Formalism | Mind pleasure True inner nature Everything contained within |
T
he cultivation of artistic technique beyond the confines of subject matter defines formalism. The idea is that the purely visual aspect is emphasized in isolation from a work's meaning and is considered the chief criterion of aesthetic value. A formalist would thus focus primarily on the qualities of color, form, line, spatial organization, and composition. Of course form itself can convey feeling which is the basis for abstract art. Ultimately the conceptual cannot be isolated as completely independent of the communication container.
“It is impossible that the same thing can at the same time both belong and not belong to the same object and in the same respect.” - Aristotle
