If the claims of evolutionary science are justified (……), creating art may be related to instinctive drive rather than acts of fancy of human nature (Miller, 2000). Hence it is not surprising that we have endeavored at exploring art both through creation and contemplation from time immemorial. One integral part of art has always been considered to be aesthetics; the perception of visual field in relation to notions such as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, and even the comical (Read, 1931). There has been a general trend of exploring the subjective- philosophical, spiritual and socio-economic contexts influencing the perception and creation of art and aesthetics among varied cultural and individualistic paradigms. Alternatively, there is …show more content…
It encompasses objective Aesthetics research from Cognitive, Perceptual, Social, Physiological, Clinical-Psychology and Neuro-Scientific perspectives. Although Gustav Theodor Fechner’s Vorschule der Ästhetik (1876) was the first attempt at it; Empirical Aesthetics blossomed as a independent scientific sub-discipline only in the 20th century ( Berlyne,1974; Dutton, 2010; Martindale,1990; Polzella, Hammar, & Hinkle, 2005). At present Empirical Aesthetics remains a niche field within psychology, with very few treading in it (Augustin & Wagemans, …show more content…
Utilizing modern technology such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imager (FMRI) (Kawabata & Zeki, 2004; Kirk, 2008), Neuroaesthetics focused specifically on the neural basis of creation and contemplation of Art and Aesthetics (Nalbantian, 2008). Zeki suggested that an artist in a way is a neuroscientist- exploring the potentials and capacities of the brain though different tools (Kirk, Skov, Hulme, Christensen & Zeki, 2009). Generally the Pre-Frontal Cortex has been considered as the executive and planner in the creative process (Damasio, 2001; Sawyer, 2011). Further investigation finds that only one cortical area located in the Medial Orbito-Frontal Cortex is active during the experience of musical and visual beauty (Ishizu & Zeki, 2011). It had been further noted that there is increased activation of Bilateral Occipital Gyri, Left Cingulate Sulcus, and Bilateral Fusiform Gyri with increase in preference in relation to choice of painting (Vartanian & Goel, 2004), also individuals viewing highly preferred scenes in comparison to lesser ones have greater blood oxygen level responses in the Right Parahippocampal Cortex but not in the Lateral Occipital Complex ( Yue,Vessel & Biederman, 2007). Di Dio, Macaluso and Rizzolatti (2007) in an experiment with art critics found that the sense of beauty might be related to the joint
Art has always been considered the effervescent universal tool of communication. Art does not require a concrete directive . One sculpture,drawing or written creative piece, can evoke a myriad of emotions and meaning . Artistic pieces can sometimes be considered the regurgitation of the artist's internal sanctum. In Richard Hooks graphic painting,Adoption of the Human Race, the effect of the imagery,symbols ,color and emotional content projects a profound unification of a spiritual edict.
Ma begins his paper by referring to the argument made by University of Southern California professor, and well established neuroscientist, Antonio Damasio. This argument states “that feeling and emotions expressed in art and music play a central role in high-level cognitive reasoning,” (Ma 258). Ma elaborates on this by mentioning how new advances in neurobiology have made it more clear that the human brain uses dual neural pathways for thinking processes, one for critical thinking and one for empathetic thinking (Ma 258). By doing this, Ma is able to show his audience that his ideas are supported by highly respected intellectuals in the complex field of neuroscience. Ma continues to add logic to his argument through his discussion of equilibrium. Ma piggybacks on the widely-accepted idea that equilibrium is the key factor for the survival of all forms of life. He states that, “Evolution is the balance between stability and the changes necessary to cope with new challenges in the environment,” (Ma 259). Ma implies that this “balance” is necessary in all aspects of life, including cognitive reasoning. This argument is very perspicacious in the appeal that it incorporates such widely-accepted
Unlike science, art is subjective. The artist leaves behind a part of himself in his work. Therefore, each piece has its own distinct perspective. Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits show her view on her life, on how she has faced so many struggles, yet managed to be a strong person. When we see or hear or read an artistic creation, it produces a mood such as calm or loud, fear or safety. For example, the Eiffel Tower gives Paris a majestic awe; everyone who passes by feels the strength of the 113-year-old grand structure. Art also has a texture. Photographs reveal much through their textures; grainy surfaces often make the picture more realistic while smooth ones seem softer. When we hear a piece of music or see a film, a rhythm carries us from one part to another. Not just true for these two genres, rhythm is present in any artistic work. These few properties are characteristic of everything we encounter in the world of art, the world of human expression. Most have other special features also. Most of the time, though, we do not think about these characteristics because we do not have enough time to pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds.
Whether it be writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, or photographers, artists all over the world have striven to show people their views of the world, of people, and even of the universe itself. Throughout history the creative urge of man to present to fellow men a different perspective or representation of life-or even the afterlife-has surfaced time and time again in the form of artwork. Sometimes it comes through genius and complexity, full of meaning and symbolism. Others, it is simple and void of any clear meaning at all other than that it is art. Soon, however, there became a point when the work of art was no longer something one could just look at and understand; the principle of the matter had changed. Art leapt from viewable understanding straight into the Modern movement where theory became art, and to understand it, one must know the theory it is based upon. Never was this more apparent than in the artwork of the abstract expressionist. Essentially, artwork is not art because of theory, and art based on theory cannot be creative or truly said to be art.
The other main method in cognitive neuroscience is functional brain imaging. We have already learned in Chapters 10 and 11 that areas in right frontal and auditory cortex are activated during melodic tasks, and that activity in rostromedial prefrontal cortex is cor- related with tonality. Are these areas also involved in musical imagery? What about the regions involved in visual imagery, like SMA?
The attempt to set up a standard for assessing the merit of works of art, based upon contingent connections between these works and the sentiments (feelings of pleasure or displeasure) of spectators, was famously made by David Hume. His attempt remains the locus classicus for those philosophers who attempt to found the aesthetic judgment upon empirical, rather than a priori, grounds. I have myself given it a limited defense (1). Recently, Hume's argument has been severely attacked by Malcolm Budd (2). His central contention is that Hume completely fails to introduce any normative element into the aesthetic judgment; he fails, that is, to give any content to the claim that some judgments on the value of a work are more warranted or appropriate than others...
Philosophies of Art and Beauty Edited by Hofstadter and Kuhns, (Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1976) chapters one and two for an overview of the aesthetics of Plato and Aristotle.
Our brain naturally is drawn to certain things that are clean, smooth, symmetrical, things it sees as beautiful. This is one way many have tried to define beauty. Mary Carole McCauley, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, in her article "Beauty and the Brain" (2010) asserts that the human brain is "hard wired" to view certain objects as beautiful based on shape, color, and arrangement. McCauley talks to the John Hopkins University and The Walters Art Museum to discuss their research on the brain's responses to beauty. These organizations are setting up an experiment in order to see how the brain defines things as beautiful. "Gallery guests pick up a clipboard and put on a pair of 3-D glasses. They examine a series of 25 small drawings based on abstract sculptures by renow...
AA theory by Clive Bell suggests the pinpoints the exact characteristic which makes a work true art. According to Bell, an artwork must produce “aesthetic emotion” (365). This aesthetic emotion is drawn from the form and formality of an artwork rather than whether or not it is aesthetically pleasing or how well it imitates what it is trying to depict. The relation of objects to each other, the colors used, and the qualities of the lines are seemingly more important than what emotion or idea the artwork is trying to provoke. Regardless of whether or not the artwork is a true imitation of certain emotions, ideals, or images, it cannot be true art unless it conjures this aesthetic emotion related to formality (367).
Aziz-Zadeh, L., Liew, S.-L., & Dandekar, F. (2013). Exploring the neural correlates of visual creativity. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 8(4), 475–480. doi:10.1093/scan/nss021
For over two thousand years, various philosophers have questioned the influence of art in our society. They have used abstract reasoning, human emotions, and logic to go beyond this world in the search for answers about arts' existence. For philosophers, art was not viewed for its own beauty, but rather for the question of how art and artists can help make our society more stable for the next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and aesthetic experience, Plato has made his works more controversial than Aristotle.
Aesthetics found that through their great interest in beauty, pleasure that is derived form objects of art is more beautiful than other pleasures.
Paintings, like many forms of art, are very subjective—what one may find intriguing another may completely disagree. “Art is physical material that affects a physical eye and conscious brain” (Solso, 13). To glance at art, we must go through a process of interpretation in order to understand what it is we are looking at. Solso describes the neurological, perceptual, and cognitive sequence that occurs when we view art, and the often inexpressible effect that a work of art has on us. He shows that there are two aspects to viewing art: nativistic perception—the synchronicity of eye and brain that transforms electromagnetic energy into neuro-chemical codes—which is "hard-wired" into the sensory-cognitive system; and directed perception, which incorporates personal history—the entire set of our expectations and past experiences—and knowledge (Solso, preface)
“Art is a recurring form of human practice. Some have argued that all human societies have shown evidence of artistic activities.” (Carroll 5)
The mind creates the emotions and ideals responsible for art. The brain is capable of imagining glorious things, and art is the physical manifestation of these ideals. These ideals are usually intense emotions with aesthetic power (Wilson, 220). Art organizes these emotions in a matter that can easily express the ideals to...