Home » Past Questions » English Language » Every artist's work unless he be a hermit, creating solely for his own satisfacti...

Every artist's work unless he be a hermit, creating solely for his own satisfacti...

Question

Every artist’s work unless he be a hermit, creating solely for his own satisfaction and with on need of sales, is to some extent ‘socially conditioned’, He depends upon the approval of his patrons. Social conditioning is of course part of the field of study of the social anthropologist, yet I am not aware that the social conditioning of artists has ever been seriously studied. That such study is needed for the proper appraisal of traditional African art is evident enough when we note the ingenuous assumption, current in many writing on the subject, that the carver’s hand is so closely controlled by the custom of centuries that the credit for any creative imagination which is apparent in his work is due not to him but to the long succession of his predecessors. Of course, there is an element of truth in this view of the tribal as copyist; but it is hardly more valid for the Africa than for the European artist. In both cases the work of art is the outcome of a dialectic between the informing tradition and the individual genius of the artist, and in both the relative strength of these two forces may vary almost infinitely. To assess the personal ingredient in an African carving is no easy matter, especially if one is confronted with a rare or unique piece in an unfamiliar style; but the considerations involved are much the same as those employed in European art criticism.

The work of art is the outcome of a dialectic between the informing tradition and the individual genius of the artist' means that

Options

the artist is influenced both by the society and by own creative imagination

there is an irreconcilable conflict that society makes on him

the artist subordinates his individual talent to the demands of the society

few works of art are entirely original

the individual artist needs to be informed about the traditions of the society

The correct answer is A.

Explanation:

The passage talks about how artists are influenced by the society around them. It says that an artist's work is socially conditioned, meaning that they depend on the approval of their patrons and are influenced by the traditions and customs of their society. The passage argues that the social conditioning of artists needs to be studied more, especially when it comes to traditional African art.

The question asks what the phrase "The work of art is the outcome of a dialectic between the informing tradition and the individual genius of the artist" means. The correct answer is Option A, which says that the artist is influenced both by the society and by their own creative imagination. This means that a work of art is the result of a back-and-forth between the traditions and customs of the society and the individual creativity of the artist.

The other options are incorrect. Option B suggests that there is a conflict between the artist and society, which is not what the passage is arguing. Option C suggests that the artist subordinates their individual talent to the demands of society, which is also not what the passage is saying. Option D suggests that few works of art are entirely original, which is not what the phrase is talking about. Option E suggests that the individual artist needs to be informed about the traditions of society, which is partially true but not a complete understanding of the phrase.

Overall, the phrase means that a work of art is the outcome of a dialogue between the traditions and customs of society and the individual creativity of the artist.

Previous Question

Next Question

Leave Contribution