The Fine Arts Reduced to a Sin
The Fine Arts Reduced to a Single Principle?The theory that all art is imitation is a good starting point to deciphering what exactly art is, but it is not the cornerstone, contrary to Plato, Aristotle, and Batteux's beliefs may be. Batteaux's Single Principle of the fine arts suggests that all art is imitation of beautiful nature conveyed through colours, relief, and attitudes. An obvious counter argument to that theory is music. As one of the fine arts Music in general is not imitative. Possibly earlier chanting rituals could be related to imitative animal sounds, as Carroll suggests, and even Rap artists from today such as DMX might fit in this category; who imitate animal so
In each philosophy's time, I'm sure they were fairly accurate in their theory of their art, but to think of relating these primitive theories to today's art is absurd to say the least. But to suggest that symphonies that were in existence at the time of Batteaux's text are imitative is absurd. Just as there is art that is about something, there is art that is not about anything, just beautiful meaningless art. To be able to classify such difficult art pieces such as ready-mades is an impressive feat, but all art is not cooperative with this theory either. Most of the early theories on art are irrelevant to today's work, the definitions don't seem to have a very long shelf life as the artists are constantly trying to out do the philosophers. Any normal piece of art will fit into the Neo-representational classification system, from early religious paintings like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescos, to Piet Mondrian's Composition with Yellow, Red, and Blue the artist made them to be about something, they had meaning. There cannot be a single definition for all forms of art today. To say that art has to be about something is very accurate, art has a purpose, it is created for a reason, therefore it is about something. Any low cost living community is functional architecture, and architecture is art, therefore any architect who claims to be an artist that makes vernacular or ordinary architecture is not making those houses about anything, but for something. Neo-representationalism is the closest theory of art in the first readings. To classify all art under one category is a daunting and in my opinion futile task. unds in their music, whether it be by barking, or even cooing like a pigeon. Consider all the different genres of art, from music to painting to sculpture to dance to film, and then from there, divide those into their own respective genres, abstract, symbolist, surrealist, et al.
Common topics in this essay:
Single Principle,
Red Blue,
theory art,
Aristotle Batteux's,
fine arts,
Sistine Chapel,
art imitation,
single principle,
animal sounds,
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