In our time, art it is often used (or abused) to exemplify some theory of history, but Kivy writes about art because he actually likes it.
Which is a good thing. Except that he only seems to like music -- and even then, only a certain kind of music -- 19th and 18th C. European instrumental compositions - where he can experience a sense of resolution without having to ponder ideas. I.e. -- he wants to give his philosophizing mind a holiday. Because when it comes to ideas, Kivy demands the high standards exemplified by Kant's "Critique of Judgment" -- not for what it says about art -- but as a work of profound literature itself --i.e. literature that addresses profound issues in a manner suitable to their profundity. He distinguishes profound from profoundly, and expression from being about expression -- which provides a notion of content that is much tighter those, like Boris, who allow that content include that which may be reflected as well. A trivial newspaper sports column may profoundly reflect/express a great deal about the time and place where it was written - but Kivy would not conflate those reflections with his notion of content. (and nobody would call sports journalism profound) But with his demand for clear expositional content, I think he finds all the other arts, other than absolute music, a bit frustrating. Our listserv has been mostly exercised by his curt dismissal of Bell, Fry and the visual formalists - but, ironically, among philosophers of music, it is Kivy who is considered the formalist, a badge that he wears with some discomfort. How important is expositional content in the fine arts? I was taught to ignore it, but I really can't ignore the importance that likely content has for me -- and it is as much a part of my art experience as colors, lines, sounds etc. -- except that, unlike others, I would say that content enhances the experience of form, rather than the other way around. Even if that likely content comes from only a few words in music, like the words "Love Supreme" tacked on near the end of John Coltrane's iconic song. Those words make me wonder "is this what a 'love supreme' would sound like"?" --- just as statues of Christ, Buddha, or Shiva get me wondering if that is how divinity looks. (if the statues look good, that is) And regarding fictional literature -- I do ask whether the stories could be true. Not whether there actually was an Odysseus who outwitted a monstrous one-eyed Cyclops -- but for what kind of situation would be that be the most likely analogy. And, like Donald Kuspit, I even ask the same thing about abstract paintings, though, unlike the audience that Kivy imagines (of which he would be the best example), I feel no need to put such questions into propositions about important issues. So I liked his book as a well written presentation of how he, and the other philosophers that he discusses, think about the arts Though mostly, I think different about the subject. ____________________________________________________________ Weight Loss Program Best Weight Loss Program - Click Here! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/c?cp=Q6BSR0cPm_DMPMAADHsgRgAAJz6c l_zTaptgNR5c8Mer1v9kAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEUgAAAAA=
