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ART
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essence
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| nativeness |
| creation |
| integrity |
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process
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| energy |
| attraction |
| content |
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form
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| placement |
| association |
| materials |
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AoA part six: association
Like is usual in this course, I am talking about "association" in a broader sense than it is normally used. I am not just talking about associating violets with spring or apples with fall. I am talking about associating a picture of a violet with an actual violet, and the word "apple" with an actual apple.
This is what is often termed "representation" as in "representational art" (also termed "literal art", different from abstract art), but really isn't. You would normally not try to eat a picture of an apple, so the picture clearly not a representation or a substitute for an apple.
Association is basically anything and everything a given work will bring to mind in the audience. And given the fact that even the most abstract of works will bring *something* to mind in most people, it should be indicated that one does not have to work nearly as hard at this as some might think.
It also should be said that this a very powerful tool, and should be used wisely. The audience hardly have any power over many associations a work of art will bring to mind (a picture of a face will always make him think of a face), so this can be used and abused equally easily.
To put it succinctly: "association" in the AoA is EVERYTHING in the real world that is connected or associated with the work at all, including those things that are most literally shown. This is very broad. This is the WHOLE of the connections to the rest of the physical universe. (Again, notice that this is only one ninth of the work all in all!)
The division between abstract art and literal art can be seen to be quite artificial. There is only a long scale of how easy it for the audience to associate the work with things they know already.
Drill: Make a work with three elements, as abstract as possible. Ask five people what they see in it. |