Aesthetics
Aesthetics: the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments.
Dennis Dutton and the 7 signatures of aesthetics.
- Expertise or virtuosity: Technical artistic skills are cultivated, recognized, and admired.
- Non-utilitarian pleasure: People enjoy art for art's sake, and don't demand that it keep them warm or put food on the table.
- Style: Artistic objects and performances satisfy rules of composition that place them in a recognizable style.
- Criticism: People make a point of judging, appreciating, and interpreting work of art.
- Imitation: With a few important exceptions like music and abstract painting, works of art simulate experiences of the world.
- Special focus: Art is set aside from ordinary life and made a dramatic focus of experience.
- Imagination: Artists and their audiences entertain hypothetical worlds in the theater of the imagination.
Survey: Look at the following Picasso paintings and answer the following questions the best you can.
- Which principle of Aesthetic do you think is represented best and why?
- Do you know who Picasso is?
- Do you like the paintings displayed? Why or why not?
- What is he trying to say with this style?
Listen to the following Stravinsky work and answer the following question the best you can.
- Which principle of Aesthetic do you think is represented best and why?
- Do you know who Stravinsky is?
- Do you like the music played? Why or why not?
- What is he trying to say with this style?