Art Theory - Introduction to Aesthetics

Overview

About the course

Behind every artwork there is an idea that defines it on a level above the visual. Philosophers, critics and artists have long tried to define those ideas, inspiring much discussion and creating the field known as Aesthetics.

This is the field where the most fundamental questions of art are in constant debate; What is art? Is it actually important, or useful? Why makes an artwork an artwork? What is beauty, and should artworks always be beautiful? Beyond being philosophical inquiries, these are all questions that most art lovers have asked themselves, too.

Thinking about art in this way allows us to put it into a larger conceptual framework, and often leads to questions that extend well outside of art alone. Throughout this Art Theory - Introduction to Aesthetics course at the University of the Arts London (UAL) we use the works of artists from all periods, from Ancient Greece to the present day, using their art as ways of exploring the key issues of aesthetics. Each lecture involves a set of images and certain texts that students will be asked to read before each session and discussion is encouraged throughout.