Search Results

This chapter challenges the Expression Theory: a work of art expresses an emotion just in case the artist experienced the emotion and displayed this in her work. Artworks are not expressive in the way required by this theory; they do not betray or symptomize the artist's emotions as her primary expressions, such as tears or groans do. Nevertheless, the work of art can be a secondary expression of the artist's feelings: the artist's feeling is expressed through its creation, though this need not carry over into an expressiveness that can be perceived in the work. And it can be a tertiary expression of the artist's feeling, involving the use of public conventions or rituals for expression. But art can also be expressive of emotions no one feels. One form of self-expression by artists involves their appropriating art's independently expressive character to match, and thereby give sophisticated expression to, their own affective states.

Chapter One provides an ontology of design that distinguishes it from art and craft as a specific kind of object with unique characteristics. A critical engagement with traditional formalist and expression theories of art demonstrate that design cannot be theorized in the same manner as the fine arts, or craft. Design, instead, is primarily functional, meant to be used rather than contemplated, and is distinct from art in particular because of its lack of profundity and originality, or because of its familiarity and quiddity. The properties that characterize design as unique also indicate that it is a candidate for aesthetic appraisal that merits separate attention.

This chapter presents Aestheticism as a general approach to life. It is argued that a dedicated aestheticist will be inspired to create works of art. In alignment with this view an aesthetic functionalist account of art is defended, incorporating aspects of the expression theory of art and the cognitive theory of art. It is then suggested that the way an artist creatively responds to the value of the world is an ideal of living well. Moreover, although there are other such ideals, the artistic paradigm can apply to a variety of human activities, including the pursuit and expression of one’s understanding (as in philosophy). In the latter part of the chapter it is then argued that, in distilling aesthetic values, the artist has an important social role to play. Artworks help us to discern value ideals, and our capacity to discern values is a vital component of virtue.