|
Aesthetic Features The terms aesthetic feature or feature will refer to any characteristic of a work that can affect its aesthetic value. An expressionistic use of colour, the narrative plot of a video, a particular web design software, or a work’s production cost could all be aesthetic features of a website. Although some aesthetic theories might consider the cost of an artwork as being irrelevant to a work’s aesthetic value, any characteristic of a work that can affect its aesthetic judgement will be defined as an aesthetic feature within this text. Throughout the upcoming pages, many different aesthetic features will be discussed indirectly through descriptions of their associated aesthetic criteria. An aesthetic criterion is a rule that states the aesthetic value of a work is affected by the presence of a certain aesthetic feature. The criterion "artist’s age aesthetics," for instance, is associated with the feature “artist’s age,” while the criterion "beauty aesthetics" is associated with the feature “beauty.” Some readers may argue that certain features discussed in this text are elements of an artwork’s context and, therefore, they cannot be aesthetic features. “Artist’s age” is being designated as an aesthetic feature because some people’s aesthetic judgements are apparently influenced by the age of the artist of a work. Some people prefer music created by younger musicians, for example, while others prefer music created by older musicians. Because this book acknowledges the idiosyncrasy of aesthetic perspectives, many observations will be presented that specify how some people will judge artworks, such as ceratin people judging music according to the age of its musician. A broad definition of aesthetic features is being used to support the observation that many characteristics of a work can affect aesthetic judgements, even those that some aesthetic theorists propose have no influence on an aesthetic experience. By recognizing all the characteristic of artworks that can influence people’s aesthetic judgements--even those that are considered irrelevant by some aesthetic theories--artists can explore a medium’s potential more thoroughly. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aesthetic Features Aesthetic features are classified as intrinsic features when they are physically present and perceivable within a work, such as colour, physical size, loudness, or any characteristic of a work that can be seen, heard, or physically felt by an audience. Some theories of aesthetics consider intrinsic features--also called formal qualities[1]--to be the only factors capable of influencing a work’s aesthetic value. Extrinsic features are not physically present within an artwork, and they are recognizable only by people who have appropriate knowledge. Extrinsic features include the symbolism within a work, the age of the artist of a work, and the manufacturer of a work’s technology. When a religious symbol is used within an artwork, the symbolism is an extrinsic feature because its meaning is available only to audiences members who have appropriate knowledge. If a person looks at Jackson Pollack’s painting No. 5, 1948[2] without knowing it is the most expensive painting sold to date, the extrinsic feature “most expensive painting” is unapparent to that viewer. If a person’s first response to Pollack’s painting is “this is the most expensive painting ever sold,” this expression indicates that the feature “most expensive painting” has been acknowledged. The social relationship between an audience and an artist, the gender of an artist, and a work’s publicity are extrinsic features that can apparently influence the aesthetic value of a new media work for some audience members. The interviews conducted for this book indicated that the social relationship between an artist and an audience member is influential in the judgement of new media works, sometimes even more than a work’s intrinsic features.
|
|
1. Marcia Muelder Eaton. Basic Issues in Aesthetics. (Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1999).
|