The Principles of AestheticsParker, De Witt H. (De Witt Henry)
Philosophy
The Principles of Aesthetics
Parker, De Witt H. (De Witt Henry)
Aesthetics
There are, I think, certain qualities which are generally recognized
as necessary to the perfect fulfillment of the artistic purpose of a
work; which follow, indeed, from the very meaning of art. Thus, without
uniqueness and freshness there can be no perfection in artistic
expression. A well-worn or even an identical expression may have value
in the solution of a practical problem, or in bringing men into
good-natured relationships with one another in social life; as when,
for example, the officer cries "Halt!" repeatedly, or we say "Good
morning" at breakfast; because, in such cases, the expression gets its
significance from the context in which it belongs. But in art, where
expression is freed from the particular setting within which it arises,
thus attaining universality, the repetitious and imitative, having no
environment from which they may derive new meaning, are purposeless.
They are, indeed, worse than negligible, because having grown into the
habit of expecting originality, we are disappointed and bored when we
fail to find it. Originality is, of course, relative; it is not
incompatible with the reminiscence of old works--what works of art are
not reminiscent?--but it does prohibit saying the old things over again
in the same medium; the artist must have a new message to put into the
medium; or else, if the old themes are still near to his heart, he
must invent a new form in which to express them, from which they will
derive a new music. Closely allied to freshness are spontaneity and
inner necessity, the signs of a genuine, as opposed to a factitious,
expression. If we get the impression from a work of art that no part
could be otherwise--not a single line or note or stroke of the
brush--then we have the same sort of feeling towards it that we have
towards the living thing that was not made by hands capriciously, but
grew in its inevitable way in accordance with the laws of its own
nature. Of course, works of art are products of thought, of plan, and
conscious purpose; they are seldom composed all at one flash, but grow
tentatively into their final form; nevertheless, in the words of Kant,
"A work of art must look like nature, albeit we know that it is art."
Sense charm and order are also necessary; for they are the conditions
of a perfect sympathy and vision. We are indulgent towards the vigorous,
impatient passion that bubbles over into rough and careless music or
poetry, but are not satisfied with it. For art's task is not merely
to express, but to dominate through expression, to create out of
expression, beauty; and without order and charm of sense, there is no
beauty. Compose your passion, we say to the musician; pattern it forth,
we say to the poet; it will not lose its vigor; rather it will acquire
a new power; for thus it will achieve restraint, the sign of art's
dominion.
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