The Expression Theory of Art - Essay Example

Expression Theory The question of what is art has been explored for ages. While some consider it to be merely an expression of beauty, others feel it has a more meaningful context, often conveying ideas and concepts that are difficult to communicate otherwise. According to Cynthia Freeland in her book But is it Art?, “art is a branch of meaningful human activity through which people with minds can communicate.”1 To more specifically answer the question of what is art, several theories have been brought forward by a host of artists, philosophers, scientists and others, each of which focus upon a specific aspect of the process of art. Sometimes these theories focus solely upon the creation process of the artwork while other theories focus more upon the receiving process of the audience. Still other theories range around the concepts between these extremes, from the way in which the thoughts, feelings, ideas or other communicated goals are transferred from the artist’s mind to the canvas, musical score or movement, captured within that medium and then transferred to an audience. As is evident from the range of these theories, the role of the individual artist has been explored, as has the role of the audience, but another aspect of the creation of art that has played a significant role in the investigation of what is art is the role of the ideologies and customs inherent in the society in which the artwork is created as well as that which is receiving it, which do not always have similar outlooks. A prime example of this can be found in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. As it was being painted, depictions of nudes were completely acceptable and natural but only a few years later they were considered indecent and were given flowing garments to cover the more objectionable parts.2 While it has not been agreed upon which is the most important function of art, most all theorists agree that art does convey meaning either cognitively or expressively. The expressive theory of art contends that art conveys its meaning primarily through an appeal to the senses of its audience, evoking specific emotions and feelings intended either consciously or unconsciously by the artist and capable of conveying even complex ideas such as the existence of God or the power of the mind. As defined by Freeland,3 the ‘expression theory’ as it pertains to art is based on the concept that art is intended to communicate something to the viewer that is focused upon exacting an emotion or feeling. This is accomplished through careful use of line and color as well as specific content, motion and other attributes dependent on and specific to the particular form of art in question. It is equally applicable to paintings, music, sculpture and literature. The idea that art can express specific feelings and emotions, often to a high degree, is widely recognized among critics and laypersons alike, but the specific components by which that emotion is captured, premeditated, felt by the artist and expressed within the work are also widely argued. While Freeland indicates Tolstoy’s theory was originally one of expressing an emotion felt by the artist and then illustrated for the audience, she argues that the artist, in the creation of a work of art that might take months or even years to complete, could not possibly be expressing a single emotion experienced throughout these sometimes lengthy creation processes. Instead, the emotional expression becomes a part of the work itself, sometimes only emerging once the artwork is completed rather than being the result of the artist’s mood while creating. Intermediate theories abound as well, such as Freud’s theory that the emotion expressed in art is the subconscious gratification of unrealized emotions within the artist. In addition, just how to define the term ‘emotions’ can be expanded into broader contexts that include the expression of ideas as the artist explores the feeling they have in the creation of the artwork. Just as the debate continues regarding just how much conscious effort has been put into the expressive attributes of an artwork by the artist him- or her-self, debate rages also about how audiences receive the feelings and thoughts of the artist. Freeland argues this can take place through four primary avenues – through direct transmission (Tolstoy), by recognizing a common fantasy (Freud), by sharing an episteme (Foucault) or by a process of language-like interpretation (Goodman).4 While Foucault’s concept of an episteme and Goodman’s concept of the language-like process of interpretation fall more within the boundaries of cognitive theories, they have some relevance in the discussion of the expression theories in that different societies’ functions, symbologies, traditions and understandings have bearing upon the extent and interpretations felt by the audiences of a particular piece. As the feelings and thoughts audiences have about specific materials, shapes, colors, symbols and contexts are formed by the environment in which they grew up in, so too do the emotions and feelings conveyed by a work of art change based upon the differences of this new society of audiences as compared to the audience from which the artwork originated. Similarly, scientific reinterpretation of theories of the mind have an impact upon how an audience will perceive a given object, set of objects or motions. To highlight not only how the intent of the artist is captured within an artwork, but also how the audience might receive it from an expressionistic point of view, Freeland provides a great deal of discussion into the concept of blood and other somewhat unusual media within the first chapter of her book. This discussion highlights the problem of using beauty as a prime indication of aesthetic value in a piece of art. The initial assumption that beauty must play a role in the formation of quality art was first introduced by Emmanuel Kant as he attempted to define aesthetics, or that quality in art that makes it art rather than something more mundane, in expressive terms. In this definition, he indicated that true beauty comes from an object not because of its purpose in serving humans, but rather through some innate portion of its form, line or color. Using the example of a rose, Freeland says “something about it’s array of colors and textures prompts my mental faculties to feel that the object is ‘right’. This rightness is what Kant means by saying that beautiful objects are purposive. We label an object beautiful because it promotes an internal harmony or ‘free play’ of our mental faculties, we call something ‘beautiful’ when it elicits this pleasure.”5 The enjoyment of beauty as it is thus described depends not on an enjoyment of the function of the thing, such as the rose to make our home smell nice or the strawberry to taste good, but must instead be based upon sheer appreciation of the form itself, a disinterested response free of any ulterior motives or thoughts. “In summary, for Kant the aesthetic is experienced when a sensuous object stimulates our emotions, intellect and imagination. These faculties are activated in ‘free play’ rather than in any more focused and studious way. The beautiful object appeals to our senses, but in a cool and detached way. A beautiful object’s form and design are the key to the all-important feature of ‘purposiveness without a purpose.’ We respond to the object’s rightness of design, which satisfies our imagination and intellect, even though we are not evaluating the object’s purpose.”6 However, the human imagination is capable of responding on a deep level to images and movements that are not typically classified as being beautiful just as the definition of beautiful may strongly depend upon the audience’s shared experience. Oftentimes, the artist is capable of using the beautiful in unique ways to achieve an effect that transcends questions of beauty or rightness, while still achieving a decidedly aesthetic approach. This is what is sought in those images Freeland discusses in which blood and other bodily fluids are used to achieve the affect desired. Far from being a new feature of art, blood has often been used in artworks to illustrate a variety of meanings, spanning everything from loss of innocence to devout worship, heroic honor to despicable evil. An early medieval image7 evokes feelings of compassion and pain as the focus is given to the bleeding wounds of Christ [see figure 1]. The bleeding hands of the Christ figure frame the more profusely bleeding wound in his side, as the blood trickles down his side to become lost within his garment and dribbling into the tomb. Even the bowed head, capped with its crown of thorns, illustrates droplets of blood encircling Jesus’ head. Because this image is seen from a shared Christian tradition, in which the sacrifice of Jesus is well-known and understood, the emotions associated with it are considered generally positive. Audiences see the image as an example of God’s love for them, an indication of a compassion that far exceeds their own and a promise of achieving life after death. The visible pain of the image takes on a shared experience as the pain of life while the peaceful background reinforces beliefs of a promised afterlife. Taken out of this Christian context, however, the image could mean something far different. A person without any knowledge of the Christian tradition may read a profound sense of sadness in the face of the Christ figure as well as an idea of the barbarity of the individual’s death. The holes in the hands are indicative of the crucifixion he suffered while the wound in his side indicates a sense of overkill. The thorny crown on his head further indicates a great deal of suffering experienced by this individual. The free-flowing blood as well as the paleness of his skin indicates a man who should be dead rather than standing in a tomb, which could evoke a sense of profound distress in an uninformed viewer. While a sense of horror may not immediately be invoked upon this viewer, a sense of something wrong in the brutality of the murder, the fact that the man is standing upright in his grave and the peaceful nature of the background can easily suggest something opposite of what was intended or felt by the artist. Freeland uses more recent art to examine the aesthetics of what makes art, though. In her discussion, she includes the artwork of Andres Serrano, particularly his photograph entitled Piss Christ8 [see figure 2] to illustrate how the use of body fluids, typically not associated with thoughts of beauty, was used to evoke a profound emotional reaction among the audience. The image depicts a small crucifix, a wooden looking cross with a plastic figure of Jesus attached, apparently floating freely in a reddish-gold liquid, identified only by the title of the piece. Tiny bubbles somewhat obscure the details of the object itself, but add their own touch of emotion to the piece, suggesting an ethereal moment and highlighting the subtle differences in lighting that seems to place the Jesus figure in a sort of heavenly spotlight. Viewing this photograph strictly with the emotions the images present forces one to acknowledge the beauty of the crucifix itself, the pain of the figure’s death, the enlightenment brought about as a result and the heavenly duty he is fulfilling. The reddish tinge to the fluid gives the suggestion of the blood that has been spilt. It is a frozen moment, a profound passage and a deeply personal event that is occurring. Just what that event is has been left open to interpretation. The suggestion of the type of fluid involved, the artist’s urine, caused many to react much differently than this peaceful, reflective moment seems to hope to inspire. Emotionally, those who follow in the Western Christian tradition may feel as if one of their most profound symbols has been desecrated by being pictured floating in such a base substance which may lead them to reflect that the modern institutions have done just this to their most profound beliefs. Others may refuse to reflect this far and instead simply interpret the image as an attack upon their feelings. Still others, who have grown up in a similar environment as Serrano, may feel that this type of submersion in the bodily fluids indicates a much closer relationship with their beliefs as something that is a fundamental part of them. This reflection on the ideas that are meant to be inspired through the emotion of the piece crosses into the realm of cognition yet, because it is based upon the emotional response, remains expressive. The expressive theory, then, deals not only with the emotions and feelings that are evoked through a particular work of art, but also with the ideas and thoughts that these emotions give rise to as a result of their combined experience. The ambiguous concept of beauty is also not necessarily a prerequisite for a work of art to be considered as such. In each of the examples presented, it has been shown that the various emotions evoked by the combined images presented within a work can have a great deal of impact, stimulating both emotions and intellect without relying upon extra-textual interpretation. Although differences in cultures, backgrounds, experiences, traditions and socially agreed upon symbols may exist, a degree of interpretation and understanding can be achieved even in the most unpleasant images, such as a boundless container of urine or a gushing wound. As Freeland suggests, these emotions are evoked through a specific presentation of line, form, color and symbols that help to communicate the overall impression the artist is hoping to convey. Even when the context of the piece is misunderstood, it can still function to convey specific emotions and feelings to an audience well removed in time and space from the creator. While the debate regarding what is art may continue to be argued throughout future centuries as it has been in the past, one thing remains sure – no answer to the question can avoid the concept that art, in whatever shape, form, sound or motion, must make some appeal to the emotions if it is to be accepted as art of any quality. References “Christ Standing in the Tomb.” (15th Century). Artist Unknown. Available March 14, 2007 from Freeland, Cynthia. (2002). But is it Art? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Serrano, Andres. (1989). Piss Christ. Available March 14, 2007 from West, Shearer. (1996). The Bulfinch Guide to Art History: A Comprehensive Survey and Dictionary of Western Art and Architecture. Boston: Bulfinch Press. Appendix Figure 1 Figure 2 Read More