Based on John Dewey's lectures on esthetics, delivered as the first William James Lecturer at Harvard in 1932, Art as Experience has grown to be considered internationally as the most distinguished work ever written by an American on the formal structure and characteristic effects of all the arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and literature.
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John Dewey (1859-1952), philosopher, psychologist, and educator, is widely credited as the most influential thinker on education in the twentieth century. He taught philosophy at the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago , and Columbia University.
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Zettel
Format:Paperback
As a reviewer below stated, this is a very interesting book that treats art as a means of recapturing the experience of life and trasmitting that experience to the audience. He captures a number of concepts established earlier by Leo Tolstoy in his "What is Art?" and delves deeper into them, expounding on their more practical and less esoteric uses.
Dewey, however, certainly earns his title as a pragmatist. His wording is complicated and, at times, careful. It is difficult to pin specific sayings or doctrines to him. However, once the task is completed, he has a great deal of important things to say about art and artistic experience.
47 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although somewhat dated in that what Dewey novelly stated long ago, we now accept as obvious, this is a great book to gain an understanding of art both as a producer and as a spectator.
The central theme is that life is an experience, and that the goal of art is to recapture that experience. Hence, a painting of a flower is only valuable in the way that it captures the essence of a flower, or the experience of viewing a flower. The viewing of a painting must also provide some of the experience of making that painting ( its process ).
If you can manage to finish the book ( the style is a bit archaic ), the experience is worth the effort.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
John Dewey was an American philosopher of the late 19th and 20th century best known for his espousal of a "pragmatic" philosophy and progressive political ideas, but he also wrote about Art. Art as Experience is not a book per se, but rather a rewriting of a series of lectures he gave on the "philosophy of art" at Harvard in 1931.
Dewey's pragmatic philosophy emphasizing social relations between humans was hugely influential in social sciences like sociology, where he clearly inspired writers like Erving Goffman and anthropology (see Roy Rappaport) His influence has been less notable in the field of aesthetics and art theory, and that's a shame, because in my mind, Art as Experience is the best book about the role of Art in human experience ever written.
Art as Experience starts from the observation that there can be no Art without an Audience- the two are intertwined because humans are social creatures and none of us exist in isolation. This statement about the nature of Art stands in direct contradiction to the two main schools of art philosophy: Classicism, which holds that Beauty is an objective truth that exists outside the experience of any single person and Romanticism, which postulates that the Artist stands alone in the world, without reference to his human environment.
Much of the argument of Art as Experience takes the form of the language philosophy strategy of being extremely precise about the terms being used. This gives the actual text of Art as Experience a tedious feel, even as the ideas expressed dance and sparkle with the light of discovery. Dewey works his way through defining, having an experience, the act of expression, the expressive object, substance and form, etc. I won't lie- it's dry. Boring even.
BUT, it's a book that every art critic, blogger, etc should be forced- AT GUN POINT- to read. That's because to read Dewey is to understand that Artists and Critics are on the same side- they both care and appreciate art and artistic products, and they both want to share their love/interest in art with a larger audience.
This idea of critics attacking Artists for some real or perceived "failure" is revealed by Dewey to actually be a failure of the critic- for failing to understand that his or her own experience is intruding on their understanding of the subject of their criticism. It's a wonder to be that Dewey's Art as Experience isn't more commonly read and loved by Artists and Art critics, but I suppose he only has himself to blame- that man was not a prose stylist.
I would say that if you were going to read a single book on the subject of the "Philosophy of Art" it would be this book- and that there isn't another book you need to read after this one. Particularly, while reading Art As Experience I thought of conversations I had with my friend/business partner- Brandon Welchez of the Crocodiles. Brandon often espoused the opinion- common to Artists that "Writing about music is like dancing about Architecture- i.e. pointless" and my response was basically, "Um..." but now I would reply that when a critic really understand the purpose of writing about art- to help clarify, illuminate and publicize worthy artists- and sharing one's interest in a specific art and artists with the wider world- art criticism can help to create an appreciative audience for a specific artist or art product where none existed before.
Dewey's pragmatic philosophy emphasizing social relations between humans was hugely influential in social sciences like sociology, where he clearly inspired writers like Erving Goffman and anthropology (see Roy Rappaport) His influence has been less notable in the field of aesthetics and art theory, and that's a shame, because in my mind, Art as Experience is the best book about the role of Art in human experience ever written.
Art as Experience starts from the observation that there can be no Art without an Audience- the two are intertwined because humans are social creatures and none of us exist in isolation. This statement about the nature of Art stands in direct contradiction to the two main schools of art philosophy: Classicism, which holds that Beauty is an objective truth that exists outside the experience of any single person and Romanticism, which postulates that the Artist stands alone in the world, without reference to his human environment.
Much of the argument of Art as Experience takes the form of the language philosophy strategy of being extremely precise about the terms being used. This gives the actual text of Art as Experience a tedious feel, even as the ideas expressed dance and sparkle with the light of discovery. Dewey works his way through defining, having an experience, the act of expression, the expressive object, substance and form, etc. I won't lie- it's dry. Boring even.
BUT, it's a book that every art critic, blogger, etc should be forced- AT GUN POINT- to read. That's because to read Dewey is to understand that Artists and Critics are on the same side- they both care and appreciate art and artistic products, and they both want to share their love/interest in art with a larger audience.
This idea of critics attacking Artists for some real or perceived "failure" is revealed by Dewey to actually be a failure of the critic- for failing to understand that his or her own experience is intruding on their understanding of the subject of their criticism. It's a wonder to be that Dewey's Art as Experience isn't more commonly read and loved by Artists and Art critics, but I suppose he only has himself to blame- that man was not a prose stylist.
I would say that if you were going to read a single book on the subject of the "Philosophy of Art" it would be this book- and that there isn't another book you need to read after this one. Particularly, while reading Art As Experience I thought of conversations I had with my friend/business partner- Brandon Welchez of the Crocodiles. Brandon often espoused the opinion- common to Artists that "Writing about music is like dancing about Architecture- i.e. pointless" and my response was basically, "Um..." but now I would reply that when a critic really understand the purpose of writing about art- to help clarify, illuminate and publicize worthy artists- and sharing one's interest in a specific art and artists with the wider world- art criticism can help to create an appreciative audience for a specific artist or art product where none existed before.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome for future teachers!
Love Dewey and his philosophies. Bought for an Art Education class, and ended up reading the whole thing. If you can stick with his stream of consciousness, you won't regret it!
Published 5 months ago by Pamela Capocci
5.0 out of 5 stars
College text
John Dewey is without a doubt America's most profound philosopher to date. I have many of his books and I incorporate his theories on philosophy of education and art into my own... Read more
Published 15 months ago by mrnolanburris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Art As Experience
This book is a good read. I needed this book for as reference for my thesis paper. I can identify with a lot of Dewey's ideas.
Published 18 months ago by lodan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Invaluable
This book is invaluable for artists and non-artists alike, and it is definitely a primer for all serious practitioners! Read more
Published 20 months ago by TH
5.0 out of 5 stars
How you think about life gives shape to the way you see the world
Dewey is the inspiration behind my PhD so as an owner of his collected works in print and electronic form I can offer a few words on Art as Experience. Read more
Published on June 13, 2010 by Bryce R. Cassin
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ambivalent
This book was part of the assigned reading for a university seminar entitled "Art and Society." I was given to understand that although it was written 70 years ago, it is still... Read more
Published on April 25, 2009 by C. Plaia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fundamental book on esthetics
Dewey discusses making art and viewing art are not unique activities -- that discipline, engagement and commitment are basic to art in the same way they are basic to other... Read more
Published on June 7, 2008 by Patrick Singleton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Overly Detailed but Insightful
It's a little thick, but you have to consider it's based off of his lectures. From the point of view from a philosopher, he gives insight into things that we as artists might... Read more
Published on February 10, 2008 by Roderick De Jesus
5.0 out of 5 stars
this book is kickin!
if you are an artist this book will blow your mind.
it is pretty theoretical, but if you can get through the first 20 pages.. and get into his vibe.. it's BEAUTIFUL.. Read more
Published on August 28, 2000 by velcrosuperstar
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20
books:
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100
books
cite this book:
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- Art in Painting by A.C. Barnes on page 93, page 117, and page 173
- The Theory of Poetry by Lascelles Abercrombie on page 66, and page 242
- Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics) by John Milton on page 110, and page 318
- A Preface to Morals by Walter Lippmann on page 329, and page 340
- Lyrical Ballads: With a Few Other Poems (Penguin Classics: Poetry First Editions) by William Wordsworth on page 188
See all 20 books this book cites
- John Dewey And The High Tide Of American Liberalism by Ryan Alan on 22 pages
- John Dewey and the Lessons of Art by Mr. Philip W. Jackson on 16 pages
- Reimagining Schools: The Selected Works of Elliot W. Eisner (World Library of Educationalists) by Elliot W. Eisner on 13 pages
- How to Do Theory by Wolfgang Iser on 11 pages
- The Necessity of Pragmatism: John Dewey's Conception of Philosophy by R. W. Sleeper on 11 pages
See all 100 books citing this book
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