Class Aesthetics and Art Theory

The curricular unit Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts addresses the understanding of aesthetic experience through knowledge of the main aesthetic movements and their historical and chronological evolution. This framework is articulated with transversal foundations of perception and visual field organisation, with particular emphasis on Gestalt principles. The relationship between these two dimensions enables the analysis and explanation of works from different periods beyond their historical classification, identifying principles, relationships, continuities, ruptures, dissonances and asymmetries. The curricular unit thus proposes a transversal reading of aesthetic works, in which knowledge of aesthetic movements and instruments of perception and visual organisation intersect in the construction of grounded interpretations and in the possibility of envisioning new aesthetic formulations.

Not applicable

The syllabus is organised according to a progression that articulates knowledge of the main aesthetic movements with transversal foundations of visual perception and their application to the understanding and explanation of aesthetic works. Aesthetic Movements Knowledge of the most significant aesthetic movements from a historical, evolutionary and chronological perspective, recognising their contexts, principles, characteristics and transformations. Perception and Organisation of the Visual Field Study of concepts transversal to the understanding of aesthetic works, with particular emphasis on perceptual psychology and Gestalt principles as foundations for the organisation of the visual field. Analysis and Interpretation of the Aesthetic Work Integration of the previous knowledge in the analysis of works from different periods, relating aesthetic movement, context, visual organisation and perception in order to construct grounded interpretations and explanations.

The teaching-learning methodologies are based on an active progression across the three syllabus topics, combining interactive exposition, comparative observation of works, case analysis, critical discussion and visual interpretation exercises. Knowledge of aesthetic movements provides the basis for introducing transversal foundations of perception and Gestalt principles, subsequently applied to the analysis of works from different periods and contexts. Students are progressively confronted with relationships of continuity, rupture, dissonance and asymmetry, testing different possibilities of interpretation and explanation. This approach promotes active participation and seeks to move beyond an exclusively historical understanding of aesthetic movements, developing a transversal perspective capable of relating knowledge, questioning established classifications and exploring new aesthetic possibilities.

ARNHEIM, Rudolf - Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2023. 528 p. ISBN 978-0-520-35127-1. DORFLES, Gillo - Estetica dovunque. Milano: Bompiani, 2022. 780 p. ISBN 978-88-301-0964-3. DORFLES, Gillo; McHALE, John - Kitsch: An Anthology of Bad Taste. London: Studio Vista, 1969. 311 p. ISBN 978-0-289-79760-0. VARNEDOE, Kirk - A Fine Disregard: What Makes Modern Art Modern. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1990. 319 p. ISBN 978-0-8109-3106-0. VARNEDOE, Kirk - Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2023. 320 p. ISBN 978-0-691-12678-4.