What is Art and Aesthetics?

     Throughout the centuries, art has progressed into many different forms. Before the 1500's, art was used for church purposes, and also to show power and class. In today's time, art can be anything, and any ordinary person can have a piece of work within their home. One of the main things that has been considered over the centuries is the idea of aesthetics and its purpose when it comes to processing art. In the video Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts, we can see many different perspectives on the subject of aesthetics from each century. From the start, you see that Plato did not believe that art was beautiful, which is one of the main points of aesthetics. Plato saw artists as low people, and they were committing treason by replicating an idea that was formed by the real. Later, we see someone such as Francis Hutcheson develop a systematic philosophical view on the idea of aesthetics. A sense of morale creates beauty and harmony. In order to see the beauty, there are external and internal factors that register an artwork as beautiful. Now in the twenty first century, Morris Weitz said that art can not have any principles or standards. No theory of art can be developed. Art is its own, and it is unique to itself. Many through the centuries thought art had to have a definition, and had to follow certain rules. In modern day, it is clear that art cannot be rule bound.
     Another video, Evolutionary Origins of Art, provides two modern day perspectives on aesthetics as well. In each of the speeches, the human brain is an important factor. The brain creates signals, and stores information that allows each human being to have an understanding of art. When a person sees a work of art, it is appealing. This is aesthetics at work within the brains processing. Changeux provided that there is an evolutionary process to aesthetics. Genetics play a role in defining art. Symbolic forms, nonverbal communication, and conscious and unconscious emotions have been developed over time. Artifacts can provide insight to this, because they are now considered art. Humans have always had a way of creating art, and it has developed greater over time. Ramachandran also provided a scientific idea to aesthetics. The brain uses different processes and pathways to signal different areas that create stimuli. Once stimulated, the brain is able to create a solution to visual problems. The human brain wants to solve the visual problem of art, because it is over exaggerated to create a response. Another interesting factor that Ramachandran provided was that art is across species. An example he gave was a male bird creating a nest that would appeal to a mate. If the picture of this birds work was presented and people were not told it was made by a bird, they would find it beautiful. Creating art is not just a human ability. Other species do it to be appealing as well. 
     Other important elements to art are included in the article "What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience". From the stored information of nature, our brains are able to see familiar things within pieces of art. Lines produce things that we already know, because it is like seeing the edges of a real object. It mimics, and the brain uses the same processing in order to understand it. Without the brains different ways of processing, art would not be emotionally engaging.  
     A philosopher's theory of aesthetics that I thought was important is Immanuel Kant's from the eighteenth century. Even though he thought of art systematically, his idea about beauty was very interesting. He stated that ugliness can be beautiful, but the disgusting could never be beautiful. This is interesting, because art appeals to us due to some beautiful factor, even if the thing itself is not beautiful, such as art depicting war. Since the disgusting can never be beautiful, it would seem that all works of art have a certain beauty about them. If they did not, then they would not be appealing to the human eye. He also provided that there are no rules to the beauty of things. To find something beautiful, it must be based on a feeling. Due to feeling, it would make sense that all things we consider art would be appealing and have beauty. 
     The video and article materials provided enhance the ideas stated within the text of "What is Art?". From the philosophers in the first video, you can see at what times their ideas of aesthetics came from whether it be from medieval to Renaissance, or modern day. During the medieval and Renaissance periods, art was mostly to provide imagery for the church, and provide status for those wealthy enough to have it. Plato, Aristotle, and Leon Baltista lived in times where art was not meant for everyone. A switch to more modern day aesthetics did not come until the eighteenth century when Joseph Addison developed his own theory of aesthetics. Institutional, procedural, and functionalist theory are also showcased within the other materials. At each time of the different philosophers, each one of them felt one of the three theories were the correct one to define art. The analysis of art is brought up in all of the materials as well. Not only do we analyze for aesthetics, but we also look at the historical and cultural contexts of each piece of work. Changeux mentioned evolution and artifacts. Artifacts have a historical context that must be looked at. Ramachandran mentioned culture, and how it provides different artistic styles. All of the ideas from each video and article present different factors from the reading. They provide detail on the different topics that have to do with understanding art. Without the scientific factors, we would not be able to understand how the brain reacts to seeing artwork. If the philosophers did not provide their theories on aesthetics, there is a possibility art would have never developed to be a free product. There would be a chance that only the churches and the wealthy would be the only ones who could present art, and museums would not exist. 
     Art is very complex. It cannot be defined, and it cannot be held under specific rules. 

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