Art Theory

Author: Zhu Heping (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: As one of the superstructures, art fundamentally depends on the economic base. Therefore, in a strict sense, the economic base is the ultimate cause of the development of art. However, the role of the economy on literature and art is not direct but is achieved through intermediaries such as politics, morality, religion, and philosophy. Specifically, this influence manifests in the following aspects:
1. Economics determines the nature of art. The nature of art is primarily reflected in its ideological content, and economic conditions have a fundamental impact on it. This is not only evident in how the overall economic structure of different societies influences the content of their art but also in how varying economic conditions within the same societal economic structure affect the ideological content of art. Whether it is mythological art in the primitive society period or politically inclined art after the emergence of class society, both are determined by the level of economic development.
2. Economics determines the emergence of art. As mentioned in the previous section, although the exact cause of the origin of art is still uncertain, it is undeniable that the origin of art is closely related to human survival and life. Any form of artistic creation is directly or indirectly linked to human hands, and we can even say that the origin of art lies in the technical manipulation of human hands on a certain material. The evolution of the "hand" in humans is a long process. From an evolutionary perspective, in the ape stage, humans were still in the phase of climbing branches with their forelimbs, picking fruits, and throwing sticks. Only with the development of humans did the "hand" gain the ability to create tools. The high level of refinement of the "hand" enabled it to seemingly magically produce works such as Raphael's paintings, Thorvaldsen's sculptures, and Paganini's music.
3. Economics determines the development of art. The state of economic development ultimately boils down to the level of productive forces. The level of productive forces determines the form and basic characteristics of art. For example, during the childhood of humanity, the art of nearly all ethnic groups went through a period of mythological prosperity, which was consistent with the extremely low level of productive forces at the time. Later, as the productive forces improved, this primitive art of mythology disappeared, giving way to other forms of art. Another example is the early bronze art in China during the transition from barbarism to civilization, the mature bronze art of the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, and the influence of iron tools that emerged after the Warring States period on the form of art—all of which were determined by changes in productive forces. Similarly, modern film art and television art are closely related to the advancement of technology under the development of productive forces. Without modern technology, there would be no modern film or television.
However, the economic development and the development of art are not absolutely proportional to each other; they exhibit clear imbalances. This imbalance manifests in two aspects: First, the flourishing period of art may appear in lower stages of social development, such as ancient Greece, which was not economically advanced but produced many world-renowned artistic phenomena. Second, during historical development, the level of artistic development does not always correlate with the level of economic development. Sometimes, a high level of material production corresponds to mediocre artistic development, while at other times, the material production level may not