User:5842elgn/sandbox

This is my sandbox page, as a student in a Wikipedia education class. 5842elgn (talk) 07:19, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

= Medium Essentialism = Medium Essentialism is a philosophical theory stating that each artform has its own distinctive medium, and that the essence of such an artform is dependent on its particular medium (Carroll and Jinhee 114). In practice, the theory argues that every artwork should manifest its essential properties, those which no other artform can employ. The theory relies on the presumption that every artform has a unique medium, and is divided into two main interpretations. The ‘limitation’ interpretation of Medium Essentialism argues that, due to its medium, some artforms should be constrained in their aspirations. The ‘productive’ interpretation reasons that a work’s medium determines what content or style will function best, and that practitioners should pursue ventures aligning with the nature of this chosen medium (Carroll and Jinhee 114). Medium Essentialism was propagated by film practitioners throughout the twentieth century, as it legitimised cinema as an artform for the first time (Carroll and Jinhee 113). Previously, film had been regarded as a merely a recorded representation of a written play (cite). It is therefore most discussed today by film theorists. Regardless of the interpretation favoured, what constitutes a film’s medium, and therefore essential meaning, has been heavily debated (Livingstone and Plantinga 205).

Dream Medium Essentialism
This section will explore Susanne Langer’s argument, which concurs with Medium Essentialism, adding that a film’s medium is to be found in its creator’s intention or ‘dream’ (Langer 62). It will provide examples and history of the theory in practice in determining a film’s medium (and essence). It will articulate how the theory enabled cinema to form an artistic identity.

Photography Medium Essentialism
This section will detail Scruton, Cavell and Balázs’ sub-theory, that since a photograph is transparent, it cannot be the essence of a work as it cannot express thought about its subject (Sinnerbrink 41). This perspective posits that the medium and essence of a photo or film-based artwork must be determined non-materially (Jarvie 301).

Scruton and Cavell's Transparency Theory
Bc its transparent it can't carry any meaning about its content (the photography)

Balázs' Requirement of Intention
It has to INTEND to create meaning.

Editing Medium Essentialism
This section will articulate the sub-theory stating that a film’s medium (and therefore essence) lies in its editing. It will cite Vertov, Pudovkin and Eisenstein.

Reality Essentialism
Stanley Cavell.

Criticism
The final section of this article will detail criticisms of Medium Essentialism, exploring the arguments of Noël Carroll and others, rejecting the premise that every artform has a distinctive medium which necessarily determines its essence (Carroll and Choi 115). Carroll’s argument against Medium Essentialism proposes that its assumption is unjustified; that a medium has an essence in the first place (Carroll and Choi 114). He reasons that film is not one but several mediums.