The Threshold of Beauty in Creation and Art Appreciation

Art appreciation is a remarkable human activity that begins the moment someone first perceives a work of art until they have fully contemplated the art, including purposefully discovering resources to enhance perceptions, reflections, and memorization. In this paper, the author first presents personal conjectures about the origins of the perception of beauty and art. He then explores three ways in which the art appreciation phenomenon has been researched and understood: the traditional art history approach; the opposite scientific neuroaesthetic stream; and a third and often controversial approach, art appreciation assisted by psychoanalytical theory and praxis. Finally, he suggests a method to foster, develop, and refine art appreciation based on personal analysis and his experience with students in immersion courses.