The Meaning of Practice in Theory

이론(理論, Theoria)에 있어서의 실기의 의미

What is 'Art Theory'? In the western sense, the term poses a vague ambiguity, and in the eastern, it is rather an abstract and metaphysical concept. As for etymology, theory is derived from theoria and theoria from theoros. It refers to an act of viewing or seeing, of course not in a metaphysical sense. Plato understood it as 'eide'. During the time of Plotinus, theoria encompassed gazing at every possible reality, and this gazing, that is theoria, is closely related to reality as aunit that theoriacan perceive. However, we tend to distinguish, as other scientists of dualism have done, studio art from theory since a pre-modern approach to art has been particularly tuned to studio practice, set apart from theory. Therefore, in studio classes, students are expected to learn the subject based on the foundational curriculum methods such as medium, genre, technique:, rather than bringing out their own interpretations and discussing theories. As a result, students have become artists, who are not able to understand their own art. Art professors who conduct class in studio are required to proceed with specific 'theories' as well as 'intellectual reflections'. In this respect, this thesis presents poiesis and an idea of 'acting out'. Although art history and aesthetic theory tend to view art as a finished product, actual art-making and related theories should not only be acknowledged as 'completion' (finition) but also be accompanied by theoretic interpretations of the act itself and process. Accordingly, it is to accept and appreciate art as finished result in view of current theory and aesthetics thus boils down to aisthesis. Likewise, poietics starts from a point where an artist is related to studio and examines the 'work process' that extends as far as to the exact end of work. Through the study of such relationship, it is possible that theory understands 'studio' and 'process', and an artist can grant an independent meaning to studio where s/he pours her/his heart out creating a work of art. Theory is a study on artistic discovery thus should be equipped with functions that can accommodate fortuity, imitation, thinking, culture, and surrounding.