Clive Bell And The Formalist Theory Essay

In today’s society, we are constantly being bombarded with visual art forms. Whether they be classical paintings from the Renaissance, a towering and modern skyscraper, or even a cheesy 90’s R&B music video, they all have one thing in common. According to Carolyn Dean’s definition, these would all fall under the category of “art by intention.” In her essay “The Trouble with (The Term) Art” she advocates a distinction between art by intention and what she deems “art by appropriation.” The difference is that one work was created with the intention of being consumed for visual pleasure, while the other was not. However having been educated in the Western school of thought, many art historians cannot help but project their rigid definition of art onto civilizations that may have

When artists create a piece of work, they carefully analyze every aspect that they could possibly include and then carefully select which pieces they want to include in the final product. The amount of time and effort it takes to compose a piece they are satisfied cannot be overstated and it is the hope of these artists that their work is admired by others. When looking at art there can be some much going on that it seems overwhelming and each piece of art is subject to the perspective and values of each of the viewers. This is why art critics created three basic theories that can be used to effectively judge art. Each of these looks for specific aspects in a piece and uses that to determine the quality of work completed. Depending on the piece of work that is to be evaluated, one theory may be more fitting than the others to apply to the specific piece. Georgia O’Keefe’s painting Summer Days portrays a beautiful desert scene that has a very strong personal meaning for the painting, making using an expressive theory a successful method for analyzing how her own passions and views influenced the work. On the other hand, Jan van Eyck’s Madonna of Chancellor Rolin used groundbreaking oil techniques that defied the traditional works of his time, making a formal theory that focuses attention on the overall composition an ideal means to judge his piece.

This emphasis illuminates how weighty perspective is when determining perceived masterpieces across cultures. She does so by tactfully offering Cameron’s comparison of the Lega’s material distinctions with European (p. 24). Hypothetically, a nation located in a place devoid of rocks may find a lump of coal to be the most artistically valued piece in the community while foreign appraisers may overlook, or even overestimate, its importance. Had history been different, so would

Art is able to evoke different feelings and emotions to each person that sets their eyes on it. The act of ‘looking’ is simple, but a lot comes from it. Where the eyes are first drawn to, the duration that the eyes are focused on a specific detail, and the thoughts that flood one’s brain when viewing art is all significant. These actions say more than the piece itself, it reveals emotions of both the artist and the audience. Art can be expressed through infinite forms, but the underlying importance is not with the art itself. It represents a place in time, displaying what was noteworthy to an individual in their own life. It serves as a lasting creation representative of human imagination with the ability to bring out a multitude of emotions from whoever views it. When art is created it represents the creativity of the human mind compacted into a physical object. Art has little usage aside from pure observation, yet it has prevailed throughout time, showing its importance to humanity. Art provides a lens into humanity, showcasing the human ability over time. When studied through history, art is a view into the development of humans and their interests. Through something as basic as commonly using symmetry to transitioning to asymmetry, the European’s perspective following the Renaissance is revealed. The making of art is solely up to one individual and their creativity. It is the pinnacle of

Maggie Saldivar’s Toulmin Schema argues whether or not Art should have a definition, and if so what its definition should really be. The Schema outlines what many well-known Artists define as of Art, some of which correlated with her claim, while others were relatively specific, and opposed/challenged her claim. The author's original claim; Art should not have a definition, was not altered throughout the process of writing the Toulmin Schema, and therefore it’s qualifier is nearly identical to the beginning claim.

Just like everything else in life, art has its critics. Art criticism is the expression used to describe the act of making selective judgments, both positive and negative, about an art piece. Just as art is so diversely expressed and interpreted, those who critique it also have various methods and use various standards when criticizing an art piece. There are many theories critics use to evaluate art but there are three basic theories most commonly put to use by professionals. The three basic theories are: formal theories, contextual theories, and expressive theories. Formal theories focus on the formalities of art. Critics using formal theories pay close attention to the making of a piece, how each section of the art piece works to form a visual experience that may or may not attract the attention of those who come across it. Formalists’ attention is centered on the formal organization rather than the themes, which they deem irrelevant. Contextualists, on the other hand, value the theme and its relevance to the times in which the artwork was created. The contextual theories deal with the context in which an art piece is used; what it symbolizes concerning the culture and values of the environment. Lastly, there are the expressive theories. Expressionists are more concerned with the artist and the personal expression put into the work. Also, because art is a method of communication, expressive theories

Throughout history, art has changed and transformed dramatically as empires have fallen and new civilizations have formed. There have been many different forms of art and extremely different tastes of art based on which civilization you decide to focus on. According to this opinion, out of all the different types of art, “the highest form of art is realism.” The writer then claims how many civilizations have undergone intellectual and creative declines when creating unrealistic art. This, of course, is simply an opinion, but the the thoughts and ideas of this writers bring up many intriguing questions about art and how society perceives art.

The form of the work of art is the prime focus of study: composition, volume, color, light, use of space, technique

Bell describes the hard times that she faced in her college because she was a black girl who studies in a lower class and at the same time she was not able to relate to people of other races and economic backgrounds. When Bell attends a women’s college filled with upper -class students, she requested a different room because she fears that her white roommate she does not want to live with her . She is given her own a tiny single room and distances herself from the other students. Bell at this time felt that she and other girls do '' not reside on the same plant ''(5). Because of that she realized that she was living in her own world of books and studies. She has to know her place between rich social class and race since she study in lower classes,

Since the beginning of art, typical mediums have consisted of oil paints, marble, pastels, and charcoals. As time has progressed, and aesthetics have changed, so has the extensive list of mediums found in art. One medium in particular, known as the use of “found objects” has become increasingly more popular since the days of the Renaissance. Found object art can be as straightforward as Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” which is a urinal fountain that is simply orientated sideways and signed; this, bordering the line between art and an object from everyday life, brings forth many questions and lots of public controversy. Art has always caused this same controversy, but one main argument frequently surrounding found objects is the extent unto which the piece must be abstracted or reincorporated in order to be considered “art.”

Throughout this unit I used my bell work as a type of formative assessment. Each class period students come in and record the answer to a question written on the board; they use one sheet of paper per week so by the end of the week they have a sheet of paper with the key ideas from every class. This question always reviews the largest idea covered in the class before so it serves as both a review and a way for me to gauge the level of understanding throughout my students. The bell work process goes as follows: students come into class and get out their supplies, once the bell rings I settle the class down and read the question out loud, students call out the answers, then I repeat the correct answer several times

William Bell was born 12 March 1816 at Barnard Castle in Durham and parish of Barnard Castle, England to WIlliam and Jane Bell. The Bells lived near the banks of the Tees River in a comfortable cottage. They were a family of high held standards and they worked hard to keep them. In doing this, gained the title of a family of means. This meant a family of notable importance among the upper class in England.

I learned that the earliest form of art began in Africa approximately two million years ago. It was interesting to find out that the work of art was an engraved ochre that had lines as if it was crossed hatches (Page 241). I also found out that other pieces of art were discovered from cave paintings to human like figurines either carved or molded by clay. Egypt had similar views their art was many of humans most higher ranking. Later, Greece began creating work of art that honored an individual’s achievements that consisted of a life-sized, freestanding either nude male or clothed woman. Most of their art involved classical art which meant it restrained emotion (256-257). Then along came the Romans which their art was tied into architecture and the engineering. They created structure such as, The Colosseum and Pantheon these structures both had similar things they had arches and columns yet, the Pantheon had a high

Creating art is one of the single defining factors that set humans apart from animal species. Through art, humans are able to express their innermost ideas and feelings, without having the difficulty of trying to find the correct words to accurately describe their thought processes. Works of art can help us to understand the people who have come before us. This is evidenced by the knowledge humans have discovered of prehistoric men and their symbolic cave paintings. The expression, style, and meaning vary and archaeologists put in much effort to uncover these works.

For over two thousand years, various philosophers have questioned the influence of art in our society. They have used abstract reasoning, human emotions, and logic to go beyond this world in the search for answers about arts' existence. For philosophers, art was not viewed for its own beauty, but rather for the question of how art and artists can help make our society more stable for the next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and