Module 2 response

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

Article- The human brain is wired in such a way that we can make sense of lines, colors and patterns on a flat canvas. Artists throughout human history have figured out ways to create illusions such as depth and brightness that aren't actually there but make works of art seem somehow more real.

- The human visual system is organized such that the center of gaze is specialized for small, detailed things, and the peripheral vision has a lower resolution -- it's better at big, blurry things.

Video 1- I learned how each era has come up with theories one may contradict the other or one may bounce of another philosphers ideas to shape the theories we use today to create works of art.

Video 2-symmetry vs “aesthetics”

- Every act of judgment by the observer involves making a choice making a decision using ambiguace input and therefore we have evolved dozens of areas in the human brain exclusively primarily involved with visual processing

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.

-At the height of the Enlightenment Immanuel Kant a Prussian philosopher argued that fundamental concepts structure human experience, and that reason is the source of morality. Kant argued that our experiences are structured by necessary features of our minds. In his view, the mind shapes and structures experience so that, on an abstract level, all human experience shares certain essential structural features. From 14-20mins it talks about how he created a systematic theory of art and taste. Studied human action and concluded that as long as the realms of nature and freedom are separated, the individual is torn apart, a citizen of two kingdoms. Aesthetics is constrained. Sensibility and reason are brought together by means of imagination.  Introduced that the judgment of the beautiful is not ruled bound rather it is based on a feeling. The feeling can be shared among other people but there is no exact science of the beautiful. He said that what causes satisfaction in the judgment of the beautiful is pure form experienced in selfless contemplation. I find that Kont understands the true balance of art through these descriptions

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 find it interesting how they began by speaking about the development of the brain that it takes 15 years to come to around full growth and then how the brain can then processes images

-Changeux: (could not understand half of what he was saying) But I thought him speaking about the conscious and non conscious reading was interesting as well as him talking about the rules = acquired patterns of connections (scaffoldings) stored in long term memory. Rules are  1) Novelty= constant search for the unanticipated 2) Consensus Partium = the universal search for harmony 3) the exemplum= the artist attempt to share his <<conception of the world>> 5) schematization= bottom up realism vs top down abstraction? 6) evolutionary origins of art and aesthetics = sexual selection, group selection, intersubjective communication and social bonding, by-product of brain evolution

-Ramachandran: point of art is not create a realistic picture of a woman. The reason art works is so many areas doing different specialized processing different aspects of an image that are talking to each other that what the artist is doing is creating images and distorting images its creating hyperstimuli. He has 8 laws to aesthetics 1) grouping “binding” 2) peak shift principal 3)contrast 4)isolating a single cue to optimally excite cortical visual areas (“attention”) 5) perceptual “problem solving” 6) symmetry 7)abhorrence of unique vantage points and suspicious coincidences 8) art as a metaphor 

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

Article- relates to the texts by having similar interesting in study. Why does one create art? What is it about art that’s intriguing to some?

Videos- Such as in the text, it provides examples of different artists works at different periods of time and different cultures with reasoning behind each pieces of art. These artists and philosophers opinions and are too historical marks on the artwork and understanding of art that we have today. The second video connected with the article in the scientific study of art and the how it works in the brain.

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?

Article- I like the article and the book much more then the videos. I like how in depth the article went for example spoke particularly about lines “It turns out that these outlines tap into the same neural processes as the edges of objects that we observe in the real world.” It provides information that wasn’t in the book that is very interesting that I would have not known about. Talking about relevant emoticons. It gives more information that I can understand about how he brain works in certain situations.

For example “Livingstone calls the "what" and "where" streams. The "what" allows us to see in color and recognize faces and objects. The "where" is a faster and less detail-oriented but helps us navigate our environment but is insensitive to color. When our brains recognize a color contrast but no light contrast, that's called "equal luminance," and it creates a sort of shimmering quality, Livingstone said. And that's what's going on in a Monet painting.”

Videos-I did not know as much about all the philosophies that went into the understanding of art and the debates and contrasting ideas that helped shaped the way we look at art today. Also, it provided information on the way the brain works and how images are processed and how does one develop art through these processes