When we begin to think about art its origins meaning significance and role in society we raise questions that have been asked for centuries and across cultures Because the world human interests and art change over time the nature of these questions has varied in subtle ways as have the responses Even so an instructive exercise is to note how our own beliefs and those of our students correspond to the theories put forward throughout history This chapter first provides an overview of theoretical perspectives about art and our experiences with it Some useful distinctions are then made for teachers identifying philosophical questions and helping their students also to recognize them 17 Aesthetic Theories To engage students in philosophical inquiry about art teachers need not be familiar with all facets of aesthetic theories Indeed teachers who have no knowledge of the history of aesthetics may involve their students in philosophical inquiry However encouraging students to see that their views are not necessarily unique and that others who have held similar beliefs have written them down to be studied and reflected on is useful instruction This also aids students in understanding their connections to others they come to know that they are part of an ongoing dialogue among people over time who have thought about art and their responses to it Teachers who are familiar with various aesthetic perspectives can better plan for philosophical inquiry within the curriculum Dialogues will be richer to the extent that teachers are able to see student comments in light of those offered by others As they explore themes topics and questions for philosophical focus teachers can draw on their increased understanding of the com plexities involved the related issues and questions and the various positions that have been taken with respect to them in order to design units lessons and activities What Is a Theory A theory is an attempt to explain a certain set of phenomena or a single phenomenon The physicist who explains why a ball will bounce when thrown against a hard surface why the distance it bounces will depend in part on the hardness or softness of the surface and why some balls bounce farther than others when thrown against hard or soft surfaces is providing a theory Like scientific theories aesthetic theories are also attempts to explain phenomena in particular the human experiences the range of objects and the varied events associated with beauty and art Often in attempts to address philosophical ques tions about art explanations are based on broader philosophical views about the world and our place in it Theories of art sometimes can be seen as part of broader theoretical frameworks Plato for example proposed a theory of art that was part of a larger philosophical view that included theories of reality truth knowledge human nature and society Other philosophical positions about art can similarly be placed within larger frameworks This is also true with those of us who are not philosophers as such We can often identify beliefs about art that are con sistent with beliefs about other important issues in the world A Word about Categories An artwork is relational it always exists in relation to other things people or events Someone makes the artwork so the artwork always stands in some kind of relationship with the art maker An artwork is made in a certain time and place when certain ideas are prominent within the culture An artwork is also responded to in a certain time and place within cer tain ideological contexts Interestingly the context in which an artwork is made is not always the context in which it is experienced Responders vary Individuals and groups change as do the circum stances under which these individuals or groups respond to art When we offer explanations about art and its significance we do so with assumptions about artworks in relation to makers perceivers and the contexts in which artworks are made and or per ceived One way in which aesthetic theories differ from one another is in the degree of emphasis placed upon these relationships 18 Chapter 2 Aesthetic theories can be comprehensive or limited The focus of an aesthetic theory might be limited to the notion of the creative process in considering the relationship between the maker and art object for example A more comprehensive aesthetic theory might begin with the relationship between the maker and the art object but include implications for the other relationships based upon this view When teachers are familiar with different theo retical positions they may wish to draw on them for use as starting points for discussions or as models for the development of points of view The categories of aesthetic theories outlined below are easily grasped and students can be encouraged to consider how and in what ways their own beliefs correspond to them As with most category systems a particular belief may fall into more than one category or cate gories may overlap Being familiar with types of theories is not so that we might pigeonhole a state ment or belief Rather the knowledge helps students and teachers generally organize their own thoughts about art and what others have said or written Theories and Our Responses to Artworks Most people have beliefs associated with making and responding to art When making judgments or offering interpretations about works of art people tend to rely on their own set of beliefs about art These beliefs often suggest one or more traditional theories of art Elvis on Velvet Black velvet paintings often depict such subjects as cowboys clowns leopards tigers and praying hands and are rarely displayed in art galleries or museums One of the most common subjects is Elvis Presley Student responses to one Elvis painting on Aesthetic Theories and Philosophical Questions 2 1 Anonymous Elvis Presley undated Paint velvet 28 x 39 77 x 99 cm Courtesy Jennifer Heath Photo Caroline Hinkley In the mid nineteenth century in England wealthy young women were expected to be accomplished in the art of painting on velvet which was considered part of a cultured hobby In the 1930s Mexican based compa nies began mass producing black velvet paintings One Mexican firm currently employs a small staff of painters Each painter makes about ten paintings a day the firm turns out about 3 000 paintings a week The subjects of black velvet paintings depend on what is popular A painting might depict unicorns Clint Eastwood Michael Jackson or