Feeling and Form - Classic Text | Alexandria
Feeling and Form: A Theory of Art (1953), written by American philosopher Susanne K. Langer (1895-1985), stands as a seminal work in aesthetic theory that revolutionized our understanding of artistic expression and symbolic transformation. This groundbreaking text expanded upon Langer's earlier philosophical investigations in Philosophy in a New Key (1942), offering a comprehensive theory of art that spans music, dance, poetry, painting, architecture, and other creative forms.
Published during the mid-20th century's intense philosophical debates about meaning and symbolism, Feeling and Form emerged from a cultural moment when traditional aesthetic theories were being challenged by modernist movements and new forms of artistic expression. Langer's work provided a sophisticated philosophical framework that bridged the gap between emotional experience and symbolic representation, arguing that art creates "significant forms" that symbolize human feeling and consciousness in ways that discursive language cannot.
The text's central thesis - that art is the creation of forms symbolic of human feeling - represented a dramatic departure from both formalist and expressionist theories of art. Langer introduced the concept of "presentational symbolism," suggesting that artworks don't simply express emotions but create virtual experiences that embody the dynamic patterns of sentient life. Her analysis of various art forms revealed how each medium creates its own "primary illusion," whether it be virtual time in music, virtual power in dance, or virtual space in architecture.
Langer's influence extends far beyond aesthetics, informing fields as diverse as psychology, education, and cognitive science. Contemporary scholars continue to engage with her ideas about symbolic transformation and the relationship between feeling and form, particularly in discussions about digital art and new media. The work's enduring relevance lies in its unique ability to explain how art functions as a fundamental mode of human understanding, creating what Langer termed "morphology of feeling" - patterns that make the ineffable structure of subjective experience tangible and comprehensible. Her insights continue to illuminate our understanding of artistic creation and reception, while raising profound questions about the nature of human consciousness and its relationship to symbolic expression.
The ongoing fascination with Feeling and Form reflects its status as both a philosophical masterwork and a living document that continues to generate new interpretations and applications in contemporary artistic and theoretical discourse. Its complex interweaving of aesthetic theory, symbolic logic, and psychological insight remains as pertinent today as when it first challenged conventional wisdom about the nature and purpose of art.