Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art for Everyone

November 8, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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Marina Abramovic, Black Magic, the 2016 Election, and a Reminder to Vote Today!!!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EsJLNGVJ7E]It turns out that there REALLY are some emails that can seriously hit the democratic party hard… Infowars–Alex Jones totally legit conspiracy theory site–breaks the news that “the latest bombshell to come from WikiLeaks connects Clinton campaign head John Podesta to top occultist Marina Abramović” through Podesta’s brother’s email!! Check out the full bombshell by reading the article yourself: Bombshell: Hillary Clinton’s Satanic Network Exposed. Here’s the devastating email Abramović sent to Tony–John’s brother–in all its satanic glory: To keep up-to-date on this super-important election issue… Or to just add some more fun absurdity to this whole extravaganza, check out these articles: MarinaAbramović: the latest target in the rightwing culture wars, Jonathan Jones at The Guardian Right-Wing Media Mistakes Marina Abramović Dinner Party for Satanic Ritual, Alyssa Buffenstein at Artnet News Spirit Cooking Explained: Satanic Ritual or Dinner Party?, Eric Levitz at NY Magazine On behalf of all of us at Aesthetics for Birds and … Continue reading

October 26, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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ASA Funds Symposium on Black Aesthetics

The American Society for Aesthetics is pleased to provide $7500 in partial support of the Questioning Aesthetics Symposium: Black Aesthetics, to be held at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, March 31-April 1, 2017. Funding is also being provided by Hampshire College, the Five Colleges, and the Transdisciplinary Aesthetics Foundation. The conference is co-organized by Monique Roelofs, Professor of Philosophy at Hampshire College, and Michael Kelly, Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and the Founder and President of the Transdisciplinary Aesthetics Foundation. The symposium will be free and open to the public. As more information becomes available, including the schedule of events, it will be posted on ASA’s website: http://aesthetics-online.org/news/314368/ASA-Funds-Symposium-on-Black-Aesthetics.htm.

October 26, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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Heidegger Meets Van Gogh: Art, Freedom, and Technology – Free Online IAI Course

About the Course Modern philosophers traditionally thought of science as the realm of truth and art as the realm of beauty. And with the industrial revolution, western societies followed suit. Technology became the driving force of history as art became a sphere of entertainment. In this two-part course, Philosopher Simon Glendinning challenges this conception by outlining Heidegger’s critique of technology whilst arguing that art is the path to freedom. You will learn about: Heidegger’s critique of modernity and the predominance of technology. The nature and history of scientific rationality. Heidegger’s reading of the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Art’s relationship to truth and freedom. Through video lectures, questions and suggested reading discover why art remains a true source of wisdom.  Share your ideas and support your learning through our discussion boards and test your knowledge through questions throughout the course. Requirements This course is designed for anyone interested in art, … Continue reading

October 25, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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Artworld Advice in Action — Letter from Sol Lewitt to Eva Hesse Performed Live

Whether you’re an artist or a philosopher–or both!–perhaps you’ll find some useful advice in this letter written by Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse in 1965. Reading the letter on stage at a London event called Letters Live, Benedict Cumberbatch passionately brings the words to life: “Learn to say ‘Fuck You’ to the world once in a while,” he yells. “You have every right to.” To learn more about the friendship between these two famous minimalist artists, check out Hyperallergic’s article The Sinuous Lines of Influence Between Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt.

October 19, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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ASA Present: Notes on the Aesthetics of Grunge

The American Society for Aesthetics is hosting their 74th Annual Meeting. Along with a bunch of awesome talks and presentations, you can also attend a talk on the aesthetics of grunge! The event is taking place in Seattle, WA… so break out your plaid and your old cassette tape of Nevermind and join the fun! For more information on the 74th Annual Meeting, check out the ASA site: http://aesthetics-online.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=671718

October 18, 2016
by Rebecca Millsop
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Kelley Walker & A Manifesto for the Artworld Institution

Perhaps you heard about the recent controversy at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: Since opening in mid-September at CAM, a solo exhibition of white male artist Kelley Walker has been under fire over a series of works that appropriate images from the Civil Rights Movement and magazine covers of black women streaked with toothpaste and chocolate. After failing to offer adequate explanation for the works during an artist talk at the museum on September 17, both Walker and Uslip—who is said to have had a crucial role in realizing the exhibition—incited criticism from the local community, who found the works malicious in nature. A September 18th letter called for the removal of four offending works; among signees were three black members of the CAM staff. The museum refused to remove the works, and instead added barrier walls and signage to warn museum-goers that Walker’s works “may be difficult for some … Continue reading