Module 2

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

Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts

This video is a brief overview of the theory of aesthetics over time. It talked about balance, harmony, and symmetry in the early stages and then works towards happiness, and the imaginary. I was more interested in the section about the 60's and how it was no longer necessary for art to be beautiful. Like Duchamp's urinal piece... We start to define just about anything as art. 

CARTA: Evolutionary Origins of Art and Aesthetics: Neurobiology, Neurology and Art and Aesthetics

The speakers talk about how science and art meet. It's about how our brains work in reaction to art. Basically, Aesthetics. The second speaker asks; Are there universals in art and how does the brain respond to art? This video also talks about why symmetry is appealing to us and a bit about Duchamp again. The section about peak shift was interesting. Peak Shift is basically when you emphasis a quality, so for example if you draw two rectangles and one is a little more squared than the other, your brain will be more drawn to the one that is more rectangular. He also talks about abstract art and how it taps into a primitive part of the brain that is connecting abstraction with real life. 

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.
Plato, Athens-
He did not actually compare aesthetics to art, but he starts to define aesthetics for the first time. He felt that we were obsessed with the idea of beauty. This notion I believe to be true still today. Although he compares aesthetics mostly to poetry, he begins to shape for us that art can be good or bad. 

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 Ramachandran very interesting. He describes a lot of our natural attractions to things as primitive. He describes aesthetics as being something very simple. For example, he talked a bit about a person with social emotional issues and how sometimes they are able to create art in a superior way because their brain may be less clouded and they are able to observe and create in a different way.  Changuex explains aesthetics as striking something emotional in our brains. He also links the attraction to art and the function of the prefrontal cortex. He feels that when we like something and we consciously focus on it we are using our prefrontal cortex.

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

Well they all are about how brain reacts to art. Both the article and the one video talk about the seagull chicks and their mothers beak. The article leads with a quote which I felt nicely summarized all of this information. "We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies." 

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?

The first video, Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts, I found very boring. I had a hard time staying focused on it. 

The second video, CARTA: Evolutionary Origins of Art and Aesthetics: Neurobiology, Neurology and Art and Aesthetics, was much better, or at least the second speaker was. He was actually funny and much less dry. 

I liked the article. It was a little bit easier for me to actually retain information from the article than the videos. I also felt like the quote they led with actually summarized the whole topic well. 

The videos and articles, simply reiterated and added to the reading in the text. All of the sources added different perspectives and opinions.