An Essay in Aesthetics: Roger Fry BBS 2nd Year Visions: A Thematic

 

Essay: An Essay in Aesthetics by Roger Fry

About the Essayist 

Roger Fry (1866-1934) was an English artist and art critic who played a crucial role in the development of modern art in Britain. He was born in London and studied at King's College, Cambridge, where he developed an interest in the arts and literature.

Fry is best known for his work as an art critic and his promotion of Post-Impressionist painters, particularly through his organization of the groundbreaking exhibition "Manet and the Post-Impressionists" in 1910.

What is art?

The arts encompass a wide range of creative expressions, including visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography), performing arts (music, dance, theater), and literary arts (poetry, prose, storytelling). The arts are often seen as a means of expressing emotions, thoughts, and ideas in a tangible or audible form.

What is philosophy?

Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It involves critical thinking, and analysis, and often challenges conventional wisdom. Philosophers seek to understand the nature of reality, the foundations of knowledge, the principles of morality, and the meaning of life.

The Main Theme of the Essay

In "An Essay in Aesthetics," Roger Fry explores the concept of beauty in art and its subjective nature. He argues that the value of art lies not in its ability to accurately represent the external world but in its capacity to evoke emotional and aesthetic responses in the viewer. Fry suggests that the appreciation of art is a personal and subjective experience, influenced by individual perceptions and cultural backgrounds. He also emphasizes the importance of form, color, and composition in creating aesthetic pleasure, rather than relying solely on representational content. Overall, Fry's essay challenges traditional notions of beauty and aesthetics, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of art and its role in human experience.

Summary of the Essay

Aesthetics - the philosophical study of beauty and taste.

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Moralist - a person who teaches or promotes morality.

Puritanical - People who are very strict in moral or religious matters

The essayist has expressed his feelings for art in this essay. According to him, art expresses a human's imaginative life. Art is free from our daily necessities. It doesn’t fulfill our daily needs but provides pleasures. We feel sensations in art. An artist expresses his/her imagination in art. Art brings out the imagination of the artist that matches with spectators' feelings, therefore, art evokes feelings and emotions in their minds.

Graphic art (visual art), is an expression of imaginative life. It is not a copy of actual life, separated from actual life. He uses the example of children, who never copy what they see but use their imagination to freely draw. In Actual life, there is responsive action. In art, we have no such responsive action for example, if we see a wild bull, we feel afraid and run away but in imagination, we can stare at it and observe for as long as we can. To the pure moralist, art must represent ethical values and right action, otherwise, it is useless. The Puritanical view is the life of the imagination is worse than the life of sensual pleasure. The essayist disagrees with them. He is close to Ruskin, a moralist to whom imaginative life helps to promote morality and it is an absolute necessity. 

Roger now speaks of religion. Religion is also a representation of imaginative life. A religiously intelligent person cannot say that religion can impart complete moral knowledge. Religious experiences are said to be based on human nature and spiritual ability. He thinks that pleasures derived from art are different and more fundamental than merely sensual pleasure. It is not temporary and material. The feelings of an imaginative life that an artist expresses in their art, are the same feelings, emotions, and attachments spectators or viewers find when they observe it. Graphic art represents, more or less, mankind’s feelings and emotions. He says that we can justify actual life by its relation to the imaginative and justify nature by its likeness(similarity) to art.

 The imaginative life of people can be different at different times and does not match up with the overall moral standards of actual life. In the thirteenth century, even though there were instances of barbarity and cruelty, the level of imagination and artistic expression was higher than today. The author recognizes that, while today humans’ moral level and general humanity have improved, the level of imaginative life has declined. 

 At last, he says that imaginations that are in our control are desirable but imaginative life that we see in dreams and under the influence of drugs are undesirable. This desirability separates imaginative life from actual life. Art is the chief organ of the imaginative life. Art encourages and controls it. The imaginative life is distinguished by the great clearness of its perception, and the greater purity and freedom of its emotion.

Possible Questions and Answers

a.      How should people judge the moral nature of a work of art?

According to Fry, judging the moral nature of a work of art should not rely on conventional moral standards but on its ability to evoke emotional and aesthetic responses. He argues that art should be appreciated for its formal qualities and its capacity to stimulate the imagination rather than for its moral content, which is often subjective and open to interpretation.

b.     What does Fry say are the advantages of the emotions in our imaginative lives over those in our real lives?

Fry suggests that the emotions in our imaginative lives are superior to those in our real lives because they are more intense and immediate. He believes that art has the power to evoke profound emotional experiences that can transcend the limitations of our everyday lives, allowing us to explore and experience emotions in a more profound and meaningful way.

c.      How does Fry say that the graphs arts arouse emotions in us?

Fry explains that the graphic arts, such as painting and drawing, arouse emotions in us through their use of form, color, and composition. He argues that these formal elements can evoke emotional responses that are independent of the subject matter of the work, allowing us to experience emotions purely through the aesthetic qualities of the art.

d.     What is the connection between art and religion?

Fry sees a connection between art and religion in their ability to inspire awe and reverence. He suggests that both art and religion have the power to transcend the mundane and connect us to something greater than ourselves. He also argues that art can serve a spiritual function, providing a means of expressing and exploring profound existential questions, similar to the role of religion in many people's lives.

e.      ''In dreams and when under the influence of drugs, the imaginative life passes out of our own control, and in such case its experience may be highly undesirable but whenever it remains under our own control it must always be on the whole a desirable life''(9). Do you agree? Give reasons.

In his essay "An Essay in Aesthetics," Roger Fry suggests that the imaginative life, when under our control, is generally desirable. He contrasts this with experiences such as dreams or drug-induced states where the imaginative life is not under our control, which he implies can be undesirable. However, this view oversimplifies the nature of dreams and drug experiences. Dreams, for instance, can be highly enriching and provide insights into our subconscious. Similarly, some argue that controlled drug experiences, such as those in ceremonial or therapeutic contexts, can also be profound and beneficial. Additionally, the idea that control over our imaginative life is always desirable might overlook the value of surrendering control at times, as in certain creative processes or experiences of awe and wonder. Thus, while control over our imaginative life can be advantageous, it's not the sole determinant of its desirability, and there are contexts where relinquishing control can be equally valuable.

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