Analysis

Mohammad Yasir

Harvard University

July 30, 2019

Art Through Lenses

In the text “What is Art”, author Count Lyof N. Tolstoi argues that a work of art should fit into three specific criteria to be considered as a work of art, and art should not be for pleasure rather, it should unite people through the feelings that should be transmitted through the work of art. Tolstoi argues that to define art it is necessary to stop considering art a “medium of pleasure” rather, to consider it as one of the “conditions of human life” (40). Tolstoi suggests that art is only art when the interpretation of the people is the same as the original message of the artist (42). Tolstoi states, “such are the three conditions which divide art from its counterfeits, and which also decides the quality of every work of art from its subject matters” (p. 135). Tolstoi argues for the artwork that unite people by the same feeling that has been transmitted through it and he is against any counterfeit; which according to him are the artworks which do not have sincerity, individuality and clearness in the feelings which are supposed to be transmitted through it (133-134).

Analogia I is a sculpture by Victor Grippo created in 1971 using very unusual materials e.g. electric circuits, electric meter, switch, potatoes, ink, paper, paint and wood. The sculpture is a big rectangle divided into three portions having a gap in the middle and twenty boxes in each of the remaining portions. The boxes hold in total of forty potatoes in them. The potatoes have a red wire and a green wire with two opaque caps connected to the potatoes. There is an electric meter in the far-left side of the middle portion. All the wired potatoes are centrally connected to this electric meter giving it the power produced by the potatoes. Forty of the potatoes in the sculpture providing energy to the single electric meter in the center symbolizes the people whose collective power is controlled by the authoritarian state.[1]

Seeing Grippo’s sculpture through Tolstoi’s theory of “ceasing” to use art as a means of pleasure and having a universal transmission of feelings that should unite people, it makes perfect sense that Grippo certainly did not create the sculpture for pleasure rather, created it to unite people for a common purpose. As it is seen that the potatoes are wired to a single electric meter giving it all the energy gives the viewers a common feeling of being controlled and absorbed by the authority. As Tolstoi argues to keep artworks locked to one interpretation i.e. artists original message, Grippo’s sculpture perfectly illustrates Tolstoi’s argument on how art should be having three specific criteria i.e. sincerity, individuality and clearness.

[1] Gallery text from Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Richard Norton Memorial Fund and gift of Leslie Cheek, Jr.

Works Cited

Grippo, Victor. Analogia I. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Richard Norton Memorial Fund and gift of Leslie Cheek, Jr. Guy Brett, Material and Consciousness: Grippo's Vision (2006), pp. 1-13. Buenos Aires, 1970-1971. electric circuits, electric meter and switch, potatoes, ink, paper, paint and wood.

Tolstoi, Count Lyof N. What is Art? New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, 1899.

Hamid Yasir

Harvard University

July 29, 2019

Art for Unity

In the text What is Art author Count Lyof N. Tolstoi argues that a work should fit into some certain criteria to be considered as a work of art, and art should not be for pleasure rather, it should unite people through the feelings that should be transmitted through the work of art. According to Tolstoi “In order to correctly define art, it is necessary, first of all to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure, and to consider as one of the conditions of human life” (p.40).

Tolstoi also writes “Art begins when one person, with the object of joining another or others to himself in one and the same feeling, expresses that feeling by certain external indications”(p.42). Finally, he states “ such are the three conditions which divide art from its counterfeits, and which also decides the quality of every work of art from its subject matters” (p. 135). To wrap up, Tolstoi is for artwork that unite people by the same feeling that has been transmitted through it and he is against any counterfeit; which according to him are the artworks which do not have sincerity, individuality and clearness in the feelings which are supposed to be transmitted through it (p.133-134).

Tolstoi wants to argue on the definition of art. According to him, if something should be called a work of art then it should fall into the three certain criteria or the work is simply a counterfeit. He also argues that art should not be practiced for pleasure rather, it should be taken seriously. He wants to state that a piece of artwork needs to have an interpretation that is universal and easily understood by people. He emphasizes on the peasant art having a straight- forward meaning that could unite them. I am a bit skeptical on his argument as I think people should reconsider giving any entity this much power which would obviously be misused. Tolstoi is against the artwork which are simply done for pleasure and which according to him could be misinterpreted and he argues that the viewers should not have their own interpretation of any work of art rather, they should see the meaning what the artist intended it for and the artist should be clear about their work conveying the same message to the people which they originally intended to.

Works Cited:

Tolstoi, Count Lyof N. What is Art? New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, 1899

Hamid Yasir

Harvard University

July 30, 2019

Analogia I in Tolstoy’s Lens

In the text “What is Art”, author Count Lyof N. Tolstoi argues that a work of art should fit into three specific criteria to be considered as a work of art, and art should not be for pleasure rather, it should unite people through the feelings that should be transmitted through the work of art. Tolstoi argues that to define art it is necessary to stop considering art a “medium of pleasure” rather, to consider it as one of the “conditions of human life” (40). Tolstoi suggests that art is only art when the interpretation of the people is the same as the original message of the artist (42). Tolstoi states, “such are the three conditions which divide art from its counterfeits, and which also decides the quality of every work of art from its subject matters” (135). Tolstoi argues for the artwork that unite people by the same feeling that has been transmitted through it and he is against any counterfeit; which according to him are the artworks which do not have sincerity, individuality and clearness in the feelings which are supposed to be transmitted through it (133-134).

Analogia I is a sculpture by Victor Grippo created in 1971 using very unusual materials e.g. electric circuits, electric meter, switch, potatoes, ink, paper, paint and wood. The sculpture is a big rectangle divided into three portions having a gap in the middle and twenty boxes in each of the remaining portions. The boxes hold in total of forty potatoes in them. The potatoes have a red wire and a green wire with two opaque caps connected to the potatoes. There is an electric meter in the far-left side of the middle portion. All the wired potatoes are centrally connected to this electric meter giving it the power produced by the potatoes. Forty of the potatoes in the sculpture providing energy to the single electric meter in the center symbolizes the people whose collective power is controlled by the authoritarian state. Seeing Grippo’s sculpture through Tolstoy’s theory of “ceasing” to use art as a means of pleasure and having a universal transmission of feelings that should unite people, it makes perfect sense that Grippo certainly did not create the sculpture for pleasure rather, created it to unite people for a common purpose. As it is seen that the potatoes are wired to a single electric meter giving it all the energy gives the viewers a common feeling of being controlled and absorbed by the authority. As Tolstoi argues to keep artworks locked to one interpretation i.e. artists original message, Grippo’s sculpture perfectly illustrates Tolstoy’s argument on how art should be having three specific criteria i.e. sincerity, individuality and clearness.

Even though Analogia I could fit perfectly on the viewpoint of Tolstoy's lens, Tolstoy's settings standards for what should be considered to be a work of art (133-135) is a bit puzzling. Tolstoi has a great argument however, I think setting criteria for something so delicate as art is a bit too much. Tolstoi did not force anyone to buy his argument but art comes in so many forms. Tolstoy’s argument puts abstract art totally out of relevance as mentioned that art should have a clear meaning. (134) Tolstoy’s argument on not taking art as a mean of pleasure also seems rough. Art does not always have to be for something serious and it does not always have to unite people in my opinion. People can have different interpretations and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Art could also mean the happiness and joy of the artist and it does not always have to be clear. There are artworks made by depressed individuals which cannot be interpreted the same way by everyone nor some artwork of joy can be interpreted the same way. People have different perspective and I think its healthy to have different interpretations for some art. I cannot totally disagree to Tolstoi’s argument on keeping the artist's message intact. (133) Sometimes it is necessary to get the artist’s message right through interpretation but putting all sorts of artwork in the same box is not a very good idea overall. Freedom is a key component for a great work of art in my opinion and Tolstoy’s argument restricts freedom of expression from work of art which is debatable.

Works Cited:

Grippo, Victor. Analogia I. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Richard Norton Memorial Fund and gift of Leslie Cheek, Jr. Guy Brett, Material and Consciousness: Grippo's Vision (2006), pp. 1-13. Buenos Aires, 1970-1971. electric circuits, electric meter and switch, potatoes, ink, paper, paint and wood.

Tolstoi, Count Lyof N. What is Art? New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, 1899.