Philosophy Aesthetic/Art Theories SAC

Bell’s Theory SIGNIFICANT FORM

Significant form is the specific arrangement of visual elements that makes an object art by stirring emotions.

Bell’s theory

Bell acknowledges that aesthetic judgements are subjective matters of personal taste because we only recognise art through our unique emotional experiences

Collingwood’s Theory

Art is the imaginative expression and clarification of an artist’s inner emotion rather than a physical object or a technical craft. True art has no preconceived plan or techniques.

Dickie’s Theory (Institutionalist)

Something is art if it’s a human made artifact that has been given the status of “candidate for appreciation” by the artworld. An object becomes art not through its beauty but because the art institution agrees to treat it as such.

Intentionalist art theory

An artwork’s true meaning is determined by the creator’s intentions rather than the audience’s interpretation.

Anti-intentionalism art theory

An artwork’s meaning is entirely independent of what the creator intended. The piece is an autonomous object, leaving its interpretation up to the audience.

Danto’s artworld theory

An object becomes art not through its physical appearance but through the conceptual framework of art history and theory surrounding it.