Words As a Form of Art

To Think About…  Do words count as art? Do they have to be arranged a certain way to count as art?  How is emotion expressed through words? How should it be expressed? Is there a “right” way of communicating it? (Expressionist)  Can aesthetic emotion be expressed through words even though they do not have significant form? Is art only what is verbally ineffable? (Formalist)  How do you judge the strength and meaning of words? Who is the real Author? (Interpretation and Judgment) The list could go on and on…Think about it!

Definition of Art Do Words Count Too?

My Piece  Nonfiction piece based on an occurrence in my own life  Short and written exactly according to my memory  About a specific emotional state that I have been trying to understand and that has left my with many questions  Purpose of creating this piece was to understand the emotion by means of expressing it and make it relatable for those who might be experiencing the same thing  Emotional state based on trust

Expressionist Theory &Words Tolstoy’s Theories in Review  Art is the communication of the same emotion from artist to observer.  The artist feels a significant emotion, then expresses it, then the observer absorbs that same emotion. Collingwood’s Theories in Review  Art is the outcome of our imaginary experience of activity through which we express our emotions.  We do not know what emotions we are feeling until we have expressed them through art.

Expressionist Theory & Words, Cont.  The written work should act as a means of communicating emotion from artist to observer, but the emotion does not have to be the same one throughout.  Although the written work still counts as art if the author knew the emotion she was feeling before expressing it, the work is enhanced if she uncovers a deeper emotional understanding.

Formalist Theory & Words Clive Bell’s Theories  There is a particular type of aesthetic emotion provoked by visual art with significant form. Everyone is capable of experiencing it in theory.  Significant form is the arrangement of colors, lines, and shapes that move us to feel aesthetic emotion. Susan Langer’s Theories  A work of art is a “developed metaphor, a non-discursive symbol that articulates what is verbally ineffable—the logic of consciousness itself.”  Art is beyond discursive form.

Formalist Theory & Words, Cont.  My piece challenges formalist theories.  Aesthetic emotion can be felt in written works as well. There is a type of significant form in words.  While some emotions are beyond words, words can capture human states of being in such a way that is artful.

Interpretation & Words Roland Barthes’ Theories  The words in a text do away with every point of origin and every voice. The words themselves speak.  The scripter sets the words into motion, but there is no all-knowing Author. The words are responsible for their own meaning.  The text is liberated when the idea of an Author is abandoned, and it is the reader who brings the text together.

Interpretation & Words Cont.  At first, I disagreed with Barthes. I was the Author, and I was responsible for the meaning in the text!  But…in rereading my piece, I experienced something new. The words did speak for themselves.  The author/artist is responsible for arranging the words in a powerful, meaningful way. That is her responsibility to the text.  But…the words do speak for themselves. Both the author and the reader can uncover this meaning, which unifies the text.

Back to the Big Questions… Do words count as art? How is emotion expressed through words? How should it be expressed? Is art only what is verbally ineffable? How do you judge the strength and meaning of words? Who is the real Author? Can aesthetic emotion be expressed through words?

My Big Conclusions, Again Words can be art, too. Some things are verbally ineffable, but the emotions that can be captured by words may be expressed in artful form. Words express and transmit emotion from artist to reader, but the emotions can vary. The artist can know the emotion she is feeling before expressing it, but the work is enhanced if she uncovers something new, too. Aesthetic emotion can originate in a written work, as words can have significant form in their own way. The artist is responsible for how she arranges the words, but the words themselves carry separate meaning.

Bibliography Tolstoy, Leo N. "Chapter 5." What Is Art. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Educational, Print. Collingwood, R.G. Art as Expression. N.p.: Broadview, Print. Langer, Susanne. “Expressiveness.” Problems of Art. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1957: Bell, Clive. Art. New York: Capricorn, Print. Barthes, Roland. “The Death of the Author.” Image-Music-Text. Trans. Stephen Heath. New York: Hill and Wang, 1977: