Interpretation
of John Dewey Art as Experience.
Philosophies and theories have diverged from
meaningful insights of art. Art consists
of living human experiences, and it contributes directly to the enrichment of
life. To often, ideas of artistic works
are focused on objects rather than experiences.
Artifacts and works are removed from their place of utility, and they lose
significant contextual references. There
is also a tendency to accept great works of art without question. These works have taken on auras of their own,
and again, they are viewed primarily as objects, rather than human experiences
that inspired them. In short, theories
tend to focus on objects of art instead of realizing the splendor of human
experiences that infuse them.
Artistic
endeavors are present in any human activity where the author produces works
with satisfaction, care and authenticity.
It can range from the child engaged in a drawing, to the laborer and to
the artist. Movies, music, comic strips
and many other mediums are generally not considered art. These notions are in error, but current social
attitudes only view art as things found in museums. Works found in museums, or placed
on pedestals, no longer consider everyday experiences, and they become
impediments to understanding and experiencing the essence art.
The
value of art has been confused as esthetic experience has replaced “the normal
processes of living.” Most ancient
artifacts were once objects of utility and communal importance. In their time, they were “enhancements of
the processes of everyday life” and they reflected “all the rhythmic crises
that punctuate the stream of living.” We have the ability to experience and explore
the very essence of life from another culture, but we do not. Instead, we objectify the human experience
and reduce the work to an object of beauty or craft.
The human connections and experiences
are lost as objects are removed from their cultural and utilitarian
environments that inspired them.
We
need to understand that art is created from the normal experiences of life. People do not live within themselves. Our senses are specifically designed to
interact with the environment that is exterior to our being. Exchanges with our environment become the
forge of human experiences. Human life
is always in disorder as the world is indifferent and frequently hostile to us. These challenges throw us out of balance and
we are forced to adapt and reconcile change.
Emotion manifests when there is a break, actual or impending, in our
equilibrium. These breaks force personal
reflection. It is our nature to adjust
and reconcile discord through emotion, and to reflect on those objects that are
the causation of our conflict. These
changes, and our reactions to them, “interlock and sustain one another,” and
they form coherence and endurance over time.
Tension with our environment, or constantly finding resolution against
resistance and change, are at the heart of the human experience. We are able to
feel esthetic qualities because of the rhythms and discordances of everyday life,
and those qualities are intensified when we move from a state of disturbance to
that of resolution and harmony.
When
conflict arises we rely on our memories of harmony and they become our motivation
for finding resolution. However, our
memories and our ability to perceive innumerable possible outcomes can
interfere with our resolutions. It is
our nature to reflect on the past and focus on lost opportunities, or wishes
that we had taken alternate courses of action.
The future rushes on us and we fret about all of the possible
outcomes. The past can become a
wasteland of regret and the future can overwhelm us with worry. When in this cycle, we attempt to arouse
passions of the future to satiate past regrets.
Both behaviors serve little purpose and foster illusory forms of
resolution. However, we have the ability
to learn from the past and forge a more meaningful future. When we are fully
present, living in the here and now, we find equilibrium where the “past
reinforces the present” and works to manifest insights that deepen our future. Art celebrates these moments of temporal
equilibrium, creativity and problem solving.
People
grow through the “essential conditions of life,” both great and small. Art is a reflection of human growth as we
learn to adapt and resolve discordances between the environment and ourselves. This cycle deepens our understanding and
allows us to move forward with greater certainty and understanding.
Works
Cited
Dewey,
John. Art as Experience. Art 623, Aesthetics. Tiffin University.
N.d. Web. Nov 6, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment