Quote of the Day

[timelets]

“...a great work is distinguished from a folkloric artefact in not being tethered to a particular ‘people’. It raises itself to the ‘universal’; it addresses itself potentially to the whole of humanity.”
...
“The work of art possesses the distinction of speaking to everyone, whatever the time or place in which we live.”

“The work of art worthy its name is neither a local artefact nor is it a universal denuded of touch and taste, as is the product of pure scientific research. And it is to this singularity, this individuality that is neither entirely particular nor entirely universal, that we respond so powerfully.”

--- Luc Ferry. “A Brief History of Thought.”

This sounds plausible on the first read, but is it true? Is this a causal link or just a constitutive relationship? The latter seems to be more probable to me.

Comments

[lxe]

Is greatness an independent measurable indicator?
I think the author is simply introducing a definition.

[timelets]

He derives these ideas from Kantian "enlarged thought" and illustrates them with artworks that go beyond a particular POW. It's a conjecture, not a definition.

[olindom]

Interesting subject. There is a definition of time in art too. Art as a reflection of period.

[timelets]

Sure, most good art reflects a period. He claims that great art is essentially timeless, i.e. appeals to people across thousands of years.

[olindom]

Some of it. But, there are pieces that were highly time-related, and now are regarded according to their reputation.

[timelets]

Sure. We can build an entire hierarchy of artworks, depending on their relevance to a specific period in human history. He's trying to make a point that certain art has universal appeal.

[juan_gandhi]

I got a feeling it goes the opposite way. Least of all the Greeks building Nika to celebrate a victory in the sea were thinking about Louvre and crowds of Chinese. They did what they wanted and what they could. Then the culture was (partially) preserved, and built around her, so she is an important part of our culture not because she was made this way, but because we are cultivated this way.

[timelets]

To me, its also a question of cultural upbringing. He does have a point though that some rare art appeals to you instantaneously and directly: you fall in love with a piece and it's impossible to explain why. Moreover, a large number of people feel the same way. Some would argue that Homer shaped the Greek civilization. Similarly, the Bible (as a piece of art) appealed to a lot of people. Don't know much about Koran or Confucius.