Now a question I pose, can emotions be the driving factor in everything in life, from art to leisure activities?
Absolutely. Emotion drives us to do everything in life. Art would not exist without human emotion. Leisure activities cannot be brought on unless human emotion drives us to perform these activities. For the most part we do things because we want to. Even taking on an arduous task in a workplace we do because we want to, otherwise we would not be working at all. However, instinct also plays into this. Without instinct we cannot act on our emotions. Instinct is the driving force behind all emotion, but in the end emotion will play the larger role.
Do you agree with this idea?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Response to Kurt
Would applying other senses, such as touch and smell, to art increase the observer's ability to experience it?
This is an interesting question. Certainly touch and smell can add to the aesthetic pleasure of any creation. When someone takes a walk in the woods touch and smell play a huge role as well as visual. Visual pleasure is quite obviously the largest factor of visual art, however, interactive art is important. Being able to touch a piece of art will make the observer more enthusiastic about the piece and possibly easier to understand the work. A piece of art within a scented room may create a more real life experience for the observer. So yes, I would agree that other senses incorporated with visual arts will give the art more meaning and memory for the observer.
This is an interesting question. Certainly touch and smell can add to the aesthetic pleasure of any creation. When someone takes a walk in the woods touch and smell play a huge role as well as visual. Visual pleasure is quite obviously the largest factor of visual art, however, interactive art is important. Being able to touch a piece of art will make the observer more enthusiastic about the piece and possibly easier to understand the work. A piece of art within a scented room may create a more real life experience for the observer. So yes, I would agree that other senses incorporated with visual arts will give the art more meaning and memory for the observer.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Paulo Coelho -Revised
I was not specific enough while explaining how I related Coelho's work to art. In fact, I was sloppy, careless, and rushed.
Looking back and re-reading my work I do agree that love is rarely the emotion an artist feels for his or her creation. I was referring to the origins of art, rather than the emotion behind a work of art. Why does an artist paint, write, perform...? Certainly not because they dislike creating art. There are different types of love. The love we have towards the people around us should not exist in this conversation. It was never meant to, and I am sorry for this misunderstanding. The love I am speaking of is the love an artist has for art. This love is not passion because it extends far beyond the reaches of passion. The love is material and borderline obsessive. The emotion behind an art object can be derived from any emotion, but no matter an artist has a true love for what they do.
Weitz defines art as an impossible definition. I strongly agree with this on some level. No one will ever be able to agree on a definition and I often ask why people bother trying to define an impossible definition. The idea of a miracle does not exist in one's life until the miracle occurs. When this miracle occurs, wherever and however it may, we do not know how or why it happens. We only know that a miracle has taken place. In Coelho's novel human love is spoken of as a miracle. Several small miracles take place, but these miracles could never take place without love. At one point in the book it is stated that love is miracle. To me, all forms of love are miracles.
This is where I tied art and miracle together. An artist does not know why they create art. It is an unexplained love of creating. Something which is unexplained, but incredible (in a good way) I choose to put under the category of miracle. This love an artist feels towards what they do is a miracle. You do not have to agree with me, I just wanted to properly define what I should have defined before. I was not trying to define art, only the origins of art.
Looking back and re-reading my work I do agree that love is rarely the emotion an artist feels for his or her creation. I was referring to the origins of art, rather than the emotion behind a work of art. Why does an artist paint, write, perform...? Certainly not because they dislike creating art. There are different types of love. The love we have towards the people around us should not exist in this conversation. It was never meant to, and I am sorry for this misunderstanding. The love I am speaking of is the love an artist has for art. This love is not passion because it extends far beyond the reaches of passion. The love is material and borderline obsessive. The emotion behind an art object can be derived from any emotion, but no matter an artist has a true love for what they do.
Weitz defines art as an impossible definition. I strongly agree with this on some level. No one will ever be able to agree on a definition and I often ask why people bother trying to define an impossible definition. The idea of a miracle does not exist in one's life until the miracle occurs. When this miracle occurs, wherever and however it may, we do not know how or why it happens. We only know that a miracle has taken place. In Coelho's novel human love is spoken of as a miracle. Several small miracles take place, but these miracles could never take place without love. At one point in the book it is stated that love is miracle. To me, all forms of love are miracles.
This is where I tied art and miracle together. An artist does not know why they create art. It is an unexplained love of creating. Something which is unexplained, but incredible (in a good way) I choose to put under the category of miracle. This love an artist feels towards what they do is a miracle. You do not have to agree with me, I just wanted to properly define what I should have defined before. I was not trying to define art, only the origins of art.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Paulo Coelho
In Paulo Coelho's novel "By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" I was moved by the captivating love story of Pilar and an unnamed character. The book is truly about opening the heart to miracle. I decided to compare one of Coelho's greatest works to art. If we open our hearts to love and miracles, then isn't that the same thing as opening our hearts to art. Art is a miracle we are touched by on a daily basis. It is nearly impossible to move through the day without seeing at least one work of art. The miracle is love. An artist creates their piece out of love, so therefore art is love and love is a miracle. Art is miracle.
Definition of Art
I choose to define art as risk.
Risk is what gets us from point A to point B. Without risk everything in life would be impossible. An artist takes a risk by daring to sketch out his or her own imagination so it will become a tangible object for all to see. We fall in love with our risks and are able to create art out of our love for risk taking. The fear of criticism virtually disappears as an artist moves through creating his or her creation without second thought. Only after creating a work of art can an artist second guess themselves and wonder, “Should I have done this?” “Perhaps this should be a more personal work of art.” The moment an artist makes any intrusion on the work of art they just completed, the original idea is lost and ruined.
Risk is what gets us from point A to point B. Without risk everything in life would be impossible. An artist takes a risk by daring to sketch out his or her own imagination so it will become a tangible object for all to see. We fall in love with our risks and are able to create art out of our love for risk taking. The fear of criticism virtually disappears as an artist moves through creating his or her creation without second thought. Only after creating a work of art can an artist second guess themselves and wonder, “Should I have done this?” “Perhaps this should be a more personal work of art.” The moment an artist makes any intrusion on the work of art they just completed, the original idea is lost and ruined.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Emotion
What is the most important part of the thought process?
I would answer this with emotion. It is emotion that sparks everything else because humans feel emotion and therefore we are motivated to act on our emotions. It is almost like a cause and effect. We feel a certain way about something, our natural instincts kick in forcing us to use prior knowledge, we then turn to our imaginations to be creative and intuitive. From this experience we grow and understand as life long learners. Without emotion we have no imagination or creativity. Knowledge will not exist because experience will not exist. We would never understand why art is so important to our lives. It is true that instinct comes prior to emotion, but without emotion would we use our instincts?
I would answer this with emotion. It is emotion that sparks everything else because humans feel emotion and therefore we are motivated to act on our emotions. It is almost like a cause and effect. We feel a certain way about something, our natural instincts kick in forcing us to use prior knowledge, we then turn to our imaginations to be creative and intuitive. From this experience we grow and understand as life long learners. Without emotion we have no imagination or creativity. Knowledge will not exist because experience will not exist. We would never understand why art is so important to our lives. It is true that instinct comes prior to emotion, but without emotion would we use our instincts?
Opera
On Saturday April 30th I saw my first opera. True, I have seen operas on DVD prior to this performance, but it is nothing compared to watching the live opera. A group of incredibly lucky students and myself were chosen to go on this trip of a lifetime to the Metropolitan Opera House. This is a day I will never forget. We saw the opera "Il Trovatore" by Giuseppe Verdi that afternoon and were truly blown away by the experience. Every member of the audience felt the same way. These singers were true artists. I could feel their passion for the art form from my seat one hundred feet away. Opera is art, everyone who contributes to help these stories unfold before our eyes is an artist because they have a passion for one of humankind's most beautiful creations.
Having the opportunity to speak with the artists I noticed that they too were not only doing this because it was a job, but they are in love with what they do. Emotion poured out of their mouths as they became the roles they were given. I could sense the emotion, I even cried at the end when nearly all of the principle characters tragically died on-stage. I have never witnessed such a magnificent work of art in my entire life.
What is the most magnificent work of art you have ever seen? Why?
Having the opportunity to speak with the artists I noticed that they too were not only doing this because it was a job, but they are in love with what they do. Emotion poured out of their mouths as they became the roles they were given. I could sense the emotion, I even cried at the end when nearly all of the principle characters tragically died on-stage. I have never witnessed such a magnificent work of art in my entire life.
What is the most magnificent work of art you have ever seen? Why?
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