Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? discuss with reference to the arts and history.

Subjectivity refers to how someone's judgment is shaped by personal opinions and feelings instead of outside influences. The contrast between the embrace of subjectivity in the arts and its apparent censure in the field of history presents an interesting motivation for exploring the ambiguities of knowledge.

Art emphasizes freedom of creativity and expression of one’s thoughts, views and emotions. Its subjectivity is reflected throughout the different interpretation and understanding of art pieces that come from variety of artists throughout the world. In contrast, history, often regarded as the objective custodian of collective memory, is expected to maintain a detachment from personal biases, prioritizing the accurate representation of historical realities. We aim to explore the complex relationship between subjectivity, objectivity, and how these two disciplines affect our perception of each other through close investigation and contrasting cases.

The well-known piece by Pollock, "Autumn Rhythm," is a disorganized composition of splatters and drips without any distinct components of representation. It is intended for viewers to interpret the picture in light of their feelings and individual experiences. In Autumn Rhythm Number 30, Pollock's well-known "drip painting" method is highlighted. By using this method, Pollock abandoned traditional brushes, which can symbolize his will to express liberty, in favour of pouring, dripping, and throwing paint across the canvas (Taylor, 2023).

The celebration of subjectivity in abstract art is evident in the diverse interpretations of "Autumn Rhythm." Some regard the picture as an expression of the chaotic energy found in nature, while others believe it to be a reflection of the artist's mental state at the time it was created (Plessis, 2023). The attractiveness of Autumn Rhythm Number 30 is its capacity to awake a wide range of feelings and encourage introspection. The subjective nature of abstract art allows for a multiplicity of perspectives, celebrating individual interpretations and emotional responses. It shows that the ability of the viewer to connect emotionally and create personal narratives is just as important, if not more so, than the artist's aim when it comes to the power of abstract artwork. When viewed through this subjectivity-based lens, abstract art overcomes traditional limits and invites everyone to participate in the story of the piece. It becomes a dynamic dialogue between the artist and the audience.

Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" is as a clear testament to the hypothesis that subjectivity isn't overly celebrated in the arts. Painted in 1937 in response to the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, Picasso’s artwork is a strong anti-war statement and a denunciation of the violence that was done to civilians.
 

"Guernica" is a perfect illustration of how subjectivity, rather than being an advantage, allows the artist to interact with the harsh facts of the real world. The picture reflects the tragedy and sadness of war through its disorganized composition and deformed characters. Picasso deliberately used black, white, and various shades of grey to further emphasize the destruction's stark and objective depiction. Also, viewers among the world share the opinion that he used jumbled shapes in order to present both ruins and the agony of women. Having information that people have unified opinion about the context and the meaning of the picture, we can deduce that the emphasis in this artwork is put on realistic exposure of tragic events, rather than subjective view. The sheer fact that Picasso was from Spain carries some level of subjectivity, but arguments above show clear limitations to it. There is less space for different interpretations due to the disorganized sceneries and deformed characters, highlighting a common understanding of the painting's intent. In contrast to artworks whose subjectivity might provoke different interpretations, there is general agreement between historians that this painting represents the chaos and horror of the war (Klein, 2019).

Maintaining subjectivity in art results in a diverse range of interpretations, promotion of creativity and emotional connection. On the other hand, there are some examples when the subjectivity is limited to some extent as the emphasis is put on the clear message of the art, so there is significantly less interpretations and therefore less subjectivity. However, it’s safe to say that, artists seek subjectivity in order to impress wider masses and to attract, intrigue and connect people with different interpretations of their artwork.
 

Example of emergence of school of the Annales is used for the claim that subjectivity has been unfairly condemned in history. Annales school emerged in mid-20th century. The main characteristics of it is the critique of positivism, a philosophical system recognizing only that which can be scientifically verified or which is capable of logical or mathematical proof. Therefore, Annales school fought against the positivist approach which advocated for objectivity and empirical evidence verifiability in historical research, often dismissing subjective elements.  It’s clear that school of Annales yearned for subjectivity, as they argued for more nuanced and inclusive approach to history.

Under the direction of academics such as Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre, the historians of Annales sought to expand the field of historical research by exploring the personal experiences of individuals and integrating approaches from multiple fields. But traditional historians who followed positivist principles opposed them. The focus on subjective experiences and the use of unconventional sources, such personal stories, went contrary to the dominant objective norms, which is why their methodology was unfairly criticized. One of the most common of these criticisms is the lack of a meta-narrative for historical change. The basis for this criticism is that while the Annales have been well adapted to studying pre-industrial societies, they are less suited to the more fast paced changes we see in modern society (Yorty, 2018). Although it is undeniable that the contributions and developments they have made to the study of history have been very significant, members of school of the Annales were heavily criticized for innovations they introduced, which supports the claim that subjectivity is sometimes unfairly condemned in history.

American attack on Pearl Harbour serves as the support of claim that subjectivity isn’t unfairly condemned in history. The attack on Pearl Harbour marked a historic turning point in the history of Japan for civilian Japanese citizens. At the time, the Japanese government presented the attack as a tactically reasonable and vital action to gain resources and establish authority over the region. Recognizing the impact of cultural norms, wartime propaganda, and the complex feelings associated with a nation involved in a global battle are all necessary to comprehend the subtleties of how Japanese civilians interpreted this incident.

Even now, after 83 years, the belief among Japanese civilians was that Pearl Harbour's acts were an appropriate reaction to the economic embargo imposed by Western nations (Melber, 2021).  The Japanese were more likely to perceive the action as the turning point in American antagonism, in addition to being more aware of the embargo's presence. Japanese civilian perspective was additionally shaped by their extreme nationalist culture, and utilization of militaristic colonialism as an economic stimulant (Métraux, 2012). Subjectivity also influenced the uncertainty and terror surrounding Japan's entry into a world war at the same time. It's safe to say that many were afraid of the risks, sacrifices, and hardships that could come with going to war. Knowing this data, historians can better understand Japan's social and cultural background during this time by including the subjective accounts of Japanese civilians. Also, subjectivity is reflected through diversity of reactions among Japanese people. While some Japanese residents saw the attack as a daring attempt to defend their country's interests, others may have felt pride and justifiable rage. Others may have had doubts, internal strife, or even opposing views, especially as the war dragged on and Japan was confronted with more difficulties.
 

History is known as the social science of the past, and past is irreversible and unchangeable, which limits the space for the subjectivity of historians. However, although historians seek objectivity, they are often subjective, as seen in my counter-claim above. Simply, some event is seen differently from the perspective of someone who isn’t a part of nation that had immense losses than a person who is part of it. Different point of views in history are often misunderstood and seen as bias, which leads us to conclusion that subjectivity is rarely celebrated in history.

In summary, relationship between subjectivity and objectivity in history and the arts shows a complicated web of interpretation and comprehension. Picasso's "Guernica," which illustrates the celebration of subjectivity in art, serves as an inspiration for creativity and emotional connection, humanizing the artistic process. However, there is a conflict that develops when subjectivity is purposefully ignored in order to make a point clearly and reduces the variety of possible interpretations. By introducing emotion and originality to our interactions with art and history, this investigation demonstrates the power of subjectivity. It does this by establishing the complicated ground of various perspectives and interpretations that forms our collective understanding of both arts and history. Subjectivity in history is limited by the fact that past can’t be modified. The counter-claim shows the subjectivity in historical narratives, which are frequently influenced by a variety of viewpoints, despite the goal of objectivity held by historians. The historical celebration of subjectivity is difficult to achieve because of the difficulties presented by opposing opinions and the possibility of prejudice.

1. Plessis, A. du. (2023, June 26). “Autumn Rhythm” by Jackson Pollock - Discover Number 30. Retrieved from artincontext.org website:
https://artincontext.org/autumn-rhythm-by-jackson-pollock/
 

2. Yorty, E. (2018, May 11). The Annales School. Retrieved from Metahistory website:
https://unm-historiography.github.io/metahistory/essays/modern/annales-school.html

3. Taylor, N. (2023, May 23). Ledgebay. Retrieved from Ledgebay website:
https://ledgebay.com/autumn-rhythm-number-30/
 

4. Métraux, D. A. (2012). Teaching Pearl Harbor: A New Japanese Perspective. Retrieved from Association for Asian Studies website:
https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/teaching-pearl-harbor-a-new-japanese-perspective/

5. Klein, C. (2019). Picasso’s Guernica: Definition, Symbolism & Analysis | Study.com. Retrieved from Study.com website: https://study.com/academy/lesson/picassos-guernica-definition-symbolism-analysis.html

6. Melber, T. (2021). Pearl Harbour. Page 13.