THE PLEASURES OF ART AND FICTION: FINE ARTS, THEATER, CINEMA, AND VIDEO GAMES

Μy recently published book: The Pleasures of Art and Fiction: Fine Arts, Theater, Cinema, and Video Games, is now available at Amazon’s Bookstore. You can find it at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P41MQJD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_t kin_p1_i0

Introduction Chapter 1, “Beauty Is What You Fall in Love With,” of my book begins with a discussion of the differences between “natural beauty” and “artistic beauty.” Natural beauty must be discovered (for example, by traveling). Artistic beauty must be invented because it is constructed, entirely by the mechanisms of the human mind and heart. Who invented Art? This book offers an insightful and clear answer to this question in chapter 1, and in the subsequent chapters it takes us on an art historical journey, from prehistory to the present, which explores all the major manifestations of the visual arts (fine arts, theater, cinema, and video games). This art historical journey is presented in the book step by step as we follow the transition: from ritual to theater, from theater to cinema, and from cinema to video games. Artistic beauty (originally in the form of cosmetic art) was invented by a woman. Cosmetic art is more primitive than cave art and the belief in supernatural forces, goddesses, and gods. Chapter 2, “Tribal Female Beauty,” is devoted to the discussion of cosmetic art. A lot of things that people attach to their bodies are not ornaments. They may be trophies of war or of the chase, intended to show off strength, courage, or skill. The bottom line, however, is that, whatever the impulse may be self-decoration works to enhance our self-esteem. It makes us feel more appealing and stronger. In other words, beauty (art) provides us with extra powers. Magic, religion, and art spring from an incomplete cycle; an intensified desire of which the active satisfaction is blocked and therefore it runs over into a presentation. The artist usually desires something impossible (e.g., absolute beauty, infinite love, etc.). Nevertheless, he (or she) goes ahead and fulfills his (or her) desire by creating an artistic miracle that makes the impossible possible and presents it to us in a very emotional, engaging, and convincing way. All great works of art contain their unique artistic miracle which makes our engagement with them an awesome experience. This experience is multifaceted: It is impressive, inspiring, and entertaining. It gives us extra psychological power, but above all, we admire the works of art that have something important to say about our life. One of the earliest magico-religious and artistic miracles in human history was the ritual of the death and resurrection of the Sacred Bull. Chapter 3, “From Ritual to Theater,” traces the development of this early ritualistic drama from prehistoric times to the time it was transformed into something entirely new, the theater. Chapter 4, “Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez,” discusses the transformation of the visible world into the created work of art. The Chapter’s main focus is an in-depth analysis and interpretation of Velázquez’s Las Meninas (Spanish for the Maids of Honor). The painting is a portrait of Infanta Margarita, the daughter of King Philip IV, and his second wife Mariana of Austria. Its complex and enigmatic composition is an excellent example of how great works of art are made. Chapter 5, “The Magic of Cinema,” discusses the transition from theater to cinema, and Chapter 6, “From Cinema to Video Games,” discusses the transition from cinema to video games. Video games have become the entertainment medium of choice for millions of people. We can no longer consider video gaming as a marginal element of our everyday lives. In recent years, the turnover of the video game industry has exceeded that of cinema.

The book combines a wide range of academic disciplines (e.g., aesthetics, religion, classics, philosophy, and psychology). It is written in an interdisciplinary manner and often guides the reader to contemporary research in the natural sciences, which has contributed immensely to our understanding of both art and fiction. Art history’s methods of analysis and interpretation of works of art were greatly improved during the twentieth century. In the 1970s and 1980s, Svetlana Alpers introduced structuralism to the interpretation of the work of art. She claimed that pictures are not intended solely for perception, but can be read as having a secondary or deeper level of meaning that is hidden in their pictorial representation. This book expands our understanding of the various modes of pictorial representation. It also places a strong emphasis on the interaction that exists between the work of art and the spectator and proceeds to analyze and compare the different types of pleasure that both art and fiction offer us. It is addressed to anyone with a general interest in Western civilization and culture.

George Konstantinidis