VCE Philosophy - NGV Aesthetics Excursion
As part of the Unit 1/2 VCE Philosophy course, we delved into the final unit on Beauty and Aesthetics, culminating in a class visit to NGV International. Our philosophical exploration sought to unravel the essence of beauty - what truly defines it? And, by extension, what constitutes art? Throughout our study of aesthetics, we critically examined various art theories, from intentionalism to institutionalism, in the quest for a definitive understanding of art. A guided tour and exploration of NGV International marked the conclusion of a term dedicated to actively exploring and applying art theories to the public works.
Our excursion commenced with an introduction from a guide well-versed in philosophy, enlightening us on how NGV exhibits not only art but also philosophy. Our tour aimed to unravel and analyse the intertwining of these two realms. The remainder of the tour involved discussions on different artworks throughout the gallery, prompting questions such as, “How does the artist’s intention impact the status of the piece?”, “Is a piece automatically considered art if the artist or curator says it is?”, and “In what ways can an artwork be deemed 'better' or 'worse' than another, and who judges this?”
Despite the NGV excursion being an active application of art theories, I still find myself uncertain about the nature of art - perhaps that ambiguity is intentional. The excursion provided excellent practice in applying our understanding of art theories and encouraged us to support our personal opinions through practical application. Following the experience, I noticed myself paying more attention to the works on the walls; what may seem simple, lazy, or boring may carry intention and process that are anything but. Overall, my key takeaway from this experience is that while we may not precisely define what constitutes art and what does not, we can still somewhat assess whether some works are better or worse than others, albeit not in an exact manner.
Sophie (10J)
I found this excursion incredibly insightful and intriguing - it raised philosophical questions I had never contemplated before. Applying the philosophical theories learned in class to real 'art' significantly enhanced my understanding, prompting more critical thinking about the sufficiency of arguments and reasons for certain viewpoints. One highlight was the conclusion of the excursion, where students were divided into small groups and tasked with selecting a piece of artwork for a philosophical inquiry. My group, instead of choosing an exhibited piece, decided to discuss the stained glass ceiling of the NGV building. Examining a work not strictly presented as 'art' but open to interpretation posed even more fascinating questions for discussion. The excursion and guided tour served as a remarkable conclusion to a captivating year of philosophy!
Thea (10A)