According to this perspective, diverse art forms, such as literature, music, painting, sculpture, and dance, are not isolated or independent entities, but rather interconnected and interdependent. Artists of the unified sensibility movement believed that a profound interconnectedness existed among the sensory and expressive qualities of different art forms, allowing for cross-pollination and mutual influence.
Proponents of the unified sensibility sought to break down the compartmentalization of the arts and establish a holistic approach to artistic creation. They believed that by drawing inspiration from various sources and experimenting with different media, artists could achieve a richer, more multi-dimensional, and evocative expression of their ideas and emotions.
The unified sensibility also challenged traditional notions of artistic hierarchy, which had often placed literature above other art forms. Instead, it emphasized the equal value and potential of all creative disciplines, asserting that each form of expression had its unique strengths and contributions to the broader cultural landscape.
Some of the key ideas associated with the unified sensibility include:
- Correspondence of the senses: The belief that different sensory experiences, such as sight, sound, touch, and smell, can be associated and correspond with one another. This notion influenced artistic techniques such as synaesthesia, where writers would use language to evoke a sensory experience beyond the literal meaning.
- Gesamtkunstwerk: A term coined by German composer Richard Wagner, which refers to the concept of a "total artwork" that seamlessly fuses various art forms, such as music, drama, poetry, and visual art, to create a unified and immersive artistic experience.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration: Artists, writers, and composers began collaborating across genres, blending different forms of expression to create new and experimental works.
The unified sensibility had a profound impact on artistic practices and influenced a wide range of artists, including poets like Charles Baudelaire and Stéphane Mallarmé, composers like Richard Wagner and Claude Debussy, painters like Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian, and dancers like Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis.
In contemporary times, the idea of the unified sensibility continues to resonate with artists and creators who seek to explore the boundaries of interdisciplinarity and transcend rigid genre constraints in their artistic expressions.