Director's Commentary: Infinite Nature’s Chapter 12 – Aesthetic Nature covers the topic of beauty on pages 187-190. Our group’s assignment was to answer the question “What is Beautiful?” and to explain the evolution of the picturesque aesthetic and contrast it with an ecological aesthetic. We used a slideshow format in our video to present the material. We used a combination of dialogue and text followed by pictures to distinguish between the sublime and the beautiful as well as to give examples of contemporary aesthetic norms. In our video we describe the history of the aesthetic. The evolution of the picturesque aesthetic was mainly a 19th century movement catalyzed by the movement of the population from rural to urban areas. Also many works of art of the time had an influence by popularizing the beauty and power of nature. During the industrial revolution of the 1830’s, a new wave of modern understanding created the idea of work and leisure as two separate entities. Industry and development caused people to appreciate being able to escape to the wilderness to enjoy nature. There were some who passionately explored nature and documented their ventures. John James Audobon in 1827 compiled illustrations for his book, Birds of America. Five years later, William Morris, published an epic poem, The Earthly Paradise, which revered nature and promoted tourism with accounts of an early westerner’s adventures. Soon following in the 1830’s were efforts to recover the land from urbanization and restore it to its original inhabitants as well as fence off large pieces of land for the establishment of national parks. In 1832, in Arkansas, Hot Springs established as a national reservation, setting a precedent for Yellowstone and eventually a national park system. George Caitlin, a U.S. artist and author, was the first to propose the idea of a national park encompassing major areas in which Native Americans and wilderness would both be preserved. In the same decade ornithologist John James Audobon was arousing interest in wildlife conservation. Consequently organized outdoor recreations followed these ideas and soon croquet and tennis were designed in the 1860’s. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, fishing, hunting, golfing and bicycling all became popular outdoor activities. By that time the country had urbanized greatly and more opportunities to reconnect with nature were being diminished. In 1916, Congress passed National Park Service’s Organic Act, which was intended to keep scenic, historic, natural and wildlife areas “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” After World War II, Americans had more disposable income and free time so they visited parks and forests in their cars more than they ever had before. The annual visits to National Park Service lands increased from 20 million to 300 million in a few years. Since the beginning of time, economic progression had been the main driving force behind humanity. There was little concern for destroying aesthetic appeal. During the Puritan Glorification, society felt the pull of the Puritans who had distaste for leisure and outdoor recreation, which in their view questioned moral Christian values. But as the pace quickened and the landscape became marred by the progress of humanity, people started making the effort to fit leisure time into their annual schedules to promote well-being and rejuvenation to health.
The picturesque aesthetic is rooted in the innate beauty of nature. As humans we evolved to appreciate open landscapes but we also have improved upon the ecological aesthetic by framing it into pictures and focusing on the most visually appealing aspects of nature. An example is the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the beauty of the surrounding area would not be visible if it weren’t for humans strategically manipulating the landscape. The picturesque aesthetic is always evolving as culture and values change over time. It could be argued today that what is beautiful is what is sustainably managed, not just what is necessarily pleasing to the eyes. The sublime beauty of nature impresses the viewer with God’s grandeur and promotes humility. Examples of this are towering mountains, steep drop-offs and sharp angular lines in nature. They can cause you to feel insignificant in the grand scheme of nature or make you question the meaning of life and our existence. The Grand Canyon is the epitome of sublimity with its rugged cliffs and foreboding gorges. Other good examples of the sublime are the Luray Caverns and The Rocky Mountains with their gorgeous and awe-inspiring features. What would be described as beautiful are rolling hills, lakeside views, and forested mountains. The gentle, curving features promote feelings of peace and tranquility. The beauty of the ecological aesthetic is the source of inspiration for preservation of it for human enjoyment and benefit. http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/4industrial.html This website is has an Environmental History Timeline as a reference for historical dates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picturesque This website describes the history of the word “picturesque” as an aesthetic ideal. http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/north-carolina/blue-ridge-parkway This website describes the scenic purpose of the Blue Ridge Parkway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty This website describes the meaning of the word beauty so we could apply it to our topic. http://books.google.com/books?id=QwirAAAAIAAJ&pg=PR8&lpg=PR8&dq=evolution+of+the+picturesque+aesthetic&source=bl&ots=E3NBf9VcFB&sig=qBsadQH6JW19HKg1m0tyjYEMvOU&hl=en&ei=DYEcS5qtH4SulAed2NTyCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=evolution%20of%20the%20picturesque%20aesthetic&f=false This website is of the book “The Search for the Picturesque” by Malcolm Andrews. The book discusses the evolution of picturesque tastes in the 18th century and picturesque art history.
Director's Commentary:
ReplyDeleteInfinite Nature’s Chapter 12 – Aesthetic Nature covers the topic of beauty on pages 187-190. Our group’s assignment was to answer the question “What is Beautiful?” and to explain the evolution of the picturesque aesthetic and contrast it with an ecological aesthetic. We used a slideshow format in our video to present the material. We used a combination of dialogue and text followed by pictures to distinguish between the sublime and the beautiful as well as to give examples of contemporary aesthetic norms. In our video we describe the history of the aesthetic.
The evolution of the picturesque aesthetic was mainly a 19th century movement catalyzed by the movement of the population from rural to urban areas. Also many works of art of the time had an influence by popularizing the beauty and power of nature. During the industrial revolution of the 1830’s, a new wave of modern understanding created the idea of work and leisure as two separate entities. Industry and development caused people to appreciate being able to escape to the wilderness to enjoy nature. There were some who passionately explored nature and documented their ventures. John James Audobon in 1827 compiled illustrations for his book, Birds of America. Five years later, William Morris, published an epic poem, The Earthly Paradise, which revered nature and promoted tourism with accounts of an early westerner’s adventures. Soon following in the 1830’s were efforts to recover the land from urbanization and restore it to its original inhabitants as well as fence off large pieces of land for the establishment of national parks. In 1832, in Arkansas, Hot Springs established as a national reservation, setting a precedent for Yellowstone and eventually a national park system. George Caitlin, a U.S. artist and author, was the first to propose the idea of a national park encompassing major areas in which Native Americans and wilderness would both be preserved. In the same decade ornithologist John James Audobon was arousing interest in wildlife conservation. Consequently organized outdoor recreations followed these ideas and soon croquet and tennis were designed in the 1860’s. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, fishing, hunting, golfing and bicycling all became popular outdoor activities. By that time the country had urbanized greatly and more opportunities to reconnect with nature were being diminished.
In 1916, Congress passed National Park Service’s Organic Act, which was intended to keep scenic, historic, natural and wildlife areas “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” After World War II, Americans had more disposable income and free time so they visited parks and forests in their cars more than they ever had before. The annual visits to National Park Service lands increased from 20 million to 300 million in a few years.
Since the beginning of time, economic progression had been the main driving force behind humanity. There was little concern for destroying aesthetic appeal. During the Puritan Glorification, society felt the pull of the Puritans who had distaste for leisure and outdoor recreation, which in their view questioned moral Christian values. But as the pace quickened and the landscape became marred by the progress of humanity, people started making the effort to fit leisure time into their annual schedules to promote well-being and rejuvenation to health.
The picturesque aesthetic is rooted in the innate beauty of nature. As humans we evolved to appreciate open landscapes but we also have improved upon the ecological aesthetic by framing it into pictures and focusing on the most visually appealing aspects of nature. An example is the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the beauty of the surrounding area would not be visible if it weren’t for humans strategically manipulating the landscape. The picturesque aesthetic is always evolving as culture and values change over time. It could be argued today that what is beautiful is what is sustainably managed, not just what is necessarily pleasing to the eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe sublime beauty of nature impresses the viewer with God’s grandeur and promotes humility. Examples of this are towering mountains, steep drop-offs and sharp angular lines in nature. They can cause you to feel insignificant in the grand scheme of nature or make you question the meaning of life and our existence. The Grand Canyon is the epitome of sublimity with its rugged cliffs and foreboding gorges. Other good examples of the sublime are the Luray Caverns and The Rocky Mountains with their gorgeous and awe-inspiring features. What would be described as beautiful are rolling hills, lakeside views, and forested mountains. The gentle, curving features promote feelings of peace and tranquility. The beauty of the ecological aesthetic is the source of inspiration for preservation of it for human enjoyment and benefit.
http://www.runet.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/4industrial.html
This website is has an Environmental History Timeline as a reference for historical dates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picturesque
This website describes the history of the word “picturesque” as an aesthetic ideal.
http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/north-carolina/blue-ridge-parkway
This website describes the scenic purpose of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty
This website describes the meaning of the word beauty so we could apply it to our topic.
http://books.google.com/books?id=QwirAAAAIAAJ&pg=PR8&lpg=PR8&dq=evolution+of+the+picturesque+aesthetic&source=bl&ots=E3NBf9VcFB&sig=qBsadQH6JW19HKg1m0tyjYEMvOU&hl=en&ei=DYEcS5qtH4SulAed2NTyCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=evolution%20of%20the%20picturesque%20aesthetic&f=false
This website is of the book “The Search for the Picturesque” by Malcolm Andrews. The book discusses the evolution of picturesque tastes in the 18th century and picturesque art history.