Tag Archives: aesthetic

Travel with Your Mind and Heart

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Throughout my life, I have discovered that the Enlightenment and Romantic Periods introduced new ideas and perspectives that are applicable today. I believe that life should be approached with a scientific mind but an emotional heart. Only obeying one can lead to disasters. One should question everything about life but also accept that humans aren’t simply machines. We are complex with emotions and feelings that allow us to experience life in new ways. But sometimes emotions can get in the way of communicating with one another which is where the Enlightenment view comes in. On top of allowing us to answer questions about the world around us. It allows us to resolve conflict without bias. Society requires us to use both the Enlightenment and Romantic views to better our society.

History is built on the stones of those before us. While that statement is cliche, it is true. The Enlightenment allowed to answer questions about the world around us in an unbiased manner. The Romantic era has influenced art and writing styles even to this day. While we might not agree with everything that these eras brought, they still impact our world to this day. America is not just a jumble of cultures but also a mix of ideas brought about by our ancestors. As we have distanced ourselves from these ideas it is our job to take what made them great and incorporate them into our lives today.

One of the most important takeaways from this class is that our aesthetic experiences make us human. As most of us are STEM majors, we tend to focus more on the scientific aspects of life, questioning everything. Sometimes, we need to learn to appreciate beauty just for itself. While throwing out statistics about how much oxygen plankton shows people how much we need the ocean, one of the most influential ways to save the ocean is just by sharing its beauty and explain how we are losing it. Not knowing the answers to some questions and appreciating wonder allows us to experience life in a whole new way.

Serenity is bliss

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The picture is a harmonious blend of intellectual with the sensual. The sky’s dark blue make the rich and bold red roses pop. This beautiful, rich and smooth blend of colors is very aesthetically pleasing and provides the observer with a sensual experience.The film camera effect, the angle of the click, and the techniques used to edit this picture give the picture an intellectual and mysterious quality. Furthermore, these techniques evoke an observer’s curiosity in figuring out a purpose or a meaning behind this picture and hence the picture becomes open to multiple interpretations. The aesthetic attribute of this picture can evoke many emotions, feelings and ideas but most importantly, a sense of peace. Serenity leads to a blissful state because you are devoid of any negative emotions such as anger and frustration. When people experience inner peace on a micro level, individual peace can lead to a ripple effect and improve society on a macro level.

One way to cook food

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Food can be an artform

Food is integral to our daily lives. Simply enjoying food itself is an extremely pleasurable experience, yet many would argue that it does not involve much mental stimulation. When we elevate food to the status of art, it merges both the sensual and the intellectual: we look, taste, and smell and it pleases us, yet when we observe high-level cooking, we see the intellectual process involved in its creation. When I get handed some food and I have to say, “It’s a work of art,” I am not only admiring the delicious flavor of the food, I also admire the craft of cooking: the thought that went into the creation of the flavor profile, the techniques used to create the most desirable texture, and the perfect plating that elevates food to an art form. Food is the pinnacle of Schiller’s philosophy. Congruently with Schiller’s philosophy, food also makes us morally better. It brings people together. When we eat together, we become friendly with one another and feel less ill will toward one another. When our friends are sick or stressed, we can cook for them and (hopefully) this will make them more inclined to do so to others as well.

With Every Moment, I’m Shaking

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Something that is aesthetically pleasing is usually considered beautiful. The word aesthetic is usually paired with senses, in specific sight and hearing. This song by The Shakes, in my opinion, represents both of those senses. The video itself is pleasing to the eye and captivates one’s attention. It starts off as an old-time movie in black and white, and this then shifts to the actual music video in color. The use of colors in this video help to give it different vibes that invoke different reactions due to the meanings of different colors. It also helps to give it a nostalgic feel. In addition to this, the sound of the music (starts at about 1:15) is very slow and helps to give it an indie feel. When listening to this song, one can picture themselves in certain scenarios. This will vary from person to person due to our different experiences. This invokes both the sensual and intellectual aspects because, through its use of the senses, one can feel emotional and/or physical pleasure and this can cause one’s mind to think about certain situations and create ideas or emotions that tie into the intellectual part of aesthetics. Through its effect on one’s emotions and thoughts, music becomes aesthetic.

Music and the Mind

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Music is arguably one of the most important languages of all time. It transcends common limitations many languages face and connects us in a way that is only rivaled by mathematics. It is, by definition, aesthetic. Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, is an amazing example of this phenomenon. It is a piece designed to be played by a pianist and has no lyrics, yet it still seems to convey a message. From its composition and harmonious melodies, it tells a story from nothing. It expresses the highs and lows, happy moments and sad moments, and even the fleeting and lasting moments of life. It merges the emotions we gain from listening to this beautiful piece of music to something more tangible. It connects it to something on a more intellectual level. In essence, we derive something (meaning) out of what appears to be nothing. This is something that is truly unique to humans and what sets us apart from every other sentient being that we know exists. It also gives us a duty. A responsibility, even. We must be the moral authority that all creatures look to on this planet. Humans have the amazing ability to see beyond what is in front of us. This already makes us better morally in relation to all other creatures on this world. However, does it make us better than one another? The answer can be both yes and no. I think the answer is irrelevant in the eyes of a secure person. Rather, we should be using our gift to simply help one another. To promote a better future and have a fulfilled life. By doing that, we will have proved Schiller; we will have become morally better. And to think, it was a song with no lyrics that spurred us down this path of righteousness. Music is truly a gateway to a better mind and existence.

Peace through war

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http://www.davidebonazzi.com/news/category/history/2
This piece of art was made for BBC world histories magazine talking about the cold war. One of the main headlines was whether nuclear weapons have brought world peace through mutually assured destruction. The immediate reaction to the image is probably negative since it includes the classic shape of the atomic bomb and brings up all the negative associations of world war 2 with it. The contrast of the dove as a symbol of peace makes you overcome your initial reaction and wonder what it means. The people are removed from the place where the bomb went off. It made me think about how the losses of war are usually justified by hope for a better future after the war, and how it’s easier for people to think in this way when they aren’t caught up in the crossfire themselves.