Themes and purposes
Purpose and scope of art (overview from the lecture)
Art exists across a spectrum from the mundane to the complex; it can be purely to make you feel good while creating it or serve deeper roles.
Aesthetic objects (e.g., decorative vases) can be considered art if they are intended to evoke beauty or contribute to life aesthetically.
The course aims to widen students’ perspectives and foster world citizenship by exploring diverse artistic viewpoints and what drives people to create.
Key recurring themes throughout the semester: variety of purposes (fantastical, contemporary, grotesque, etc.) and how they help interpret artworks.
Initial definition: art encompasses three overarching aspects: ability, process, and product.
Ability: the human capacity to make beauty and speak through art.
Process: the methods and forms of making art (drawing, sculpture, architecture, photography, etc.).
Product: the finished artwork.
Think about how artists use their ability to speak through the process; or how we can study art to understand why artists project messages via their chosen media.
A simple guiding prompt: art can be understood by looking at the interplay between ability, process, and product, and how each artwork communicates a message.
Beauty and aesthetics: definitions and subjectivity
Aesthetics: the study of the mind and emotions in relation to beauty; includes taste, style, and related reactions.
Historically, aesthetics addressed the nature of beauty and why people find something beautiful; emphasizes subjectivity of initial reactions.
Competing explanations for beauty and attraction include:
Spiritual or emotional responses to beauty.
Evolutionary explanations: beauty signals traits linked to survival (e.g., waterfalls as water sources).
Netflix recommendation: Explained—Beauty episode that surveys aesthetics.
Culturally specific tastes matter: culture shapes what is considered beautiful or valuable.
Culture, Western vs. non-Western aesthetics
Culture exists on many levels, from global humanity to specific communities (e.g., BRCC students, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the American South).
Western vs. non-Western distinction reveals clear differences in aesthetics, language, and religious traditions; the division is critiqued for being Eurocentric and simplistic.
Western art: often emphasizes the individual artist and the idea of imitating nature (mimesis); rooted in ancient Greek foundations.
Non-Western art: often blurs lines between “fine art” and “craft/artisan work”; function and community context are central; less emphasis on the individual artist as a rock-star figure.
Examples and contrasts:
Western: high value placed on the individual artist (e.g., Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa); artworks are often treated as precious, protected objects in museums.
Non-Western: functional and communal contexts (e.g., Great Wall as architecture and symbol, not just a painting); Kenyan wedding headdress as ceremonial attire with communal creation.
Islamic art: iconoclasm in some contexts discourages representational living beings; emphasis on geometry and calligraphy (e.g., basmala in calligraphy translating to the name of God: “the most gracious, the most merciful”).
Aesthetic differences become a lens to view global diversity in art production and interpretation.
Resource note: aesthetics page and a Quizlet link on Western vs. non-Western art differences are provided for further study.
Western beauty: core ideas and visual culture
Western tradition often ties beauty to imitation of nature and the replication of observed reality.
The idealized human form (e.g., classical sculpture) persists across millennia and cultural contexts in the West, influencing contemporary beauty standards (e.g., modern magazine imagery).
The importance of the individual artist is a hallmark of Western tradition: the artist as genius or notable figure (e.g., Da Vinci).
The concept of “immortality” through art: patronage and commissions aimed at preserving a name or memory across time (e.g., grand works meant to endure).
Example: Mona Lisa (Da Vinci) as a canonical embodiment of Western painting and the idea of the artist as a celebrated figure.
Note on audience interaction with masterpieces: museums often isolate and protect iconic works as precious objects (security, roped-off spaces).
Immortality and glorification in art
Artworks can preserve subjects for long periods (decades to millennia) and can be used for personal glorification and memory.
Trajan’s Column (Roman example): monumental sculpture that commemorates a military leader and his campaigns; represents early emphasis on glorifying rulers through art. The slide notes the column’s depiction as a kind of comic-strip sequence in relief that endures over time.
Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party (installation, late 20th century): feminist exploration of female achievement; a large installation with handmade ceramic plates and embroidered placemats representing historically significant women.
Highlights the tension between “fine art” and “craft” in Western art history, where craft (often associated with female labor) has been undervalued as “not fine art.”
Plates visually emphasize women’s contributions; the work foregrounds gender, labor, and art-world legitimacy.
Virginia Woolf is referenced in connection with feminist discourse on art and craft (as a counterpoint to male-dominated histories).
Framing of Judy Chicago’s pieces as a feminist reassertion of female agency and a challenge to traditional hierarchies in art.
Self-expression in art
Self-expression is a central, intuitive purpose of art; students frequently identify it as a primary motivation for creating art.
Art functions as a vehicle for personal emotion, politics, and experience, often communicating in ways that invite empathy.
Frida Kahlo as a key example of self-expression:
Kahlo’s life included a severe bus accident in youth leading to long-term physical and emotional pain; she transformed that experience into powerful, intimate artwork.
The artist’s surreal and symbolic imagery often merges personal pain with cultural motifs (e.g., Mexican iconography, surreal landscapes).
Diego Rivera, her husband, is referenced to illustrate the personal and public dynamics around Kahlo and her art.
Kahlo’s self-portraits and symbolic elements (e.g., third-eye symbolism) are discussed as expressions of her inner life and relationships.
The narrative around Kahlo is complemented by a cultural lens (Coco, the film) to highlight her place in popular culture and artistic history.
Educational takeaway: understanding an artist’s life and context deepens interpretation of the artwork and its emotional content.
Note on audience affect: self-expression can be a catalyst for empathy, allowing viewers to experience another person’s emotional state through art.
Ideology in art
Ideology: an organized collection of ideas that originates from shared beliefs; art can reinforce or challenge ideology.
Artworks can encode religious, political, or cultural ideologies and invite critical reflection.
Historical versus contemporary depictions of the same story can carry different ideological charges:
Adam and Eve: two frescoes (14th century and 19th century) show different depictions and gestures, reflecting evolving religious or moral interpretations.
Judith: two depictions by Caravaggio (male artist) and Artemisia Gentileschi (female artist) show divergent viewpoints on the same biblical heroine; Gentileschi’s version emphasizes agency, strength, and vengeance, whereas Caravaggio’s emphasizes drama and emotion.
Artemisia Gentileschi as a pivotal female painter who offered a distinct, gendered perspective in a male-dominated field.
The example of Judith ties into broader discussions of women’s artistic agency and the re-reading of traditional narratives through a feminist lens.
Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1990s): minimalist design that manipulates space to evoke collective memory; the memorial’s form (a black granite wall that tapers from human-scale to towering) suggests a wound and scar on national history.
The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin (2000s): concrete blocks arranged to create a solemn, contemplative landscape; its stark minimalism invites reflection on loss and memory.
The documentary and case videos (e.g., “Yellow Cost” critique of selfie culture) illustrate how ideological messaging can be embedded in contemporary media and how viewers might engage with such messages.
Art as social protest and raising consciousness
Art has a long history of social protest and raising awareness about issues, expanding beyond traditional aesthetics.
The question raised: Is edited or altered imagery (e.g., Photoshop-based pieces) still art? The emphasis is on its aim to raise social consciousness rather than traditional craft techniques.
Yellow Cost video (selfie culture critique) prompts viewers to reflect on the ethics of memorial spaces and selfies, positioning art as a vehicle to critique social media practices.
The discussion emphasizes art’s power to bypass confirmation bias and affect viewers’ perspectives through empathy-triggering imagery.
Notable contemporary examples and figures:
Shepard Fairey: posters for the Women’s March (2016) that provided downloadable imagery to mobilize participation and spread messaging.
Ai Weiwei: a Chinese artist and dissident known for political works and resistance against government censorship.
Francisco Goya: his anti-Nazi/anti-war works (e.g., during the Spanish Civil War-era context) used expressive, emotionally charged imagery to critique violence and injustice.
Picasso’s Guernica: a landmark anti-war painting that is widely studied as a case of political art responding to atrocity and war.
The broader point: artists use imagery to provoke thought, convey critique, and mobilize social and political action.
Self-reflection on dating artwork: content over gut reaction
The lecturer emphasizes learning to read artworks beyond first impressions by considering content, context, and historical background.
Dating artwork refers to understanding the artwork through content, historical events, and the artist’s intent rather than relying solely on appearance.
The aim is for students to become capable of analyzing artworks independently, preparing them for gallery visits and informed study.
Practical note: the lecturer demonstrates how technical issues (e.g., dual screens) can affect a presentation but emphasizes staying focused on content.
Terracotta Army: mass production and afterlife belief (video discussion referenced)
The Terracotta Warriors (from the Han period discussion in the lecture) illustrate a mass-produced, life-sized army intended to accompany an emperor in the afterlife.
The excavation story (discovered by a farmer in 1972) reveals rapid mass production, scale, and purpose behind the army.
The material is terracotta (a type of ceramic); the lecture notes the connection to mass production and the ceremonial/ritual function in the afterlife.
Students are encouraged to watch a video about the Terracotta Warriors to learn detailed facts about production, organization, and symbolism.
The Great Wall of China, Kenyan wedding headdress, and Islamic art as case studies
Great Wall of China: an example of a monumental architectural work that also functions as national symbol and artwork.
Kenyan wedding headdress: a ceremonial item that embodies communal creation and ritual function; not a standalone sculpture or painting, but a work of art with social purpose.
Islamic art characteristics: emphasis on geometric patterns and calligraphy; iconography of living beings is limited in some traditions to avoid replicating creation; decorative art often carries symbolic religious meaning (e.g., basmala in calligraphy).
These cases illustrate how non-Western art often intertwines function, community, religion, and aesthetics.
Terracotta Warriors and related learning activities
The Terracotta Warriors exemplify how art can be a mass-produced, functional ritual object that transcends the personal fame of individual artists.
The video link available in the module provides deeper facts and context about the creation, organization, and significance of the Terracotta Army.
Summary: why we study art and what we gain
Art serves multiple purposes: to beautify, to communicate, to immortalize, to express self and ideology, to protest, and to raise social consciousness.
Understanding aesthetics requires recognizing subjectivity and cultural context; Western and non-Western traditions offer complementary ways of thinking about beauty and art’s role in society.
The relationship between art and society: artworks reflect and shape beliefs, norms, and power structures; they can reinforce or challenge ideologies.
Emphasis on deep engagement with artworks: learn to read the content, context, and creator intent; avoid relying solely on initial gut reactions.
The course connects aesthetic theory with real-world issues, including gender, politics, memory, and culture, aiming to cultivate more informed, empathetic, and globally aware citizens.
Quick references and suggested activities
Watch suggested videos: the terracotta warriors video; Yellow Cost critique on selfie culture; Picasso’s Guernica discussion video.
Revisit Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party to explore feminist critique of “craft” vs. “fine art”
Compare Adam and Eve depictions (14th century fresco vs. 19th/early 20th-century painting) to observe ideological shifts in representation
Explore Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith as a feminist reinterpretation of a biblical story
Review Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Berlin Holocaust Memorial to understand how form conveys memory and trauma
Consider Frida Kahlo’s life and works as an archetype of art as personal self-expression and political commentary
Notes on terminology and key figures to remember
Aesthetics: study of beauty, taste, and related emotional responses; subjectivity central to interpretation.
Western tradition: emphasis on imitation of nature, individual genius, and precious/art-as-object; strong distinction between fine art and craft.
Non-Western traditions: emphasis on function, communal creation, and symbolic meaning; less rigid separation between art and craft; iconography and calligraphy in Islamic art.
Judy Chicago: Dinner Party (installation, 1970s) foregrounds women’s contributions and critiques gender hierarchies in art history.
Frida Kahlo: prolific self-portrait artist whose life experiences (accident, pain, relationship with Diego Rivera) inform her expressive, symbolic work.
Artemisia Gentileschi: notable female painter challenging gender norms in the interpretation of Judith.
Maya Lin: Vietnam Veterans Memorial—minimalist design focusing on reflection, memory, and national history.
Picasso: Guernica—an anti-war statement through a monumental, emotionally charged composition.
Goya: anti-war and social critique through expressive imagery during wartime.
Terracotta Army: mass-produced funerary sculpture embodying belief in the afterlife and imperial power.