SWU 252 - Aesthetics for LifeW9: Nature Aesthetics I: Formalist Approaches

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

- Albert Einstein

1 Introduction

• This Week: Nature and Aesthetics I

• Today’s Main Question:. . Q: What do we appreciate,. . . when we appreciate nature?

• We’ll look at three formalist approaches to this question:

H1. The Object Model Stecker 2010→ Natural objects, eg., stones, shells, trees, as self-contained objects

H2. The Landscape Model→ Landscapes/views

H3. The Impressionist Model→ A landscape/view, at a particular moment in time

2 Formalist Approaches to Nature Aesthetics

2.1 The Object Model

Q: What do we appreciate,when we appreciate NATURE?

→ H1: The Object Model:

• We appreciate natural objects, like stones, shells, trees, etc.,

• We appreciate these as self-contained objects

Inherent Claim: Natural objects can be judged as beautifulindependent of their surroundings and relationship with a perceiver

• Natural objects have inherent properties(eg., (a)symmetry, delicateness, glossiness, etc.,)

→We find the combination of these inherent properties beautiful

– How is this ObjectModel related to what we’ve learned before?

– Is the ObjectModel compatible with Kant’s Criteria?

2.2 The Landscape Model

Q: What do we appreciate,when we appreciate NATURE?

→ H2: Landscape Model:

• We appreciate views, landscapes or vistas

• Views =DEFN object(s) viewed from a relatively fixed point of view

• The perspective/angle is a crucial component of what we admire

• The aesthetic appreciation of nature involves a relationship between

– NATURAL OBJECTS and

– the VIEWER/PERCEIVER perspective/spatial position

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• Kinds of Perspective:

Bird’s Eye: http://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapers

Level (ish): http://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapers

Worm’s Eye: http://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapers

• ObjectModel: These are all the same object,. . so these are not aesthetically distinct

• LandscapeModel: These are distinct views of the same object,. . so they have distinct aesthetic values!

• Q: What changes when we change the point of view?i.e., how do you KNOW what viewpoint/perspective you have?

• A: The position of the object relative to the horizon line

• Horizon Lines, Vanishing Points and Perspective

– The object is what you are looking at

– The horizon line correlates to the eye-level of the perceiver

– This is where the ground (or water) meets the sky (if visible)

– Perspective lines lead to vanishing points on the horizon line

• Perspective and Relationship between Object and Horizon Line

– Bird’s Eye Perspective: Object is below the horizon line

– Worm’s Eye Perspective: Object is above the horizon line

– Level Perspective: Object is at the horizon line

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http://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapershttp://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapershttp://fullhdpictures.com/niagara-falls-hq-wallpapers.html/hd-niagara-falls-wallpapers

2.3 The Impressionist Model

Q: What do we appreciate,when we appreciate NATURE?

→ H3: Impressionist. . Model:

• The IMPRESSION of a object/view. at a specific point in time

• The aesthetic appreciation of nature involves a relationship between

– NATURAL OBJECTS and

– a VIEWER/PERCEIVER’s position in SPACE and TIME

mm

mm .

Four different impressions of a single view at different points in time

– ObjectModel: These are all the same object,. . so these are not aesthetically distinct

– LandscapeModel: These are the same view of an object,. . so these are not aesthetically distinct

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– ImpressionistModel: These are distinct impressions of a view,. . so these have distinct aesthetic values!

• Recall: Art History Movements

– renaissance,

– mannerism

– baroque

– roccoco

– impressionism

• Recall IMPRESSIONISM, which aims to capture the truth of transient impres-sions, as opposed to objects

Grainstacks in the Sunlight, Morning Effect (1890); Haystacks on a Foggy Morning (1891); Wheat-

stacks, Snow Effect, Morning (1891) - Claude Monet

• IMPRESSIONISM is characterized by

– loose brushstrokes that capture the effects of changing light(not the solid shape and form of objects)

– landscapes or daily life of upper-middle class (lacking the politicalmessages associated with contemporary Neoclassicism and Realism)

– plein air painting (vs studio painting)

• H3 is the namesake of this historical art movement

INSTAGRAM HOMEWORK

Post a video/image of something from nature, and. analyze it according to each of these models!

H1. The Object Model(Describe the object’s inherent properties)

H2. The Landscape Model(IDescribe the relationship btw the object and viewer/horizon line)

H3. The Impressionist Model(Describe the relationship btw the object, viewer, and time)

3 An Objection to the Object Model

.Q: Is this NATURE?

“Exotic Seashell”©Bosenok

Q: Is this NATURE?

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Q: Is this NATURE?

“Butterfly Display Case” at Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.,©by Rodd Halstead from

https://www.flickr.com/photos/roddh/2435634696/

Q: Is this NATURE?

photo: getty

→ According to EnvironmentalModels,. . these are NOT nature!

Environmental Models: These are NATURE!

http://miriadna.com/preview/seashell-on-the-sand

http://fullhdpictures.com/excellent-wildflowers-hq-images.html/wildflowers-backgrounds

• Environmental Models:Natural objects must be appreciated in their natural environment!. → Next week

References

Stecker, Robert. 2010. Aesthetics and the philosophy of art: An introduction. Rowman &Littlefield Publishers.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/roddh/2435634696/http://miriadna.com/preview/seashell-on-the-sandhttp://fullhdpictures.com/excellent-wildflowers-hq-images.html/wildflowers-backgrounds

IntroductionFormalist Approaches to Nature AestheticsThe Object ModelThe Landscape ModelThe Impressionist Model

An Objection to the Object Model