Art As A Movement

Ellen Dissanayake coined the term paleoanthropsychobiological as an adjective to describe the multiple aspects of art. “Paleo” describes how art is inclusive to all of human history. “Anthro” relates art to human cultures. “Psycho” demonstrates art as an emotional need with  psychological effects. The “biological” part of this word  describes that art is connected to an overruling  habitual  trait of our human species that is natural and comfortable.

Dissanayake uses the example of ‘making something special’ by incorporating it into the important section of our lives. Being important   describes a “fundamental human productivity or need.” This is a characteristic that humans natural place value on and Dissanayake explains how art is incorporated into one of these needs. When someone makes something special it is an action that wouldn’t normally have taken place on an everyday basis. Keeping this in mind, creating art takes effort and skill that people don’t necessarily partake in regularly. No art piece will be exactly the same or take the same amount of time, effort, or ingenuity.

The movement of art through time is categorized into to different eras and movements. Dissanayake describes that in medieval times, the arts were kept connected only to religion and not for aesthetic purposes. It wasn’t until The Renaissance that these religious values were replaced with techniques that displayed “beauty, harmony, and excellence. Modernism was the next biggest movement and change that took place in the eighteenth century. It developed a new definition of aesthetics in which artists could distinguish “principles such as taste and beauty.” In the mid twentieth century another standard of art was founded called abstract expressionism. I think this is still the most art that we see today being sold and displayed. To Dissanayake , Abstract expressionism is a more elaborate abstract practice of art where artists tended to use words such as “Flatness, Purity, and picture plane.” This shows how art was becoming more specific and in a sense more special. We gave multiple aspects to a word and behavior that started out as a simple act in religions. Art is still growing and changing which makes me curious to what new paths art is going to take in the future.

One thought on “Art As A Movement”

  1. Abstract Expressionism is a movement within the Modernist period of art. That was created in the 1940’s and is still practiced by some artists. I wouldn’t characterize “most art that we see today” as abstract expressionism.

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