Okay, so normally I would never post a paper I have written for a class on my blog, but it was quite thought provoking as I had to think about beauty and what it is to me as compared to early philosophers. Just thought I would share? I don't know. Maybe that's weird, but alas, I'm posting it. The first paragraph is super boring, but it helps the second make sense. It's not highly profound, just a series of requirements. Maybe this teacher won't tell me that I need to dumb my papers down and say "In this paper I will write...", because yes, my last professor took off points for me writing a thesis statement... sorry I don't write like a first grader. Small rant, my apologies.
According
to early philosophers, such as Thomas Aquinas, all beauty in art forms is
relative or subjective. Our minds cannot
fully grasp the fact that any one thing is beautiful or not beautiful. Aquinas believed that any form of art must
encompass four things to be deemed beautiful.
The first component something lovely must possess is integrity. If something is lacking a part of its’ whole,
it is incomplete to the eyes and the mind.
For example, a butterfly that is missing a wing might be curious to the
viewer, but it is not beautiful because it is not whole—it lacks integrity. The second factor of beauty is called due
proportion. Something that is beautiful
has a sort of flow that makes the onlooker feel a sense of harmony. There is no chaos or disarray within the work
of art, there is only what Aquinas calls aesthetic unity. When art is viewed there is no conflict of
the mind as to how they should feel about the piece, because all the parts
should relate if it is to be worthy of beauty. The third standard of beauty is simple
enough: clarity. Clarity results from
having both integrity and due proportion in one work of art. If these are both achieved, clarity may also
be attained. Under the umbrella of
clarity are luminosity, intelligibility, intrinsic meaningfulness, and
sensibility. Luminosity allows people to
feel coherent about the art form, while intelligibility provides an
understanding of the piece as well as intellectual pleasure. Intrinsic meaningfulness provokes an
emotional response from the onlooker, as sensibility conjures the mind to be
aware of the surroundings that help create the piece of art. Lastly, order must occur in a work of art for
it to receive the title of beautiful.
Order does not necessarily mean organized like a desk drawer, but
instead means that it reflects the order that is involved in the universe
itself. These are the wonders that are
established by God. If something lacks order it is unpleasant to look at, or
ugly. It invites chaos and change. On the other hand, something with order is
kosmos. Kosmos is the definition of
beauty and orderly arrangement. Anything
that is beautiful is said to have a peaceful, calming, or pacifying
effect. Beauty to Aquinas and the early
philosophers was only thought of in works of art and must involve these four
standards of beauty, or was otherwise deemed ugly and disturbing.
My
definition of beauty is highly different from Thomas Aquinas. When I look at a piece of artwork, I am not
looking at it to feel a harmonious aura, but instead what the painting or
drawing speaks directly to me. The
experiences I have had in life highly shape what I believe is beautiful. Beauty to me is the things that happen in
one’s journey that make your soul flourish with wonder; that stop you in your
tracks because you are in such awe of the things you have seen but, yet, cannot
utter the words to explain what it is about a piece that draws you to it. A prime example of this is when the summer
turns to autumn and all the leaves begin to fall. As the wind swirls the leaves right in front
of my eyes, I feel a sense of peace and my spirits are immediately lifted, but
inexplicably so. I guess I could agree
with Aquinas in the fact that this type of beauty does possess order, even
though it is not a work of art, it has a pacifying effect on me for a moment. Another example of such beauty can be found
in the movie American Beauty, ironically, when a character’s favorite video he
has recorded is the humble plastic bag, being tossed around by the wind. That simplicity is beautiful to him.
On
the other hand, music is an integral part of my life and I often find certain
compositions incredibly beautiful, but they are not necessarily calming and
peaceful. Instead, they are loud,
misunderstood, and chaotic. The sounds
that might disturb another speak volumes to me and I find it most beautiful. Certain melodies are incomplete, and are
often are sung with imperfections, but those blemishes are where I find the
beauty—in the limitations and the flaws of humans. Artworks that are different and provoke a
defining feeling or emotion that draws me out of my comfort zone are often
beautiful to me. I do not feel as though
a piece must be complete and whole, retaining integrity to accomplish
beauty. Some of the most misunderstood,
unclear, and unintelligible pieces are the most incredible to me, because it
rouses my mind to thinking about what it is that draws me in and captivates me
about its’ unpretentious beauty.
