Art for Us: What is Artistic Beauty?
January 21, 2018 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
$10
Led by Roger Dell and co-presented by the Farnsworth and CMCA
Art for Us: Let’s Discuss
Session Three: What is Artistic Beauty?
Can it be as simple as “beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” Probably not. There exists an entire 300-year old discipline in the humanities called “aesthetics,” which attempts to definite what beauty is and what it looks like. We will begin with a broad look at beauty, trace its beginnings back to the ancient Greeks, then zero-in on the history of beauty in the visual arts. What happens when Euro-centric concepts of beauty are applied to Asian art or contemporary art, for example? How is beauty defined in contemporary art, and do contemporary artists even consider beauty when creating their work?
In this four-part discussion series led by long-time art museum educator and university instructor Roger Dell, participants will answer important questions concerning contemporary art and its historical context. Each session’s theme will be introduced by a brief slide presentation, followed by an honest and jargon-free conversation about the complexity of understanding contemporary art. Take-home readings will be provided at each session to follow up on ideas and prepare for the next session.
Presenter and discussion facilitator Roger Dell has taught art history, art appreciation, arts education, and the history of art museums from Hawaii to Maine, including the University of Maine, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and the Harvard Extension School. He is the former Director of Education at the Farnsworth Art Museum.
Cost: Series $36 General Admission; $30 for Farnsworth and CMCA members. Single Session $12 General Admission; $10 Farnsworth and CMCA members.
Locations: Sessions 1 & 2 will be held in the Farnsworth auditorium and sessions 3 & 4 will be held at CMCA
Snow date: Monday, January 22, 2 p.m.
For advance registrations, your name will be held at will-call. Check-in begins in the main lobby a half-hour prior to the event start-time. Please note that 5 minutes prior to sold-out programs, any unclaimed seats will be released.
To register for this single session, click on the Register button below. To register for the entire series, please click here to be taken to the series page.