Konrad Fidler's Ideas_ Roy Eric Abrahamson

DOCUMENT RESUMEED 367 565SO 023 711AUTHORAbrahamson, Roy E.TITLEArt Criticism: The Potential of Conrtd Fiedler'sIdeas for Art Education.PUB DATE 22 Mar 91NOTE28p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of theNational Art Education Association (Atlanta, GA,March 20-24, 1991).PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) — Reports -Descriptive (141) — Historical Materials (060)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC02 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS "Aesthetic Values; *Art; *Art Criticism; *ArtEducation; ''Art History; Curriculum; ElementaryEducation; Higher Education; PhilosophyIDENTIFIERS *Fiedler (Conrad)

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the ideas of Conrad Fiedler, a19th century German philosopher of art, concerning art criticism, orthe judging of works of visual art. In addition to a brief biographyof Conrad Fiedler, the paper's main subject is Fiedler's ideas on artcriticism as expressed in his book "On Judging Works of Visual Art"(1876, translated 1948). The paper also includes translation of someof Fiedler's aphorisms and statements from his other writings.Fiedler rejected the idea that art is based on contemplation ofbeauty. He strongly disagreed with the Kantian idea that art was onlyan undeveloped, rudimentary step in the acquiring of cognition. Hesaw art as a mental process involving another kind of cognitionrather than abstract, conceptual cognition. Unlike the art educatorsand aestheticians of his day, Fiedler saw artistic consciousness asan inherent endowment of the human aind, that shows its presencealready in the behavior of children. Fiedler identified an entiredomain of the hum?n mind, ?n intuitive domain consisting of artisticthinking, artistic cognition, and artistic configuration. These areholistic in their nature, being inherent endowments of gestalt,unifying lawfulness of the human mind. In accordance with Fiedler'sviews, using the term "aesthetics" without defining it, or treatingit as an equal with art, or failing to realize the subjectivity ofits criteria for art criticism may confuse and mislead art students.(DK)

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*Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be Made **from the original document.*

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ART CRITICISM: THE POTENTIAL OF CONRAD FIEDLER'SIDEAS FOR ART EDUCATION

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Roy E. AbrahamsonArt EducationSchool of Art & DesignSouthern IllinoisUniversity

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ART CRITICISM: THE POTENTIAL OF CONRAD FIEDLER'S IDEASFOR ART EDUCATIONConrad Fiedler, whose ideas are still little known in the fields ofvisual art and art education, was a philosopher of art who lived in the1880's in the Munich area of Germany. As a close friend of Hans vonMarees, the painter, and Adolph Hildebrand, the sculptor, Fiedler devel-oped a keen interest in the process of artistic consciousness and itsassociated artistic activity. He published his ideas on visual art Inseveral small books, most of which have not been translated into theEnglish language. However, one of his books, Uber die Beurteilung vonWerken der Bildenden Kunst, was translated by Henry Schacfer-Simmern,and Fulmer Mood, and bears the English title: On JudRing Works of VisualArt. (Fiedler, 1876; trans. 1948)The subject of this paper deals with Fiedler's ideas on art criti-cism, or judging of works of visual art. Therefore, a good deal ofmaterial will be taken from the above mentioned translation, since thebook in consideration was Fiedler's main work on the subject of artcriticism. However, references will be made also to statements fromFiedler's other writings segments of which have been translated fromGerman by this presenter. Fiedler's other publications were: UberKunstinteressen und deren Forderung, 1879 (On Interests in Art and Their© Roy E. Abrahamson 3-22-91

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Promotion); Moderner Naturalismus und kunstlerische Hahrhelt, 1881(Modern Naturalism and Artistic Truth); Uber den Ursprung der kunstler-ischen Tatigkeit, 1887 £0n the Origin of Artistic Activity); and Hansvon Mar6es, seinem Andenken gewidmet, 1989 (Hans von Marees: A Tributeto His Memory). (Fiedler, trans., Schaefer-Siraraern, Mood, 1948, p. xvi)The German texts for all of the above listed published writings ofFiedler can be found in a two volume publication, Fiedler: SchriftenUber Kunst, I & II (ed. Hermann Konnerth, 1913). Included also in vol-ume II of this publication are aphorisms (1 - 228).