Sunday, June 2, 2013

Module 2 Blog Post (Week 1)

Assignment:
This week for the class we watched two videos. One was Aesthetics:Philosophy of the Arts which can be watched at http://digital.films.com/play/M27YLB. The other was CARTA: Neurobiology, Neurology, and Art and Aesthetics which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0TKYxAYGGA. We also read  What the brain draws from: Art and Neuroscience a CNN article available to be read at http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/15/health/art-brain-mind/index.html?hpt=hp_c3. Also, the first three chapters of our textbook Living with Art  by Mark Getlein.

1.For each video and article list and discuss the key concepts you learned.
Aesthetics:Philosophy of the Arts:
-Art is all copies of things in your mind. They are imperfect copies of a perfect idea. This shows that no true idea can be fully created in the way it was meant to be in the originators mind. 
-There are 3 unities of art. These are action, time and location. This goes to show that are can really only occur in one location, from one action within a 24 hour time period, limiting art in ways.
-All judgements of beauty are subjective. IN other words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this is based upon feelings or your past. 
-Apollonian and Dionysian co-mingle in art.Clear images are mixed with delirium.An example pf this would be a work of art from Salvador Dali. 
-Dadaism , Surrealism, and Cubism show that there are no necessary conditions to make something a work of art. 
CARTA: Neurobiology, Neurology, and Art and Aesthetics
-The progression of art starts with the discovery of tools. Then leads to symmetry, symbolism, and then artistic composition. Showing how we used tools and other functional items as an introduction to the art we have today.
-Consensus partium is the universal search for harmony.We all need harmony in our lives, and art tries to find this.
-The 8 laws of art. Grouping, peak shift principal, contrast, a single cue, perceptual 'problem solving', symmetry, suspicious coincidences, an art as a metaphor. These were explained as to how we have developed these laws from early cave days. 
-The goals of art is to distort and produce pleasing affects on the brain. This is shown with the somatic system which develops form, 3-D, position and motion. The Secondary visual ares is next in the process and deals with the visual detail and colors.

2.Which philosopher's theory on aesthetics do you feel is most important? 
I feel that Friedrich Nietzsche's theory on aesthetics the most important. He believes that the will to live is the will to power and that art is a yes to life. He is from the 19th Century and said that "Only art can replace old mythologies". His contribution to the aesthetic theory is that Apollonian and Dionysian are co-mingled in art. Meaning clear images and blurred dreams are mixed with your impulse to lose all limits and submit to delirium.

3.What do you think about Changeux's and Ramachandran's scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture.
Changeux's scientific view  of aesthetics is that art is for communication and has developed over the last 1.5 million years. Artifacts are works of art, including arrows which represent the introduction to symmetry. The most interesting fact was that art makes us aware of oneself and another. It is not just for enjoyment but puts you in someone else's position at times.

4. How did the videos and articles relate to the readings in the text?
The CNN article and CARTA: Neurobiology, Neurology, and Art and Aesthetics both discuss how aesthetics are feelings aroused by sensory experiences. The urge to make art is also common between the readings. In Aesthetics:Philosophy of the Arts, Hegel (19th C) is quoted saying that "The work of art is a sensible object not only for the sensible intuition, but also for the spirit...". This shows how art is made for everything and not just for purpose. 

5.What is your opinion of the films and articles? How do they add depth to the understanding of the topics in your reading in the text?
The CNN article and  CARTA: Neurobiology, Neurology, and Art and Aesthetics both linked together well and expanded on how the laws of art apply to life. I enjoyed Ramachandran's lecture. He made the laws interesting and humored me at times, which always makes a lecture better. The Aesthetics:Philosophy of the Arts video added more depth to the development of aesthetics and helped me understand this further. The CNN article definitely added depth to the reading with the video explanation.




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