Entry #2

1. For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

In the film Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts I learned that art can have many different interpretations and theories. In the end art cannot really be defined it is what you make it. Art to one person may not be art to another. Art is completely subjective, maybe it can be objective on another spectrum. This film showed the evolution of art and also the evolution of thought as we see different philosophers from different time periods have different views and thoughts on aesthetics.

In the film CARTA: Evolutionary Origins of Art and Aesthetics: Neurology and Art and Aesthetics I learned the effect that art can have on the brain when an individual is viewing different images as well as the eight universal laws of art. This was intriguing because I did not know there were laws for art.

In the CNN article What the brain draws from: Art and Neuroscience I learned why do humans enjoy art so much and how the visual system in our brains have something to do with emotional engagement to art.

2. Which philosopher's theroy on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosphers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

Immanuel Kant(1724-1804) Enlightenment era 18th century

I find Kant's theory on aesthetics the most important because he connects aesthetics to human moral freedom. Aesthetics are not restricted by natural or moral law and can be explored widely. Kant saying that the judgement of taste cannot be described with ease is agreeable. There is nothing to really describe beauty, it can be flexible. This notion is completely subjective and less objective (set in stone facts). This gives room for interpretation of the aesthetics of art. Kant made people realize that art isn't just black and white and that there is indeed a grey area that can be explored further.

3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture? 

I found the connection between the aesthetic experience and brain functioning to be quite intriguing in Changeux's discussion. He explains how art can be beautiful but through the brain. He talks about what parts of the brain lights up in excitement from viewing something. I like how he emphasizes that the brain is very complex and can even go as far as to detecting pictures within pictures, faces within blobs, etc.

Ramachandran is an interesting speaker, this is my second time watching him, my first time watching him he discusses visual processes and he also does the same here. He connected the brain's visual processes to viewing art. His talk about taking art and distorting it to come up with different ways of beauty was quite interesting. His eight laws of art was also intriguing.

Both speakers made great points and helped connecting science with aesthetics much easier.

4. How do the videos and article relate to the readings in the text?

Both the videos and article relate to the readings in the text in several ways, one being that the text and videos explore the different components that make up the history of art. The article also relates to the text by describing the view points of artists on their artwork and the videos describe the famous philosophers and speaker's viewpoints on art, science, and aesthetics. From reading and watching the videos,  I learned how aesthetics plays an important key role in art.

5. What is your opinion of the films and article? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics in your reading in the text?

My opinion of the films and article are that it really gave me a better understanding of how we think about art. I never really got the concept of aesthetics neither did I try to explore it so reading and watching things about it helped me understand better. Now when I view art I feel like I would begin to appreciate it more than before now that I know more facts about it. The videos and article really do help add an in depth understanding of the topics in the text, because all of them are related and kind of stems off one another. The film also focused on visual processes that we have as human beings and how our brains fill in gaps when given a signal. I learned this in my sensation and perception psychology course, so for this to also connect to something I already learned was great.