aesthetics unit 5

what is aesthetics

the study of beauty tries to explain how people perceive and assess the meaning and importance of art

plato-view on art

art should mimic reality and reflect truth and beauty feared realistic arts potential to distract from intellectual pursuits and influence emotions

Aristotle - view on art

art judged for its own sake, not by moral or political standards valued art as an independent creature expression

Descartes- view on art

beauty is subjective- in the eye of the beholder

shifted focus from the object to the observers mind

hume- view on art

taste has universal principles, but individual judgement is shaped by bias and experience leading to differing opinions about what constitutes good art

kant view on art

art judged by how its form engages information independent of content influences formalism which emphasized basic elements of art over meaning

George WF. Hegel - view on art

Art is a step in human though evolving into philosophy art's full meaning unfolds upon completion

Nietzsche- view on art

believed that art goes beyond just copying life for him it transforms life by providing people with a powerful, uplifting worldview

dewey- view on art

art only becomes meaningful when engaged with by an audience. otherwise, art is just a product vs a work of art

why aesthetics matters

influences daily life through decisions about personal appearance, preferences and reactions to experiences

values differ between cultures

descriptive definitions

explain art based on how it is perched and experiences by individuals

normative definitions

set standards or criteria for what art should be

objectivism

argues that arts beauty is inherent and is universally recognized

Sophisticated objectivism (Kant)

Suggests beauty raises when art stimulates our imagination according to universal principles

Subjectivism

Believe that arts value comes from individual emotional responses

Sophisticated subjectivism

Agreed that there are aesthetic standards, but not everyone can see see these, so universal agreement on arts beauty is not possible

Forgeries

Words of art that have been created to deliberately mislead perceivers

Rationalism

Plato-knowledge comes from reason we possess an inherent understanding of perfect forms and sensory experiences only trigger recollections of these forms

Abstract art

Empiricism

Aristotle- knowledge comes from sensory experience

Sense experiences become concepts by impressing themselves on the intellect and creating an idea

Realism

Mimesis

Suggests that art reflects or creates an illusion of reality

Objective aspects or art and consider a work successful if it reflects reality- realism

Formalism

Form refers to how a work is structured or organized (colour, shape, texture)

Expressionism

Use formal elements or subject matter to evoke strong feelings and share their inner emotions emotional qualities measured by viewers emotional response

Idealism

Reality is created in the mind

Ex:if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? The belief is that no one is present to hear the sound, the answer is no

Phenomenology

Belief that it is impossible to separate that act of observing from the thing being observed

Extentialism

Belief is that is impossible to really know anything in the world

Feminism

Works created by women are more prominent and in the world now

3 phases

1. Ignorance towards

2. Women’s art has certain characteristics

3. Analyzing art created by all

Modernism

Movements that exalts the ability of artwork to stand on their own as pure form

The more something stands out the more pure

Post modernism

Rejects Modernness and says it is restrictive embrace, mixed meanings and borrowing ideas

Visual arts

Visual interpretations of an artistic idea ideas

Experiences or feelings

Drawings paintings or videos

Architecture

Combined artist, artistic expression with scientific principles as architects must balance functionality with aesthetic appeal in the designs

Reflects societal values

Literary arts

Poetry, prose, Drama uses language to express ideas and emotions through techniques like sound

Theatrical arts

Collaborative art form involving actors, artist, architect, costumes, composers, dancers, musicians to work together creating drama to an audience

Dance

Expresses ideas, emotions and stories through stylized rhythmic movement

Fashion

The way people clothe and decorate their bodies influences heavily

Censorship

Is restrain imposed by public authority on the content of creative expression

Modern democracy, generally oppose censorship, but still impose limits (ex: in Canada child porn is illegal)

Prior restraint, where works are altered before release, is a severe form of censorship often used for public security

Plato what is beauty?

Theory of form suggested that the concept of pure beauty emits within everyone, guiding our standards

Asserted that beauty awakens in the soul, a desire to pursue goodness

Aristotle what is beauty?

Believed that since art forms, Like painting or music, are structured and intentional, similar to how nature operates, we could analyze and comprehend these art forms just like we can understand natural phenomena.

Argued that artwork should relate to the real world and create a sense of unity

Taste

Refers to a person’s ability to recognize aesthetic features of an object

David Hume what is beauty?

Argue that judgements about beauty are based on feelings, not facts

Eye of the beholder

Kant what is beauty

People have a natural app attitude for making aesthetic judgements

Should focus on an objects, formal qualities, not usefulness

Georg Hegel what is beauty

Nature cannot be aesthetically beautiful

Beauty comes from human thoughts and can only be made in human things

Postmodern beauty

Reaction against the old way of thinking

Question, absolute truth, and beauty, focussing on how society shapes us and celebrating differences

Contemporary beauty

The influence of people whose voices were not previously heard has changed the way many people view words of art

Linda Nochlin (feminism)

Questioned why there were no famous female artists in her 1971 book- Challenge male centric view

Marilyn French (Feminist aesthetics)

Highlighted the disempowerment of women in society

Explores issues of gender, race, power And sexuality- Needs to be more inclusive

Chinese aesthetics

Emphasize living in harmony with one’s community Art and being a good person or connected taoism- Harmony with nature and universe

Indian aesthetics

Art shows gods with humans like forms (Multiple heads)

Supposed to evoke a specific emotional flavour or mood called rasa

Nine different rasas

Pratibha- creative disposition

Islamic aesthetics

Meant to inspire the imagination, Not to be realistic Calligraphy, Geometry, Arabesque

Art is based on learning and skill

Why do people find beauty in nature?

Beauty arises when we turn every day experiences into meaningful ones

People connect with nature and rhythms of life

Argued natures beauty is found through engaging with her actively, using our sense and imagination rather than possibly observing it

“Popular art”

Creative expression and communication often associated with the general population