Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature

AphilosophermakesthecaseforthinkingofworksofartastoolsforinvestigatingourselvesInStrangeTools:ArtandHumanNature,thephilosopherandcognitivescientistAlvaNoëarguesthatourobsessionwithworksofarthasgotteninthewayofunderstandinghowartworksonus.ForNoë,artisn'taphenomenoninneedofanexplanationbutamodeofresearch,amethodofinvestigatingwhatmakesushuman--astrangetool.Artisn'tjustsomethingtolookatorlistento--itisachallenge,adaretotrytomakesenseofwhatitisallabout.Artaimsnotforsatisfactionbutforconfrontation,intervention,andsubversion.Throughdiverseandprovocativeexamplesfromthehistoryofart-making,Noërevealsthetransformativepowerofartisticproduction.Bystagingadance,choreographerscastlightonthewaybodilymovementorganizesus.Paintinggoesbeyonddepictionandrepresentationtocallintoquestiontheroleofpicturesinourlives.Accordingly,wecannotreducearttosomenaturalaestheticsenseortrigger;recenteffortstoframequestionsofartintermsofneurobiologyandevolutionarytheoryalonearedoomedtofail.Byengagingwithart,weareabletostudyourselvesinprofoundlynovelways.Infact,artandphilosophyhavemuchmoreincommonthanwemightthink.Reframingtheconversationaroundartistsandtheircraft,StrangeToolsisadaringandstimulatinginterventionincontemporarythought.