HIDDEN CODES & AESTHETICS

All art
forms use “codes” to communicate
hidden meanings. Some “codes” are poetic (a word or letter may have multiple
meanings); some codes are visual (colors and shapes can symbolize larger
concepts); some codes are aural (sounds have many interpretations).

APPRECIATION
= Most hidden codes require insider information.
Only some elements can be enjoyed without study or
analysis.
Why spend the time?
A
masterpiece can add meaning with each repeated viewing.
Take
time to consider and debate many layered and/or conflicting interpretations =
this will result in a rich, thoughtful, “multivalent” reading or analysis.

Visual
Example (answer each question aloud before reading further):
1.
LOOK at this image by
the Dutch painter Van Eyck. What do you see?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Van_Eyck_-_Arnolfini_Portrait.jpg
2.
These are typical
fashions from 1434, so the woman’s shape could be due to layers of fabric, or…
what? What else could it mean? Anything else?
3.
The person in darker
clothes is a man. Zoom in to find his shoes. What’s going on?
4.
There is animal in
this image. What is it? This particular creature is a common symbol for
fidelity or loyalty. Or it could just be a present? Or just a pet?

Now
ZOOM IN to see more detail.
5.
There is a mirror in
this image. It is not strictly realistic,
because it wasn’t possible to make a mirror this good and this large in 1434.
Weird… Zoom in to examine it. What do you see now?
6.
This is the oldest
“great” painting done with oils, instead of quick-drying tempera paint. The
painter used many layers of wet colors and clear glazes to make things glow and
look touchable. How many different fabrics, materials, and textures can you
see? What does this tell you about the status of the people?
7.
What are the main
subjects standing next to? Why?
8.
What other objects are
included in the room and what could they symbolize?
9.
This is the oldest
“great painting” set inside a real room, rather than an artificial collection
of things, symbols, and property owned by the person pictured (designed to
impress you). Examine the use of light and shadow: is it realistic?
10.
Examine some of the
strange anomalies and mysteries:
the
wall above the mirror is signed and dated by the artist, most candles are
missing, one is lit, one has melted, he is wearing black, the mirror is
surrounded by tiny religious paintings… What???
11.
Now what do you see?

AESTHETICS are systems used to describe the
purpose and value or art.
These
systems define good vs. bad; high vs. low; “right” vs. “wrong”; better vs.
worse; appropriate vs. inappropriate; “masterpiece”, useful vs pointless, etc.
Aesthetics
are relative, not fixed (different by
culture, by purpose, and by individual).

“High” art
forms are sometimes called “classical.”
+ they tend
to have written components
+ they tend
to demand “correct” performance skills or specific “right” notes
+ their
hidden codes may be written down and agreed upon = MUSIC THEORY
+
their hidden codes may be passed down by master teachers = INTERPRETATION
+
Some elements may be considered “deeper,” “better,” or “more
sophisticated” because they require
study and comparison to understand = CRITICISM

Assignment
Guide:
1. Try this the
“Art Appreciation” experience on a friend or relative.
2. Write 100 words, describing your experiences acquiring & teaching
appreciation.
3. Watch: the
first 45 seconds of this short commercial show a person attempting to do five
tasks. He has most of the information he
needs, but not enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXVEkD5-Qzk
4. Write 50-100 words = Describe one of the five examples
you think best makes this point. When he
can’t do the task correctly, how did you react? Watch that part several times.
Did your emotional reaction change over time? Did you have any new reactions?
5. Watch [5
minutes]: this piece of contemporary concert music is performed by its composer
(Stripsody by Cathy Berberian). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NeyfrfB6TU
6. Write 100-150 words in response =
Is this “good”? Is this
entertaining? Why or why not?
What visual, dramatic, and musical
elements do you detect? Give examples.
Is this music? Is this “high art”?
Why or why not?
Does this score give most of the information you need to perform
it, or not enough?
7. Listen to
“Wade in the Water” [3 minutes, recorded in 2019 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
college choir]. Take some notes on
your reactions to this music.

Context: This “spiritual” comes from the African American
slave song repertory. “Slave songs” were first printed in 1867 (just after
slavery was abolished), since Massachusetts Abolitionists hoped to call
attention to their artistic and poetic qualities.
8. Listen [30
minutes]: this is an explanation of styles and “codes” hidden in slave songs,
by current Massachusetts resident Jim Thomas. It includes the songs “Deep
River,” “Wasn’t that a Wide River,” “John Brown’s Body,” and many short
excerpts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMbiEdGjLUo
9. Write 150-250 words, describing your reactions these
songs, both purely “musical” and “interpretive” (once you understand some of
the deeper “codes” in the text). Pick a couple of songs and describe their
hidden “codes,” using a multivalent approach (contrasting more than one
possible meaning or interpretation).

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