Emotion in Art

(Originally written on March 8, 2007 in Book 16)

Emotion in Art

Clive Bell

- A distinctive aesthetic emotion
- Aesthetic emotion is caused by significant form
- Significant forms are the lines and colors to which form the emotions

Criticism
1) Not applicable to all art forms (Literary arts, novels)
2) Circularity of argument (aesthetic emotion is caused by significant forms. Significant form are that which produces aesthetic emotion)

Collingwood

Art is fundamentally the expression of one's emotions.

Distinguishes between art & craft.

In craft there is a distinction between planning and execution.

Art always has some spontaneous element.

The artist explores emotions.

An artist is not distinctly different from normal people.

Helberg: "The Paradox of Expression"

Art works are public. Emotions are inherently private. Yet, art works are expressions of emotions. How can the invisible become visible?

Wittgenstein (philosophical behaviorism) - mental states are dispositions to behave in some way (analogous to "X" being flammable)

Hagberg "solves" the paradox by using Wittgenstein's theory of emotions by denying that emotions are inherently private.