Here is a documentary done by the BBC featuring Roger Scruton on "Why Beauty Matters."
Beauty is something that we have largely redefined in the 20th century. Part of this is due to a general embracing of relativism in the form of the rather illogical statement that "all things are subjective." The practice of art in the modern sense is seen to be completely subjective.
Novelty has replaced talent and professional skill as the most desirable characteristic of an aspiring artist.
Roger Scruton presents a case for the objectivity of beauty and its importance in the human experience. It is through beautiful art that the individual is able to transcend the messiness and chaos of life and contemplate the eternal.
A remember watching this a while ago - it was excellent.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any suggestions for books that give an overview of art or art history?
ReplyDeleteI am three chapters into E.H.J. Gombrich's "The Story of Art" and it is quite good, but I am hunt for other good works. I would like to get a good overview before I study specific genres, periods, or cultures.