Darwinian Theory of Beauty

[basimpson22]

http://www.ted.com/t..._of_beauty.html

A man's ability to create beauty is theorized to be very important in natural selection. By being able to paint we demonstrate to potential mates our level intelligence, quality of our motor skills, the ability to plan, conscientiousness etc. In other words being an artist/craftsman is a reproductive advantage. Interesting!

[caroljane]

http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html

A man's ability to create beauty is theorized to be very important in natural selection. By being able to paint we demonstrate to potential mates the intelligence, quality of our motor skills, the ability to plan, conscientiousness etc. In other words being an artist/craftsman is a reproductive advantage. Interesting!

http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html

A man's ability to create beauty is theorized to be very important in natural selection. By being able to paint we demonstrate to potential mates the intelligence, quality of our motor skills, the ability to plan, conscientiousness etc. In other words being an artist/craftsman is a reproductive advantage. Interesting!

It worked for JS Bach, he had 17 children. No wonder he had to write so much music.

[Brant Gaede]

http://www.ted.com/t..._of_beauty.html

A man's ability to create beauty is theorized to be very important in natural selection. By being able to paint we demonstrate to potential mates the intelligence, quality of our motor skills, the ability to plan, conscientiousness etc. In other words being an artist/craftsman is a reproductive advantage. Interesting!

Except artists don't want kids. They want to make more art. Go listen to Roy Orbison sing "Pretty Woman" to learn about "reproductive advantage."

--Brant

doesn't apply to pianists

[caroljane]

Except artists don't want kids. They want to make more art. Go listen to Roy Orbison sing "Pretty Woman" to learn about "reproductive advantage."

--Brant

doesn't apply to pianists

I dunno, hard to believe that weren't times when Johann S , wrestling his latest composition from the drooling maws of the rugrats, wistfully thought that only 12 or 13 might have been nice.

There is a good story I like about Bach. One of his (many, many) sons was up late practising a new piece over and over on the harpsichord. He kept practising and practising up to the climactic resolution of the counterpoint, but stopping before the end, and going back to practise the whole piece again from the first. The music woke Bach up. Finally the son stopped, before the end of the piece again, and went to bed.

Bach couldnb't stand it. He got up and marched downstairs and played the final notes at thunderous volume, and then returned to bed.

[Reidy]

Interesting, but I think he puts too much weight on the single example of axes.

Grant Hildebrand, in The Wright Space, puts forth a related theory. Brain evolution favored the hunter-gatherers who felt serene and safe when they could see out over a clearing while themselves remaining hidden, because that's the best situation for a hunter to be in. The brain thus evolved to favor people who liked this landscape, and the capacity is still with us. Wright, presumably unknowingly, caught on to this, and his most successful houses, such as Fallingwater, make use of it.

[Brant Gaede]

Interesting, but I think he puts too much weight on the single example of axes.

Grant Hildebrand, in The Wright Space, puts forth a related theory. Brain evolution favored the hunter-gatherers who felt serene and safe when they could see out over a clearing while themselves remaining hidden, because that's the best situation for a hunter to be in. The brain thus evolved to favor people who liked this landscape, and the capacity is still with us. Wright, presumably unknowingly, caught on to this, and his most successful houses, such as Fallingwater, make use of it.

I don't quite grok this landscape thingy and Fallingwater, which I visited in 1973. The general site was chosen by Mr. Kaufman and Wright situated the structure over the falling water which surprised everyone who thought the house would be facing it. There is no clearing to see out over I remember. Lots of vegetation. Of course, the higher up you go in the house the further you can see. I think there are three levels. The guest house behind the main structure is at least as high if not higher than the main structure. Same thing. The visitor's center is on a much more open and level lot.

--Brant

[MrBenjamatic]

Except artists don't want kids. They want to make more art. Go listen to Roy Orbison sing "Pretty Woman" to learn about "reproductive advantage."

--Brant

doesn't apply to pianists

I dunno, hard to believe that weren't times when Johann S , wrestling his latest composition from the drooling maws of the rugrats, wistfully thought that only 12 or 13 might have been nice.

There is a good story I like about Bach. One of his (many, many) sons was up late practising a new piece over and over on the harpsichord. He kept practising and practising up to the climactic resolution of the counterpoint, but stopping before the end, and going back to practise the whole piece again from the first. The music woke Bach up. Finally the son stopped, before the end of the piece again, and went to bed.

Bach couldnb't stand it. He got up and marched downstairs and played the final notes at thunderous volume, and then returned to bed.

Hahaha!

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Carol,

The story I always heard when I was at Boston University and then in the classical music world was that this was Mozart. There was no thunderous pounding. It was just a simple cadence (a completing sequence at the end of a piece or passage) that his wife Constanze would play at night, and stop right before the final chord to run him crazy. A wifely thing. He would have to get up and play the tonic before he could sleep.

I don't know how true this is, but the story is very widespread in the bubble that is the classical music world. At least it was when I was actively in it.

Your version is the first I have ever heard it attributed to Bach. Story-wise, I actually like the bit of color with the thunderous part. It reinforces the frustration of the composer.

Michael

[caroljane]

Carol,

The story I always heard when I was at Boston University and then in the classical music world was that this was Mozart. There was no thunderous pounding. It was just a simple cadence (a completing sequence at the end of a piece or passage) that his wife Constanze would play at night, and stop right before the final chord to run him crazy. A wifely thing. He would have to get up and play the tonic before he could sleep.

I don't know how true this is, but the story is very widespread in the bubble that is the classical music world. At least it was when I was actively in it.

Your version is the first I have ever heard it attributed to Bach. Story-wise, I actually like the bit of color with the thunderous part. It reinforces the frustration of the composer.

Michael

It must be a cosmic musical myth! I heard it about 30 years ago. I suppose thre is a version featuring most of the greats.

[caroljane]

THe message being, musicians do not like cantatus interruptus.

[BaalChatzaf]

Maybe I am missing something. I do not see how our genes can determine what we think is beautiful.

I am under the impression that standards of beauty are based on learned behavior and that is a product of culture, not DNA.

Our taste is in our mouths, not our genes.

Ba'al Chatzaf