Content and context: shifting and moulding the aesthetic experience

Abstract

The thesis inspects two different orientations in artworks: content oriented and context oriented artworks, and how these two different approaches shift and form the aesthetic experience. The Professor of Art History in University of California San Diego, Grant Kester, PhD (b.1959), stated by quoting British artist Peter Dunn (b. 1940) that most artists who focus on social practice art are “context providers” rather than “content providers”, the statement raised an interesting discussion and is the base of this research.

Insufficient view time may cause certain overlooking which leads to merely a few percentages grasp of the artwork especially in moving image artworks. To reach this goal in using the moving image as the main medium, expanding the interactivity: spectator contributes a visual element to the artwork, is applied to reach higher aesthetic emotion. The report analysed materiality, vertical and landscape aspect ratio in moving image, discussed aesthetic experience and the difference between content and context in art.

The projects consist of two artworks, one artwork emphasizes on creating a con-tent-oriented, visually intriguing installation, which also provides an interactive element encouraging spectator’s participation in completion of the artwork; the second artwork leans towards context based in minimalistic and traditional visual identity. The two artworks will then be compared and voted by the visitors in degree show exhibition RAW; spectators are welcome to decide freely which art-work they like more solely determined by personal preferences.