What is the Philosophy of Art?

[ulrichgood]

For me, the philosophy of art is all about expression and connection. Art isn't just about pretty pictures or fancy sculptures - it's a way to communicate deep feelings and ideas without words.
I remember back in college, I took this art history class where we delved into different art movements and philosophies. It blew my mind how artists throughout history used their work to challenge norms, question authority, and express their innermost thoughts.
I also wanted to buy a Christian wall art recently, as it's like blending that philosophy with faith. You're not just decorating your space - you're surrounding yourself with reminders of what you believe in. It's like each piece carries its own message and energy, and it's beautiful.

 

[durangodawood]

I own a few pieces of original art by an artist / art school professor friend of mine.

One thing I like about her work is: its not just one look, or one sitting, and youve pretty much absorbed it all. The works keep giving and changing over the years as I live with them.

 

[Chesterton]

I own a few pieces of original art by an artist / art school professor friend of mine.

One thing I like about her work is: its not just one look, or one sitting, and youve pretty much absorbed it all. The works keep giving and changing over the years as I live with them.

I had a cousin who was a pretty serious artist. I was at her place right after she'd returned from a trip to Russia. She wanted to show me a picture of a church she'd painted. Naturally I was expecting to see one of the thousands of unusually beautiful, magnificent Orthodox churches in Russia. Instead, she had painted this plain little wooden church with a steeple that looks like any church you can see in small town America. I couldn't believe she was all the way over in Russia and painted a church which looks like the one down the street from her. I asked her why she chose that church and she said she was walking down the street towards evening and "the light was just perfect". The light was perfect - what does that even mean? Artists are weird, lol.

 

[Michie]

I had a cousin who was a pretty serious artist. I was at her place right after she'd returned from a trip to Russia. She wanted to show me a picture of a church she'd painted. Naturally I was expecting to see one of the thousands of unusually beautiful, magnificent Orthodox churches in Russia. Instead, she had painted this plain little wooden church with a steeple that looks like any church you can see in small town America. I couldn't believe she was all the way over in Russia and painted a church which looks like the one down the street from her. I asked her why she chose that church and she said she was walking down the street towards evening and "the light was just perfect". The light was perfect - what does that even mean? Artists are weird, lol.

The lighting was perfect. She liked the way the light was hitting it at the time.

 

[durangodawood]

I had a cousin who was a pretty serious artist. I was at her place right after she'd returned from a trip to Russia. She wanted to show me a picture of a church she'd painted. Naturally I was expecting to see one of the thousands of unusually beautiful, magnificent Orthodox churches in Russia. Instead, she had painted this plain little wooden church with a steeple that looks like any church you can see in small town America. I couldn't believe she was all the way over in Russia and painted a church which looks like the one down the street from her. I asked her why she chose that church and she said she was walking down the street towards evening and "the light was just perfect". The light was perfect - what does that even mean? Artists are weird, lol.

I wouldnt even dare show you my friends work.

 

[Chesterton]

I wouldnt even dare show you my friends work.

lol, why's that?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

There's a lot of occult symbolism in Dali's work and he's the mastermind behind the infamous Rothschild ball everyone's heard of. Art is a beautiful medium for expression but it's important to understand what we're looking at.

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Art isn't widely discussed in Christian circles as a norm beyond mentions of favorite pieces, exhibits in a religious setting or historical musings on stained glass panes. But there are those within greater Christendom who are aficionados and able to have deeper discussions with the requisite observations you wouldn't encounter otherwise.

You could probably glean a lot from his tarot deck. He uses old masters to demonstrate the hidden symbolism in the paintings. The proverbial there is more than meets the eye. Which is usually the case. Speaking without speaking is a frequent tool in artistic expression in all mediums. There's usually something beneath the surface they aren't saying overtly. Something that forces you to pull back the layers.

If you're so inclined you'll discover what the piece really means. If it appeared in a film there's more involved.

~bella

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In a ball like that, the hubris alone is worth a study!

 

[durangodawood]

lol, why's that?

Nothing scandalous. Actually it might be entertaining to get your reaction.

 

[Chesterton]

Nothing scandalous. Actually it might be entertaining to get your reaction.

Well, you've got me curious as to why you wouldn't want me to see it.

 

[durangodawood]

Well, you've got me curious as to why you wouldn't want me to see it.

I guess because "artists are weird". You say that because you cant grasp what motivates them to appreciate things like a particular quality of light.

Basically artists are trying to show you what motivates them because it might be something you've been blind to. If they are good, and if you are willing, you can see something new there.

 

[Michie]

In a ball like that, the hubris alone is worth a study!

He was a publicity…..harlot. anything to bring in the cash. He was accused of being a sellout more than once.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

He was a publicity…..harlot. anything to bring in the cash. He was accused of being a sellout more than once.

Being a realist, I never did care for Dali.

 

[Michie]

I guess because "artists are weird". You say that because you cant grasp what motivates them to appreciate things like a particular quality of light.

Basically artists are trying to show you what motivates them because it might be something you've been blind to. If they are good, and if you are willing, you can see something new there.

And you can see something new in it everytime. The secret is….you can look at a piece of art and your conception of it will tell you more about yourself at that point in time than than anything else. And it can change over time.

 

[Michie]

Being a realist, I never did care for Dali.

We have our preferences but it’s all subjective.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

It’s all subjective.

I don't know about that. Being a philosopher who also has been a student of art, of history and of social media, I don't think I'd sign on to the claim that the value of art is merely a subjective one. Sometimes at least there is only a fine line between art and propaganda.

 

[Chesterton]

I guess because "artists are weird". You say that because you cant grasp what motivates them to appreciate things like a particular quality of light.

You just reminded me of a thread I was going to make in the Science forum years ago. Never got around to it. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow.

Basically artists are trying to show you what motivates them because it might be something you've been blind to. If they are good, and if you are willing, you can see something new there.

I'd have to be both willing and able. Anyway, if it's anything abstract, don't bother posting it. There's about a 95% chance I won't like it.

 

[Michie]

I don't know about that. Being a philosopher who also has been a student of art, of history and of social media, I don't think I'd sign on to the claim that the value of art is merely a subjective one. Sometimes at least there is only a fine line between art and propaganda.

I agree. But established art, classic art, etc. Has its fans where others do not appreciate the piece at the time. But as I said, it can change over time. That’s where the subjective comes in.

 

[Tuur]

I don't really get the philosophy question. Art is a communication. Even a grocery list can be a Haiku poem. Since it's communication, what does the artist wish to communicate? Poe famously observed that all elements of a short story should contribute to the effect, and that really holds for all forms of art. Art to convey a humorous concept is going to be different than art to convey horror, whether it's visual or song or written word. The the idea and feelings evoked ideally should be the idea and feelings the artist wishes to convey.

 

[Michie]

I don't really get the philosophy question. Art is a communication. Even a grocery list can be a Haiku poem. Since it's communication, what does the artist wish to communicate? Poe famously observed that all elements of a short story should contribute to the effect, and that really holds for all forms of art. Art to convey a humorous concept is going to be different than art to convey horror, whether it's visual or song or written word. The the idea and feelings evoked ideally should be the idea and feelings the artist wishes to convey.

The problem though, unless it is a blatant message, people see things through their own lens. As I said, the art can tell you more about yourself and your state of mind at the time than what the artist is trying to communicate without making a clear statement of what the piece represents. Sometimes there is no message. Art for art’s sake is a thing too.

 

[Tuur]

The problem though, unless it is a blatant message, people see things through their own lens. As I said, the art can tell you more about yourself and your state of mind at the time than what the artist is trying to communicate without making a clear statement of what the piece represents. Sometimes there is no message. Art for art’s sake is a thing too.

A classic example is Ray Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury wrote it as a comment on the effect of television. But when he explained this in a lecture at a college (maybe USC), the students told him it was about censorship. Bradbury was the author so he should know what it's about. But while I respected Bradbury's skill, he didn't successfully convey the meaning through the medium.

There are limits. There was a Charles Addams cartoon where his "Fester" character sat in movie theater. Everyone around him was sad and some were crying. "Fester," however, was clearly amused. What most found heart-wrenching, he found hilarious. That was the gag but is essentially "Fester" was seeing the film through his own lens.

Another cartoon, artist unknown: A couple is looking at a modern art sculpture of a stylized human figure with a large hole in the middle. The caption was "That reminds me: Did you pack the sandwiches?" The gag is both about modern art and the feelings it evokes, but there's the question of what the sculptor intended to evoke and did he or she succeed.

This isn't about blatant messaging: It's about conveying what the artist intends. A artist who intends to convey a sense of awe fails if most who see it giggle.

So much of art is also based on shared experience to convey a message, such as the "theatre of the mind" aspect of humorous cartooning. If the person who sees the art has a different shared experience, the meaning can be lost. On some carved atlatl throwers from Europe there's an odd motif on the end that fits into the spear socket. Photos I've seen of it are stunning but no one knows what it means. It could have been a prehistoric joke, possibly with crude humor connotations or maybe even a visual pun, but no one in our era knows. What the carvers wished to convey has been lost because we aren't of the same culture.

To be honest, much of art is and has been, what will sell. Douglas Adams penned in one of the Hitchhiker books "If it means taking the money and run, I for one could use the exercise," and that's probably what goes on most of the time.