"Formal analysis" redirects here. For the subject in music, see Musical analysis.
In art history, formalism is the study of art by analyzing and comparing form and style. Its discussion also includes the way objects are made and their purely visual or material aspects. In painting, formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color, line, shape, texture, and other perceptual aspects rather than content, meaning, or the historical and social context. At its extreme, formalism in art history posits that everything necessary to comprehending a work of art is contained within the work of art. The context of the work, including the reason for its creation, the historical background, and the life of the artist, that is, its conceptual aspect is considered to be external to the artistic medium itself, and therefore of secondary importance.
The historical origin of the modern form of the question of aesthetic formalism is usually dated to Immanuel Kant and the writing of his third Critique where Kant states: "Every form of the objects of sense is either figure (Gestalt) or play (Spiel). In the latter case it is either play of figures or the mere play of sensations. The charm (Reiz) of colors... may be added, but the delineations (Zeichnung) in the... composition (Komposition)... constitute the proper object of the pure judgment of taste."[1] The philosopher Donald Crawford has summarized Kant's position stating: "Thus, for Kant, form consists of the spatial... organization of elements: figure, shape, or delineation... In the parts of the Critique of Judgment in which form is emphasized as the essential aspect of beauty, Kant is consistently a pure formalist."[2]
Contemporary definition
Nick Zangwill has defined formalism in art as referring to those properties "that are determined solely by sensory or physical properties—so long as the physical properties in question are not relations to other things and other times."[3] The philosopher and architect Branko Mitrovic (philosopher) has defined formalism in art and architecture as "the doctrine that states that the aesthetic qualities of works of visual art derive from the visual and spatial properties."[4]
According to the observation that works of art can in general contain formal properties and nonformal properties, the philosopher Nick Zangwill has delineated three types of formalism as they are encountered at the turn of the 21st century. First, Zangwill identifies extreme formalists who think "that all works of art are purely formal works—where a work is purely formal if all its aesthetic properties are formal aesthetic properties," then he defines anti-formalist thinkers as those who "think that no works of art have formal aesthetic properties."[5] The third type which Zangwill identifies as representing the transition of the philosophy of aesthetics into the 21st century is that of moderate formalism, where its principal exponents defend the principle "that all the aesthetic properties of works of art in a select class are formal, and second, that although many works of art outside that class have nonformal aesthetic properties, many of those works also have important formal aesthetic properties that must not be ignored."[5]
Uses in art history
A formal analysis is an academic method in art history and criticism for analyzing works of art: "In order to perceive style, and understand it, art historians use 'formal analysis'. This means they describe things very carefully. These descriptions, which may include subjective vocabulary, are always accompanied by illustrations, so that there can be no doubt about what exists objectively".[6]
^Review by: Clemency Chase Coggins of The Uses of Style in Archaeology edited by Margaret W. Conkey and Christine A. Hastorf, p. 233, Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Summer, 1992), pp. 232–34, Maney Publishing, JSTOR
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Formal analysis redirects here For the subject in music see Musical analysis In art history formalism is the study of art by analyzing and comparing form and style Its discussion also includes the way objects are made and their purely visual or material aspects In painting formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color line shape texture and other perceptual aspects rather than content meaning or the historical and social context At its extreme formalism in art history posits that everything necessary to comprehending a work of art is contained within the work of art The context of the work including the reason for its creation the historical background and the life of the artist that is its conceptual aspect is considered to be external to the artistic medium itself and therefore of secondary importance Contents 1 History 2 Contemporary definition 3 Uses in art history 4 See also 5 Notes and references 6 Sources 7 External linksHistory EditThe historical origin of the modern form of the question of aesthetic formalism is usually dated to Immanuel Kant and the writing of his third Critique where Kant states Every form of the objects of sense is either figure Gestalt or play Spiel In the latter case it is either play of figures or the mere play of sensations The charm Reiz of colors may be added but the delineations Zeichnung in the composition Komposition constitute the proper object of the pure judgment of taste 1 The philosopher Donald Crawford has summarized Kant s position stating Thus for Kant form consists of the spatial organization of elements figure shape or delineation In the parts of the Critique of Judgment in which form is emphasized as the essential aspect of beauty Kant is consistently a pure formalist 2 Contemporary definition EditNick Zangwill has defined formalism in art as referring to those properties that are determined solely by sensory or physical properties so long as the physical properties in question are not relations to other things and other times 3 The philosopher and architect Branko Mitrovic philosopher has defined formalism in art and architecture as the doctrine that states that the aesthetic qualities of works of visual art derive from the visual and spatial properties 4 According to the observation that works of art can in general contain formal properties and nonformal properties the philosopher Nick Zangwill has delineated three types of formalism as they are encountered at the turn of the 21st century First Zangwill identifies extreme formalists who think that all works of art are purely formal works where a work is purely formal if all its aesthetic properties are formal aesthetic properties then he defines anti formalist thinkers as those who think that no works of art have formal aesthetic properties 5 The third type which Zangwill identifies as representing the transition of the philosophy of aesthetics into the 21st century is that of moderate formalism where its principal exponents defend the principle that all the aesthetic properties of works of art in a select class are formal and second that although many works of art outside that class have nonformal aesthetic properties many of those works also have important formal aesthetic properties that must not be ignored 5 Uses in art history EditA formal analysis is an academic method in art history and criticism for analyzing works of art In order to perceive style and understand it art historians use formal analysis This means they describe things very carefully These descriptions which may include subjective vocabulary are always accompanied by illustrations so that there can be no doubt about what exists objectively 6 See also EditFormalism literature Formalism music Progressive music Abstract expressionism Josef Albers Hard edge painting Color field painting Minimalism Lyrical Abstraction Post modernism Geometric abstraction Op Art Elements of artNotes and references Edit Kant Critique of Judgment Section 14 8 Donald Crawford Kant s Aesthetic Theory Madison The University of Wisconsin Press 1974 p 100 Nick Zangwill The Metaphysics of Beauty Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 2001 p 56 ISBN 0801438209 Branko Mitrovic Philosophy for architects New York Princeton Architectural Press 2011 p 51 a b Zangwill 2001 p 84 Review by Clemency Chase Coggins of The Uses of Style in Archaeology edited by Margaret W Conkey and Christine A Hastorf p 233 Journal of Field Archaeology Vol 19 No 2 Summer 1992 pp 232 34 Maney Publishing JSTORSources EditBell Clive Art London 1914 full citation needed Denis Maurice Definition of Neo Traditionism Art and Criticism August 1890 full citation needed Greenberg Clement Towards a Newer Laocoon Partisan Review 1940 full citation needed External links Edit Aesthetic Formalism Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Formalism art amp oldid 1137656451, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
