The Expression Theory Again
The Expression Theory Again
This chapter challenges the Expression Theory: a work of art expresses an emotion just in case the artist experienced the emotion and displayed this in her work. Artworks are not expressive in the way required by this theory; they do not betray or symptomize the artist's emotions as her primary expressions, such as tears or groans do. Nevertheless, the work of art can be a secondary expression of the artist's feelings: the artist's feeling is expressed through its creation, though this need not carry over into an expressiveness that can be perceived in the work. And it can be a tertiary expression of the artist's feeling, involving the use of public conventions or rituals for expression. But art can also be expressive of emotions no one feels. One form of self-expression by artists involves their appropriating art's independently expressive character to match, and thereby give sophisticated expression to, their own affective states.
Keywords: expression theory, work of art, artist's emotions, convention, rituals
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