Formalism

Formalism

Refers to the idea that what matters in a work of art is not what it represents or expresses, but the form of the art.
1. Form in art means the particular artistic qualities such as elegance, balance or grace.
2. It encompasses all forms of art - abstract art that is not representative and art without emotional value. Context also becomes irrelevant.
Clive Bell and art as significant form
1. Art is created by humans and have the ability to produce an aesthetic emotion.
  1. An aesthetic emotion is the singular pleasure provided by a work of art.
2. Significant form is achieved through combination of lines, shapes and colours, which relate to each other in specific ways
3. Art can be non-represnetatiive as artists may use their imagination beyond our individual perspectives
4. The task of the viewer is not to understand the expression of emotion
Bell's example of bad art: William Firth's 'The Railway Station'
1. It's purpose is to represent a particular scene but Bell felt that the result is unattractive - it does not provoke an aesthetic rapture
Bell's example of good art: Cezanne's 'Hillside in Provence'
1. It is not an accurate portrayal but the way that he has put the colours together produces an aesthetic response
Strengths
1. encompasses most types of art; abstract, non-representative, unemotional and architecture.
2. No need for understanding of context - explains how we can be interested in a painting and not what the painting is of
3. distinguishes what is not art through significant form, nature or human expression can not be art
  1. all art has signicant form and significant form is what art is
4. objectivity - modern formalists distinguish form from beauty, and value art solely for its formal features.
  1. appreciation of beauty is subjective, appreaciation of form is not.
5. art can be useful as representation or giving moral message but the principal function must be aesthetic
Weaknesses
1. elitism
  1. only a few people are sensitive viewers and can understand and analyse the formal qualities of art
  2. ivory tower view of art, in so far as the study of formal qualities in art are too removed from other meaningful human experiences
2. forgeries
  1. a perfect forgery would have the same form as the original
    1. to claim that it is the fact that the original has the artist's own significant form is to get too close to expressionist theories
3. portraits and lanscapes
  1. the first thing we see in a portrait or landscape is what it represents and not the formal qualities
    1. knowing the subject of a portrait can improve our appreciation of it
  2. art has an important place in life - that formalism neglects
    1. do we value Guernica by Picasso only for it's formal qualities? Or do we value it for its effect on society - representing the horror of war
4. ready-made objects
  1. does not account for ready-made art that does not have form in mind
    1. e.g. Duchamp's Fountain and Emin's My Bed
5. circular
  1. significant form and aesthetic emotion define each other
6. religious or moral art
  1. cathedrals were built to promote Christianity
  2. works of art can display communication of religious or social meanings

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	Created by lucy-hook about 11 years ago