LECTURE 5
Art and Philosophy:
Formalism, Expressionism
and Hedonism
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
LECTURE 5.1
Formalist Theory
of Art
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
FORMALISM
Art is the combination
of perceptual elements.
AUDITORY VISUAL
Rhythm Line
Pitch Shape
FORM = ART
Melody Value
Harmony Texture
Dynamics Color
Art is NON-FIGURATIVE
because does not contain
any representation.
FORMALISM
Art is the combination
of perceptual elements.
is a method of evaluating and interpreting artworks based
primarily on their visual and formal elements—such as line,
shape, color, texture, composition, and structure—rather
than considering external factors like historical context,
artist intention, or societal influences.
Art is NON-FIGURATIVE because does not contain any
representation.
NON-FIGURATIVE ART
has no representation
The way of
presenting
the subject is
NON-OBJECTIVE
•The geometric
arrangement of lines
and rectangles.
•The balance of
primary colors against
the white space.
•The symmetry or
asymmetry of the
composition.
Key Features of
Formalism in Art:
Emphasis on Formal Elements:
Formalists prioritize aspects like balance, proportion,
rhythm, harmony, and the use of space.
Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night
Key Features of
Formalism in Art:
Art for Art’s Sake
The approach aligns with the idea that the value of art lies
in its form rather than its narrative or meaning.
Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow
Key Features of
Formalism in Art:
Objective Analysis: Formalism encourages objective
evaluation by focusing solely on what can be seen within
the artwork, avoiding subjective interpretations related to
content or context.
Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, 1948
Key Features of
Formalism in Art:
Separation from Context:
Historical, cultural, or biographical information about the
artist is deemed secondary or irrelevant.
Separation from Context:
Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square
CLIVE BELL
(1881-1964)
ART
=
“To appreciate art, we Significant
bring with us nothing Form
from life.” What is
essential in art is only
the “significant form”.
“Art for art’s sake.”
THEOPHILE GAUTIER
PAUL CEZANNE
1839-1906
“Artists need to look at
nature and things only as
forms made up of spheres,
cylinders, cones.”
Cezanne, Mount
Sainte-Victoire,
1902
Cezanne
Apples and
Oranges
REPRESENTATION FORM
Green
Isosceles
Pine Tree Triangle
Brown
Vertical
Rectangle
THIN AND
THICK BLACK
SLANTING
LINES AND
SHAPES
REDUCTION OF
REPRESENTATION
INTO FORM
CATEGORIES OF KANDINSKY’S PAINTINGS
Paintings which retain some
IMPRESSIONS naturalistic representation.
Paintings which convey deep
IMPROVISATIONS emotions inspired by events
of a spiritual type.
Purely formal paintings done
COMPOSITIONS carefully, over a period of time,
after preliminary studies. These
are his most complicated works.
IMPRESSIONS
Kandinsky,
Impression III
(Concert)
1911
He painted this
after attending
a concert by
Schonberg.
IMPROVISATIONS
Kandinsky,
Improvisation
No. 30 (Canons)
1913
He painted this
because of the
constant talk
about the
incoming war.
COMPOSITIONS
Kandinsky,
Composition No.
3, 1923
He painted this
after a lot of
preliminary
sketches.
PURELY
FORMAL
PAINTINGS
Kandinsky, Color Composition
Kandinsky, Transversed Lines, 1923
Mondrian
Composition with
Red, Yellow and
Blue, 1924
STYLE
De Stijl
Neoplasticism
Concretism
Malevich
White on
White
STYLE
Suprematism
Malevich
Black Square
Malevich
Red Square
Malevich
Black Rectangle,
Blue Triangle
Malevich
Eight Red
Rectangles
Malevich
Suprematist
Painting
Malevich
Suprematist
Painting
Current
Riley
OP ART
Shows
optical
illusion
FORMAL PATTERNS IN THE DESIGN OF THE TINALAK
ARABESQUE
The formal
geometrical
design in
Islamic Art
32-Arabesque
Islamic Art
52-Arabesque
Islamic Art
ARABESQUE
WINDOW
DESIGN
Alhambra
Palace
Granada
Spain
ARABESQUE
WALL DESIGN
Royal Palace
Museum
Istanbul
Turkey
ARABESQUE
WALL AND
DOOR DESIGN
Royal Palace
Museum
Istanbul
Turkey
ARABESQUE
DOOR DESIGN
Taj Mahal
Agra,India
LECTURE 5.2
Expressionist Theory
of Art
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
EXPRESSIONISM
EXPRESSION Emotion
Ideas
Artist Art
EXPRESSIONISM
- emphasizes the role of emotion, subjectivity,
and the inner experience of the artist in the
creation of art
- prioritizes the artist's internal feelings,
moods, and psychological states, often
resulting in art that appears distorted,
exaggerated, or abstracted to evoke
emotional intensity.
Key Features
1. Emotional Intensity: The primary goal is to
express strong emotions such as fear, anxiety,
love, or passion, often in raw and unfiltered
forms.
Key Features
Emotional Intensity:
This iconic painting vividly
captures raw emotional
intensity, symbolizing
existential dread, fear, and
anxiety. The swirling sky,
distorted figure, and intense
facial expression convey the
overwhelming experience of
psychological torment.
Key Features
2. Subjectivity Over Objectivity: Reality is seen
through the lens of the artist, making the
depiction of the world more personal and
subjective.
Key Features
While "Starry Night" depicts
a real place, the swirling
movement of the sky and the
exaggerated light sources are
representations of van
Gogh's emotional and mental
state at the time. The
painting shows the world
through his subjective,
deeply personal vision.
Key Features
3. Distortion and Exaggeration: Forms, colors,
and proportions are often altered to emphasize
emotional impact rather than accuracy or
realism.
Key Features
"Street, Berlin" (1913) by
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
The figures in this work are
elongated, with sharp,
angular features and skewed
perspectives. The scene
captures the disorienting
experience of city crowds.
Key Features
4. Bold, Vivid Colors: Colors are used
symbolically and emotionally, often clashing to
create a sense of tension or urgency.
Key Features
5. Loose, Dynamic Brushstrokes: The physical
process of creating the artwork becomes part
of its meaning, often showing visible
brushstrokes or rough textures.
Key Features
6. Themes of Alienation and Anxiety: Especially
prominent in early 20th-century expressionism,
reflecting societal unease during times of war,
social upheaval, and existential dread.
SUSANNE LANGER
“Art is the creation
of symbolic forms
expressive of
human feelings.”
LEO TOLSTOY
“Art is the
objectification
of emotion.”
ARISTOTLE
Art is the expression of
the artist’s overflowing
emotion (catharsis).
BENEDETTO CROCE
Like language, art is the
expression of idea by the
artist (Intuitionism).
BORN
March 30, 1853
Zunbert, Netherlands
SCHOOL
Royal Academy of
Arts, Brussel
Van Gogh at 9 Years Old
Van Gogh
At Eternity’s
Gate 1885
Van Gogh, Miners, 1885
Van Gogh, Women Carrying Sacks, 1885
Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885
Van Gogh
View of Paris
from the
Window
1886
LIVED IN PARIS
FROM 1886
TO 1888
Van Gogh
Café Terrace
at Night
1888
Van Gogh, Restaurant
de la Sirene, 1887
Van Gogh, Summer
in Paris, 1887
Van Gogh, Starry Night
Over the Rhone, 1886
Van Gogh, View of Arles, 1888
Van Gogh, View of Arles with Irises, 1888
Van Gogh, Sunset in the Wheatfiel, 1888
Van Gogh, The Yellow House, 1888
Van Gogh
Bedroom at Arles,
October 1888
LETTER OF VAN GOGH
TO HIS BROTHER THEO
OCTOBER 16, 1888
Description of the
Bedroom at Arles
This time it's just
simply my bedroom .
The walls are pale
violet, and the floor is
of red tiles.
The wood of the bed
and chairs is the
yellow of fresh butter,
the sheets and pillows
greenish citron.
The cover scarlet,
the window green.
The table orange,
the basin blue,
the doors lilac.
LETTER OF VAN GOGH TO GAUGUIN OCTOBER 17, 1888
Thanks for your letter, and thanks most of all for your
promise to come.
I did a painting of my bedroom with the whitewood
furniture. It amused me greatly doing this bare interior.
Van Gogh
Bedroom at Arles,
October 1888
GAUGUIN LEFT VAN GOGH IN ARLES
After nine weeks, Gauguin left Arles because of his quarrel
with Van Gogh.
Van Gogh’s dream of an artist colony was shattered, and he
suffered a terrible emotional depression.
Van Gogh,
Self-Portrait with
Bandaged Ear,
December 1888
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT THAT
LED TO VAN GOGH CUTTING
HIS EAR
In a fit of madness, Van Gogh
picked up his razor, pulled on
his left earlobe and cut it off.
Then he walked to a nearby
brothel, and asked to see
Gauguin’s favorite prostitute.
Van Gogh presented the
prostitute with his ear and
said, “Guard this object very
carefully.”
The woman fainted after
seeing the ear. Then Van
Gogh ran home.
Alerted by the brothel, the
police the following morning
discovered Van Gogh in bed
unconscious.
He was admitted to a hospital,
where he repeatedly asked to
see Gauguin. But his friend
never came.
Van Gogh
In Front of
the Assylum
in Saint Remy
Arles, France
1889
PERIOD OF
CONFINEMENT
From May 1889
To May 1890
DIAGNOSIS
Manic Depression
Epilepsy
Van Gogh
Dr. Paul
Gauchet
1889
Van Gogh,
Ward in the
Hospital at
Arles, 1889
Van Gogh, Assylum Garden, 1889
Van Gogh, Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889
Van Gogh
Starry Night
June 1889
Video 5.2
DOMINANCE OF BLUE COLOR IN THE PAINTING
Due to Van Gogh’s bipolar disorder or manic depression:
Sadness, social anxiety, isolation, hopelessness, loss of meaning
DOMINANCE OF CURVE LINES IN THE PAINTING
Due to physical movements during
moments of epileptic seizures
VAN GOGH USED YELLOW IN THE PAINTING
Due to overmedication of digitalis pupurea to cure epilepsy
Due to excessive consumption of liquor Absinthe containing thujone
Van Gogh
View of
Auvers
1890
Lived in an Inn
Auvers, France
May to July
1890
Van Gogh
The Church
in Auvers
1890
Van Gogh
View of Vassenots
Near Auvers, 1890
Van Gogh,
Plain Near
Auvers, 1890
Van Gogh, Wheatfield at Auvers, 1890
Van GoghGreen Wheatfield
with Cypress, 1890
Van Gogh, Wheatfield
with Cornflowers
1890
Van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, 1890
He shot himself in the stomach, in the wheatfield.
After 29 hours, he died.
DIED
July 29, 1890
Auvers, France
ARTWORKS
860 oil paintings
1,300 watercolors,
drawings, sketches
Munch
The Scream
1893
STYLE
Expressionism
EDVARD MUNCH
(1863-1944)
He experienced miseries
and pain in life, which he
expressed through his art.
Munch
Anxiety
1894
STYLE
Expressionism
Munch
Despair
1892
STYLE
Expressionism
Munch
Despair
1892
STYLE
Expressionism
Munch
Jelousy
1895
Munch
Melancholy
1895
Munch
Ashes
1895
Munch
Death in
the Sicked
Room
1895
Munch
The Sicked
Child, 1886
Based on
the artist’s
experience of
the death of
his sister
Leonardo
The Mona Lisa
1503
STYLE
High
Renaissance
Art
SMILE OF
MONA LISA
Cheerful
Powerful
Seductive
Sinful
Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, 1486 EARLY RENAISSANCE ART
SUPRESSION
OF EMOTION
Floating Eyes
Not smiling
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa Botticelli, Venus
CHEERFUL WOMAN SERIOUS WOMAN
Raphael
Madonna of
the Meadows
1505
STYLE
High
Renaissance
Art
SUPRESSION
OF EMOTION
Facial expression
is contemplative
prayerful, solemn
and serious
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa Raphael, Madonna
POWERFUL WOMAN MEEK WOMAN
Lucas Cranach
Adam and Eve
1526
STYLE EVE
High Woman
Renaissance Tempest
Art Sinful
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa SINFUL WOMEN Cranach, Eve
Leonardo, The Mona Lisa SEDUCTIVE WOMAN Picture of Nikki Zering
Amosolo
Woman with
Basket of
Mango
1949
THE SMILING
DALAGANG
FILIPINA
Innocent
and Fresh
STYLE
Romantic
Realism
El Greco
Christ
Carrying
the Cross
1580
STYLE
Mannerism
Christ Carrying
the Cross (Detail)
El Greco, 1580
NO EMOTION
The facial
expression is
solemn, it and
does not show
appearance of
suffering.
Christ Carrying the
Cross, From the
Movie The Passion
of the Christ, 2004
Director: Mel Gibson
Actor: Jan Caviezel
VERY EMOTIONAL
Shows suffering
and pain
LECTURE 5.3
Aesthetic Hedonism
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
Pleasure
AESTHETIC
HEDONISM
ARISTIPPUS
EPICURUS
BEAUTY = PLEASURE
UGLY = PAIN
Hedonism
- is a philosophical concept that views
pleasure as the highest good.
- In art, hedonism emphasizes art's ability to
deliver sensory, emotional, or intellectual
enjoyment.
- Art is appreciated not for its utilitarian
purpose or moral value but for the pleasure
it brings through beauty, harmony, and
emotional resonance.
Hedonism
- In the context of hedonism, aesthetics
becomes a way to analyze and appreciate art
based on the pleasure it provides.
Characteristic
•Focus on sensory beauty: Vibrant colors, harmonious
forms, and pleasing compositions are central.
•Evoking positive emotions: Joy, serenity, nostalgia, or
excitement are common responses.
•Pursuit of instant gratification: The value of the artwork
lies in its ability to immediately captivate or please the
viewer.
CULINARY ART
Sotein Woman in Pink 1924 Leonardo, The Mona Lisa, 1501
SEXUAL PLEASURE
