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Philosophy of art

Photo of a person admiring art in a gallery framed by a large red sculpture, with a wooden floor and a dark wall background.

Altered states

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A touch of absurdity can help to wrap your mind around reality

And now for something completely different: how a dose of the surreal or absurd helps to make sense of our place in the world

by David Robson

Painting of hunters and dogs in snowy landscape with a village and ice skaters in the background, trees and hills visible.

Philosophy of art

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When art transports us, where do we actually go?

Artworks have the capacity to transport us into other worlds. But where exactly do we go when we are immersed in art?

by Harri Mäcklin

Painting of two women in historical clothing beheading a man, with one holding him down while the other uses a sword.

Artists and art history

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Gentileschi. Let us not allow sexual violence to define the artist

Artemisia Gentileschi’s body of work has been framed by her personal history. Her paintings should speak for themselves

by Eliza Apperly

Large projection of a painting’s cracked surface with a person standing in front, focusing on a close-up of a smiling mouth.

Philosophy of art

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Engaging with an artwork leaves you and the art transformed

When you engage with an artwork, a form of cognitive coupling takes place in which your mind and the art are transformed

by Miranda Anderson

A painting of a man and woman holding hands indoors with a small dog at their feet. The room is richly decorated.

Philosophy of art

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To master the art of close looking, learn to hold time still

Visual literacy is a skillset that’s rarely taught, but it begins with learning how to look – and how to hold time still

by Grace Linden

Two women seen from behind seated on a bench viewing a large four-panel painting of a cloudy sky in an art gallery.

Beauty and aesthetics

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You can be aesthetically sensitive and know nothing about art

Aesthetic sensitivity is not about being correct in your judgments of beauty, but rather how much you’re affected by it

by Guido Corradi

Charcoal drawing of a person writing at a desk with a focused expression and dramatic shading.

Memoir

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In defence of memoirs – a way to grip our story-shaped lives

Even the non-linear memoir creates meaning by shaping the hot mess of life into a narrative arc. What’s wrong with that?

by Helena de Bres

Photo of carved wooden figures on a white background each with simple facial features and varying shapes and expressions.

Philosophy of art

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Archaeology excavates the layers of meaning we leave behind

Archaeologists make sense of the past by thinking about the intentional and the natural meanings of what they uncover

by Marilynn Johnson

Etching of a man sitting on a milestone marked “Paris” with a broom, barren trees and distant houses in the background.

Painting and sculpture

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Looking at portraits with an eye to evolutionary psychology

Why our understanding of Jean-François Raffaëlli’s ‘Roadman’ portrait can use a little help from evolutionary psychology

by Dan Sperber

A marble figurine seated in a chair plays a harp

Music

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Ancient Greek ideas of attunement can breathe new life into music

In Athenian philosophy, attunement is important not only in music, but also for moods, attitudes and states of mind

by John Bagby

Photo of a performer on stage wearing a vest and hat, posing energetically with a US flag draped on their back.

Beauty and aesthetics

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Debating Bon Jovi’s cheesiness will enrich your conceptual life

Aesthetic questions don’t have answers ‘out there’ in the world. We’re free to decide what’s a glitch or a sculpture, and why

by Elizabeth Cantalamessa

Black and white photo of a woman in a historic costume with a spear and shield posing in front of a painted forest backdrop.

Photography

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Why we love to play pretend in front of scenic backdrops

Zoom backgrounds have their roots in 19th-century portrait photography and say as much about the creation of the social self

by Kim Beil