist approach, which states that “one can learn a lot from art- but only when art is broadly construed… not simply as an individual act, but as a social enterprise with a history” (Eaton, 28). The social constructionist approach to aesthetics is more widely accepted in the current age, as we have collectively realized that history can be instrumental in the interpreting of a piece of art, especially when that history is unfamiliar to us, such as the ancient art Running Horned Woman, which we understand almost nothing about due to the lack of written history in the culture from which it emerged. Art historians agree, however, that Running Horned Woman is an expression of culture, whether it is simply a narrative or part of that community's history.
Emotions themselves can also be the driving forces behind the creation of works of art. This art, which can be found especially in modern and abstract works, is made in an effort to display an emotion on its own, without any other figures or themes attached. This kind of art is harder to understand for some people, and is not as straightforward as art driven by cultural pride or religious devotion. Les Fauves (the wild beasts) were a group of artists known for their extraordinary use of color. They “believed that color had a direct link to your emotions and they loved to use it at the highest pitch possible. The function of color in their painting was not to describe their subject matter, but to express the artist's feelings about it. Their ideas liberated the use of color for future generations of artists and ultimately gave them the freedom to explore color as a subject in its own right” (Color, 1). A movement known as Abstract Expressionism was one in which emotion was more important that form or accuracy. One abstract expressionist, Barnett Newman, “described his reductivism as one means of ‘… freeing ourselves of the obsolete props of an outmoded and antiquated legend … freeing ourselves from the impediments of memory, association, nostalgia, legend, and myth’” (Paul, 1). The use of art to express emotion often uses a reductionist style, to reduce distractions for the viewer. However, some art intended to express and create emotion did exactly the opposite, trying to overwhelm the viewer and force them to experience the emotion depicted. Art does not need to be abstract to have the purpose of expressing an emotion. Often an artist’s use of color is enough to indicate mood and purpose.
Art is, and historically has been, a very important way for humans to express their emotions, their faiths, their cultures and to leave a mark on the world that proclaims, “I was here!” Though art can take many different forms, and often is difficult to understand and interpret, it is almost always created by the artists in an outpouring of emotion, be that pride, faith, or just anger and pain. The vast variability of art allows all three to be expressed in a single work. Art is not restricted in its expression, and has been utilized for expression even before the creation of written language.
Taking AP Art History has made me aware of the vast possibilities that exist for artworks, and has broadened my knowledge of both art and world history. Art tells stories, whether they are intended to or do so accidently, and I still believe emotion to be the overarching and unifying element behind all works of art in all cultures and forms.
Works Cited:
"Color as Emotion." Color Theory Lessons - Color as Emotion. Artyfactory.com, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2015.
Eaton, Marcia Muelder. "Philosophical Aesthetics: A Way of Knowing and Its Limits." Philosophical
Aesthetics. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 19-30. Print.
Paul, Stella. "Abstract Expressionism." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
2000. Web. 07 Sept. 2015.