Re: Actor Psychology

Ricardo Ottoni (rjapias who-is-at ibm.net)
Wed, 18 Nov 1998 21:07:57 -0300

Dear Mrs. Savina,

First of all, thank you very much for reply me.

Well,

Elena A Savina wrote:
>=20
> Hi, Ricardo, I can refer you to the early Vygotskian work "Psychology o=
f
> Art". This book is devoted to study of nature of aesthetic feeling (
> better to say "peregivania" in Russian-it is difficult to translate thi=
s
> word from russian into english).As I remember, he analyzed the tale as =
the
> genre and Shakespeare's Hamlet.I am not sure that this book was transla=
ted
> in any foreign languages but I don't know definitely.

Yes, Psychology of Art - until I know - was translated to English and=20
spanish in erly seventies. I had read it in spanish (Barcelona: Barral,=20
1972)and a friend of mine send me a copy in russian.

May be my western
> colleagues know more then I do. I hope I answered your question. You kn=
ow,
> I was a little confused when you asked me about psychology of actor.
> Because I could not understand what the word "actor" means: is it relat=
ed
> to the artistic performance or to the person who actively acts?=20

To the artisitic performance, I think. That's was how I understand it=20
in Yaroshevsky's book and epilogue of "History of High mental functions'=20
development" ( in spanish by Habana: Cient=EDfico y t=E9cnica)

In russian
> we have two different words for these pusposes. I know the source of
> my misunderstanding.Vygotsky was critisized in Russia that his theory w=
as
> psychology without actor and he didn't include activity as a factor of
> child development (of course, he was critisized from the position
> of activity theory).But now Vygotsky's works are often considered as a
> begining of Activity theory. So, I thought, that you asked me about the=
se
> "modern" interpretation of Vygotsky.

I was asking about a paper or a book in witch Vygotsky's examines the=20
actor and actres' psychology. In Psychology of Art he usually refers to=20
Diderot's actor paradox (explaining actors cry with their mind). He=20
usualy uses the actor condiction (its duality)to explain the aesthetic
reaction, the catarsis and the fact that aesthetic feelings are animic.

Please, let me know your mail address
> to send you some of my writings.

yes, I'll be very pleased.

Ricardo Ottoni
Rua Guaianazes, 67/505
Santa Ifigenia - Sao Paulo
SP 01204000 BRAZIL
> Best wishes, Elena Savina.
> esavina who-is-at usd.edu