by Macie Harkovich
No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an ethical is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
All art is at once surface and symbol.
I disagree with this aphorism in the sense that Oscar Wilde is saying that artists are not ethical and should not have a conscience with good morals. Rather, it is surprising to see an artist portrayed this way. In the book, Dorian Gray exemplifies this aphorism well. His obsession with surface beauty leads him to become quite selfish and narcissistic towards his youthful looks.
In contrast with Dorian’s view, some songwriters in our modern day write songs from their own experience, which are used to teach or inspire others. One song that really stands out to me is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. To me, this song depicts the idea that whatever happens, no matter the size of the mountain, there is no reason to worry or give up; so there is no obstacle that can get in your way to stop you from reaching your goals. This contrasts Wilde’s view that art should not have a moral ethic or stance.
If this song were to be about aestheticism and was simply examined at a surface level, one would simply listen to this song and comment only on its beauty. Rather, when people hear this song, they feel motivated that anything in life is possible. In general, I feel like songwriters who have ethical sympathy write songs that typically make the listener want to feel that same way. For instance, I listen to a lot of songs while I workout and run, and many of them are by various artists; a majority of the songs are meant to inspire and fuel my workout. For instance, I listen to some songs by Taylor Swift who draws inspiration from her relationships and personal experiences, which clearly goes against the idea that artists have no ethical sympathies.
The next aphorism that I chose is similar, stating that art should only be observed at its surface. I personally do not agree with this statement, and can cite an example from the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art which includes the art by La Vaughn Bell. In her exhibit, she looks at the relationship between history, land, and the bodies between them as she shows work from the Lowcountry scenery. She also has work inspired from the tropical storms of the Caribbean; her work shows how the people who live there are resilient against the storms, showing the relationship between land, water, and the violence that harms the land and its people.
I mean, it is pretty clear that Bell’s work is beautiful, but the viewer has to dig deep and figure out the story of the art to understand that it is beautiful. So I would argue that simply looking at art and the way it looks is not the correct way to perceive art, but peeling back each layer of a painting or sculpture is what makes one appreciate art better. I would argue that finding the deeper meaning in art makes one have a better connection with the piece and therefore an appreciation for its beauty.