Culture and ValuesHow Aesthetics Expresses a World View

Introduction

Art is always a part of the culture from which it is made……………

Understanding culture helps us to understand the aesthetic creations of a period.

The power of images

Personal Style

Traditional standards of excellence

Political Context

Psychological Content

Emotional Impact

Formal Elements

If art is produced, taught and even sold under particularassumptions about quality and attractiveness, it follows that art must be at least as susceptible to external pressures as any other expression or “statement.”

Art is a study, therefore, of what it means to behuman

Vision is one of the fundamental waysIn which we gather information.

Culture creates a shared code

Pictorial devices used by artists are called conventions

Levels of Meaning

Aesthetic objects and events can be seen to have meaning in terms of the following 4 aspects:

•Appearance – The manner in which the work conveys meaning based on its physical properties

•Historical Context – The manner in which the events surrounding the work’s creation influenced its creation and interpretation

•Cultural Continuum – The manner in which a work exists among other works in a sequence of aesthetic and cultural evolution

•Universal Ideas – The manner in which the work conveys philosophical concepts that are universal to the human condition

Elements of Art

• Line

• Value

• Color

• Harmonies and Discords

………………………………

• Composition – Arrangement of Elements

Line is the path made by a moving point

Characteristics of line:Weight Speeddensityrhythm

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of A line or tone

ColorThe primary colors are: red, yellow, blueWhen two primaries are mixed theyForm secondary colors: Purple, green,

orangeDefining properties Of color:HueValueTint

Color Relationships

Harmonies and DiscordsThe most common color schemes are:

Monochromatic

Complementary

Analogous

Monochromatic color schemes use one dominant color

Complementary color schemes use Colors opposite each other on the Color Wheel

Analogous Color Schemes areColors next to each other on theColor Wheel

Composition refers to the arrangement of elements within the frame

The Changing Faceof Quality

• Culture is fundamental to how art is viewed

Manifestation refers to a visual code thatis understood by a certain culture in a particular time

• Familiar conventions: halo, angel wings, previous portrayals

of Mary• Religious Postures• Linear Perspective• Symbolic content• Italian Landscape

Art is always a part of the culture from which it is made……………

Understanding culture helps us to understand the aesthetic creations of a period.

Review

Because aesthetic expressions are based on aesthetic concepts and techniques, a formalunderstanding of these parameters and their development is essential to an appreciation of their value.