PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS

Prompt #1: Should The Starry Night be considered as an “ART”?

The Starry Night (1889) is one of the most famous paintings in the history of
Western Art. With its striking blue and yellow hues and bold brushstrokes, it is easily
recognizable and continues to transfix viewers to this day. Vincent van Gogh painted The
Starry Night a year before his death and it depicts the night view from his window in the
asylum where he was admitted. The oil painting contains the moon, stars, cypress trees
that look like flames or towers, a village with cottages and a church, rolling blue hills, and
even the morning star or Venus (The Museum of Modern Art, 2004; Zelazko, 2020).
According to Zelazko (2020), van Gogh painted the scene from memory as he was not
allowed to paint in his bedroom and he used his imagination for the village since it did not
exist. To create the impasto and bright colors, he applied paint directly from tubes. In his

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letters to his brother, van Gogh regarded the painting as a failure. Van Gogh’s unique style
piqued the interest of artists and viewers after his death. The Starry Night became a
representation of subsequent Expressionist paintings. The profound impact of the painting
has made it subject to various interpretations and criticism by audiences all over the world.
There are many different definitions of art and depending on which one an individual
follows or agrees with, they may have varying standards on how they classify if something
is art or not. In this paper, the group will be discussing whether or not Vincent van Gogh’s
Starry Night should be considered as an art.

There is a famous saying that goes, “Ars longa, vita brevis” or “Art is long, life is
short.” Many people interpret this as something that refers to how an artwork usually lasts
a long time and even outlives the artist. Following this line of thinking, we can say that van
Gogh’s The Starry Night should be considered as art since it is still one of the most famous
paintings of all time despite being painted nearly 133 years ago. It is iconic and easily
recognized as it is frequently on various merchandise like poster prints, umbrellas, or even
socks. The painting also has influenced and continues to influence many artists.
Contemporary artists have recreated The Starry Night using different mediums such as jelly
beans, embroidery, doorknobs, and photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope
(Richman-Abdou & Cole, 2021). Putting aside the painting’s fame and influence, The Starry
Night also has a backstory involving van Gogh’s personal life. According to The Museum of
Modern Art (2019), the painting was inspired by van Gogh’s view of the countryside from
his room at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, France where he was
admitted due to depression. Using philosopher John Dewey’s definition of art as “the most
effective mode of communication that exists” and “what the product does with and in
experience,” we can consider The Starry Night as art since it communicates Vincent van
Gogh’s emotions, memories, and experiences in the asylum he stayed at for a year. Looking
into a more general take on art, Oxford dictionary defines it as “the expression or
application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as
painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or

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emotional power.” We can consider the painting as art since it appears to be made with
skill since Vincent van Gogh used techniques that showcase the different elements of art
and principles of design. For example, van Gogh used an impasto technique to create
texture as the brush strokes and layers of thick paint are obvious. The defined lines made
by his brush strokes also show the movement of the wind. The movement of the scenery is
also evident in his color use as he did not blend the paint despite using a gradient of colors.
Value can also be observed as seen on the radiating light surrounding the moon and stars.
This puts emphasis on how the moon and some stars are brighter and nearer than the
others. A variety of shapes and forms can also be seen such as the circular stars and three-
dimensional houses. The harmonious combination of elements and principles was how van
Gogh’s imagination and emotions were channeled into his artwork. Today, many people
continue to admire the painting for its beauty.

Art allows an individual to perceive the world through someone else's eyes. The
Starry Night allows us to see the world through Vincent van Gogh's perspective, such as
how he interprets his surroundings and sees the beauty in them. From his interpretation,
he was able to gain inspiration to start the artwork and portray the various emotions evoked
by the scenery through his imagination. According to Leo Tolstoy (1960), "Art is not a
handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced." A creative piece
becomes art when it has a purpose, as the artist can bring it alive to the viewer. With this,
it will be able to communicate a more profound sense similar to narrating a story, making
it easier for the audience to understand. According to Landy (2020), as we interpret
artworks with the consideration of their intent, it can be as magical as seeing cardboard
turn into a box, which means someone can transform a simple object into art through the
use of purpose. Likewise, as stated by van Gogh: "The emotions are sometimes so strong
that I work without knowing it. The strokes come like speech." From the emotions gained
through his experience, he utilized this as a motivation to use both his imagination and
memory to create an art piece that would, in return, evoke emotion towards other
individuals.

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 Moreover, when imagination and creativity are brought together, this results in art.
Mimesis, which represents reality combined with expression, emotional communication,
and other attributes, can all be used to describe art (Gelonch-Viladegut, 2014). With this,
the found purpose drives the artist to use his skill and talent to bring his vision alive. Art is
frequently created by consciously organizing elements, such as color, shapes, texture, and
others, in a way that appeals to the emotions of an individual. As mentioned previously,
van Gogh was known for his artistic ability, particularly in painting, as he uses the
technique called Impasto (Museum of Modern Art, 2019). From this, he depicted different
weather conditions and changing light, frequently painting neighboring wheat fields in the
hot sun or heavy storm clouds (Zelasko, 2020). Moreover, he was able to portray his feelings
by creating patterns that express his personal and deep emotional state (McQuillen, 2015).
As van Gogh’s artistic skill effectively portrayed his vision through dabs of paint and
sketches of shapes, these elements were able to translate to art.

The Starry Night is now on display at the New York City Museum of Modern Art.
Since its birth, it has moved and inspired people. We can further address that Starry Night
is considered an art because of its significant form as proposed by Clive Bell in 1913. With
the popularity of the Starry Night painted by a legendary artist, it goes to show that it has
its qualities that brings us aesthetic pleasure. This may be the case for the color palette of
the Starry Night. The Starry Night is painted in the artist’s signature Post-Impressionist
style, with short, playful brushstrokes, and a focus on brightness. The sky, which is formed
of a richly applied tonal mix of blue and gold colors, exemplifies this creative style. It is
because of this technique that it has become so well-known. His late paintings also sparked
a significant controversy about his color choices especially in Starry Night. The prevalence
of yellow in this painting made some believe van Gogh suffered from lead poisoning or a
type of brain disorder, which would explain his unusual choice of colors in his later
paintings (Khazan, 2013).

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 The spiral pattern created by van Gogh’s use of white and yellow draws attention to
the night sky (color blue). Vertical lines like the tree and the church tower soften the
painting without taking away from the majestic night sky in Starry Night. Dark blue and
green hues were used by van Gogh and he also added accents of mint green to indicate the
moon’s reflection. Small bricks of yellows, oranges and greens with a splash of red to the
left of the church make up the buildings in the painting’s center. The rich hues of the night
conforms to the genuine character of Starry Night, in which colors are employed to convey
emotion.

Many artists and even non-artists alluded that Starry Night symbolizes “hope”. Van
Gogh appears to be demonstrating that even on a dark night like this, light may be seen in
the windows of the dwellings. Moreover, there is always light to guide you because the sky
is filled with bright stars. As interpreted by Abdou (2021), it appears that van Gogh had
finally been healed of his ailment and had discovered his paradise. He also understood that
in death he would be at peace, which he depicts in the Starry Night painting with bright
colors. As an example of his conveying emotion: "I should not be surprised if you liked the
Starry Night and the Ploughed Fields," van Gogh writes in a letter to his brother Theo, "there
is a greater quiet about them than in the other canvases." Later in the letter, he mentions
Leo Tolstoy's book “My Religion” and its lack of belief in resurrection. Such passing
references to religion matched van Gogh's sentiments about the issue at the time; he
couldn't ignore it or accept it completely. Regardless, his choice of the word "quiet" and
reference to Tolstoy's work suggest that the night sky calmed him and reminded him of
eternity (Khan Academy, 2015). Likewise, Leo Tolstoy as an art theorist also proposed that
art is the communication of feeling (Camp, 2006). Although, a painting (an artwork) may
only be communicated if it’s capacity to evoke emotions is passed on to another person.
Well, it would be difficult for artworks that are not seen by anyone at all to convey
emotions. But, we argue that it is possible for Starry Night because first, the artist is very
famous and second, the painting itself has a lasting influence on the Artworld.

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 Van Gogh's light brush strokes and vibrant colors to portray the ethereal and
dreamlike night sky resulted in Starry night's creation. However, the message and story
behind this work of art are also one of the reasons why people consider starry night an art,
even a masterpiece. Starry Night was brought upon van Gogh's imagination, emotions,
drive, and passion to create art and leave an impression on the art world. On a sad note,
Starry night was considered a failure by van Gogh. However, years after his death, the
painting captivated millions of people worldwide, even those not into the art world. Art is
an expression or an outing wherein, according to Dorothy Parker, Coda (1927), "art is a form
of catharsis" to release emotions. Renowned art history figure Sven Loevgren voiced that
the starry night "conceived in a state of great agitation" the artwork reflects the artist's
inner struggle to survive with its apocalyptic composition. "Art grows out of grief and joy,
but mainly grief. It is born of people's lives," as said by Edvard Munch, wherein van Gogh's
frustration, hope, and bits of willingness to survive is portrayed in one of his last works
before his tragic death. In a website dedicated to van Gogh, namely the Van Gogh Gallery
(2013), the artwork can be divided into three parts: The sky, the cypress trees, and the
village.

The sky is the divine. The painting's most dreamy, unreal section is beyond human
comprehension and barely out of grasp. The cypress trees, hills, and other ground-level
trees bend and swirl in gentle angles that mirror the sky's subtle swirls. The village is the
final section. It is separated from the rest of the picture by straight lines and sharp angles,
which appear to separate it from the "heavens" of the sky. It is also worth noting how the
church's steeple rises to the sky and how the dots of trees flows through the settlement,
wherein scholars believe it is van Gogh's way to show God is brought to the village. Van
Gogh's communication of his thoughts, fondness of the night sky and the stars, spiritual
state, and struggles has clearly come through and has touched several people. Louise
Bourgeois once said, "Art is a way of recognizing oneself." Art not only allows the artist to
recognize themselves but the audience of the artwork as well. The Starry Night inspired
several artists such as later generations of Fauves and German Expressionists and even
other poets, songwriters, and authors.

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 The varying definitions of art give rise to conflicts regarding whether certain works
can be classified as an art or not. However, The Starry Night's long history and impact make
it undeniably considered as an art. The group concludes that van Gogh's The Starry Night
should be regarded as an art. The harmonious combination of elements and principles, the
use of colors and techniques used to depict his imagination and emotions, and how it
touched and inspired several works led it to be one of the most famous artworks of his
generation.

Word count (excluding references): 2241 words

References
Abdou, K. (2021). How Van Gogh's ‘Starry Night’ Came to Be and Continues to
Inspire ArtistsRetrieved 4 March 2022, from https://mymodernmet.com/starry-
night-van-
gogh/#:~:text=Rendered%20in%20the%20artist's%20characteristic,of%20blue%20
and%20gold%20hues.

Draper, R. P. (1971). Concrete Poetry. New Literary History, 2(2), 329–340.

Gelonch-Viladegut, A. (2014, November 6). "What is art?". Gelonch Viladegut

Collection. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://gelonchviladegut.com/en/gelonch-viladegut-a-what-is-art/

Harney, N., Wang, J. C., A., Foster, A., Wang, A., Bluff-it, E., Chau, S., Echenique, A.
G., Biletsky, A., Aryf, D. K., Potocka, A., Holland, M., Qausher, A., & Anderson, P.
(2014). Interview with the artist: Anatol Knotek. The Oxford Student. Retrieved
March 5, 2022, from https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2014/08/06/interview-with-
the-artist-anatol-knotek/

History of art: Vincent Van Gogh. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
http://www.all-art.org/impressionism/van_Gogh5.html

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Huth, G. (2008). Visual Poetry Today. Poetry, 193(2), 125–128.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20608346

Khan Academy (2015). Van Gogh, The Starry Night (article). Retrieved 4 March 2022,
from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-
americas/modernity-ap/a/van-gogh-the-starry-night

Landy, J. (2020, October 5). Art, intention, and everyday psychology. Nonsite.org.
Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://nonsite.org/art-intention-and-everyday-
psychology/

McQuillen, C. (2015, November 15). Van Gogh's The starry night: A cross-curricular
lesson plan. McQuillen Studios. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://charlesmcquillen.com/vincent-van-gogh-the-starry-night-english-
language-arts-lesson-
plan/#:~:text=However%2C%20Van%20Gogh%20was%20not,a%20subject's%20de
eper%20emotional%20state

Richman-Abdou, K., & Cole, M. (2021, May 8). How Van Gogh's 'Starry night' came
to be and continues to inspire artists. My Modern Met. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://mymodernmet.com/starry-night-van-gogh/)

Starr, E. (2021, July 1). Why is starry night so famous. LinkedIn. Retrieved March 5, 2022,
from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-starry-night-so-famous-future-starr-media-llc

Takac, B. (2018, October 7). Why we are so enamored with Vincent van Gogh's Starry
night painting. Widewalls. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from
https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/vincent-van-gogh-starry-night-painting

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 Templeton Reid, LLC. (2013, January 15). Van Gogh Starry Night: Van Gogh gallery. Van
Gogh Starry Night - The Painting and The Story. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from
https://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-
night.html#:~:text=VINCENT%20VAN%20GOGH%3A%20STARRY%20NIGHT,of%
20art%20in%20the%20world.

The Museum of Modern Art. (2004). The Starry Night - Vincent Van Gogh - Google
Arts & Culture. Google. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-starry-night-vincent-van-
gogh/bgEuwDxel93-Pg?hl=en

The Museum of Modern Art. (2019). Vincent van Gogh. the starry night. Saint Rémy,
June 1889: Moma. The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802

Tolstoy, L. (1960). What is art?. New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc., Liberal Arts
Press.

Zelazko, A. (2020, May 29). The Starry Night. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Starry-Night

Prompt #2: Should Anatol Knotek’s “a rope ends it” be considered as an “ART”?

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 A Rope Ends It (2015) is one of the innumerable works produced by the Austrian
born artist named Anatol Knotek who is known to specialize in visual and concrete poetry.
While there is limited information about the background of the artist, Anatol Knotek’s
works have made prominent existence online where he posts most of his pieces through a
curated blog on Tumblr. He also has had gallery shows across Europe where he exhibits his
mastery as a visual poet where he mostly incorporates the written word to produce an
image that bears a distinct message. Much of his work is minimalist in nature, often
utilizing a blank and matte white canvas that emphasizes words that are modicum of value
(Noorata, 2016). According to the artist, he tries to “ focus on phrases, words or single
letters, try to question the common belief and try to make something visually appealing”
(Harney et al, 2014). Concrete Poetry, compared to the conventional method of poetry, is
the creation of verbal artifacts that capitalizes the possibilities of sound, sense, rhythm, and
also of space whether flat, two, or three dimensional (Draper, 1971). Additionally, the
message in this form of poetry is communicated through graphic patterns of strategically
placed letters, words, or symbols that form an evocative picture (Luebering, 2019). In this

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section of the paper, the group will be discussing whether or not Anatol Knotek’s A Rope
Ends It should be considered as an art.

Typography in nature is a form of visual art which was already evident during the
Upper Paleolithic era wherein symbols were used as a form of language. With the
advancement of civilization, communication became more complex, progressing from the
use of the Egyptians hieroglyphics to the Ancient Greeks’ alphabet which continuously
evolved the concept of writing - making typography an important form of art and language
(Smirna, 2017). Typography by definition is a strategic way of arranging letters and text
which involves the use of font styles, appearance, and structure to make a visually appealing
image that evokes emotions and conveys distinct messages (Preece et al., 2020).
Typography capitalizes on various principles of art such as rhythm, contrast, proportion,
and harmony which is evident in various works by Anatol Knotek particularly with his work
“A Rope Ends It” where he intends to convey the feeling of desperation by deliberately
rearranging the letter “I” to represent a visual image of an individual ending one’s life.
Although most art that is in typographic form tends to be flamboyant in nature, Knotek’s
works exude creativity through his minimalist approach where the contrast between black
and white provides emphasis on the arrangement of the chosen word - desperation.

In an attempt to define art, 19th-century Russian author and art theorist Leo Tolstoy
proposed that art is the communication of feeling—it is a human activity wherein one man
consciously "hand on to others" the feelings he has lived through his artwork, thereby
infecting his audience and letting them experience these feelings (Sachant et al., 2016). In
this excerpt, the artist may have the intention of communicating the feeling of
"desperation" to other people not only through the mere meaning of its very word in the
linguistic sense but also with the symbolism of one letter hanging by the rope that may slip
and fall any time, or the fact that the rope could also represent a noose that chokes and
takes a life away. It is in line with the definition of art by Ruckstuhl (1916): that “every
human work made in any language, with the purpose of expressing or stirring human

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emotion, is a Work of Art”. According to him, it is impossible to include in the definition
of Art every element that enters into the Work of Art. Therefore, we have to find the
fundamental thing that separates a Work of Art from everything else, and that is: The
Expression of Human Emotion (Ruckstuhl, 1916). Albeit relatively not-so-positive,
desperation is the state of despair that can be considered as human emotion. In addition
to this, Ruckstuhl (1916) further discussed that as soon as emotions—whether they are
physical, intellectual, or spiritual in nature—are expressed in some form, no matter how
trivial the emotions or how trivial the form of expression, it also becomes a word of art. In
this case, Anatol Knotek’s artwork is very minimalist, however, it not only sparks emotions
in an aesthetic sense but also stimulates the audience intellectually. Specifically, the
artwork’s title “A Rope Ends It” is an anagram for the word “desperation”. It enters to
Ruckstuhl’s category of Clever Art as through the skillful composition and arrangement of
letters, even the artwork’s title can arouse the audience's intellectual admiration to a
certain extent.

Anatol Knotek's artwork is a kind of a combination of installation and visual poem

or concrete poem. According to Huth (2008), visual poetry challenges its reader as it
utilizes individual words outside the traditional syntax, thereby requiring its readers to find
connections that are suggested spatially. However, one important idea in visual poetry
aside from having it "make sense via the text itself" is that there are still important elements
that provide meaning in any visual poem including the color, shape, arrangement,
proximity, and objects or the images integrated with it. In this excerpt, one element that is
noticeable is the use of line. Sachant et al. (2016) stated that a line is not just a two-
dimensional design element—linear mediums such as wires or rope can also be used in
three-dimensional artworks. We can see this in Anatol Knotek's use of a hanging rope
creating a straight line that represents a noose. According to Sachant et al. (2016), a line
has expressive content as it compels the viewer to follow along its path with its character
controlling the direction, speed, and attention of the viewer. In this case, the line that the
rope creates guides the viewers' eyes toward the letter “I” in the word "desperation",

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emphasizing how it fell down and is hanging at the end of it. The use of the element line
could depict: (1) the state of despair as the letter “I” hangs by the rope, as well as (2) the
probable action of just ending it all with the noose as a result of desperation.

In his various artworks, Anatol Knotek has presented his messages through a
representation of letters and minimalist materials- most of which are beyond people
questioning the artistry of these pieces. In his installation “A Rope Ends it”, it is evident
that each part was well-thought of and strategically placed- from the bold capital letters,
the kerning and font used, the contrast of the dark print to its white background, the long,
white rope camouflaging on the canvas, the hanging of the letter I, and even its title- all
elements are planned which is one identifying characteristic of conceptual art. Conceptual
art focuses on “ideas and meanings” or “ideas and purposes” to which an artist uses text,
imagery, everyday objects, and any other materials the artist chooses. There are no boxes
in which conceptual art rests as any artist has the ability to create and present art in the
most random/ unique way. Inspecting Knotek’s work, it is evident that his piece represents
beyond the meaning of his chosen word, that there is a deeper connection between the the
rope hanging above the frame- revealing that there is the existence of a higher root for his
final act of desperation, and the protruding canvas barely touching the corners of the
frame- somehow showing the heaviness of circumstances and how detached one may be to
be able to end it all with a rope.

Veering away from the normal colorful, stroke-filled, and paint-splattered artworks
we all know, Knotek’s “A Rope Ends It” without a doubt adjusts the perspective of humanity
on how art is perceived and received. The emotions presented coupled with the cleverness
of the use of letters and minimal elements 0f this piece were able to connect to its audience
and elevate the message he intended to portray thus, concluding that “A Rope Ends It” is
indeed, a piece of art. The typography and uniqueness of Knotek’s artwork show that art
is not simply boxed in the cliched use of varying color and 3-dimensional sculptures, but
rather is a blank space to be filled with whatever media an artist desires.

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 Word count (excluding references): 1390
References
Draper, R. P. (1971). Concrete Poetry. New Literary History, 2(2), 329–340.
Conceptual art meaning and characteristics. Conceptual Art: Meaning, Characteristics.
(n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/conceptual-
art.htm
Harney, N., Wang, J. C., A., Foster, A., Wang, A., Bluff-it, E., Chau, S., Echenique, A. G.,
Biletsky, A., Aryf, D. K., Potocka, A., Holland, M., Qausher, A., & Anderson, P. (2014).
Interview with the artist: Anatol Knotek. The Oxford Student. Retrieved March 5,
2022, from https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2014/08/06/interview-with-the-artist-
anatol-knotek/
Huth, G. (2008). Visual Poetry Today. Poetry, 193(2), 125–128.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20608346

Luebering, J.E. (2019). Concrete poetry. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 5, 2022,
from https://www.britannica.com/art/concrete-poetry

Noorata, P. (2016). Poetic text portraits. My Modern Met. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from
https://mymodernmet.com/anatol-knotek-visual-poetry-text-portraits/

Preece, W. E. and Wells, . James M. (2020). typography. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/typography

Ruckstuhl, F. W. (1916). What Is Art? A Definition. The Art World, 1(1), 21.
https://doi.org/10.2307/25587648

Sachant, P. J., LeMieux, J., & Tekippe, R. (2016). Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and
Meaning. University of North Georgia. https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/arts-textbooks/3/

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Smirna, K. (2017). The history of typography and its journey through art. Widewalls.
Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/typography-
history-art
Tate. (n.d.). Conceptual art. Tate. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/conceptual-art

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