Art as Communication

Aesthetics, Evolution, and Signaling

By: Shawn Simpson

Write A Review

Hardcover | 15 October 2024

At a Glance

Hardcover
312 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.89 x 15.27

Hardcover

RRP $206.00

$160.75

22%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $40.19 with

Aims to ship in 5 to 10 business days

Is art a form of communication? If so, what does art express or represent? How should we interpret the meaning of works created by more than one artist? Is art an adaptation, via natural selection? In what ways is art similar to--and different from--language? Art as Communication: Aesthetics, Evolution, and Signaling employs information theory, the theory of evolution, and the newly developed sender-receiver model of communication to reason about art, aesthetic behavior, and its communicative nature. Shawn Simpson considers whether art, from a biological point of view, is the province of only humans or whether animals might reasonably be said to create art. Examining the work of evolutionary biologists, art theorists, linguists, and philosophers--including Charles Darwin, Stephen Davies, H. Paul Grice, and others--he addresses how well different theories of communication explain meaning and expression in art and argues that art is much more continuous with other forms of communication than previously thought.

Industry Reviews

"With refreshing frankness and simplicity, Art as Communication returns us to age-old questions about what matters most about art and sheds new light on them by bringing to bear a model of communication, the 'sender-receiver' model, that is more biologically-grounded than its traditional philosophical competitors. His discussion is grounded in a wealth of specific examples drawn from a wide-range of artforms. Shawn Simpson is admirably patient and thorough in building its case that the sender-receiver model affords a more comprehensive and unified understanding of individual and collective communication across the arts and across the human/animal divide."

--Kristin Boyce, Vanderbilt University

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.