Beauty and Aesthetics: A journey of art through time…
The topic of art and beauty has been treated with much debate since the times of Plato and Aristotle, who had contrasting philosophies regarding the terms. As presented in the theory of Mimesis, Plato considered art as a copy of the real world and hence lacked the beauty of the ideal world. However, Aristotle was an advocate of the visual arts and believed that it was equivalent to a mirror that reflected the beauty of the ideal world and held the power to purge and refine the thoughts of the real world (Catharsis).
Art is essentially the representation of the feelings, emotions and thoughts of the artist.
Hence, judging its beauty is a tough assignment in itself, because it deals with passing a judgement on someone’s thoughts and their expression. Be it auditory or visual arts, there has been a debate on the aspect of their beauty time and again. The proof of the statement lies in the different art movements that the world has witnessed since man learnt to put form to his thoughts and feelings. As the social, cultural and political scenarios of civilizations hanged, art too underwent changes in the manner in which they were produced and perceived. While some tried to represent the beauty of mathematics and science (divine design) through their art, some focussed more on capturing only the essence of natural beauty, rather than their perfect forms. New styles of expression of thoughts developed, each of which considered itself superior to its antecedent. However, over time, the perceptions of the people changed and they have learnt to accept and appreciate different art forms alike. Perhaps, this is the reason why modern art emphasizes heavily on the process of its making and appreciates it, rather than what the final form represents.
The evolution of art and the harmonious coexistence of different art styles can be easily observed in most art galleries today. Art has come a long way since the ancient times and has manifested itself in different forms of applied and fine arts.
Beauty and Aesthetics are terms that complement and supplement each other.
When treated individually, one can seriously question the subjective and objective nature of beauty itself, but may fail to come to a satisfactory conclusion. However, when considered in conjunction with the aesthetic aspects, it becomes easy to treat beauty as an attribute of the object itself (owing to the balance and harmony of its constituents), because the emotional impact of the object and the responses it invokes is taken care of by the aesthetics. In order for an object/art to be aesthetically pleasing, its relevance to the context of the onlooker is vital. This need not always be true for evaluating the beauty of an object/art.
A simple example can be that of a sunset. It is a natural phenomenon which is by itself, beautiful (because of the colours, the ambience and the environment). However, it may not be aesthetically pleasing to someone — who observes it as the end of day and advent of darkness — for whom it invokes the emotions of expiration and gloom.
It is for this reason that we have learnt to find beauty even in abstract forms of art. Modern art has drawn heavy inspiration from all sorts of art forms and artistic techniques, through which the artist seeks to express his thoughts. It is quite possible for a painting to have no evident meaning and yet be beautiful, simply because of the harmony of the different elements and the techniques used in its creation. However, when it comes to design, for an object to be considered beautiful, it is of paramount importance that it is functionally relevant and aesthetically pleasing to its user.
The prime purpose of a design is to solve problems, and when it serves its purpose effortlessly and efficiently, it turns out to be beautiful.
The concept of aesthetics in the context of Indian art finds its roots in Bharata muni’s Natyashashtra which broadly classified the aesthetic experiences and the resulting emotions into rasas and bhavas. Though these are mostly expressed through performing arts, the principles have greatly influenced all forms of Indian art through ages — paintings, sculptures, dances, drama and even films. These principles have remained intact through ages, although it has drawn inspirations from the West time and again and produced wonderful masterpieces. This is quite evident in the works of Raja Ravi Varma, who took inspiration from mythological characters and events and depicted them in a form that became very welcome to the common man. It would not be inappropriate to conclude that the idea of representing Gods and Goddesses in the human form, was somewhat inspired by the Western realist movements. However, he has also preserved the principles of Indian aesthetics in his paintings — the intricate details of the human form and fabric, the expressions and emotions depicted through light and colour and the sense of a divine ambience.
It will be wrong to not credit Raja Ravi Varma for altering the course of Indian art and culture though the adoption of new technological advancements that was happening at that time — the print technology (lithograph) and the motion pictures.
Today, the forms of expressions may have been changed or modified by popular culture, but the underlying concepts can still be related to the basic principles of aesthetics. Good design has seen a drastic shift towards minimalism and neatness. Motion pictures has developed a deep dependence on technology for visual effects to attract young audience. Music has seen newer representations like electronic music and rap. Humour (Hasya rasa) has gained a lot of attention in the form of cartoons and memes, and is often being used to address even social and political issues as it quickly appeals to the intellect of the younger generations.
Hence, it can be safely concluded that beauty and its perception is undergoing evolution, just like mankind himself!
