Module 2

1. Key concepts I learned are the aesthetics of art and the different theories of it. Different artists hold a different style and view of how art is made, interpreted, created, etc. and the aesthetics of that are very important. I also learned that how individuals interpret are come from their own experiences and feelings. This can be how their brain works, what they see, and how they feel. Each individual has their own way to interpret works of art. Some see colors first, others lines and shapes, others cannot see color. This makes way for a variety of opinions and feelings towards works of art. In this module I mostly learned that there are different ways to appeal to different individuals and that personal experiences and feelings have a lot to do with how they interpret a work of art.

2. I feel that Francis Hutcherson's (18th century) theory on aesthetics is most important. He emphasizes on the beauty, harmony, order and design. He believes that human beings have a sense of beauty and harmony. I think this is the most important because this is what I learned most in module 2, that each person has their own sense of what is art and what is beauty and what they interpret as good art. I feel that Francis Hutcherson's theory relates most to these concepts.

3. The most interesting fact about Changeux's lecture was that he stated "art makes us aware of oneself as another". I thought this was interesting because art can make an individual realize, think, and interpret ideas in ways they would not ordinarily. I think this means that an individual can figure out different parts of their personality and learn more about themselves through art.
The most interesting fact about Ramachandran's lecture was his explanations of how art is creating images which stimulate different parts of the brain. This was interesting to me because there are many ways to view different pieces of art. I liked his simple example of how people can see a drawn cube in a different way. Put that on a larger scale, and an individual can see a work of art very different from another just by the way their brain works and what stimulates their brain.

4. The videos and the articles relate to the text because they further explain the aesthetics of art and how art is interpreted. I think what I learned most in this module is how art is interpreted on many levels, such as the brain, through they eyes, and how emotion and experiences play into interpretation as well.

5. I enjoyed the article. It helped me further understand the mental and how the brain works in reference to art. I personally learn or "pay attention" more to text than I do a video so I learned more from the additional article than the video. The video was helpful in getting definitions that relate to art and how it can be broken down. Some of it was hard to follow but I think the articles and the video take what the text states and added more in depth information which allows for a overall greater understanding of the topics addressed in this module.