Module 7 Art and the Human Essence

Summary

This video lesson explores the human essence and its connection to art through the lens of three key human faculties: senses, will, and mind. Learners are encouraged to reflect on their personal brand and identity, and to analyze art by considering perceptual elements, emotional responses, and intellectual meaning. By examining various artworks and the song 'Dust in the Wind,' the lesson demonstrates how art reflects human experience and challenges us to recognize the fleeting nature of life and material pursuits. The video invites viewers to deepen their appreciation for the complexities of human existence expressed through art.

Takeaways

• 😀 The essence of being human is having a logical mind and a feeling heart, enabling us to reason, think, and empathize.
• 😀 Personal branding is about identifying the unique qualities that define you, such as passion, creativity, and mentorship.
• 😀 The humanities' fundamental question is 'Who am I?' with the basic answer being 'I am a human being.'
• 😀 To become human beings, we need a mind that thinks, a heart that feels, and a will that drives us.
• 😀 Our human faculties—senses, will, and mind—are essential for experiencing and understanding art.
• 😀 Art can be analyzed using the three human faculties: perception (senses), emotional response (will), and intellectual meaning (mind).
• 😀 When observing art, we first identify the visual elements (e.g., lines, colors, shapes), then analyze the emotions these elements evoke, and finally interpret the deeper meaning or symbolism.
• 😀 The painting 'Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue' by Mondrian exemplifies how we perceive shapes and colors and associate them with meanings.
• 😀 The painting 'Winnowing Rice' by Amorsolo uses lines, colors, and shapes to represent people, animals, nature, and events.
• 😀 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch demonstrates how art can evoke emotions such as fear and terror, through visual elements like curving lines and intense colors.
• 😀 The song 'Dust in the Wind' conveys the transient nature of life, reinforcing themes of mortality and the inevitability of death, similar to the themes found in the painting 'Vanities of Human Life.'
• 😀 Analyzing art and music through the lens of the three human faculties allows us to connect the sensory, emotional, and intellectual aspects of the artwork, helping us understand its deeper meaning.

Q & A

What is the basic question in studying humanities?

The basic question in studying humanities is 'Who am I?'

What is the basic answer to the question 'Who am I?' in the context of humanities?

The basic answer to 'Who am I?' is 'I am a human being.'

What are the two main components that make us human beings, according to the script?

The two main components that make us human beings are having a logical mind and a feeling heart.

How does the speaker describe their personal brand?

The speaker describes their personal brand as passionate, creative, and a mentor. They are passionate in everything they do, creative in problem-solving, and have discovered a talent for mentoring young people.

What are the three human faculties mentioned in the script?

The three human faculties mentioned are the senses, the will, and the mind.

How do the senses contribute to analyzing art?

The senses contribute to analyzing art by helping us perceive the visual elements of a piece, such as colors, shapes, and lines, and what these elements represent.

In the painting 'Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue' by Mondrian, what visual elements are observed?

In the painting 'Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue,' the visual elements include the colors red, yellow, blue, white, and black, as well as shapes like rectangles and squares, and straight lines, both horizontal and vertical.

What emotions are suggested by the painting 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch, according to the script?

The painting 'The Scream' suggests emotions of fear or terror, as indicated by the facial expression of the figure and the curving red, yellow, and orange lines in the sky.

What is the primary message conveyed by the song 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas?

The primary message of 'Dust in the Wind' is the transient nature of life, emphasizing that no matter what we achieve, in the end, all we are is 'dust in the wind,' and everything we accumulate in life will eventually fade away.

What is the significance of the visual elements in the painting 'Vanities of Human Life' by Steinway?

In the painting 'Vanities of Human Life,' the visual elements like a skull, shell, timepiece, and other objects symbolize various worldly riches, highlighting the inevitability of death and the idea that material wealth and achievements are fleeting. The painting suggests that life is short and focuses on the importance of spiritual and moral values over material possessions.