Art Quiz 3

[Jonathan]

Rand wrote:

Now a word of warning about the criteria of esthetic judgment. A sense of life is the source of art, but it is not the sole qualification of an artist or of an esthetician, and it is not a criterion of esthetic judgment. Emotions are not tools of cognition. Esthetics is a branch of philosophy—and just as a philosopher does not approach any other branch of his science with his feelings or emotions as his criterion of judgment, so he cannot do it in the field of esthetics. A sense of life is not sufficient professional equipment. An esthetician—as well as any man who attempts to evaluate art works—must be guided by more than an emotion.

The fact that one agrees or disagrees with an artist’s philosophy is irrelevant to an esthetic appraisal of his work qua art. One does not have to agree with an artist (nor even to enjoy him) in order to evaluate his work. In essence, an objective evaluation requires that one identify the artist’s theme, the abstract meaning of his work (exclusively by identifying the evidence contained in the work and allowing no other, outside considerations), then evaluate the means by which he conveys it—i.e., taking his theme as criterion, evaluate the purely esthetic elements of the work, the technical mastery (or lack of it) with which he projects (or fails to project) his view of life...

Look at the art below, then:

1. Identify, per Rand's requirements above, the "artist's theme" of each of the artworks, exclusively by identifying the evidence contained in the work and allowing no other, outside considerations.

2. Identify each artist's "view of life."

J

[Newberry]

"Identify each artist's "view of life.""

I think there is some confusion about this. Jonathan, don't you think that an artist can have different moods, different "sense of life feelings" for different works? I have never understood Rand's comments to mean otherwise.

[Jonathan]

"Identify each artist's "view of life.""

I think there is some confusion about this. Jonathan, don't you think that an artist can have different moods, different "sense of life feelings" for different works? I have never understood Rand's comments to mean otherwise.

I don't think that your notions of "moods" and "sense of life feelings" are the same thing as Rand's concepts of "sense of life," "metaphysical value-judgments," "view of life" or "view of existence." I've seen nothing in Rand's philosophical writings to indicate that she meant anything other than that an artist projects his essential or comprehensive view of existence. I think her view was that an artist has one "sense of life," one overall view of existence which, when presented in his art, answers such questions as, "Can man find happiness, or is he doomed to frustration and despair? Does he have the power to choose his goals and achieve them, or is he a helpless plaything of forces beyond his control? Is man, by nature, to be valued as good, or to be despised as evil?"

So, no, it is not my view that Rand believed that a person could have different moods and feelings about what she considered to be the fundamental metaphysical concerns that art deals with.

J

Edited May 13, 2008 by Jonathan

[Wolf DeVoon]

Jeez, I hate tests.

1. Pleasure. Reverence for the human experience and our place in the natural world.

2. War. The terrible burden of responsibility.

3. Quiessence or quietude, bordering on death. Respectful.

4. Simple living, well ordered life. A bit 'second-handing' I'd say, playing to his culture.

5. The drama of creation. Tense energy and urge to dare greatly.

6. Respect and honor. Remarkable use of first-person POV here, not unlike my own technique in film.

7. Madness. Incomplete, which is interesting and thematically integral.

8. Motherhood. Benevolent view of art qua art.

Sigh. (edited to correct a typo)

BTW, I've never seen any of these works before, don't know the artists, spent about 10 mins on it.

Edited May 13, 2008 by Wolf DeVoon

[william.scherk]

Look at the art below, then:

1. Identify, per Rand's requirements above, the "artist's theme" of each of the artworks, exclusively by identifying the evidence contained in the work and allowing no other, outside considerations.

2. Identify each artist's "view of life."

The innocence of the freshly waxed human. Neutral view or sense of life: if you disarrange your hair just so, a bird will light upon you.

Children are a difficult responsibility. Malevolent view of life: this is what my husband was like on the Saturdays when I had to work at the mall

Flowers carry a hint of evil. Malevolent view of life, with exceptions: a human built this bouquet, a socialist human, for the May Day celebrations

Even stumpheaded, one-legged boaters have rights. Malevolent view of life: faceless eurocrats sell our marine shipping industry down the river

Ladies are the true Atlases. Malevolent view of life: it takes four bare-breasted females (one of them Asian) to hold up the globe.

Divorce is an option. Malevolent sense of life: Although rich and resplendent, the menfolk are sometimes served teeny portions when mom is in a snit

Life is cruel. Malevolent sense of life: If you drop your last sandwich in the river, you are doomed.

Life is short and cruel. Malevolent sense of life: I could have finished this bust, but I realized the chin axis didn't match the forehead

Edited May 13, 2008 by william.scherk

[Jonathan]

The innocence of the freshly waxed human. Neutral view or sense of life: if you disarrange your hair just so, a bird will light upon you.

Wrong. The "artist's theme" is a woman mindlessly entertaining herself by playing with a pet. The artist's "view of life" is that thinking about serious matters is too hard, and that life should be an endless series of trivial indulgences and escapist distractions. The "sense of life" is not neutral, as you suggest, but pure, unadulterated evil. It's a vicious attack on all values.

Children are a difficult responsibility. Malevolent view of life: this is what my husband was like on the Saturdays when I had to work at the mall

Correct.

Flowers carry a hint of evil. Malevolent view of life, with exceptions: a human built this bouquet, a socialist human, for the May Day celebrations

Correct again. The painting is basically a propaganda poster for collectivist hegemony and genocide.

Even stumpheaded, one-legged boaters have rights. Malevolent view of life: faceless eurocrats sell our marine shipping industry down the river

Yes, it's like advocating "kneeling busses," only an aquatic version.

Ladies are the true Atlases. Malevolent view of life: it takes four bare-breasted females (one of them Asian) to hold up the globe.

Right. No rational woman would want to hold up the globe, but would instead want to worship the heroic masculinity of Atlas. The women, therefore, are lesbian feminists, and multiculturalists to boot. Disgusting and immoral.

Divorce is an option. Malevolent sense of life: Although rich and resplendent, the menfolk are sometimes served teeny portions when mom is in a snit

Exactly.

Life is cruel. Malevolent sense of life: If you drop your last sandwich in the river, you are doomed.

Nailed it.

Life is short and cruel. Malevolent sense of life: I could have finished this bust, but I realized the chin axis didn't match the forehead.

Congratulations. You got 7 out of 8. You're mostly objective when evaluating art.

J

[Jonathan]

BTW, I've never seen any of these works before, don't know the artists, spent about 10 mins on it.

Artworks 1, 3 and 7 are by Courbet - Woman with a Parrot, Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, and The Desperate Man (The Man Made by Fear).

2, 5 and 8 are by Carpeaux - Ugolino and His Sons, Four Parts of the Earth and Bacchante with Lowered Eyes.

4 and 6 are by Caillabotte - Perissoires and Luncheon.

Thanks for posting your views on the images.

J