Video Interview by John Vogel
Advocating for the Value of Art
Cameras and lights by Michael Sanchez
Interviewer's Note: In the introduction of Brain, Beauty, and Art, Anjan Chatterjee says that in seeking out the scientific study of aesthetics, “I explored the old-fashioned way—musty meanderings through the library looking for relevant journals and books that could tether me to the topic.” Reading this reminded me of my own search to find literature that might help me understand certain intense experiences with music that I had almost 15 years ago and eventually led me to this interview.
A year ago, when I was putting together an Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) panel proposal, I started reaching out to people whom I thought would be good candidates to talk about intense aesthetic experiences. My goal was to explore the subject through practicing artists as well as those studying aesthetics scientifically with the hope of using it as a launch pad for discussing the broader role of art in the personal and social realms. This project has been in the back of my mind for many years, the idea of which has been to collect interviews and eventually collage them together into a larger piece.
As I tried to collect participants, I was led through a line of recommendations like a game of leap frog while simultaneously trying to broaden my reading with an open eye to people who might be familiar with the topic. While reading an article, I saw Anjan Chatterjee’s name listed as a co-author with a University of Pennsylvania affiliation. Because the AWP conference was in Philadelphia, it seemed like a possibility. Chatterjee accepted the invitation.
Although the panel was not selected, I still wanted to follow through with the interviews. In this interview, we talk about funding for the arts, personal experience in creating, and the role of art in society.
Excerpt from Brain, Beauty, and Art
As part of the TW Reading Series, we've reprinted a chapter from Brain, Beauty and Art: Essays Bringing Neuroaesthetics in Focus, edited by Anjan and Eileen R. Cardillo. Don't miss this powerful essay exploring our relationship with beauty, “Beautiful People in the Brain of the Beholder” by Anjan Chatterjee.
John Vogel is a musician and writer in Philadelphia. He is the art director for Talking Writing and creator of the multimedia project Weird Music. Aside from his TW work, he has served as a reviews editor for independent magazines as well as a linguistic annotator and a member of the Philly band Grandchildren. He’s also a stay-at-home dad.
For more information, visit John Vogel’s Vimeo page and his Eddie Sids Vimeo page.
