Good art theory must smell of the studio, although its language should differ from the household talk of painters and sculptors.
Interpretation
Art theory should be closely connected to the practical experiences of artists but needs to communicate in a more refined manner.
Rudolf Arnheim emphasizes that while art theory should be rooted in the real-life experiences and nuances of artists working in studios, it requires a level of sophistication in language that sets it apart from casual conversations among those creators. This distinction is vital for the development of a deeper understanding of art that transcends everyday language, focusing instead on a more analytical and structured approach to discussing art.
In practice
During a lecture on art theory, one might reference this quote to illustrate the balance between practical artistry and academic discussion.
The dance, just as the performance of the actor, is kinesthetic art, art of the muscle sense. The awareness of tension and relaxation within his own body, the sense of balance that distinguishes the proud stability of the vertical from the risky adventures of thrusting and falling--these are the tools of the dancer.
Nothing is more humbling than to look with a strong magnifying glass at an insect so tiny that the naked eye sees only the barest speck and to discover that nevertheless it is sculpted and articulated and striped with the same care and imagination.
Once it is recognized that productive thinking in any area of cognition is perceptual thinking, the central function of art in general education will become evident.
Man's striving for order, of which art is but one manifestation, derives from a similar universal tendency throughout the organic world; it is also paralleled by, and perhaps derived from, the striving towards the state of simplest structure in physical systems.
The arts are neglected because they are based on perception, and perception is disdained because it is not assumed to involve thought.
Variety is more than a means of avoiding boredom, since art is more than an entertainment of the senses.
Artistic vision comes from a mind clear enough to fall in love with what we see.
I had so much fun doing Django, and I love westerns so much that after I taught myself how to make one, it's like, 'OK, now let me make another one now that I know what I'm doing.'
Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was.
She's got those big black eyes with plenty shiny white in them that makes them shine like brand new money and she knows what God gave women eyelashes for, too. Her hair is not what you might call straight. It's negro hair, but it's got a kind of white flavor. Like the piece of string out of a ham. It's not ham at all, but it's been around ham and got the flavor.
The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
Perhaps 'photography' has become so all-pervasive that it no longer makes sense to think about it as a discreet practice or field of inquiry. In other words, perhaps 'photography,' as a meaningful cultural trope, is over.
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