Art Appreciation: The Philosophy of Art
At a Glance
- Classroom course at CGLAS Kennington
- Wednesdays 18:30 - 20:30
- 8 weeks
- 11 October – 6 December 2023 (no class 25 October)
- Tutor: Dr Matthew Rowe
- Fees from £168 to £200
Matthew Rowe Teaching Video
This class is taught at the City and Guilds of London Art School in Kennington.
Enrolment open now!
Art and philosophy have had a close relationship for thousands of years. When we look at a work of art and ask ourselves is it beautiful?, does it have to be beautiful?, and does it work? we are asking philosophical questions on the nature of beauty.
On this course we are going to explore art through philosophy. Don't worry if you are new to philosophy or art, you do not need to have studied either subject before. All you need is an open mind to discovering new ideas.
Discovering the Philosophy of Art will provide an introduction to some aspects of the Philosophy of Art within the Western tradition. The course will be broadly structured in two parts.
First we will look at the thoughts and theories on art provided by the philosophies of five key thinkers within this tradition: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche and Heidegger.
And second, we will discuss some of the central ideas in contemporary debates on the philosophy of art, such as the definition of art and artworks, the value of different art forms, meaning in art, fakes and forgeries, and the difference between art criticism and art appreciation.
The course is suitable for those with no previous background in philosophy and/or art history, as it emphasises philosophy as an activity as well as a body of knowledge, but examples from with the history of western art will be used throughout, so it should also be of interest for those with some pre-existing subject background.
Classroom Course
This course will be taught face-to-face in the classrooms at the City and Guilds of London Art School, which is located in Kennington.
Founded in 1854, the City and Guilds of London Art School has a long historical association with Imperial College, through both institutions' links with the City and Guilds Institute. For the Art School this link continued until 1971, when it became an independent charitable trust. For Imperial College, the association with the City and Guilds Institute, also known as City and Guilds College, continued until 2001 when the City and Guilds College became one of the constituent institutions that formed Imperial College as we know it today.
The City and Guilds of London Art School is located very near Kennington Underground Station (map), in a row of beautiful late-eighteenth century Georgian town houses.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College/CGLAS attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme and Additional Reading
Course Programme (subject to possible modification)
TBA
Your Tutor
Dr Matthew Rowe is an extremely experienced and engaging teacher of philosophy, as well as being a practising philosopher in his own right.
His interests lie in aesthetics, the philosophy of art and relationship between artistic practice and art theory. He is primarily a writer, although he also engages in solo and collaborative visual art practises when appropriate.
His current writing research focusses on site speficity within artisitic production and issues surrounding morality and photography. Current writing projects include an essay on John Waters and a philosophical analysis of irony and sincerity.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | £200 |
£168 | £168 | ||
| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes
- City & Guilds College Association members
- City and Guilds of London Art School staff, students and alumni
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Proof of status might be requested at the first session. Please bring proof of status with you for the first class of your course.
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for the allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2023-24
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Wednesdays 11 October – 6 December 2023 (no class on 25 October)* | n/a | n/a | ||
| *This is a 1-term course | |||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent instantaneously following submission of your online application |
|
| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
|
| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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| If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 | ||
Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the content or teaching of this course please contact the course tutor, Dr Matthew Rowe, at m.rowe@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk