Final answer:
An audience member's aesthetic sensibility and response are subjective and individual, shaped by personal experiences, tastes, cultural backgrounds, and exposure to art. Philosophers like Frank Sibley and David Hume have supported the idea that aesthetic judgments are personal and not dictated by fixed rules. Additionally, cultural influences further underscore the individuality of aesthetic perceptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Audience Aesthetic Sensibility and Response
The question you've asked concerning an audience member's aesthetic sensibility and response is particularly insightful, as it touches on the nature of aesthetic judgment. The answer to your question is b) Subjective and individual. When individuals engage with art, their reactions and judgments are shaped by personal experiences, tastes, cultural backgrounds, and sensibilities, all of which are unique to each person.
Understanding Aesthetic Judgment
British philosopher Frank Sibley explained that while aesthetic judgment can be informed by sensory observations, these do not dictate a universal response. For example, a blue palette in a painting might be interpreted as melancholic by one person while being seen as calm by another. This demonstrates that aesthetic judgments are subjective and based on individual perspectives, rather than being objective or universal.
Furthermore, Enlightenment philosopher David Hume believed that beauty and aesthetic judgments are rooted in subjectivism, with personal taste playing a key role. Hume acknowledged the diversity in people's tastes and suggested that taste can be educated and refined, which makes some critics' judgments more influential. However, these judgments remain personal and subjective.
On a personal level, our immediate response to art is influenced by a lifetime of personal knowledge and experience, highlighting again the personalized nature of aesthetic responses. These responses can evolve over time as we gain more exposure to different artistic expressions and viewpoints.
Art in Cultural Context
Cultural influences also play a significant role in shaping our aesthetic views. Research has shown that people from different cultures may attend to different types of information when viewing visual stimuli, further supporting the notion that aesthetic judgments are subjective and culturally influenced.
In conclusion, our aesthetic sensibility and responses to art are shaped by deeply personal experiences, our cultural framework, and our life-long accumulation of knowledge, making them highly individualistic and varying from person to person.