Presenter: Sean Pebler
Mentors: Forrest Pyle and Corbett Upton, English
Oral Presentation
Major: English
Walter Pater’s “The School of Giorgione” appealed to me because it addressed a concern I had with aesthetic texts. Most texts largely ignore the sensory training it requires to behold an aesthetic experience. I refuse to believe that art can attack just the senses alone. This theory would necessarily mean that each person is as capable of experiencing extraordinary aesthetics as the next. While this idea- utilitarian in concept- is appealing, I believe it takes some previous ability to apprehend notions of Beauty. I was struck by this realization while walking away from class a few days ago. It came after we had discussed Pater’s essay, specifically the notion that all art aspires towards musical qualities. While walking and listening to Beethoven: Piano Concerto #1, I began to view objects as if music were emanating from them. Not only did I view plants and buildings this way, but human interaction as well. It was this synesthesia, this mixing of the aural and visual that prompted goose bumps in me. What could possibly be wrong with such unexpected, tingling joy?