Abstraction and Empathy

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Abstraction and Empathy

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Blog Contact Gary Peterson

Abstraction and Empathy

by art_aesthetics , October 26, 200812:00 AM Topics: Wilhelm Wollinger, abstract art theory, meaning in abstract art

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It doesn__t seem like a hundred years ago that Wilhelm Worringer published Abstraction and Empathy (Abstraktion und Einf__hlung). His thesis on the psychology of style is a primer on modernism that has influenced artists from Kandinsky onward. Written just after Cezanne painted his ___Bathers___ and a year before Picasso__s ___Les Demoiselles,___ it marked the shift in the arts from academic towards the primitive and linear styles rediscovered in artifacts like African tribal masks and Japanese woodcut prints. It anticipated Cubism and Art Deco too. It__s a freeze-dried view of the organic nature of things. This book challenged my perspective on abstract art. I take a scientific view of natural phenomena whereas Worringer opts for intuition and metaphysics claiming that any art which merely imitates the visible world does so to elicit empathy from the observer - an ___objectified self-enjoyment,___ or what we might today call "wrapping one's head around" something. Supposedly, any society with such a projective world view is complacent in their environment - too comfortable with their own bad selves. He further contends that insecure peoples living in hostile surroundings develop an artistic volition based on a
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Abstraction and Empathy

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___spiritual dread of space.___ This fear leads to an aversion of the third dimension: depth. But certain cultures and civilizations transcend the sensory world by making art that is an ___inorganic crystallization___ of the spiritual world, one that provides an object with "material individuality and closed unity." Hence, art becomes a rigid simulacrum constrained to a single plane. Wow, I did not see that coming. It__s like we can__t believe our eyes so we iron out our skin into one flat surface and ___see___ only what we touch. The dividing line between empathic art (mimesis) and abstraction separates the Western mindset of Classical Greece and Rome (also the Renaissance) from Eastern mysticism as seen in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Gothic tectonics, as well as Christian and Islamic decoration. I suspect Worringer__s views favor the psychological leanings of Jung__s archetypes over Freud__s libido; or the alienated philosophy of Schopenhauer over the logical axioms of Wittgenstein. Worringer__s ideas have even been applied to the literature of Proust and T. S. Eliot. I might look for a musical analogy between classical and jazz, but all music is abstract. Favoring the experiential over the unknowable (a priori), I consider abstract art - the extraction of essence from form - to be an intellectual endeavor. Nuh-uh, says Worringer: It's strictly intuitive. That's always a red flag for me therefore I must report a flaw in his theory. To wit: In his depiction of space-time as a necessary evil, Worringer posits that even the sculptural (3D) arts should "purify" an external object down to its absolute value. So far, so good. He deems Egypt__s ancient pyramids - memorials to the supernatural forces that shape the human psyche - as the perfect form. He vigorously pursues this conclusion citing pyramid power as "the perfect example of all abstract tendencies," the ultimate construct for "divesting the cubic of its agonizing quality" and being the most "consistent imaginable fulfillment of this endeavor" - the so-called material individualization and closed unity. Wrong! Here__s the rub. Given the stated purpose and criteria of his argument, the perfect form would have to be the tetrahedron - a three-sided pyramid, not four! For Worringer to overlook this logical conclusion is astonishing. A tetrahedron, the geodesic building block of simple linear elegance and spatial economy, is one of the most spiritually inspired constructs in the material world " the right tool for this job. Methinks it just didnt fit the intent that Worringer ascribes to the ancients (and who knows what they were thinking?) It__s a glaring inconsistency that subverts his otherwise impressive theory. It happens. Still, I concede that it does not diminish Worringer__s worthy exposition or his legacy. Any theory, especially one as wide in scope as his, will likely falter in the light of new evidence and constant scrutiny, but Abstraction and Empathy, in its bold investigative nature, transcends the mere correctness or incorrectness of a few details. This landmark treatise, which delimits the aesthetics of art from the platitudes of natural beauty, is as entertaining as it is informative.

COMMENTS
1 Andy Smith 10/10/2012 * 15:50:20 I agree with Paul. I have only just started to read this book but with the idea of the pyramid being 4 sided and not 3, from mans perspective of this it is the litteral, physical view of them that breaks the formality of the 'cube' like we would see in a 2d painting and NOT a 3D sculpture(??). I see it as when we look at a painting we view it as if we are looking through a window, and not from above? Anyway, i really would

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Abstraction and Empathy

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like anyones comments of this book as i have an essay due in about two weeks time! 2 paul 01/15/2012 * 10:11:41 If one thinks about it, with a pyramid one can only see a possible of two sides at a time(from the ground level) or just one if your perfectly lined up that way. A three sided structure will give you the exact same viewpoint of just one or two sides--so in a way, there is no difference--unless one views things from above in the air as would be the case of an airplane. A hundred years ago this would be a seldom if ever seen perspective of the pyramids. So I can see why he would have drawn his conclusion. 3 ayjolin ( homepage ) 05/11/2011 * 05:33:20 Hi,friend.I like you writting style and thanks for you share. 4 dm ( homepage ) 04/19/2011 * 21:57:32 Abstract art is the kind of thing where you either love it or hate it, depending I think much on your upbringing, personal tastes etc. Personally I love it, right brained people certainly are creative... ____________ Smarks Director cheilitis 5 sudoku ( homepage ) 04/08/2011 * 19:09:33 Abstract art is cool, in fact I think one of the more interesting forms of creativity 6 Kevin.P ( homepage ) 01/03/2011 * 11:02:43 Well, I have to say that I've learned quite a few stuff from this informative article. I didn't know that the perfect form would actually have to be the tetrahedron which is a three sided pyramid and not four like
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Abstraction and Empathy

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Worringer thought. 7 KJB 11/27/2010 * 15:41:45 I believe the ancient Egyptians did attempt 3 sided pyramids, but had to give up on them. I can't find a reference, and would appreciate one. 8 Williams 05/29/2010 * 14:33:35 Worringer is an artist I would like to get to know more about. I also have an interest in ancient Egypt and pyramids, which is often showcased in my own artwork. I love right-brained people. -----------------------------Airee Williams, (Digital Abstract Artist) http://www.aireeart.com 9 Gary Peterson ( homepage ) 03/31/2009 * 18:53:28 Marie, I sorry that I'm not alerted when someone comments on one of my blogs - especially an observation as salient as yours. I just discovered it. I agree that even the best-laid plans ultimately yield to process. Anyway, belated thanks and in case you're interested, Art In America magazine just published a letter I wrote to the editors in the April '09 issue (page 22). -GP 10 Marie Kazalia 11/27/2008 * 17:44:21 process-based art: work that is rooted in the belief that expression and meaning arise not from preconceptions, but from discoveries made in the course of manipulating materials. --Karen Wilken, Art In America (Nov 2K8 issue) I read this quote at the conclusion of an art exhibition review--it seems to apply to the above comments and article. "Trust the process..." a slogan learned in art school, and other more hands-on descriptions of what constitutes process-based art abound... 11

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Abstraction and Empathy

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Gary Peterson ( homepage ) 10/28/2008 * 08:23:11 Michael - Yes, forethought makes for good art but even the best-laid plans morph in real-time. Zander - My admiration grows for your work - and Vermeer's. Thanks to both (three, including Jan) for your always-insightful comments. 12 Michael Mize ( homepage ) 10/27/2008 * 22:36:26 Gary, This is an interesting debate that you present here, whether abstract art is more of an intellectual or intuitive task. I suspect that, like many things in the art world, it is something that is subject to a fair amount of relativity. Favoring the mind over the heart in the act of producing abstract work is something that would seem idiosyncratic to each individual artist, rather than something covered by a categorical rule. I myself find that I "feel" my way through my work much more than I think my way through it. This preference for emotional reflection and response only becomes more pronounce when I work non-objectively vs. abstractly. When I look at your work, however, especially the latest guitar drawing, I can certainly see the wealth of evidence revealing the careful thought and planning that went into the piece. I guess it's a case of I say potato, you say starch based carbohydrate. 13 Zander Lassen ( homepage ) 10/26/2008 * 20:08:42 I always felt that art had a lot to do with requited love, which is similar to empathy. A quote from a letter attributed to Vermeer supports this point of view (that I found inside the cover of the novel: "Girl with the Pearl Earring"): "Our task is not to solve enigmas, but to be aware of them, to bow our heads before them and also to prepare the eyes for neverending delight and wonder. If you absolutely require discoveries, however, I will tell you that I am proud to have succeeded in combining a certain particularly intensive cobalt with a luminous lemonlike yellow, as well as recording the reflection of southern light that strikes through thick glass on to a grey wall...Allow us to continue our archaic procedure, to tell the world words of reconciliation and to speak of joy from recovered harmony, of the eternal desire for reciprocated love." 14 Zander Lassen ( homepage ) 10/26/2008 * 20:00:19

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Abstraction and Empathy

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HI Gary- Thanks for the blog, I will certainly look Worringer's book up in the library, and thanks for the cool image- Zander What Do You Think? Leave a comment! Name Email URL

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