Art And Morality

Question 1

Materials and morality

Answer 1

What is actually used in the art

Directly - paint human remains etc

Indirectly - what is used for offence eg blasphemy

EG piss Christ 1987 serrono

Leads to debates on morality not art

Question 2

Notoriety and morality

Answer 2

An artist can choose to deal with moral questions that raise issues for publicity etc

For critics to debate

EG Myra 1997 Harvey

Question 3

Intrinsic relation and morality

Answer 3

Question for philosophy is whether the moral character depicted in the work has significance as an art work

EG Therese dreaming 1938 Balthus (pedo)

If content of work relates to immorality the work is immoral

Question 4

Contingent relation?

Answer 4

Moral flaws enchants it’s artistic value (or doesn’t affect it at all)

Eg train spotting 1996 Boyle

Question 5

Cognitive immoralism?

Answer 5

Can be argued immoral content is artistically valuable as it helps us recognise and understand what is immoral - shows cognitive not artistic value

Question 6

How to we evaluate art?

Answer 6

We evaluate x with purpose of x

However in art we judge value with the purpose we give it ourself as we feel art should allow openness of interpretation

Question 7

What is opportunistic moralism?

Answer 7

Moral failings enter a scope of artistically relevant criteria
Not because the morals are by definition a part of art

Rather we decide investing our resources to art is investing into what we care about (and we care about moral values being promoted or not)