Question

Please read each article and write a short review.
Each article for a paragraph.
Please identify each article

Answer

Name of Student

Name of Professor

Art Paper

10 March 2015

Contents

Introduction. 1

Lipsey, Roger. (2011). 1

Kosuth, Joseph (b. 1945). 2

Kaprow, Allan. (b. 1927). 2

Haacke, Hans (b. 1936). 3

Cezanne, Paul (1839-1906). 3

Barr Jr., Alfred (1902-1981). 3

Works Cited. 4

Introduction

Lipsey, Roger. (2011)

            This article, which is the introduction to a book by Roger Lipsey, explains the concept of “the spiritual” in art. Based on the argument presented in this article, the spiritual manifests itself when one begins to look “more deeply” and “beyond” (Lipsey 7). According to this article, the spiritual in art is about artists’ awareness of their own depths as well as the resonant universe. An example is given from the work of Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist. It also explains the meaning of the book’s title, while at the same elaborating on how it seeks to pay homage to Wassily Kandinsky. A brief discussion on modernism and post-modernism is presented, with the spiritual being defined as the hidden side of art. From the artistic perspective, the accumulated wisdom and counsel of previous generations gives a collective element to the spiritual (Lipsey 1). This idea is illustrated using the example of Kandinsky’s pursuit of art that has “an inner sound”.The article also explains the concept of “eyes for art” in terms of the ability to measure both the distance between two artistic points and the shared distance between them and God.

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Kosuth, Joseph (b. 1945)

In this paper, Kosuth argues that the twentieth century may be said to have brought philosophy to an end while heralding the beginning of art. To explain this situation, linguistic philosophy is interpreted as the heir to contemporary empiricism. The article also explains the functions of art that make it appealing as a replacement to philosophy in the context of what Kosuth calls situational tendency (841). The function approach to the meaning of art is explained in terms of separating aesthetics from art. The author explains the need for this separation by arguing that aesthetics is about the way humans perceive the world while art is about the value it brings to the context in which it exists through decoration. This argument also promotes the view of art as art and not anything else, hence the separation between art and philosophy.

Kaprow, Allan. (b. 1927)

            This article highlights major concerns among artists regarding the emerging trend whereby advanced artistic works have started losing their traditional appeal. For example, the elements that used to help people to outline differences between painting and drawing no longer exist. This element of continuity is visible not just in painting versus drawing but also in sculpture versus “minor” works. Kaprow argues that as this evolution continues, a rather different notion of what art ought to be is emerging (703). Art has come to be interpreted as a dream world that is completely separated from society. Kaprow argues that this phenomenon can be corrected by blurring the line between life and art, deriving themes and materials for artistic works from all manner of places except the arts themselves, and choosing several widely spaced locales for the performance of various artistic happenings (706).

Haacke, Hans (b. 1936)

            This article examines the role that museums play as social agents that wield cultural power through the expression of the so-called “high art”. According to Haacke, museums express this power by taking different stances, such as “conservative”, “leftist”, “rightist”, or “avant-garde” (904). Haacke argues that all artists are susceptible to the influence of the society’s value system and its socio-political context, of which cultural agencies such as museums are an integral part (905).

Cezanne, Paul (1839-1906)

            In this compilation of letters, Paul Cezanne explains crucial insights, concepts, and reflections on art such as the relationship between art and nature, the artistic process, the need to focus on the right dimensions when creating works of art, and how to handle the artistic passion. For instance, Cezanne points out that an artist should treat nature in such a way that everything is created using just the right dimensions and is viewed from just the right perspective (37). Regarding the artistic process, Cezanne’s view is that nature presents itself to the artist in very complex ways, such that there is no limit to the amount of progress that may be followed up on to create an artistic masterpiece.

Barr Jr., Alfred (1902-1981)

            This article explains how different generations of artists have been obsessed with different problems. It gives an example of abstract art, which gained prominence during the early twentieth century. In abstract art, artists were obsessed with moving away from “nature” by focusing more on the sensuous, immediate, physical surface as opposed to the canvas of a portrait (Barr Jr. 362). The article ends with an analysis of the two main currents of abstract art that have taken shape during the second half of the twentieth century. The first strand traces its origin to the theories and artistic works of Cezanne while the second strand is associated with the theories and artistic works of Gauguin.

Works Cited

Lipsey, Roger. The spiritual in twentieth-century art. New York: Dover Publications, 2011. Print.