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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 304"
COURSE NAME: "Philosophy of Art and Beauty"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2019
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 11:30-12:45PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: One previous philosophy course or Junior Standing Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
On this course we will examine philosophers’ fascinating attempts to understand art and explore the multiple roles that it can play in our lives. We will consider such issues as what ‘art’, ‘beauty’, ‘creativity’, ‘expression’, and ‘imagination’ can mean, whether our judgments about them can ever be objective, how art relates to our feelings and to our understanding of the external world, how it reflects society, religion, and politics, and the radical differences between contemporary, modern, and classical kinds of art.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

 

Lectures and seminars will serve the purpose to analyze chosen topics (focused on visual art, with a look at theatre, poetry, music and dance). Power Point projections of classical and contemporary artworks are shown and discussed. A few guest lectures and films may be included in the program.

 

EXCERPTS FROM TEXTS TO BE EXAMINED IN DEPTH (in any good editions or online, or in books on reserve in the library):

 

 

G. Alberti, On Painting

W.Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age if its Mechanical Reproduction 

G. Careri, Flights of Love

V. Chlebnikov, The Radio of the Future

M. Duchamp, The Creative Act

L. Henderson, Duchamp in Context

D. Hockney, Secret Knowledge

I. Kant, Critique of Judgement

R. Lapucci, Caravaggio and Optics

Lister et al. New Media. A Critical introduction

N. Luhmann, Art as a Social System

M.McLuhan, Understanding Media

B. Newman, The Sublime is Now

Plato, Republic X, Ion, Timaeus

P. Virilio, The Accident of Art

 

 

REFERENCE TEXTS:

The Routledge Companion of Aesthetics (online)

L. Shiner, The Invention of Art

 

EXCERPTS FROM VIDEOS:

 

A. Sokurov, Russian Ark/C.Marker, La Jétée/L. von Trier, 5 Obstructions

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dalì, Un chien andalou

Salvador Dalì and Walt Disney, Destino

Germaine Dulac and Antonin Artaud, La coquille et le clergyman

Glitch music (Autechre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acuwRHIWL_o)

tUnE-yArDs

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_5vG0-bvP0&index=16&list=PLZOSzAYzK66-dqykA2ucT5oN-OUQSix0u)

Theo Jansen, Animaris

Jordan Wolfson, Female Figure

Joseph Nachavatal, Computer virus project

William Kentridge, Automatic Writing

Stelarc, The Body is Obsolete

Schneider/Beckett/Buster Keaton, Film

Roberta Lapucci on Caravaggio

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjXYfpnp_IA)

Reggie Watts

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXyHf_SpUUI&t=7s)

 



 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will be able to understand modern art, especially in its latest technological expressions. Theories of art pass from analysing the aesthetic way to convey meaning to analysing the way in which artworks resist meaning. The study of the role the artwork's pure exhibition value, and the consequent non predictability of the outcomes in terms of success, development and reception of the artworks themselves, will constitute the core argument of the lectures. The issues at stake will make students aware of the necessity to be critical and analytic in their evaluations of both philosophical arguments and art productions.

 
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
mid term 25%
Final exam 40%
papers, attendance, participation in class 35%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for t
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Students should plan to regularly attend the class, since we will often broaden the topics contained in the texts to contemporary issues, and since this class is mainly intended to the rousing of students’ personal thoughts and ideas.

Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.

Academic honesty

As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course.

The use of the computer is not allowed in class.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Introduction.

Plato on beauty and techne Rep X; Sym; Ion; Timaeus

Alberti and geometric perspective; Hockney's hypothesis and Lapucci

Caravaggio and the camera obscura

Baroque, Bernini and Careri

Kant on aesthetic judgment

Kant and beauty

Kant and the sublime -the Romantic sublime

Duchamp and the avant-garde

Malevich; Khlebnikov; surrealism

American avant-garde: Abstraction and Barnett Newman

Reading Newman

Pop art: Warhol and Danto   PAPER

Social background: Shiner and Henderson

Review

MID-TERM EXAM

videos from Duchamp; Bunuel-Dalì; Artaud; Maya Deren

Benjamin

Reading Benjamin

McLuhan

reading McLuhan

Alva Noe

Ramachandran

Film: The Square

Lister and the new Media

Virilio and Suchman

Review 

FINAL EXAM