Machine Intelligence and Art
Examining Velázquez’s Las Meninas
we see what it would take for a machine to approach human intelligence. Continue ReadingMachine Intelligence and Art
Tag Archives: Appreciation
Is Great Art Still Possible?
Art balances artistic technique with emotional expressiveness. The more difficult the act of balancing, the greater the art. If artistic technique dominates, we get craft. If emotional experience dominates, we Continue ReadingIs Great Art Still Possible?
Vermeer is Not Just About the Light: Art is Not Just Technique
While admiring the artistic technique of a painting at the National Gallery’s wonderful exhibit about Vermeer and his contemporaries, I overheard an individual exclaim: “Vermeer is all about the light”. Continue ReadingVermeer is Not Just About the Light: Art is Not Just Technique
The Temple of Responsive Objects
What is a modern museum? Conceived as a place for people to learn about and experience art, they were often built as secular temples to sacred objects. Today, people do Continue ReadingThe Temple of Responsive Objects
“Heart and Soul” is a Chaconne – So What?
I was absolutely stunned when, in my late teens, I encountered the last movement of Bach’s Partita #2 for Violin, the “Great Chaconne”. I never cared why it was called Continue Reading“Heart and Soul” is a Chaconne – So What?
Art is What Artists Do
What is art? Academicians and critics love definitions, but we do not live our lives through the dictionary or abstract thought. Most important ideas have no clear definition: truth, justice, Continue ReadingArt is What Artists Do
Greatness in Artistic Form
“When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it’s impossible to do otherwise. I always try first to tell a story in the cinematic Continue ReadingGreatness in Artistic Form
How Green is Your Garden?
Sitting in my garden, seeing all the different shades of green, reminds me of the poverty of language to describe our feelings. The green of the evergreen trees is not Continue ReadingHow Green is Your Garden?
Understanding Art is Difficult: A Picture is Not Worth a Thousand Words
Seeing this in a museum what would you think it was? Seeing it while driving, you would immediately watch for an intersection ahead. If you never saw a car in Continue ReadingUnderstanding Art is Difficult: A Picture is Not Worth a Thousand Words
Why I Hate Most Art Criticism: Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament and Music
“Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions…” David Hume, A Treatise on Human Nature Emotions first, cognition second is the best way to perceive art, Continue ReadingWhy I Hate Most Art Criticism: Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament and Music