Well, I agree that the impact of an artwork is immediate, which is almost the same as saying that a work of beauty is instantly felt. So in general I would agree with Miller that we don't need to know anything secondary to the artwork to feel its effect on us, our perception, assuming that perception is a constructed response to sensory events. Where I do disagree with Miller has to do with judging that perception in some public way, that is, in a way that another can share, not in feeling necessarily, but in reasonable terms. Think that judging does not require the experience of beauty as the immediate emotional impact of a great artwork but is likely enhanced by it. The personal experience of beauty cannot be shared except through some analytic way and that is only "about" the experience and not a replication of it. WC
________________________________ From: Chris Miller <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, April 3, 2009 9:26:21 AM Subject: Re: Judging the late Titian Mr Asthetik asks: >Could you explain, Mr Miller, why artworks _should_ be immediately intelligible? Ideas of 'work' and of 'beauty' are indeed theoretical contrivances -- but beautiful things can be made and enjoyably experienced without them. (just as birds can fly without a knowledge of aerodynamics). My own ideas of 'work' and 'beauty' are rather vaporous as theories go, since nothing is theoretically excluded. BTW -- although I do claim that "no other evidence is required to judge a painting other than what is presented by the painting itself" --- I am not asserting that "everyone should everyone be able to immediately understand a work, be able to immediately feel its beauty" I would like to substitute the word ' eventually' for 'immediately' in the above sentence -- although our lives are too short to understand and feel the beauty of more than a limited range of things. William and I disagree concerning what that project requires -- but I'll have to respond to that on another day. ____________________________________________________________ Click to find deals on color printers and inks. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/BLSrjnxQXxywG1LZG9NPk6rSbVwSFm wdEIaS97lXGqsQnYMjuo36IdA0OdC/
