Established philosophical notions of 'Beauty' in virtue of aesthetic properties and aesthetic values.
Let me explain the established notions of beauty in painting and interpretation thereon by different scholars.
Painting is a perception and valuation of visual form. Its nature is to derive its value through visual forms. It’s an artist personal expression. It has an analogical and interpretive issues raised by the different forms in different culture.
Painting is a physical object prepared with different kind of colours and materials. As anything physical is subject to decay, its reformation and conservation always arises.
In painting ‘BEAUTY’ offers us pleasure.
Beauty possess two concepts of values : Aesthetic and taste.
Aesthetic is a philosophical notion of beauty and beauty is a disposition to produce pleasure in virtue of aesthetic values and aesthetic properties.
Aesthetic values is the value that an object, event or state of affair possess in virtue of its capacity to elicit pleasure (Positive Value) or displeasure (Negative Value) when appreciated or experienced aesthetically.
Value is based on its appearance and emotional responses it causes, provide the opportunity of aesthetic enjoyment.
Aesthetic properties is a high-orderer perceptual ways of appearing. The qualities that make a product attractive to look at, or pleasing to experience determine it aesthetic appeal. It is through the senses of sight, touch, hearing and smell that the aesthetic qualities of a product, such as shape, colour, texture can be appreciated and measured.
And study of sensory or sensory emotional values called “Judgment” of sentiments and taste. The perception of aesthetic qualities required a refined judgment usually referred to as having good taste. Taste is judgment of beauty and ugliness.
American painter, art historian, and theorist Deman Waldo Ross (1835-1935) sets out to explain not the artist, but the mode of expression which the artist uses, proposing a framework for understanding both design and beauty as interrelated phenomena. The classic manual is now regarded as a seminal text of American design theory.
“It is beautiful!” then somebody asks, ‘why it is beautiful?’ There is no answer to the question. You say it is beautiful because it gives you pleasure : but other things give you pleasure which are not beautiful, pleasure is, therefore, no criterion of Beauty for example Post- Modernist world celebrates, ugliness, distortion, imbalance is a critique of progress. The Millennial have no time for aesthetic pleasure, their start-up are all about promptness and urgency. They favour of a more eclectic and populist approach to creativity and feature prominently in discussions of contemporary art, on both an academic and a journalistic level.
In 1981, Fiedler, the originator of “Kunstuissenschaft” made the science of art to be separated from the aesthetic and regarded the substance of art independent from the beauty. There are so many examples 1) Les Masques La mart” by Ensor (1897), 2) Fountain by Ducham (1917), 3) Die Frauen der Revolution by Kiefer (1987) etc.
Then what is the pleasure which Beauty gives ? It is the pleasure which you have in the sense of Beauty. That is all you can say : you cannot explain either the experience or the kind of pleasure which it gives you.
Harmony, Balance, Rhythm, we call supreme instances. This is perhaps our nearest approach to a definition of Beauty : that it is supreme instance of order, intuitively felt, instinctively appreciated.
(घटकांचा समतोल राखुन सुसंवादी गुंफन करून त्यांना लयबध्द करणे याला सर्वश्रेष्ठ आकृती म्हणता येईल, पण हे कदाचित सौंदर्याच्या व्याख्येच्या जवळ व निकट येण्याची कृति असावी : अंतर्ज्ञानाने अनुभवित व उपजत प्रेरणेने आनंदीत किंवा रसग्रहित करणारी सर्वश्रेष्ठ आकृती म्हणजे सौंदर्य.)
Shakti Maira in his latest book, The promise of Beauty & why it matters, published by Harper Collins India 2017, explained that; everything in life, at all levels occurs and exists in relationality and beauty is fundamentally about relational excellence. Each of these four important qualities – harmony, balance, proportion and rhythm – is relational and dynamic.
“Balance” is momentary state of equilibrium in a dynamic flow, not static (स्थिरता : गतीमान प्रवाहातील समतोल साधणारी अस्थायी किंवा क्षणिक अवस्थाद्ध.)
“Harmony” is state relational excellence within perpetual change, not a fixed idyllic state (सुसंवादी गुंफन : निरागस अवस्थेवर दृष्टि केंद्रीत न करता, उत्कृ-ुनवजयटतेच्या संबंधात, निरंतर आतल्याआत बदलत जाणारी अवस्था.)
“Proportion” is contextual, not absolute. (प्रमाणबध्दता :प्रमाणबध्दतेला स्वायत्तता किंवा स्वामित्व नसते, ती संदर्भांकित असते.)
“Rhythm” is, obviously, dynamic and flowing (लयबध्दता : ही उघडपणे गतिमान व प्रवाहित असते.)It becomes clearer that there cannot be any ‘absolute’, ‘permanent’ and ‘timeless’ beauty as beauty is always subjective, contextual and experimental. ( हे स्पष्ट होते की, सौंदर्य हे संपूर्ण स्वामित्व असलेला, खूप काळ चालणारा आणि काळाच्या ओघाचा परिणाम न -हजयालेला असूच शकत नाही. ”सौंदर्य“ हे नेहमी व्यक्तिनिष्ट, संदर्भाकिंत आणि प्रायोगिक असते.)
Beauty is effort. Modern science has several ways of becoming beautiful at our disposal – cosmetic application, yoga, diet, fitness. A suitable combination of these allows one on attractiveness that allows for a perfect Harmony.
A feeling of pleasure between the object and the observer could be termed as the sense of beauty, it is possible that some people can be blind to certain proportion of form and colour which ordinarily should give a pleasurable sensation. But they would be few. It may be because of some physical defect (such as colour-blindness) or that they are intellectually undeveloped. Their "eye" is not properly trained to appreciate and understand what is beautiful. It is somewhat supporting to my opinion which I am going to discuss hereafter.
The definition of 'Beauty' is a highly disputed matter, specially with respect of abstract art.
In the study of aesthetic perception of abstract art
Birgit Malton
Christoph Redies &
Gregor U-Hay-Leichsenring of Experimental Aesthetic Group, Institute of Anotomy Jena University Hospital, University of Jena School of Medicine. Jena, Germany conducted research on 50 people into seven groups. The research with highly scientific conducted from many steps of observation. Research discipline was in two phase
01. Perception of beauty by investigating shifts in evolution on perceived beauty of abstract art and
02. Correlations of beauty rating and perceptual contract with statistical properties of abstract art, and
come to conclusion that : Geometrical shapes and colours may have a stronger influence in abstract art, as they remain the only visual qualities that the observer can refer to.
Statistical image features that can be processed at low level of the visual system.
Evidently, high-level properties such as the knowledge about the artist and the artistic style, also play an important role in the aesthetic appreciation of the art works.
Abstract art also known as "non figurative art", "non representational art", and "non objective art", is a way of expressing a modified view of the world of simplifying or complicating the use of colours, shape and form. The discipline based on very much on emotion, abstract art stimulates an individual's thoughts, beliefs, ideas and imagination.
Abstract art has a "beauty" all its own, and that "beauty' lies in its unreality. Aristotle himself said, "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of thing, but their inward significance." Does abstract art not do this very thing ?, Is it not created to signify meaning rather than reflect appearance ?
01. Lack of specific subject.
02. Break from classical perspective.
03. Unique and bold colours create an expressive and stunning piece of abstract art work.
Many people do not care for abstract art. To that our reply is, "To each his own". Still, there is something to be said for those who can forget the confines of perspective and deeply appreciate the beauty of the undefined. Releasing the desire for logical answers and viewing abstract art more with the heart than eyes allows its true beauty to be experienced fully : depicted and quoted in Beauty of Abstract Art Outside The Lines – summation : segmation.com>blog>2012/06/28. The writers cum painters have written and interpreted their views on beauty very precisely, perceptively and intelligently, and no one can dare to deny, it is very convincible for the readers.
Observer is a human being let us see the function of human senses: The nervous system has a specific sensory system or organ dedicated to each senses. Human have a multitude of senses.
Sight (Ophthlmoception)
Hear (Audioception)
Taste (Gustaoception)
Smell (Olfacoception or Olfacception)
Touch (Tactioception) are the five traditionally recognized.
The Sense Organs : eyes, ears, tongue, skin and nose help to protect the body. The human sense organs contains receptors that relay information through sensory neurons to the appropriate places within the nervious system.
The classic five senses are sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. The organs that do these things are eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin.
The sense sight is the organ of an eye. The eyes allow us to see what is nearby, judge, depth, interpret information, and see colour. Sense is a system that consists of a group of sensory cell types that responds to a specific physical phenomenon, and that correspondence to a particular group of regions within the brain where the signals are received and interpreted.
Apart from five senses according to Psychology Today, intuition is being recommended to include as sixth sense but researchers are disagree on the extent of the sixth sense.
Coach Devlyn steele for Tools of Life, belives that the sixth sense intuition has nothing to do with the supernatural and everything to do with Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of "sensory information" in order to represent and understand the environment. Perception is not the passive receipt of sensory signals, but is shaped by learning by memory, expectation as well as shaping emotional experience, perception. Steele maintains that perception dominates the other five senses to determine what a person is experiencing.
From these five senses, sight sense involves allowing the body to observe objects as images. The images observed through sight are viewed through the eye. The structure of the eye acts as a lens to filter out light and colour images are transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve.
Sometimes the perception of the observer dominates the other five senses of the observer and keep them aloof from determining the real experiences of the object as images. Painting is an object, and an object as image, while observing it, observer cannot enjoy the content beauty in its true sense, due to domination of perception on the sight sense of the observer, and then observer passed the unfavorable comments on the artist creation, because observers are not picture thinkers, may not perceive as their area and field change.
It is the responsibility of the observer not to overwhelm with the perception and let your senses, and perception allow to work together to enjoy the content beauty of the painting with literate understanding.
My opinion is a view point of my imagination, feelings, emotions, thoughts, belief and ideas about beauty. I am trying to take my own stand and to voice my opinion to defend something I believe in 'beauty".
I have gone with an inordinate amount of thoughts, quotations and views from other artists, writers and internet to enrich my knowledge and studies in this regard and helped me lot and inspired to write my views.
In my opinion, I observe.
Painting as a physical object, I read in it the organized properties with my mind's eye which delights the ways of my seeing; interpreted by expression.
Painting as a visionary object, I read in it, the subjective properties with my heart's eye which delights the emotions and feelings; perceived by senses.
Painting itself is a language of expression through which feeling's, emotions and thoughts can be transmitted to the senses and make a conversation with their visual audiences / observers to read the painting easily.
In my opinion I observe beauty in a painting i.e. exists in determined attempts and strenuous exertion only, and measures how hard you. Artist spend hours and hours to identify strong values of elements and forms of his painting and enjoy this struggle when expectedly and unexpectedly results comes out for his viewers interest, when they walk up to a painting and look amazingly. University of Oslo Psychology Professor Stine Vogt, a painter as well as scientist :"As artists, our job is to get people to enjoy their vision, instead of just using it to get around," she says.
01. Thoughtful content of the subject
02. Innovative presentation of thinking
03. Experimental approach in style
04. Skillful execution of its rendering
05. Passion for adoration of forms
06. Unending search for thirsty-work
07. Eagerness to learn and inspire from others
08. Strong desire for success
09. Always strive for hard work
10. Technical Challenges : Artist strive hard on the density and viscosity of the modern medium, he is using with its exquisite details and creates illusion of depth through intellectual rendering and application of paint.
11. Artist Design Strategy for Composition : Design helps to translate vision onto canvas / paper. Artist designed plan helps to cure ‘blank space syndrome’ so that concept, ideas moves steadily and freely.
12. Artists Working Process : Artist evolves on his work at personal level, follow his innate understanding, intuition and sense of rhythm and harmony born from his own experience to delight the viewers.
My opinion is an interpreted view of my perceptiveness, I will not allow myself to agree with others opinion unless it is convincible to me. It's my way of seeing and thinking. Everyone has a freedom to express their own opinion but it should be subject to authentic clarification.
View expressed in Shakti Maira's Book : Beauty is effort, instead of effort I will say attempt is a proper word in my view : attempt means make an effort to achieve something difficult and to achieve beauty in painting is a difficult task, which can be achieved through many attempts. Attempt always indicates motive without expectancy of a result. It is an earnest and conscientious activity intended to do something or accomplish.
Effort is a physical or mental activity needed to achieve something. As Osho explain in the 'Thread of understanding" that : Understanding is called knowledge-ability, that comes by effort, but efforts also creates tension and you cannot attain to understand through tensions.
Efforts can reshape your merits at the cost of compromises, but attempts inspire to continue with tryout exercises without changing values.
Attempt is a continuous process (again and again) to achieve the desired result with peace of mind and in relaxed mood of mind. In attempt question of tension does not arise. Here the attempt is a exploratory process in which experiment, trial, test, research is evolved. To search beauty in painting is also a continuous process to achieve. To achieve it in painting requires a lot of attempt, experiment, trials and search for desire results to delight the senses.
Artist is a creative genius, his painting is a diligence act of successful outcome, its result yielded with lot of innovative thinking and creative outlet for painters experimental cause, remarkable imaginative conception and presentation in a beautiful compositional manner.
Artist always passionate about work and creates meaning in work and has a urge for giving something new to their visual audience, also teaches you how to think and make you think.
Really artist is an art activist of his own will and desire and a torch bearer of his own vision.
When an artist expresses and infuses his thoughts on canvas he beholds beauty in his mind’s eye and it always remain alive till his death. An artist always works with the intention to portray beauty. His excitement at the easel is the result of his ingenuity, creativity and beauty. How to trace beauty depends on visual audiences and their sense of appreciation and visual literacy too. They should faithful, constructive, co-operative and creative, also.
While analyzing a painting in view of its content beauty, visual audiences form their own opinion, meaning and context. It is very important to understand that the artist’s reasoning behind the work and read artist’s intention. It will help to understand the work of art. Beauty cannot be assess on the view of visual audiences. Every painting has beauty in its content, only learned observer can see it, only a trained eye can drill down to search the essence of beauty, it is said, the eyes are useless when the mind is blind..... It takes years of training to learn to see the world like an artist. Bevil Conway, Ph.D, a neuroscience professor of Wellesley.
An artist achieve beauty in his painting through so many attempts till he satisfied with desired result as well as for passionate observer's also. Beauty is also related to an observers attitude of seeing which delights the senses of an observer.
Learn to see the good and the beauty in everything. Everything has beauty, but not everyone can see.
……… Unknown
Painting, as an artist creative object, and a roll of an observer.
Painting is a transformation process of revelation (कला ही प्रकटीकरणाची रूपान्तरण प्रक्रिया आहे)
Painting is an expression of artists' emotions identities, values (intrinsic, aesthetic and idiosyncratic intellectual values), feelings and ideologies he possess, experiences with his own understanding. His Painting offers numerous possibilities for interpretation, exchange of views with observers and to observe them is a great challenge to spectators also.
At a glance, Observers see the painting without intend but slowly and steadily apply meaning to it, search the reason what captures the attention and what paintings say to him.
Again, Observers look deeply with intent and attention and tries to understand the artists' vision, creation, its interpretive approach and search materials, styles, feel and meaning of the work; observer tries to understand evolved creative process for desired result and purpose of his creation with emerged imagination.
At last Observers watch with intense thinking, what he observed, this is the process of interpretation for creative thinking about most plausible understanding of work, and makes sense of what he has observed.
Mindful observation always develops self-accepting capacities of inner eye, and then inner eye skills in art of seeing. Never observe a response in the eye of an observers, it may sometimes harm your confidence and ability. Creator should always ignore an unintelligent comments and observer should always pass studied and wise comments.
In short, borrowing Gabriel Marcels term art that deserves to be called art will always give to both maker and observer, a sense of "fulfillment" or "completeness."
Painting is a pleasurable experience of continuous experimental attempts in search for desired solution blended with philosophical ideas, thoughtful concepts and ingenious creativity.
Philosophical ideas and thoughtful concepts takes a shape into unusual visible forms and images in a painting is an artist self-expression achieved through creative efforts and continuous attempts.
Ingenious creativity itself is a hard-earned skill work out through constant practice with passion, perseverance and persistence.
An artist.... with
mind's eye develops visual imagination in painting
Heart's eye transforms emotion in painting
Passionate eye creates beauty in painting.
An audience... with
Mind's eye visualizes imagination in painting
Heart's eye experiences an emotion in painting
Passionate eye detects beauty in painting
If both are devoted and trusted in their creation and appreciation respectively.
"To create and achieve is an artist's attitude and search to know the artist potential is an observer's attitude." Paining is a thoughtful attempt of artists ability, don't judge it without knowledge.
Harley Brown, an American artist said and advised to upcoming and budding artist that, artist always remember three things: observation, values, shape. An artist cannot carry on without this, also forget two words : success and failure. They are always misinterpreted and best not to taken too personally.
Confidence, honesty and faith is a prime aspect of journey towards achievement.
Prof. Hemant Nagdive
The Oxford Handbook of AESTHETICS.
Edited by Jernold Levingso
Published by : Oxford University Press
Design and Composition : Secrets of Professional Artists From the editors of International Artist Magazine.
Prof. Hemant Nagdive