Analysis of Art, Self and Knowledge by Lehrer - Book Report/Review Example

Art, self and knowledge The book Art, self and knowledge engages the work of art and articulates on how the interpretation of artwork varies depending on certain elements that are present in different works. Despite most of these elements being true, some of the explanation is not satisfactory. Lehrer disembarks upon a journey of using theories such as exemplarization in the work of art; this denotes how the use of exemplars in artwork as a representation of certain experience helps the person viewing artwork to grasp the concept of what the artwork is about (Lehrer 45). The views about art expressed by Lehrer in most chapters are fascinating in that they let one create a new idea based on what artwork is supposed to be. This essay will focus on some chapters discussed in the book and articulately concur or disagree with the expressions in the book. Chapter 1 In chapter one of the book, there is vast explanation on how one gets to know and accurately understand the work of visual art. Lehrer in the book explains that it is only through visual experience of art that one could achieve the proper detail and perceive the true intention of the artist (Lehrer 49). The chapter further articulates that one cannot make out or create a proper perception of artwork by audio reception. The ideology that the author of the book shares here is quite proper in that the visual perception of art is most convenient for anyone who wants to achieve the proper experience of the world of art. Anyone would agree with the author on the idea that when one gets the first glimpse of the work of art, he does not have to make out the representational value and achieve the overall experience of the artwork. The idea of artwork then is incorporated using the exemplar in the art work. In many situations, it is true that on the first glimpse of the artwork, there is something that is known about whatever the artist is trying to express. This is what the author is trying to portray as exemplar. Using the known aspect of the art, one could then create an idea on whatever the artwork may seek to represent. In the art work; Interior scroll by Carolee shneemann, the first aspect that one gets is nudity then one notices futher that it’s a woman. Using the exemplarization ideology, one will understand that the artwork portrays something about feminism. By this, one then understand Lehrer’s ideology, which is through perception that the value of artwork unfolds. Upon understanding that an artwork goes by the name interior scroll, and the work is displayed in a woman’s nude form, he will understand the aspect of the artwork. Scrolls are items which were inscribed with words and were used to send messages. Through this understanding, a nude woman holding a scroll that seems to be running from her lower body can only be taken to be sending some message about her womanhood and illustrating it in form of art. Then, it is only true to assume that the first chapter of the book is an eye opener on why most people tend to judge the art work by the first glimpse and make out the rest of the art parts based on it. Therefore, when the author stipulates that art change the content, the only implication is that art is something that already exists in the mind and upon viewing something visually, the individual’s perception of what he wants the artwork to be about, thus creating art from the art. Chapter 2 In chapter two of the book art, self and knowledge there is the aspect of consciousness exemplars and art. The interesting aspect of this chapter is the ideology that the author is trying to express and put through. The author argues that art history is the aspect that contributes towards the understanding built in the current time artwork (Lehrer 53). This makes one to understand that as much as an artist may deem the element of bringing out a certain element in his work, it cannot be deemed as original since it is in most situation based on an already establish technique from previous works. From the expression here the author implicatively argues out that whoever gave out representational value of art are those who followed the previous art techniques and chose to adapt them. Grey in artwork has in most situations been used to represent time and vagueness, this representational value has been then adapted by most artists, but who then is to say that the first artist to use grey meant its impact to be the same in his artwork? Over time as people view the older artworks from certain art movements, they tend to perceive and relate the elements they choose to view as representational, through adapting these elements and incorporating them in their own artworks, the elements tend to remain part of the conventional representation in art. In chapter 2, the author’s argument on the conscious state is correct when he argues that the conscious state is activated when attention is drawn to it. This means that when one is viewing a piece of art, the choice of understanding what the exemplar representation of the artwork is only based on the focal point of the artwork. Therefore, it is proper to note that when one views a piece of art, judging on the other pieces that he has seen before and judging from the manner the other pieces of art are said to be represented, he will then base the art’s representational value. The author introduces the aspect of aesthetic attention in this chapter; the author argues that the aesthetic attention is the aspect of conscious experience of the artwork. By the utilization of the aesthetic experience, one builds up the exemplars in art work. In this chapter, it is therefore only true to say that, the author has justified his arguments by appreciating the works of art. This is true in that by observation, having prior experience and knowledge on the idealism enables the person viewing the art make out the artwork elements and basis (Lehrer 65). Despite the chapter illustrating this aspect in a positive light, it can also qualify to negate the fundamentals of art. The mind is considerably the element that creates and identifies art, therefore, for artwork consideration; the ideology should be diverse in that one person’s perception should be different in another person on similar art. This is to say that if the art world was not propagated in a way that leads art enthusiast to believe that all people should share similar perspective on the art values, the art pieces would achieve the element of diversity. My logic in the diversity of artwork therefore ignites Lehrer’s principles of exemplarization. This logic is driven to postulate that one bases the overall experience of artwork judging on exemplars or better yet what he already knows about the art. However, what is already known about the art is in most situation borrowed from what other people have speculated before, therefore disqualifies as being an ‘original exemplar’. Chapter 3 In the third chapter of the book the emphasis is focused on the aesthetic theory, the feminist art and autonomy. The author postulates the idealism whereby content of art such as performance is directed to create content. The main idealism being stipulated is how the viewer watching a performance art gets to appreciate the content that he sees. Therefore, the author the intends to mean that as one watches the performance art, the content is based on whatever is contained and created in a certain space. The depiction of what is being portrayed as form of art could then be established by determining the distinction of what is contained in the space and what is not. Therefore, the concept being revealed is the idea that the world is a chaotic form of art that if one is to make sense of the aspects and elements; he has to first create distinctions from which he could build up the conceptual view. The concept that Lehrer appeals to is easily agreeable because he describes the nature of the world. One has to be able to create distinction on what is irrelevant and build up on the relevant aspect of the world in the quest to understand what art comprises. The author also postulates that dance, as art is the only form where the viewer creates content from the movement of the illustrator as it unfolds. This postulation could be related to the idealism that the author brings out in the first chapter of the book whereby he postulates that the visual experience of art is better than the audio as it allows one’s perception to consider the exemplar elements. Chapter 4 The forth chapter of the book is interesting in that the author tries to stipulate what is considered the value of the art. The first element that is put under scrutiny and consideration in any given art is what gives the artwork value . Artwork is designed in such a way that allows them to express and to bring forth certain emotions as the artist’s intention. From the exemplarization theory, it would be true to assume that the emotion that the art viewers experience will certainly vary from one person to another. The emotional value might be different from one person to another thus the impact of the artwork may not be the same. The author; Lehrer, then postulates that if one is to deduce and make out something, there are ways through which a creation can be deemed as art. One of these ways as mentioned above is through considering if the material is sends some information and provokes certain thought to the people who observe. One would tend to agree with this argument in that artwork has to be goal driven (Lehrer 98). If one creates something that is senseless and has no deeper meaning and intensity, it cannot be regarded as art. Art is diverse and in most situations it invokes deep thoughts to the people as it is purpose driven. The author denotes that the value of art resides in the relationship between the observer and the artwork itself. This could be taken from a different angle to understand that the aesthetic value that the artist chooses to add in his artwork is completely irrelevant if the relationship between the viewer and the artwork is different. This logic then leaves one to understand that whoever awards artwork its value is the viewer rather than the art creator himself. The art creator might be responsible for directing the consciousness and attention by creation of exemplars in his own artwork, but the overall value lies in the responsibility of the art viewer who, basing the art by the element of exemplarization, will determine the value that the artwork deserves. An artist may choose to bring out the political, moral or hedonistic value. To do this, he creates the pointers, which will be the exemplars. Conclusion The value of art then is the reason why any art enthusiast may allocate his time to view a piece of art. From this essay, one is to understand that for a person to appreciate art, he should be able to appreciate independent exemplar judging on his own perception as opposed to the one shared by other people who have viewed the piece of art and awarded it value. In the world of art, the important thing is for artists to understand how to get through the viewer in an easier way and using such elements as those that have been utilized by previous art movement. Every artist should then be geared towards understanding what comprises of good art and through it create values that can be adapted for the years to come. Work cited Lehrer, Keith, Art, self and knowledge, Oxford scholarship online, 2012.Print. Read More