Anino, Hazel Joy M.

March 7, 2023

BA Communication

Arts 1 - F

“Kasinatian”

John Dewey started by challenging the traditional perception of art as a static object to

be appreciated from a distance. He then argued, instead of that art is an experience involving

the artwork and the viewer's interaction. Using flowers as an analogy to art, where flowers are

appreciated in the best way possible when we acknowledge the mechanism of their growth

from roots to tail. According to him, art is just like flowers – deserving of respect and

attention towards its means of creation. When we look at a work of art, we are not simply

observing a static object, but rather we appreciate the dynamic process of interaction between

the artwork and the audience. In a similar fashion, when we view a flower, we are not just

observing a mere object, but instead we are participating in a dynamic process of its

development. Furthermore, the flower provides an aesthetic experience involving our emotion

and perception. To simply put, when we view a flower, we utilize our senses to perceive its

qualities and we emotionally respond to its beauty. Such a response is not a passive reaction,

but an active participation in the process of growth that gives live to their beauty. In this

manner, Dewey’s analogy of flowers helps to elucidate his view of aesthetics. His analogy

encourages us to see beauty in the process of growth and development, and to appreciate the

dynamic relationship of the organism and its environment.

The rise of capitalism led to the deformation of art (Nineham, 2021). In this regard,

art now becomes a commodity that is treated to be bought and sold instead of being a form of
creativity or expression. For artists, the market of art become more competitive than before

which puts pressure to make art viable and saleable. The mere idea of art as a marketable

product altered the way it is produced, consumed and valued; which affects how the

audiences experience art. To illustrate, when art is treated as a commodity it becomes a

subject of investment, leading to price speculation and value inflation that is steer clear from

the artistic value of the work. This leads to a situation where there will be few selections of

people who can afford to own or appreciate art, which is against the inclusive and democratic

nature of art. Just like how Annaliese Ash-Grimm puts it, “As capitalism continues to adapt

and degrade art, audiences decline in reason, thought, and connection — suffocated by

greed.” In addition, this can breed inequality against artists, as successful artists may become

more wealthy, while struggling artists may find it difficult to enter the picture which makes it

harder for emerging artists to break inside the industry. From this angle, we can see the

negative influence of capitalism on both the artists and their audiences. Although, it is still

important to note that capitalism is not at all bad for art. Artists need to strike a balance

between artistic expression and commercial success and call for a more equitable distribution

of wealth in society to support the arts (Blaue, 2018). Overall, art should be free and sincere,

with wholesome creativity and sharp consciousness but if we are consumed by capitalistic

needs, we compromise the creativity of the artist; the same way the viewer’s ability to

experience art.

Dewey’s perspective offers us the idea that aesthetics does not only revolve around art

but rather a way of experiencing the world around us. To him, the aesthetic experience

involves a heightened awareness and responsiveness to the environment, as well as a sense of

integration and unity. Thus, art is not simply a product to be consumed or admired, but rather
an experience that engages the senses, emotions, and intellect of the viewer. Personally, I

cannot help but agree. I believe that if we live our everyday lives with an aesthetic experience,

we allow ourselves to engage with the world in a meaningful and fulfilling way. When we

experience the world “aesthetically”, we are engrossed with the environment abling us to

appreciate the complexity and richness of our experiences. With such continuity of our

experience, we can cultivate a more meaningful and fulfilling existence. That is what makes

art as “an” experience unique.

Our active participation with art and the emphasis on experience are some of the

points in Dewey’s theory that I agree with. He allowed the study of aesthetics to shift away

from a formalist approach towards a more subjective and experiential which focuses on how

we engage with art. Speaking of engagement, his theory encourages active participation go

aesthetic appreciation. This emphasizes the relevance of personal experience and reflection

that promotes a collaborative relationship between the art and the audience. However,

criticisms still manifest in his theory. In his article, H. Horhs suggests that the concept of

aesthetic emotion is ambiguous and difficult to define. He further argued that Dewey uses the

term "aesthetic emotion" to describe a range of emotional experiences that are related to

aesthetic experiences, but that Dewey's use of the term is inconsistent and lacks clarity.

Which if also find it quite questionable since he gives emphasis on interaction over internal

emotional states which leads to a lack of clarity in his use of the term "aesthetic emotion."

During our discussion in the group, we individually contributed with different

preferences regarding visual arts. Majority of the group have had their fair share of exposure

and interest with visual arts which explains why we chose it aside from the other types of art.
Each of us presented what we consider a visual art which encompasses our tastes and

preferences. From that, we give a small note to satisfy why we chose that particular art. The

discussion opened the idea of how our taste is influenced by how we experience art and how

we see art. Our chosen works represents how we connect with the artwork, our experiences,

personality, and aesthetic appeal. Choosing the artworks to present was not really hard as a

collective decision, since majority of us shared almost the same thoughts and tastes on what

art appeals to us. However, on a personal note, paintings are really my cup of tea and when I

introduced Edward Munch’s “The Scream” to them, they seemed to not know what the

painting is. As an enthusiast of such work, I imparted my thoughts explaining why the

artwork appeals to fascinate me so much and it came as no surprise that they would commune

to my motivation of choosing the artwork. Given that the artwork really does build an

emotional connection and gives universal themes toward its audiences. Indeed, one’s taste in

art is not something that is in born, but rather, developed through experience and education; it

is a subject to changes and can be developed and refined as we move along.

References:

Ash-Grimm, ‌Annaliese. “The Commodification of Art, and Capitalism’s Infiltration of the Art

World.” Medium, Medium, 12 Sept. 2021,

medium.com/@annalieseashgrimm/the-commodification-of-art-and-capitalisms-infiltration-of

-the-art-world-bd8076a2b690. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.

Blaue, Julian. “The Artist Is Capitalism’s Best Fiend.” Norsk Shakespearetidsskrift, 2018,

shakespearetidsskrift.no/2019/02/artist-capitalisms-best-fiend. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.

Dewey, John. “Art as Experience.” Capricorn Books, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1934,

https://sites.evergreen.edu/danceasart/wp-content/uploads/sites/124/2015/09/Art-as-Experienc

e-ch.1.pdf

Horhs, H. “Aesthetic Emotion’: An Ambiguous Concept in John Dewey’s Aesthetics.” Ethics

and Education, 2018, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17449642.2010.533052.

Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.

Nineham, Chris. “Culture under Capitalism: Why Art Is Alienated – the Dialectics of Art

Review.” Counterfire, 6 May. 2021,

www.counterfire.org/article/culture-under-capitalism-why-art-is-alienated-the-dialectics-of-ar

t-review/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.