Contextualism
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| - | '''Art history''' is the [[study]] of the [[history]] of the [[visual arts]]. | + | '''Contextualism''' describes a collection of views in [[philosophy]] which emphasize the ''context'' in which an action, utterance, or expression occurs, and argues that, in some important respect, the action, utterance, or expression can only be understood relative to that context. |
| - | Art history is a relatively new academic enterprise, beginning in the nineteenth century. Whereas the analysis of historical trends in, for example, politics, literature, and the sciences, benefits from the clarity and portability of the written word, ''art historians'' rely on [[Formal concept analysis|formal analysis]], [[iconology]], [[semiotics]] ([[structuralism]], [[post-structuralism]], and [[deconstruction]]), [[psychoanalysis]] and [[iconography]]; as well as [[primary source]]s and [[secondary sources|reproductions of artworks]] as a springboard of discussion and study. Advances in photographic reproduction and printing techniques after World War II increased the ability of reproductions of artworks accurately. Nevertheless the appreciation and study of the visual arts has been an area of research for many over the millennia. The definition of art history reflects the dichotomy within art; i.e., art as history and in anthropological context; and art as a study in forms. | + | In [[ethics]], "contextualist" views are most closely associated with [[situational ethics]], or with [[moral relativism]]. |
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| - | The study of visual art can be approached through the broad categories of [[contextualism]] and [[Formalism (art)|formalism]]. | + | |
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| - | They are described as: | + | |
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| - | *;''Contextualism'': The approach whereby a work of art is examined in the ''context'' of its time; in a manner which respects its creator's motivations and imperatives; with consideration of the desires and prejudices of its patrons and sponsors; with a comparative analysis of themes and approaches of the creator's colleagues and teachers; and consideration of religious iconography and temporal symbolism. In short, this approach examines the work of art in the context of the world within which it was created. | + | |
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| - | *;''Formalism'': The approach whereby the artwork is examined through an analysis of its form; that is, the creator's use of line, shape, color, texture, and composition. This approach examines how the artist uses a two-dimensional picture plane (or the three dimensions of sculptural or architectural space) to create his or her art. A formal analysis can further describe art as ''representational'' or ''non-representational''; which answers the question, is the artist imitating an object or image found in nature? If so, it is representational. The closer the art hews to perfect imitation, the more the art is ''realistic''. If the art is less imitation and more symbolism, or in an important way strives to capture nature's essence, rather than imitate it directly, the art is ''abstract''. Impressionism is an example of a representational style that was not directly imitative, but strove to create an "impression" of nature. Of course, realism and abstraction exist on a continuum. If the work is ''not'' representational of nature, but an expression of the artist's feelings, longings and aspirations, or his or her search for ideals of beauty and form, the work is ''non-representational'' or a work of ''expressionism.'' | + | |
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | ;General | + | :''[[context]], [[New Historicism]], [[art history]], [[thick description]]'' |
| - | * [[Art]] (including the theoretical overview) | + | * [[Perspectivism]] |
| - | * [[Art critic]] | + | * [[False dilemma]] |
| - | * [[Art criticism]] | + | * [[Exclusive disjunction]] |
| - | * [[Art periods]] | + | * [[Degrees of truth]] |
| - | * [[AP Art History]] | + | * [[Fuzzy logic]] |
| - | * [[Aesthetics]] | + | * [[Logical value]] |
| - | * [[History of art]] | + | * [[Relativism]] |
| - | * [[History of decorative arts]] | + | * [[Rhizome (philosophy)]] |
| - | * [[History of painting]] | + | * [[Semiotic anthropology]] |
| - | * [[Western painting]] | + | * [[Truth]] |
| - | * [[History of sculpture]] | + | |
| - | * [[History of architecture]] | + | |
| - | * [[History of dance]] | + | |
| - | * [[History of music]] | + | |
| - | * [[History of poetry]] | + | |
| - | * [[Outline of painting history]] | + | |
| - | * [[Visual culture]] | + | |
| - | * [[Art History Underground]] | + | |
| - | * [[Modernism]] | + | |
| - | * [[Postmodern art]] | + | |
| - | * [[Gaze]] | + | |
| - | * [[Sublime]] | + | |
| - | ;Art by region:Main articles | + | |
| - | * [[Eastern art history]] | + | |
| - | :* [[Asian art]] | + | |
| - | * [[Western art]] | + | |
| - | * [[Western painting]] | + | |
| - | :* [[European art]] | + | |
| - | :* [[American art]] | + | |
| - | :* [[Native American art]] | + | |
| - | :* [[Art of Central America]] | + | |
| - | :* [[Art of South America]] | + | |
| - | * [[Oceanic art]] | + | |
| - | * [[African art]] | + | |
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Contextualism describes a collection of views in philosophy which emphasize the context in which an action, utterance, or expression occurs, and argues that, in some important respect, the action, utterance, or expression can only be understood relative to that context.
In ethics, "contextualist" views are most closely associated with situational ethics, or with moral relativism.
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See also
- Perspectivism
- False dilemma
- Exclusive disjunction
- Degrees of truth
- Fuzzy logic
- Logical value
- Relativism
- Rhizome (philosophy)
- Semiotic anthropology
- Truth
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Contextualism" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
