Project Title: An Exploration and Reflection of the Philosophies of Art and Beauty Through Photography 

Essential Question(s):

How might a study of philosophy and major philosophical ideas with a focus on value theory and aesthetics change the way I approach topics of beauty, art, human conduct, nature, and more through photography?

Statement of Purpose

For my senior project I will conduct an independent study of major philosophical ideas in an effort to understand, explore, and reflect on the nature of beauty, art, values, reasoning, and much more. I will use my passion for photography to document and explore my own meaningful interpretation of the material I study.

Overview: Describe your topic and project to the committee.

I will conduct my independent study using the below listed books, podcasts, and videos. I wanted to give myself a chance to explore something really in depth that would challenge me and inspire me. I read a little bit of the book that inspired this project, “The Philosophies of Art and Beauty: Selected Readings in Aesthetics from Plato to Heidegger”, and wanted to explore my own interpretations of the famous pieces. I have always understood Philosophy to be incredibly complex and somewhat of an odd subject but I found my self really invested in the material I was reading during the research phase. I’ve taken photography classes with Susan for almost 2 years now and I’m excited to put my skills to the test in some way. I’m hoping I find myself feeling creative, inspired, and motivated during this project, especially given the state of things. I also think my exploration of philosophical ideas and thinking will help me establish some better life habits- I’ve checked out a book that claims to be an ancient Greek prescription for health and happiness.

How will you measure your success?

I want to ensure that I stay constant with my documentation for this process. I will be journaling everyday, completing reflection journals, doing daily/weekly posts on instagram, and checking in on the blog frequently. I also want to have somewhat of a portfolio of pictures that can accompany my writing  by the end of this project. If everything goes well I’ll be able to make a nice picture book with some thoughtful writing by the end of this experience!

Resource List 

 

I might add more books along the way! I will also be watching Hank Green’s Philosophy collection on Crash Course.

 

Daily Plan & Schedule

 

Documentation Plan

I plan to document my project daily through journaling and weekly through instagram posts (this might vary – I might want to post more than just one day but for now I’ll just say that I must do a post on Friday to conclude the week). Every two weeks I will upload a blog post that will summarize my progress. The blog posts will also give me a chance to reflect on how my project is going, what improvements I can make, things I’ve changed, etc.

Material Needs

I don’t need anything for this project.

Backup Plan

I don’t think I’ll need a backup plan for my project since I won’t have anything that interferes with covid. If I find myself struggling to create art I have a ton of art books that will be great inspiration.