Quotes on Art Experience part 1: Ten Famous Artists, Writers, and Philosophers Share Their Thoughts on Art
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My search for a definite description of art involves studying various perspectives on art experience.
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| My recent art experiences. |
Given this, I find it helpful that I'm not the first to inquire on art's nature.
There have been others before me-writers, philosophers, and artists-who have spent a lifetime making art or thinking about art.
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In this post, I'm going to share 10 quotes from these people describing the art experience.
These are some of my favorite takes on art.
In no particular order of importance, here are perspectives on experiencing art according to famous writers, philosophers, artists, and intellectuals:
1. Friedrich Nietzsche (philosopher)
"The experience of art allows us to confront and transcend the harsh realities of existence through beauty and creativity."
Writing in his book The Will to Power (1901), Friedrich Nietzsche claims that art experience helps us cope with life's challenges. It gives our lives play. It makes us look beyond hardships, making us steadfast amidst life's tribulations.
2. Pablo Picasso (painter)
"The experience of art is a cleansing of the spirit, a return to deeper emotional and imaginative states."
For Pablo Picasso, art experiences affect our spirits. For him, it heals, re-aligns, and makes our souls more sensible.
3. Jackson Pollock (painter)
"The experience of art is a direct encounter with the artist’s inner self, an expression of their psyche and emotions in visual form."
Famous drip painter, Jackson Pollock has an artist-centric take on art. He claims that art experience acquaints viewers not only with artworks but also with the artists behind them.
4. Rabindranath Tagore (poet)
"The experience of art is spiritual, a reflection of the divine in the material world."
Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet and mystic, explored the connection of art and the divine in his book, The Religion of Man (1931). In it, he posits that art experience is a spiritual experience; it reveals a sublimity otherwise obscured by the material world.
5. Henry Miller (writer)
"The experience of art challenges us to break free from conventional thinking and embrace the extraordinary."
American writer, Henry Miller was a literary rebel. He was known for writing semi-autobiographical novels unheard of in his time. In his book, Tropic of Cancer (1934), he claims that art experiences unhinge people from conventions, and helps spur creativity and novelty.
6. Michel Foucault (philosopher)
"The experience of art is a confrontation with the unseen structures of society, knowledge, and power, revealing deeper truths about the world."
Same with Rabindranath Tagore, Michel Foucault considers art experience as a revelation, putting into sight the unseen structures of society. For him, this is how art instigates societal change.
7. Marcel Duchamp (painter)
"Art is the experience of challenging norms and redefining what we understand as creative expression."
Marcel Duchamp is a famous Dada artist who constantly sought new ways of making art. The art experience for Duchamp is both the destruction of norms and the creation of new artistic standards.
8. Hannah Arendt (philosopher)
"The experience of art is a manifestation of human freedom, enabling individuals to express their uniqueness and engage with the world in meaningful ways."
In her book, The Human Condition (1958), Hannah Arendt claims that art experiences remove constraints on man's uniqueness. It gives man the freedom to be.
9. John Dewey (psychologist)
"The function of art [experience] has always been to break through the crust of conventionalized and routine consciousness."
John Dewey, in his seminal work, Art as Experience (1934), claims that art experience is a heightened experience that shakes us off from complacency; it's like a slap that wakes us up from stagnation.
10. Joseph Campbell (writer)
"The experience of art is the experience of myth. It connects us to the eternal truths of our existence, offering insights into our shared human condition."
This is my favorite take thus far. It's by Joseph Campbell, an authority in comparative mythology. Campbell posits that art experience mythologizes our existence; it makes us acknowledge our shared humanity through mythological reflection.
Conclusion
These are all fascinating takes that helps me study art in many dimensions.
As I have shared, I am presently drawn to Joseph Campbell's stand that art is the language of mythology. I see art experience as mankind's story being told.
In this light, I'm going to have a second part for this post. This time, I'll ask people I know-classmates, friends, co-workers, family members etc.-how they make sense of art experience.
Let's talk again next week. Until then, stay curious and stay tuned for more art insights.
Got a unique take on art experience? I'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts by commenting below.
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