14: Art and perception

All art is perceived but how much of art is explained by the principles of perception? The theme of the lectures at the Alpbach Forum take up this question: when and to what extent is perception useful for understanding art? There are very divergent discourses of the arts today, from reductionist scientific accounts (biology of art) to purely culture based theories (visual studies). We are facing a new kind of “Two Cultures.” To address this gulf, our lectures center on such themes as the ecology of making and viewing pictures, irrational behavior related to images (iconoclasm and animism), and end with the question of culture s relation to perceiving. Our hope is to move beyond stale dichotomies and create a truly inclusive discourse about art and perception.