"Patriotism is not enough." But neither is anything else. Science is not enough, religion is not enough, art is not enough, politics and economics are not enough, nor is love, nor is duty, nor is action however disinterested, nor, however sublime, is contemplation. Nothing short of everything will really do.” Aldous Huxley, Island (1963)
AP Seminar
Upcoming Special Topics for 2022-2023:
The Role of Art in an Increasingly Technological World
Art is more than simply banal old paintings hanging on a pristine white wall in a space for the 'elites'--art can be a reflection of history, of conflict, of personal or generational strife, of a rebellious message, of personal communication. Art plays a major role in society, as a reflection of it, as a mode of persuading a cause or selling a product, and even as a catalyst for change. This year, AP Seminar will explore a variety of topics in the world of art and its role in a society which is moving into increasingly digital and technological spaces, which spans the many subjects of study on our campus: the importance and interpretation of visual rhetoric, the science and psychology behind aesthetics in advertising and marketing, cultural ethics of things like hostile architecture and the role of cultural monuments, art as therapy, and the intersection of the arts and sciences in environmental concerns and messaging, technological use of aesthetics for building human-centered designs (think "uncanny valley"), automation and mass production, among others.
The Role of Art in an Increasingly Technological World
Art is more than simply banal old paintings hanging on a pristine white wall in a space for the 'elites'--art can be a reflection of history, of conflict, of personal or generational strife, of a rebellious message, of personal communication. Art plays a major role in society, as a reflection of it, as a mode of persuading a cause or selling a product, and even as a catalyst for change. This year, AP Seminar will explore a variety of topics in the world of art and its role in a society which is moving into increasingly digital and technological spaces, which spans the many subjects of study on our campus: the importance and interpretation of visual rhetoric, the science and psychology behind aesthetics in advertising and marketing, cultural ethics of things like hostile architecture and the role of cultural monuments, art as therapy, and the intersection of the arts and sciences in environmental concerns and messaging, technological use of aesthetics for building human-centered designs (think "uncanny valley"), automation and mass production, among others.