Art Theory Research Articles

Line of Desire. The Work of Omar Matadamas Seen through Corporeality and the Philosophy of Event

This article1 is shaped by a trajectory of back and forth on various topics, starting with a minimal review of the history of performance art theory in Mexico, then analysing the place of the philosophy of the event and corporeality in performance art, and finally exploring the strategies for making desire habitable through the work of the Mexican artist Omar Matadamas. In the first section, I discuss a series of ideas surrounding the implications of performance art in the current Mexican theoretical horizon; in the other pole I recur to the work of the artist Omar Matadamas and his series Sicalíptico (2017), as well as his collaboration with Grupo D3 Chok3 (“Clash Group”), to think in the proximity of politics of intimacy and desire in art created by sexual dissidents.

Shadowplay: Interactions of Artificial Illumination and Darkness

This article explores the aesthetic and philosophical aspects of shadowplay: the multiple and layered interactions between artificial illumination and darkness in urban environments. By examining the concept of shadows through the perspectives of theorists Roy Sorensen and Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, I explore the dynamic tension between darkness, seen as a natural phenomenon, and the fragmented light created by modern technology. The study delves into how artificial light transforms the nocturnal city, influencing both urban life and aesthetic experiences. The first section of the paper addresses darkness in philosophical aesthetics, referencing thinkers such as Kant and Burke, and considers recent research on artificial illumination's ecological and social impacts. The second part analyzes the unique qualities of shadows, drawing from Tanizaki's appreciation for traditional Japanese aesthetics and Sorensen's analytic dissection of shadow phenomena in terms of privation. Through a combination of philosophical inquiry and visual artistic research, the article seeks to provide a deeper understanding of how shadows and artificial light contribute to the aesthetic and emotional experience of contemporary urban nights.

Metaphorical Mirrors: Aesthetic Reflections from Plato to Nietzsche (and Beyond)

AbstractThis article weaves together three main strands: first, the ambiguities of mirror metaphors in relation to concepts of artistic representation and expression; secondly, the double-sided and sometimes paradoxical influence of Plato in this area of aesthetics; thirdly, the need to interpret long-lasting metaphors in the history of ideas not as static figures of speech but as dynamic tropes which shift in sense and implications with changes of context. In constructing and exploring this thematic configuration of mirrors, metaphors, and Plato, the chief concern is to draw out—via a small selection of texts, including passages from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche—some underappreciated complexity in the various classical traditions that have contributed to aesthetics and philosophy of art.

Art, Magic and the Corruption of Consciousness

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief account of part of Collingwood’s philosophy of art, in particular that dealing with the relationship between art, craft and magic, in relation to the corruption of consciousness, and to consider some of the implications for the aesthetic evaluation of ‘works of art’ produced as moral or political propaganda. I shall try to do this by drawing on the work of Matthew Kieran in relation to art and morality. I will not so much analyse or criticise Collingwood’s conception of the corruption of consciousness as presuppose it as the conception which makes sense of Collingwood’s understanding of the relation between art and morality.

The Sensory Legacy of the Russian Avant-Garde: Haptics, Scent, Movement, Immersion

Abstract Aside from its obvious influence on 20th century art in general, the Russian Avant-Garde was a precursor to many conceptual trends, not always directly related to our general notion of “Avant-garde”, but more as the fulfilment of its prophecies. This paper explores the legacy of the Russian Avant-garde through the prism of a multisensory study, involving haptics, optics, immersion and participation. Revisiting manifestos of the early 20th century in the context of contemporary theories of art and perception, the paper traces intersections and “dreams come true”. Inter alia, the paper also considers the problem of how to collect non-visual components of art from the viewpoint of contemporary museum practice.

Decolonizing Ukrainian Art History

Abstract In this article, we analyze the influence of the colonial policy of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union on Ukrainian art-historical writing. As we shall reveal, the mechanisms of knowledge production created during that period continued to operate after the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in 1991. The limitations that were imposed on the art-historical community, which can be regarded as colonial, shaped the crucial narratives (of the “triune nation”) and dictated the thematic scope of Ukrainian scholarship. The new notion of “mysteztvoznavstvo,” introduced in 1937 instead of the previously established Theory and History of Art, eventually led to a profound rift between Soviet Russian and Ukrainian scholarship and the Western world more generally. “Mysteztvoznavstvo” was supposed to be an umbrella term for art history, theory, and art criticism but ended up doing a disservice to each domain. Art theory in Ukraine was virtually nonexistent, whereas art history was mixed with art criticism, resulting in writing that did not meet widely accepted academic standards. This led to the isolation of Ukrainian scholars, who were confined to the Russian-speaking community and had very limited access to foreign scholarship. We also analyze the decolonization processes in the history of Ukrainian art prompted by the invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine after 2013, such as The Revolution of Dignity and “decommunization.” We argue that horizontal art history and decolonial approaches cannot adequately be applied if colonial tools are still used by the discipline. Epistemic decolonization can only be achieved after challenging the standards of “mysteztvoznavstvo” and, thus, by dividing art studies into three separate domains: art history, art theory, and art criticism, as each discipline has its own goals and methods.

CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUND OF THE DIRECTORATE OF ART EXHIBITIONS OF UZBEKISTAN

The establishment of the Fund of the Directorate of Art Exhibitions of Uzbekistan was historically linked to the creation of the Academy of Arts of the USSR. In 1947, the All-Russian Academy of Arts was transformed into the Academy of Arts of the USSR in order to promote the development of fine arts in the USSR. The main tasks of the Academy were to ensure the sustainable growth and development of Soviet fine arts in all its forms, to actively support the development of artists' creativity, to work out issues of art theory and history, to develop Soviet fine arts, and to train and educate creative specialists (painters and graphic artists).

Language is a “quite useless” tool: A rejoinder to Fedorenko, Piantadosi, and Gibson’s “Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought”

Contrary to the prevailing assumption that language is “primarily a tool for communication rather than thought”, I argue that language is, to invoke Oscar Wilde, “quite useless”. Arguing from aesthetic philosophy and the minimalist program for linguistic theory, I conject that language, like art, is not “for” anything—it simply is, conforming to aesthetic rather than utilitarian principles. Of course, like art, language can be a powerful instrument of communication, but its function is not that of expressing thought; it creates thoughts, “primarily” for communicating with oneself, engaging in Popperian critical rationalism, making thoughts (e.g., sentences, constructive proofs) to match Platonic objects (e.g., propositions, classical proofs).

The category of Nothingness as a factor in the aesthetics and poetics of modernist literature

The article defines the specifics of the influence of ideas about Nothingness on the artistic philosophy and aesthetics of modernism. It is stated that the feeling of the "liminal" time created an ambiguous perception of the world: the mystical fear of "sinking into Nothingness" together with the "dying" world, the bitterness of the loss of the "former" world were combined with the expectation of an inevitable revival. Nothingness becomes a system-forming factor in the artistic philosophy and aesthetics of modernism. Modernism objects both to Nietzschean concept of the "death of God" and to the rational-pragmatic understanding of being. Modernist reflection on Nothingness means striving for a classical value attitude to the world, manifests the salvation of culture, the human and the divine in man, asserts the idea of the highest (in the ontological and value sense) being. Therefore, the defining position of modernist aesthetics is the assertion of the presence of the Supreme and the Sacred, one of the representatives of which in the text is Nothingness. Theoristsof modernism show interest in various traditions of understanding Nothingness in culture and master them in aesthetics and poetics. The heterogeneity of inherited traditions gives rise to a variety of poetic and philosophical concepts: the focus on cognition of the Unknowable through symbolic imagery, mytho-theurgic constructions as the basis of the “negative aesthetics” of the 20th century were combined with the ontologization of Nothingness in the chronotope of a work of art based on the convergence of archetypal oppositions and theaffirmation of the value of spiritual effort aimed at comprehending the highest meaning of existence. Thus, the category of Nothingness in the aesthetics of modernism acts as the embodiment of the ontological problematic nature of the incomprehensible world, a sign of its epistemological uncertainty, correlating the Absolute and the Incomprehensible with the Beautiful.

Research on the Value of Poetry Teaching for English Majors in Applied Undergraduate Universities Under the Background of the New Liberal Arts

The emphasis of the traditional teaching environment on English instrumentality has resulted in the marginalization of poetry teaching for English majors in applied undergraduate universities. The construction of the new liberal arts affirms the importance of the English literature curriculum and also inspires people to re-evaluate the potential and unique value of English poetry teaching. English poetry is the material for the cultivation of students’ patriotism. Its condensed space contains multi-disciplinary knowledge, its long history makes it bear rich cross-cultural information, its beautiful language helps improve students’ aesthetic and creative ability and its dialectical thinking stimulates students’ critical thinking. English poetry teaching is an effective way to cultivate international compound talents with Chinese feelings required by the new liberal arts construction for applied undergraduate English majors.

Значение философии процесса в концептуальном формировании современной китайской эстетики как результат культурной динамики периода Второго Просвещения в Китае

This article examines the formation of modern Chinese aesthetics based on a specific period, which received its own name – the Second Enlightenment. This time determined the parameters of the real Chinese intellectual culture, became the basis for the formation of philosophical aesthetics as a part of it. The authors note similarities and differences in the course of the periods of the First and Second Enlightenment. In evaluating the latter period, emphasis is placed on the turn of Chinese culture towards national history and priorities. The philosophy of the process in the field of aesthetics in the Middle Kingdom turned out to be focused on the Chinese aesthetic experience and its procedural analysis, it refused to develop in line with Western standards, which as a result led to its wide dissemination in China, making it the basis for most modern national aesthetic concepts, in which the functional-oriented, rather than object-oriented, is at the forefront- a deterministic approach. This article will allow the reader to more accurately represent these circumstances, which are essential for cross-cultural interaction between Russia and China, using the example of the significant fact of the influence of the philosophy of the process, founded by A.N. Whitehead, on modern Chinese aesthetic thought.

Agazzi on Knowing the Invisible

Against certain positivistic and neopositivistic strictures still rooted in our society, Agazzi argues that knowing the invisible is possible, not just in science, but also in metaphysics, in morals, in aesthetics, and in other areas, including, in a sense, religion. The book also examines many examples of such knowledge, surveying not only the great classics of philosophy but various immortal masterpieces of art, music, and literature. It is not just a treatise in epistemology, but a book of philosophy in the most complete and traditional sense, for it discusses knowledge not only for its own sake but also as a guide to culture, morality, happiness, and to the sense of life. Thus, it also provides some important suggestions on how to face our time of crisis and an uncertain future. Despite Agazzi’s proverbial rigor and clarity, his project is so momentous and demanding that I discuss certain points which might deserve further explication and argumentation.

Aesthetics as philosophy of art, or Hegel’s reconciliation of Kantian dualism

Abstract Despite the extraordinary influence of Hegel’s aesthetics, the very term “aesthetics” features very seldom in his body of work. Considering both ongoing radical uncertainty as to the status of aesthetics as well as Hegel’s profound and persistent influence on aesthetics, it is worth reflecting on the reasons for, and potential alternatives to, Hegel’s use of the term “aesthetics.” This is the goal of this paper, which combines a reconstruction of Hegel’s variations on the topic with a broader perspective on what they can still teach us today. I begin by discussing Hegel’s presentations of the topic of his lectures on aesthetics (Section II). In Section III, I argue that both Hegel’s ambivalence towards aesthetics and his eventual identification of the latter with a philosophy of art are rooted in his confrontation with Kant’s seminal, yet insufficient, attempt to surmount dualism through his theory of reflective judgment. The attempt to address Kant’s unresolved dualism ultimately leads to the equivalence, both conceptual and terminological, of aesthetics and philosophy of art, and to the autonomy of art as a form of the absolute spirit (Section IV). In the concluding section, I outline the fundamental tensions left open by this equivalence as open challenges in contemporary aesthetics (Section V).

Is Oration Literature?

Abstract Is oration literature? More specifically, can we read the multi-functional Arabic oration (khuṭbah) of the 1st/7th and 2nd/8th centuries as part of the classical prose canon? In this article, I argue that if our definition of literature includes beautiful language, admiration expressed by literary theorists, and masterful articulation of themes to evoke audience response, early Arabic oration is most certainly literature. I demonstrate this claim by analyzing the rhythmic and graphic oral aesthetics of early Arabic oration, the views of medieval theorists regarding its distinguished place and literary nature, and its crucial influence on the development of the chancery epistle (risālah), the first written genre of Arabic literary prose. I contend that khuṭbah is the foundational prose genre of Arabic and it has materially influenced the major genres of risālah and maqāmāt that followed. The history of Arabic literature cannot be written without oration.

Intermediality of Modern Art and Technologies of its Perception

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the manifestation of termediality in modern art in their influence on perceptual processes and to propose appropriate technologies for the perception of intermedial artistic phenomena. The research methodology is based on the concepts of media theory, communication theory, modern art theory and uses general scientific principles of interconnection, systematisation, and synergy. The purpose and objectives of the article necessitated the application of the method of extrapolation of heuristic algorithms of exact sciences to the heuristics of artistic phenomena with a view to practical methods of organising the perception of the intermediality of modern art by students of higher education. The use of the analytical method made it possible to identify the content and design resources of intermediality in its current development. The scientific novelty consists in projecting the properties of intermediality of modern art onto the technology of its perception in the process of university training. In the article, for the first time in domestic art history, the peculiarities of the manifestations of intermediality of modern art in connection with the communication of its recipients are understood. Conclusions. Intermediality is one of the main trends in the development of art, which consists in a kind of dialogue. From the point of view of perceptual processes, intermediality actualises the integrity of perception, which involves different sensory modalities. Intermediality in the modern artistic space outgrows the boundaries of the interaction of arts, connecting other spheres of culture and ensuring the inseparability of synthesised elements in creative practices different from traditional ones. Perception of intermedia modern art requires preparation, which should be carried out in the educational process. Effective technologies for perceiving the intermediality of modern art are interactive and intermedial.

Принципы, содержание и эволюция учебной программы подготовки кинорежиссеров «Гранит кинонауки» (1933) Сергея Эйзенштейна

The research aims to present Sergei Eisenstein’s groundbreaking curriculum for film directors, “Granite of Film Science” (1933), as a pioneering educational product and as a reflection of his aesthetic philosophy. The authors analyze the principles and content of the curriculum, as well as its subsequent evolution into “A Program for Teaching the Theory and Practice of Directing” (1936). Eisenstein, a pioneer in film directing education, developed the first curriculum for film directors, whose principles were later incorporated into his foundational works “Method” and “Montage”. He proposed a unique teaching method, namely, the directing practicum, based on collaborative work and group discussions to identify contradictions and construct artistic images. The novelty of this research lies in identifying the fundamental principles and foundations of the development of Russian and global directing education, demonstrating that any educational program is a flexible, transformable system built upon a shared pursuit of truth between teacher and student. The article also examines the evolution of the curriculum. Following its publication, “Granite of Film Science” faced both criticism and self-critique, leading to the creation of its revised version, “A Program for Teaching the Theory and Practice of Directing” in 1936. The study reveals that Eisenstein defined the principles of film pedagogy and the guiding principles of directing education at the Higher State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in his “Granite of Film Science” curriculum. This program formed the basis for a series of lectures delivered by Eisenstein at VGIK between 1933 and 1936.

Kenneth Jack and rural towns: Australian socialist realist art (or just a less bitter pill to swallow)?

Early Australian artists of European extraction had to wrestle with the vast, inhospitable climate of inland Australia, unfamiliar animals and plants, and harsh sunlight. To a greater or lesser extent, especially Boyd and Drysdale, they also considered the Aboriginal inhabitants and how Europeans’ grip on the land and their understanding of it always paled in comparison with theirs, leaving the Europeans the ones out of place, infringing on a complex culture. Here, I use Marxist theories of ideology and art to examine the work of Kenneth Jack, an Australian realist painter of rural towns. His reassuring images are not confrontational, unlike those of Boyd and Drysdale. They can be ideological by pointing to an apparently timeless and tranquil midday peace, free from urban stressors and manufacturing and architectural blight. As with poet Banjo Paterson, they create a discourse that raises up life in “the bush.” These images can function as ideology where rural communities and services appear to be underappreciated and under threat. It is a conservative vision as the absence of people and vehicles reminds us, perhaps paradoxically, of romanticized rural communities just out of the painter’s sight.

Generative Models for the Psychology of Art and Aesthetics

This paper describes how computational generative models can describe aspects of the artistic process, and how these generative models can provide tools for formulating and testing psychological theories of art. The term “generative models” here refers to algorithms that can generate artistic imagery, video, text, or other artistic media, including techniques developed in both computer graphics and AI research. Generative models can both describe artistic processes and offer useful experimental tools. This paper first outlines different ways to understand the types of research in generative models. It then surveys several recent examples of using generative models to develop theories and to perform experiments. The paper then discusses misleading uses of the concept of “AI-generated art” in psychological studies, and the need for study of our relationship with new artistic technologies. Finally, the paper offers a few remarks on pursuing interdisciplinary research across psychology and computer graphics.

Painting workshops for people living with dementia as a means of expression and communication: revelations from our elders

Purpose This study aims to explore art workshops for people living with dementia as a process enabling creative expression and fostering communication with others. Design/methodology/approach To enable detailed exploration of the expressive powers of painting and drawing, the authors draw several examples from a series of painting workshops for people living with dementia, which formed part of the PPI for research into experiences of restraint within care. Findings Artwork enabled personal expression, facilitated conversation with others and revealed hidden knowledge and abilities, but also revealed dangers of miscommunication, specifically here related to technological changes and spirituality. Research limitations/implications Individual differences in responses to painting will exist meaning that the specific findings outlined here are unique to individuals and not always generalisable. This follows from the quality of the individual communication that may be enabled by painting, meaning that close attention to each person is both fostered and required. Practical implications Art activities can provide a means to enable deep personal expression and agency in people living with dementia, which can contribute to countering dehumanisation. Social implications Attention to the process of painting can be beneficial in fostering verbal and non-verbal communication with individuals who have difficulties in communication. Attention to cultural issues in care needs to incorporate understanding of spiritual and religious issues and take note of gaps in understanding related to technological as well as cultural changes between generations. Originality/value Much work in this area explores art activities for people living with dementia in terms of beneficial outcomes. This work explores the creative process inherent in painting, drawing upon insights from art theory and providing in-depth individual insights through case studies. Both researchers in this study are artists and the work drew upon their understanding of the processes of painting.

Calculated Randomness, Control and Creation: Artistic Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The recent emergence of generative AI, particularly prompt-based models, and its embedding in many social domains and practices has revived the notion of co-creation and distributed agency already familiar in art practice and theory. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and its central notion of agency, this article explores the extent to which the collaboration between the artist and AI represents a new form of co-creation and distributed agency. It compares AI art with artistic movements such as Dada, Surrealism, Minimalism and Conceptual Art, which also challenged the notion of the autonomous artist and her agency by incorporating randomness on the one hand and rule-based systems on the other. In contrast, artistic practice with AI can be described as an iterative process of creative feedback loops, oscillating between order and disorder, (calculated) randomness and calculation, enabling a very specific kind of self-reflection and entanglement with the alienation of one’s own perspective. Furthermore, this article argues that most artistic projects that explore and work with AI are, in their own specific way, a demonstration of hybridity and entanglement, as well as the distribution of agency between the human and the non-human, and can thus be described as a network phenomenon.