Aesthetics Part 2 Definition Two Aesthetics Function noun

Aesthetics Part 2

Definition Two: Aesthetics Function: noun 2. A branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art and beauty.

The philosophy of aesthetics asks and tries to answer the “Big” Questions: • What is art? • What makes a piece of art beautiful? • How important are personal tastes when judging the quality of art? • What are the standards for judging art? • Why is originality so important in art? How do we define what is original or what is creative?

The Nature of Beauty Andy Warhol, Electric Chair, 1971, Published Edition, 137/250 screen print on paper, 35 1/2 x 48 in. ©AWF Do artworks have to be beautiful or pretty?

What makes a work of art original or creative? Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1970, Published Edition, screen print on paper, 36 x 36 in. ©AWF Original source material, Flowers series by Andy Warhol, 1964, Two-sided collage; adapted from Modern Photography magazine, June 1964, photographic spread of color transparencies by Patricia Caulfield. ©AWF If Warhol worked from other people’s photographs, is his work really original? … Why does he get to copy, but I can’t?

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn Self-Portrait with Raised Sabre, 1634, etching with touches of burin, 4 7/8 x 4 1/16 in. (12 x 10 cm) Carnegie Museum of Art Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait, 1986, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 80 x 76 in. ©AWF How does an artist’s choice of materials and techniques effect the aesthetic quality of an artwork?

Who decides what is art? Who decides what makes an artwork special, valuable, or good? Andy Warhol, Brillo Soap Pads Box, 1964, silkscreen ink and house paint on plywood, 17 x 14 in. ©AWF