Category Archives: Form and Content

To appreciate art, one has to understand the relationship of form and content. Much of art education and criticism is often focuses on the formal qualities of the work of art, as if understanding how the trick was done is the key to appreciating a magic show. Understanding the form, and seeing how it enhances the work of art can only be done if you have an emotional connection to the content.

Even the demand for intellectual appreciation, is at the base, an emotional response. Part of Vermeer’s greatness is because of how he uses light, not  the cleverness of his use. We think about great songs and literature because of our response to them, not because of the cleverness of the versification or the key modulation. Once that connection is made, understanding form can enrich our appreciation. Understanding form first makes the appreciation of art sterile.