Suppose that the two statements in each of the following pairs both appear in Exercis
a review of the same work of art. Identify which of the eight aesthetic prin-
ciples each statement in the pair appeals to. Then state whether the principles
are compatible (that is, they are not contrary to each other) and thus form the
basis for a consistent critical review.
1. a. Last weekend's performance of the Wagnerian operatic cycle was
superb; the music surged through the audience, forging a joyous com-
munal bond.
b. Smith's forceful singing and acting in the role of Siegfried left no doubt
why Wagner's vision of heroic morality was attractive to his Teutonic
contemporaries.
2. a. Leni Riefenstahl's film Triumph of the Will proved to be effective art
because it convinced its audiences that the Nazi Party would improve
the German way of life.
b. Despite its overtly racist message, Triumph of the Will is great art, for
films should be judged on the basis of their visual coherence and not
in terms of their moral impact.
3. a. All lovers of art should condemn Jackson Pollock's meaningless
abstract expressionist splatter paintings.
b. These paintings create neither sadness nor joy; those who view them
feel nothing, neither love nor hate nor any of the other passions that
great art evokes.
