Ch.5 Emotions and the Arts Flashcards
(32 cards)
R.G. Collingwood’s view of art
art is mental state and the physical product is a by product
Benedetto Croce on art and emotion
Art is a mental object but it lies within the audience (reaction/emotions from audience)
Leo Tolstoy on art and emotion
Art is a conduit for the artist’s feelings (infection theory)
Infection theory? and by who?
the artist feels something and the creation is to transfer the emotion and the audience. Associated with Tolstoy.
Guy Sircello on art and emotion
“in creating an artwork, one leaves traces of one’s inner state in that work”- Behavioral theory
Behavioral theory? and by who?
Source of emotion is the artist’s emotion when creating the work. (Sircello.)
What is the purpose of the work in Behavioral theory?
Serves as a conduit for the artist’s emotions
Audience in Behavioral theory
Recognizes the emotions in the artist left in the work
Sircello Ex about emotions
We do not infer anger, we see anger. Therefore we are justified in calling a work of art angry.
The artist in Behavioral theory?
The source of emotion is the artist’s emotion when creating the work
Issues with Sircello’s Behavioral theory?
In order to make a sad work you have to be sad, but is that necessary? What about actors?
Local Quality theory (Peter Kivy)
Emotion is tied to resemblance between the work and human expressive behavior
The artist in Local Quality Theory
No particular emotion required for the resulting work to have expressive properties
Audience in Local Quality Theory
The audience recognizes the similarity and ascribes the emotion w/o having to feel it
Ex of Peter Kivy (local quality theory)
we perceive similarities between musical movements and physical movements people normally express emotion: upbeat and ‘bouncy’ music is joyful.
Non movement art: A painting may have ‘angry’ brush strokes
Does artist have to be sad to create a sad painting in Local quality theory (Peter Kivy) ?
No, the work just has to have those features to convey that emotion
Arousal theory
We use expressive words to describe works because they give rise to certain emotional responses in the viewer. If the audience feels sad then it justifies saying the work is sad
The Artist in Arousal Theory
No particular emotion required for the resulting work to have expressive properties
The work in Arousal Theory
Causes the emotional response
The Audience in Arousal theory
The source of emotion is the audiences’ emotional response
The work in Local Quality Theory
Emotion is tied to resemblance between the work and human expressive behavior (source)
Issues with Arousal Theory?
We wouldn’t attribute expressive properties to certain things, and what about when a person is unmoved?
Derek Matravers
We may not recognize that we are experiencing an emotional effect even though we are
Ex of Derek Matravers’ Theory
Once you eat you realize you were “hangry”.
