| This dissertation is a philosophical argument that seeks to contribute to the field of art education by contributing toward and justifying a different aesthetics philosophy in which to ground art education, that will not only enable students to understand the social/political contexts of images, but also enable them to re-envision themselves as creators and contributors to their own culture. This contribution to theory will re-establish and reconceive the role of aesthetic experience in, not only human creativity, but also as it relates to ethics and morality. It will provide a new philosophical foundation for a curriculum that maintains the disciplinary structure of discipline-based art education, but would broaden the category of instructional images/artifacts, beyond that of fine art, to include the category of images referred to as visual culture. It seeks to answer the questions: What new or alternative theory or theories of aesthetics are required in order to create an art education that utilizes visual culture? Why would such a theory or theories be needed? Can that theory function any better than current theories used in art education today---theories that claim to have the same goals?... |
