“But is it Art?”
“But is it Art?” Chapter 6 Critical Response
In Chapter Six of “But is it Art,” Freeland laborates on two main theories of art interpretation: expression theory and cognitive theory. Expression theory, supported by Leo Tolstoy and Sigmund Freud, argues that art communicates emotions. Meanwhile, cognitive theory argues that art helps provide knowledge, serving a pragmatic purpose.
Having described the main theories of interpretation in Chapter Six, Freeland uses Chapter Seven to expound on the impact of new technologies on the use and interpretation of art. Contrasting the utopic views of Marshall McLuhan and Walter Benjamin with the dystopic views of Jean Baudrillard, Freeland provides diverse views on the consequences of technology. In addition to exploring the concepts of the “democratization of art” provided by technology and the “aura” that can be lost in reproduction, Freedman offers criticism of her own. For example, whereas McLuhan believed that “new technologies promote democracy and enhance human perception,” Freeland favors Bill Viola’s belief that technology’s ability to enhance the perceptions of human beings is not inherent in the technology itself but in how it is used.
In reading these chapters from “But is it Art,” I recalled the discussions we had in class about our favorite pieces of artwork and what contributed to our positive responses to them. In discussing expression theory and cognitive theory, Freeland points out that art can convey more than just emotions and that while a work can provide knowledge, not all art is pragmatic. I feel that in our discussions, we came to the same conclusion—that “good” art is neither purely emotional, nor purely intellectual. While emotions can contribute to a work’s positive impact on a person, ideas and the intellectual aspects of a work may be equally important in determining a person’s reaction to a piece of art.
Three questions I had that I feel we touched on in our class discussion are:
1) What is hyper-real and what does our attraction to hyper-real situations say about our society in general?
2) Does the internet facilitate the creation of a “global village” or a world of isolated individuals, viewing and experiencing new forms of art without interacting?
3) Clearly photography and film present amazing possibilities for innovative art. Do you think that these capacities are being taken for granted in our society? (Remember Freeland’s criticism of MTV’s mono-cultural spreads, etc.)
Tags: Freeland Reading Response, Jessica