At any given moment in time, we are experiencing hundreds of different stimuli, both internally and from our environment. It is rare, however, that one takes the time to ponder on what these experiences truly are. American philosopher John Dewey investigated this subject thoroughly in his theories, exploring what it truly means to experience in our own sociocultural environments.
The origin of Dewey’s aesthetic theory can be traced to two key fundamental ideas that he promoted. Firstly, he rejected contemporary theories on the relationship between the mind and the body. While the majority of the field believed in a clear distinction between the duality of mind and body, Dewey, instead, theorized that they are inherently interlaced and go through a series of relationships and interactions. Physical phenomena interact through different biological systems, thus producing cognitive functions such as perception or emotion. Additionally, these processes and outcomes exist within the context of our sociocultural environment. Dewey emphasized that the relationship between one’s psychology or behavior and their environment was continuous and dynamic, constantly fluctuating, changing, adapting. Secondly, Dewey disagreed with the tendency of his contemporaries to completely separate something’s inherent, final value (intrinsic) and the value of process (instrumental). The binary created is incapable of fully expressing the complexities of the relationships between an object and human experience.
Dewey’s aesthetic theory was radically different from the norms of other nineteenth and early twentieth-century aesthetic philosophers. He was against the idealist tendency of placing art and everyday life in completely different categories and thus implying they are mutually exclusive. Instead, Dewey argued that aesthetic philosophy should connect rather than divide the preconceived boundaries that define art and life experience. Of course, it is not to say that these distinctions are inherently dualistic, but it is important to consider how these theories have been employed by traditional aesthetics to compartmentalize and disconnect art from many conversations. One of these paralyzing divisions is the glorification and prioritization of “fine art” over other processes of making. Dewey rejected the treatment of fine art as the only form of art, as well as the assumption that aesthetic philosophy should focus on it alone. Thus, Dewey’s form of art is considered unorthodox, as these two beliefs that he rejected were considered unquestionable by the majority of the field at the time.
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If art and life experiences are inherently connected, then what exactly is an experience? It is important to note, that Dewey viewed the experience as highly developmental in nature. It is inherently iterative, as one’s intelligence, or mind, adapts when interacting with the environment. Dewey identified three main forms and phases of experience. There is the instrumental phase of this process, where one participates in an activity for the final outcome rather than the activity itself.
Then, there is what he calls the final phase when one engages in an activity for the activity itself. Lastly, and most importantly, there is the consummatory experience that has elements of both the instrumental and final phases. The main characteristics of this experience are a sense of fulfillment and unity, a feeling of completion that simultaneously initiates reflection on the past and sparks thoughts of the future. Within certain contexts, it can also be characterized by an intensified appreciation and awareness of an object and its unique merit. To have a consummatory experience, in a way, is to live life at its fullest and is the key to understanding Dewey’s approach to creating and interpreting art.
While there is no one way to exactly define art, Dewey interpreted it as an aesthetically-driven consummatory experience of a person going through a making process, then leading to further such experiences for both creator and the viewers. Therefore, art is a form of experience in itself. Art is not the final product of the creative process, but rather the process of making and the experience of the art. While “fine arts” are prime examples of this relationship at work, Dewey emphasized that this definition of art also applies to other forms of making. Fine arts achieved their superior status over “useful” or “functional” production processes not necessarily through their own merit, but rather because of specific social and historical contexts.
