Research On The Art Theory And Method Of Western Structuralism

This paper aims to explore the research results of Western structuralism in the field of art,and summarize them into an effective research paradigm,so as to provide a methodological reference for the theoretical research of Chinese art.The research on the art theory and method of structuralism will be explained from the following three aspects.the first level is the origin and theoretical basis of structuralism art theory.Saussure’s structural linguistics laid the theoretical foundation for structuralism,and the bi-dimensional symbol view enriched the thoughts of Levi-Strauss,Barthes and other scholars.Pierce’s semiotics theory provides methodology for art research and his triadic symbol view provides effective means for visual art research.Structuralists use saussure and Peirce’s semiotic methods to explore social and cultural phenomena,and set off a wave of structuralists in anthropology,literature,art and other fields.Structuralism has gradually become a powerful theoretical system affecting many fields,laying a solid theoretical and methodological foundation for the study of structuralism in the field of art.The second level is the main part of the thesis,which mainly discusses the research of structuralism in the field of art.Levi-Strauss’ s structuralist anthropology of art created art theory research of structuralism,he creatively to Saussure’s structural linguistics mode is introduced into the anthropology of art study,and to reveal the similarity of primitive art system and language,which itself has certain rules and logic operation,show the unique cultural system.On this basis,Levi-Strauss applied the structure of binary opposition to the analysis of artistic forms such as kinship,primitive plastic arts and mythology,and preliminary constructed the art anthropology based on the linguistic model.Barthes’ cultural semiotics is based on Saussure’s semiotic theory,with Jacobson,Levi-Strauss as the intermediary,and systematically constructs his semiotic principles.In Barth’s opinion,Saussure’s structuralist linguistics exists widely in popular culture,and its goal is to discover the linguistic laws existing in social and cultural phenomena,and analyze them through the dualistic opposition of language structure and speech,signifier and signified,combination and convergence,direct and implicative.In some sense,Barthes’ cultural semiotics establishes a structuralist art theory research,he would apply structuralism semiotics to the analysis of the phenomenon of mass culture,with a new Angle of view,the sharp eyes fashion,photographs,film,advertising,analyzes the narrative,cars,such as cooking cultural phenomenon,profoundly changed the way people observe and know the world.With the development of structuralist art theory,visual culture gradually flourished.Structuralist semiotics has become an important method of visual art research.Meyer Shapiro,Norman Bryson and Mieke Bal applied semiotic methods to the study of art history,and studied art history from the perspectives of visual art semiotics,visual culture semiotics and visual narrative semiotics respectively.The last part is the basic method and enlightenment of structuralism art theory.Structuralist art theory is of great value to the research and development of contemporary art.However,some limitations of structuralism should be noted while applying it.Therefore,the practical significance of this theory and method is to make full use of its strengths and circumvent its weaknesses.For the study of Chinese art,structuralism art theory and method provides a new understanding and methodology for its construction and development,and has important enlightenment and far-reaching influence.