ARC Philosophy
Published on August 10, 2018
The driving philosophy behind the Art Renewal Center is clearly put forward in the essay by ARC founder, Frederick Ross, entitled "Why Realism?"
The essay argues point by point why realism is one of the only effective ways to communicate ideas and emotions across cultures and centuries.
“The visual fine arts of drawing, painting and sculpture are best understood as a language ... a visual language. Very much like spoken and written languages, it was developed and preserved as a means of communication. And very much like language it is successful if communication takes place and unsuccessful if it does not. This simultaneously helps define the term "Fine Art." So fine art is one important way that human beings can communicate. This realization conversely poses the question: Can it be fine art if it does not communicate or does not even attempt to do so? Communication can only occur if the language of the speaker is understood by those who are listening. An absolute necessity for communication is that the language employed has vocabulary and grammar shared by speaker and listener or by writer and reader and therefore logically by painter and viewer. “
To read the full essay, please visit the ARC Philosophy.
