Objectivity and Subjectivity in Art?

[verte76]

I was looking at the thread about moral objectivity and relativism and started to wonder what people think about objectivity and subjectivity in art. Do you think there are any absolutes in art, or is it all subjective and opinion?

 

[BonosSaint]

Are you including all arts here?

 

[shart1780]

Well, I think most art has both (if I'm correct in what you're talking about.)

When someone creates most art it's objective in that it's usually meant to convey the feelings of the artist. Take a U2 song for example; Most of what Bono writes is meant to convey something on his mind.

But when I hear a U2 song I usually only temporarily care what his meaning behind the lyrics are. Even then I only care so I can better understand how to apply the music to my own life as an outlet for my feelings. That's when it becomes subjective.

I don't really think most artists can help but to make both subjective and objective art.

 

[verte76]

Are you including all arts here?

Yes.

 

[BonosSaint]

I think creativity itself is highly subjective and as Shart noted the reception of it is also highly subjective. So much art is presentation of personal vision affected by the individual senses the artist uses in perceiving the world.

There may be objective standards in the craft/technique used to create the art and there may be objective standards to critique the art, but ultimately I think art is subjective because so much of it is symbolic. It is created to appeal to more than our reason and more than our conscious.

 

[BVS]

There is nothing objective about art...

 

[Muggsy]

this thread reminds me a very interesting book of Joan Fontcuberta " The Kiss of Judas" (El Beso de Judas). It is about that long discussion about the objetivity of photography in all the contexts where it has been used. the book concludes with the idea that the camera, although it has been considered a machine of truth, it has the power of deceive, alterating the reality or creating new ones.

 

[AEON]

There is nothing objective about art...

I agree. I can't think of anything objective about art.

Perhaps beauty may have some objectivity associated with it (I think Irvine pointed this out in a thread recently), but art is a way to communicate a message; it is not the message itself.

 

[silja]

Objectively, a sketch is charcoal on paper. It is possible to describe art objectively but only as far as commenting on the materials. Even the colours would be subjective since perception of nuances can differ.

The rest is subjective.

 

[JCOSTER]

Its opinion, and the old cliche goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I dont think the religious painting with cow dung all over it is a gorgeous painting. If that was the artists opinion at the time than so be it. Opinion goes into the line of our Freedoms. As certain artists have the right to show their creativity it is cultures opinion who will make it and what will make it popular.

 

[verte76]

Thanks for the responses. I feel that art is a very subjective thing, and there's not that much objectivity in it. It's only objective when you say that some people enjoy looking at it or listening to it. Otherwise it's opinion and other subjective things. I'm going to be in a visual art show tomorrow, and I expect to do quite well.

 

[INDY500]

"Excrement. That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. We're not laying pipe. We're talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? 'Well, I like Byron, I give 'im a 42, but I can't dance to it.' Now, I want you to rip out that page. Go on. Rip out the entire page. Begone J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. Rip it out. Rip! . Rip, shred, tear. Rip it out. I want to hear nothing but ripping of Mr.Pritchard."

 

[Muggsy]

Thanks for the responses. I feel that art is a very subjective thing, and there's not that much objectivity in it. It's only objective when you say that some people enjoy looking at it or listening to it. Otherwise it's opinion and other subjective things. I'm going to be in a visual art show tomorrow, and I expect to do quite well.

good luck verte . You are quite talented (i'm not saying this just because , i've seen your art site and I think your paintings are really good ) and I'm sure you'll do great.

 

[nbcrusader]

I think it is easy for us to say there is nothing objective about art, yet we pass laws that require an objective treatment of art. If art is subjective, it is possible that it is ‘not art’ for some.

 

[nathan1977]

There is a reason why some art endures.

Were art purely subjective, there would be as many detractors of a particular work as there would be supporters. If there is a common point to our humanity, then this is the point that the best art seems to touch. Can it be purely a subjective place?