Aesthetics and the Artistic Enterprise Re-Deconstructed

This title announces a discussion on some thorny issues in the theory of consciousness and the part that aesthetic experience may play in understanding the nature of human consciousness. In order to effect a discussion alternate views of consciousness will be posed by an identity known as the Constructive Reductor. In addition to this mysterious being, Dr. Joe Ferguson a clinical psychologist will comment as well. This looks like a lively format for some interesting discussion. I will be arguing for the importance of aesthetic experience in all of this and I imagine that Dr. Joe will offer some fascinating clinical points of view while the Constructive Reductor will take some extreme positions, I assume this from what he has written in an earlier dialog in the comment section on this blog.

Aesthetic Awareness In Daily Life

John Dewey, one of America's best known thinkers on the subject of aesthetic experience made us aware of the fact that aesthetic appreciation is a natural component of human awareness. From the piece of toast that is over-toasted to the coffee that is no longer hot, we appreciate a sense of amplitude and rightness in our daily life. When the rightness of taste is deprived we feel let down.

Taken in an art historical sense, we feel the desire to see a work of art which has been lifted to a level of refined elaboration (some would say perfection) and when we do see such a work, we feel fulfilled in a profound way by being taken into a world view created by a human hand.

As one artist put it, "we see man's hand on the land" which translates into the notion that we feel comforted to see the evidence that humankind can shape the land in positive ways rather than destroy it senselessly. Put another way, perceiving a work of art that has been shaped with the creative, analytical and practical thought and feeling of an aesthetically aware artistic consciousness provides a level of satisfaction that is difficult to explain.

A specific example that I can offer of this profound satisfaction in aestheticized perfection was the viewing of Michelangelo's Captive figures in the Academy of Florence this past summer. Far from being polished to a normal sheen these marble figures tug and turn out of rubble and only part of the figures received polish. The very contrast between rough and smooth stone and the putty-like color of the native stone bathed in light-- all of this yields an aesthetically satisfying experience that makes crisp toast and hot coffee seem like fairly unimportant concerns.

Yet, the sense of satisfaction that we feel when culinary things turn out right is in it's own way a prelude to the symphonic potential of masterfully produced works of art by the hand of man on the land or put yet another way-- the land of man on the hand.

Bill

Modern and Contemporary group project

As an off-site exam, each member of the study group needs to log a response to this posting. You will each enter a three-part set of observations to the: Form, theme and contextual aspects of a painting by Paul Klee. You will first select the work, then as you cite your textbook and class handout materials, you will each offer your personal observations to the work of art.

Under form, you will first note the title of the work, date it was created, media, and actual size, then you will proceed to make observations: about how it's size impacts it's expressive character, why the media works to heighten the mood, like-wise, the use of line, use of color, contrast, atmospheric treatments, general composition, brushwork and unique iconographic elements and so on.

Under theme, you will offer ideas about the meanings of the work and how these meaning emerge from the formal language of the work. Here we are after [content] in a work of art and how content is given a unique visual structure by Klee's knowing use of the elements of form. You should cite the text handouts as they offer a unique look into Klee's thematic interests, put these citings into "quote marks" and note the page and source.

Finally, under context you will again need to briefly cite the text and handouts discussing Paul Klee's artistic world view. You will offer insights into his personality and how Klee's personal view of life/reality/metaphysics etc. informed his formal language and his thematic choices. To make this simple this is where [in a biographical manner] you talk about Klee's artistic influences, childhood, love of narrative, story-telling, music, opera etc. In other words in this final part you will all offer thoughts on how Klee became- Klee the painter/story-teller.

In commenting on this blogsite, please leave your full name-- so that I can easily identify each group member and read their contributions to this off-site group exam.

Regards and enjoy the process,

Bill

Keith's All American Presentation

Keith Maclelland shared his passion and process of making illustative works devoted to the theme of the cult of the American Cowboy. What is fascinating about Keith and his approach to his theme is the rich range of materials, photographs and digital images he employs in his quest to understand what in fact a Cowboy is.

From the Rhinestone Cowboy, to outlaws and gunners on the run, our views of cowboys are as many and as complicated as life in America is complex and contradictory. I welcome comments and discussion on Keith's carefully crafted presentation as it applies to the use of the art object as a means of exploring complex ideas and the images that have been created to express these ideas.

Above all, as we move into Module 2 with it's focus on what the artist is and can do in society, lets reflect on how Keith and Dave Glen function as artists. How would you compare and contrast these two different artists and their range of interests? Can you see some common ethical concerns the two share? What differences do you see between Dave Glen's documentary approach to photography and the more exploratory collage approach of Keith Maclelland? How would you describe the aesthetic characteristics of these two artists?

Bill

Some final thoughts from David Glen

Hello, Everyone!

I Hope Bill doesn't mind my taking poll position in the blog to thank you all again for your thoughtful input regarding aesthetics and the documentary photograph. I have some final thoughts that I'd like to share with you, and these touch on just two issues.

The first is to do with historical responsibility. That we all--whether photographer, painter, illustrator, sculptor, or writer--have an impact on history is without question. For our work will be seen by future generations, and what our artwork contains will be used by our descendants in the ongoing process of understanding existence itself. As I have said elsewhere in the blog, all of us are setting down the visual evidence of our time for those who will come after us. In doing so, it is imperative that we tell the truth about what we see around us every day, whether with camera or brush, and that we connect with the heart of the matter on both an intellectual and an emotional level. We owe that to posterity because if we fail to tell the truth, are disingenuous in our motives, or manipulate facts, we violate the trust not just of those alive today but of future generations to come.

I believe very strongly in this and that it applies to ALL facets of the human condition. It even applies to the ethics of those who would represent us in government; of doctors who have sworn to put the lives and well-being of their patients first; of scientists and engineers in whose integrity we rely every time we step on an airplane, or drive a car.

When we look back on history, we have to rely on the fact that the photographers who were present in say Vietnam, or those in Iraq, were people of integrity, and that their work was not some kind of sordid manipulation of the truth for personal gain.

As you go on in life and pursue your art in whichever medium you have chosen, please remember always your integrity, your dedication to honest representation. Show that you really do care about issues, and always remember that child of the future who will one day stand and stare at your work and be changed forever.

The second thought is to do with taking sides. This is an extension of "caring about issues", and the good news is that we need not always focus on the tragic; we can also reveal the uplifting. One of the most overused words in the media today is "objectivity". It may seem odd to many of you when I say that I don't believe in absolute objectivity. It's just not possible to be wholly objective in anything. The very fact that we choose a specific topic for our art is subjective, and in choosing a subject I care about, I am by definition taking a side.

The great Dorothea Lange once wrote: "...documentary photography records the social scene of our time. It mirrors the present and documents the future. Its focus is man in relation to mankind. It records his customs at work, at war, at play, or his round of activities through 24 hours of the day, the cycle of the seasons or the span of a life. It portrays his institutions--family, church, government, political organizations, social clubs, labor unions. It shows not merely their facades, but seeks to reveal the manner in which they function, absorb the life, hold the loyalty, and influence the behavior of human beings. It is concerned with methods of work and the dependence of workmen on each other and their employers. It is preeminently suited to building a record of change."

This is true of all art. In my opinion, you MUST take a stance on the things you care about. The only part of "objectivity" that should apply is your unfailing effort to tell your visual story with absolute integrity. Just one work of art contributed in this way will rekindle our trust in humanity, and will leave the world a better place. It is for me the purest aesthetic.

Good luck to all of you!

David

Thanks from David Glen

Hello Everyone...thanks so much for having me speak to you on Thursday. I thoroughly enjoyed your participation and feedback, and I will be responding to some of your comments over this weekend.

In the meantime, if any of you wish to discuss aesthetics as it relates to photography, or indeed any aspect related to our discussions, please feel free to post comments on the aesthetics blog site.

Many thanks again.

David Glen

Introduction to David Glen

Hello, Everyone!

I'm David Glen and will be visiting your aesthetics class on Thursday, February 21, and am looking forward to talking with you.

I thought I would give you a little background on who I am before we meet.

I am a documentary photographer and investigative journalist and was born in Kenya, East Africa, in 1953.

I attended a private boarding school in Northern Kenya, and thereafter attended Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland. At the age of fifteen, I went to work as an apprentice in the heavy engineering division of the Iron and Steel Corporation of South Africa (ISCOR) in Vanderbijlpark, near Johannesburg. I later moved to Cape Town where I found a love for mountaineering and photography.

I first visited the Himalayas in 1973 at the age of twenty, reaching the South Col at 26,000 feet on Mount Everest with just one Sherpa companion. I spent a further five weeks climbing in the vicinity of Cho Oyu and Pumori indulging my love for photography, and developed a long term affection for the region and its Sherpa people. I'm still a frequent visitor to the Himalayas.

I've also spent long periods shooting documentary photography in a variety of countries. I've lived in Saudi Arabia, and have travelled on assignments in Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, the Gulf States, Egypt, India, Nepal, the remote Kingdom of Mustang (now part of Nepal), Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Costa Rica, the great southern ice caps of Chilean Patagonia, Russia, and more recently the Balkan states of Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Romania, and Hungary.

I now devote the majority of my documentary work to the poignant issue of child trafficking and the exploitation of children, increasing awareness of the insidious rise of this pandemic throughout the world. I am currently producing a photo journal entitled “Little People, Big Business” which looks critically at the plight of exploited and endangered children at the start of the 21st Century.

I hope to have an open dialogue with you about the aesthetic value in documentary photography citing three or four of my own icons in this field. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or otherwise post comments either before or after my presentation on Thursday.

I'll also post one or two images in advance to whet your appetite which we can discuss in class.

David Glen