Abstract

The overall goal of this research is the establishment of a prima facie criterion for the fine arts. The work constructs a paradigm that can be applied to the evaluation of completed works of art as well as a synthesis of ideas and actions that can be used by artists/students as means of uniting analysis with creation. The goal of the artist is to unify the theoretical with the actual, identifying a methodology which enables the movement of ideas from the metaphysical to the physical; familiarity with aesthetics must be united to techniques: assessment and evaluation based on reasoning. Within contemporary art, an obstacle has arisen, derived from nineteenth century Romanticism, early twentieth century anti-art movements, and the Open Concept with Postmodern Deconstruction: artists have been isolated from the mainstream of social, intellectual, and academic life because more importance is placed on talking about talk than about the configuration of works of art, denying classical western concepts. Analysis referring to works themselves is considered reactionary. The terms "nature" and "essence" are established: nature is the combination of qualities belonging to a thing; the noun essence identifies real, invariable features of a thing providing identity. The Open Concept, Postmodernism and Deconstructionism assert that works of art possess no intrinsic properties, no identifiable degree of excellence, no individual features identifying form and shape. If we accept a declaration that attempts to define art are doomed to failure; we risk a number of harm areas that could destroy that which we now understand as art. This work examines historical perspectives of art as the basis on which it builds A Unified Theory of Art. Within a western cultural context, art identifies a standard of excellence. It also identifies a means judging the quality of excellence presented. This work sets forth a paradigm utilizing components the Toulmin model and Venn diagrams. If this process is followed, a plausible argument is established for expression of that judgment