Do we need art? Lecture and art exhibition featuring Professor Mohsen Janatpour

Associated Students and the Math/Science Division present Professor Mohsen Janatpour’s lecture and art exhibition "Do we need art?"

There will be a reception following the presentation. Telescopes will be set up in the courtyard for viewing the celestial beauties.

Description:

The great Greek philosopher Plato was suspicious of art. He believed that art had a strong influence on society, and hence, art should be controlled and the artist banished from the ideal Republic. But the history oart has progressed otherwise. It is intricately and inextricably interwoven with the history of civilization.

Today, one of the biggest markets in the world is the art industry. What constitutes art depends on what one subscribes to as the definition of art, and there are plenty of definitions around. However, regardless of the definition, one is hard pressed not to accept Michelangelo’s David, da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, or Picasso’s Guernica as works of art.

This simple fact implies that there should be some core to art. The question is, “Is the core of art a historical accident or a pre-historical necessity?” This is the question that will be explored in the lecture.

Beethoven parking lots C, D, E are closest to event. See the campus map at collegeofsanmateo.edu/map for details.