станковое искусство

English translation: fine art (in some contexts)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:станковое искусство
English translation:fine art (in some contexts)

11:13 Aug 31, 2017
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2017-09-03 20:54:08 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / visual art
Russian term or phrase: станковое искусство
Dear all,

I know that "станковое искусство" and "станковая живопись" already appear in Proz discussions, but I'm not happy with the solutions offered. People keep translating it as "easel painting", but I never saw the expression in an English original. "Станковое искусство" means a kind of "art as art", i.e. neither utilitarian nor purely decorative, and it is limited to objects (paintings, sculptures...), not performances/events etc. It is often used slightly derogatorily, "станковое искусство, unlike our cool modern project work..." Still, it's not quite the same as "traditional". What do you think? thank you!

Russian wiki explanation: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Станковое_искусство
Dr. Alexandra Berlina
Germany
Local time: 00:05
Fine art vs. decorative art
Explanation:
Susan is right (she's always right:)), that's simply not how we think of art in the English-speaking world. The primary dichotomy is between fine art (what Frank called "art for art's sake" although this is not what they actually call it) and decorative art. These are very loose and conflicting labels, to be sure, but that's all there is. Here's an article that discusses the difference btw the two and the problems inherent in using these labels: http://reddotblog.com/ask-a-gallery-owner-fine-art-vs-decora...

There is yet another dichotomy, figurative vs. non-figurative, but that's not at issue here. In any case, it matters none to an English speaker whether a painting was created on an easel or someone's kitchen table. This "easel painting" just doesn't mean anything to anyone who is not professionally dealing with Russian art-related literature and such.

I said it before and will keep on saying it until the day I retire to greener pastures: things are often perceived and worded differently in different languages. Russian is HUUUUUGE on giving everything its "proper" label and putting it into its assigned little box, hence the outright disgusting proliferation of all kinds of pseudo-scientific classifications and terminology where other languages happily do without. English, on the other hand, favors verbs - i.e. labels for actions rather than things. Different national psychologies, perhaps?
Selected response from:

The Misha
Local time: 19:05
Grading comment
thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1Fine art vs. decorative art
The Misha
4easel painting
Olga Kuderova
4 -1Self-contained/self consistent art
Andrey Maksimov
2(visual) art for art's sake
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
easel painting


Explanation:
станковая живопись или станковое искусство выполняется на мольберте easel

Olga Kuderova
Russian Federation
Local time: 04:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Это я понимаю.:) Но увы. Скульптура -- это тоже станковое искусство. И, главное, выражения этого англ. искусствоведы не знают.

Asker: Dear Olga, actually "easel painting" is used much more than I thought, thank you for making this clear to me! Still, in this case I was looking for something different...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Susan Welsh: Did you read Asker's question? She specifically does not want this translation.
4 mins

neutral  The Misha: Any painting "выполняется на мольберте easel" - unless it's a fresco or a mural, or your name is Jackson Pollock. That's not the point.
1 hr
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
(visual) art for art's sake


Explanation:
"Art for art's sake" is the usual English rendering of a French slogan from the early 19th century, "l'art pour l'art", and expresses a philosophy that the intrinsic value of art, and the only "true" art, is divorced from any didactic, moral, or utilitarian function. Such works are sometimes described as "autotelic", from the Greek autoteles, "complete in itself", a concept that has been expanded to embrace "inner-directed" or "self-motivated" human beings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_for_art's_saI

I added visual as opposed to performance arts.

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
Local time: 19:05
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 20
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you! I'll wait for more answers, but this is really helpful. I think I'll go for art for art's sake, traditional art and some other variations depending on the context...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Susan Welsh: This phrase has a distinctly negative connotation to me. E.g. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25587887?seq=1#page_scan_tab_co...
18 mins
  -> The Asker specifically requested a term that might be viewed by some as pejorative. Looks like "art for art's sake" fills the bill. As in art, it is in the eye of the beholder.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Fine art vs. decorative art


Explanation:
Susan is right (she's always right:)), that's simply not how we think of art in the English-speaking world. The primary dichotomy is between fine art (what Frank called "art for art's sake" although this is not what they actually call it) and decorative art. These are very loose and conflicting labels, to be sure, but that's all there is. Here's an article that discusses the difference btw the two and the problems inherent in using these labels: http://reddotblog.com/ask-a-gallery-owner-fine-art-vs-decora...

There is yet another dichotomy, figurative vs. non-figurative, but that's not at issue here. In any case, it matters none to an English speaker whether a painting was created on an easel or someone's kitchen table. This "easel painting" just doesn't mean anything to anyone who is not professionally dealing with Russian art-related literature and such.

I said it before and will keep on saying it until the day I retire to greener pastures: things are often perceived and worded differently in different languages. Russian is HUUUUUGE on giving everything its "proper" label and putting it into its assigned little box, hence the outright disgusting proliferation of all kinds of pseudo-scientific classifications and terminology where other languages happily do without. English, on the other hand, favors verbs - i.e. labels for actions rather than things. Different national psychologies, perhaps?

The Misha
Local time: 19:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
thank you!
Notes to answerer
Asker: We're having a real conversation on art here; such a pity it's not in my living room! Thank you:)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susan Welsh: Sounds good to me. (And Susan is always right ... except when she's wrong!)
37 mins
  -> Yeah, but who is counting?:)
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Self-contained/self consistent art


Explanation:
http://www.glossary.ru/cgi-bin/gl_sch2.cgi?RRygtquiul!oxqzxx...


Andrey Maksimov
Russian Federation
Local time: 03:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Susan Welsh: It's not English.
10 mins
  -> Thank you, Susan. It is not surprising. Alas, English is not my mother tongue (no sarcasm from my part). I was trying to express my point of view on the above Russian reference.
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