Visual Aesthetics

Question 0

Aesthetics in art

2: the perceiver

Answer 0

Has a bias for beauty, ‘in the eye of the beholder’. There is a preference for natural things (landscapes- there is preference in every culture).
Time dependent - caravaggio’s art is now seen as beautiful, but at the time was scorned by the church

Question 1

Aesthetics in art (ideas of the art historian Gombrich)

1: the artist

Answer 1

Concerned with ‘getting it right’. Strange sensation of balance. Art is a process, and there aren’t rules but conventions, which change depending on the era.

Question 2

Aesthetics in art

3: the work of art

Answer 2

Art is made ‘by humans for humans’ , for a definite occasion and purpose in the artists mind
According to Gombrich, we should consider the artist rather than the art. Should discard prejudices to appreciate artwork

Question 3

Aesthetics in mind (ideas of experimental aesthetics, Fechner)
1: the artist

Answer 3

Neglected

Question 4

Aesthetics and mind

2: the perceiver

Answer 4

An observer, experimental subject. Used to discover how humans make fine perceptual judgements

Question 5

Aesthetics and mind

3: the work of art

Answer 5

A stimulus. Use empirical methods to measure aesthetic judgements,
e.g. Psychophysics, investigating how physical stimuli affects sensation and perception.
Fechner (1876) and lalo (1908), golden ratio rectangle in da Vinci paintings was preferred
Preferences should be consistent and universal for averaged faces as they are deeply rooted in human cognition.
Cunningham (95) found good agreement across sex and culture. Seems facial beauty is a universal. Also found with art preference and original preference

Question 6

Aesthetics and brain (ideas from neuro aesthetics)

1: the artist

Answer 6

As a neuroscientist
The visual system extracts perceptual constancies and essential information, as does the artist.
Discards useless information… The platonic ideal
There is an ideal form, an ideal representation in our heads when we think of an object

Question 7

Aesthetics and brain

2: the perceiver

Answer 7

Is ‘moved’ when art pleased the mechanisms of the visual system. E.g. Mondrian, colours and lines, should please V4 and V1, and the Calder room (motion) should please V5
Art can be open to interpretation, stored memories influence the viewers perception of an image - identity with the situation they’ve been in

Question 8

Aesthetics and brain

3: the work of art

Answer 8

Should represent the constant, lasting, essential features of objects/surfaces/faces/situations, allowing us to acquire knowledge
Mirror neurons= bodily empathy response, we are ‘moved’ when art resonates with the mechanisms of our mirror neurons

Question 9

Aesthetics and evolution (lessons from nature)

1: the artist

Answer 9

Advertises genetic fitness. More creative individuals are more reproductively successful

Question 10

Aesthetics and evolution

2: the perceiver

Answer 10

Choses the more artistic individual

Question 11

Aesthetics and evolution

3: the work of art

Answer 11

Quality indicates fitness. Nature has many examples of ‘natural aesthetics’ e.g. Peacock feathers , bowerbirds bower… Are like a work of art
Human art is but one of a whole range of courtship displays. Animals do this too, e.g. Flamingos makeup, make their feathers pinker to attract mates. Bowerbird, bower reflects female colour preferences