Customer Reviews

Calliope's Sisters: A Comparative Study of Philosophies of Art (2nd Edition)

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I had to get this book for class, it was poorly written. I do not recomend buying this book, unless you have to.

I found this book enjoyable to read but limited in its scope. As an introduction to comparative aesthetics, it's good, but not great. For example, the section on India pretty much leaves out Buddhism...a highly influential religion within the region. But I suppose no book is perfect.

This book gives sinsight as to the influence of culture, the learned behaviour of different groups of people on their art, which includes their music, their dance, their healing arts, and material arts. The influence of cultural norms, expectations, ideology, on these arts in specific examples of different culturs from around the world explains how it is necessary to understand the norms, expectations, ideologies, and perspectives of each of these groups to be able to fully understand what is coded and imbedded within the art of each group. The religion, or ideology most definitely affects the dance, music, healing arts, and material arts of each group. Anderson explains how for the Navajo, the most important, most efficacioys part of a work of art is its execution, production, not the final product. For the Navajo art is curative, it is healing, it sets things right in the world. That is why they destroy traditionally their sandpaintings after they are done. They are made to heal. They believe not work of art is ever perfect. They intentionally incorportate errors in their baskets, their rugs, their songs. Their art, their language and much about them is so different from other cultures. It was for that reason that they became the Code Talkers and helped us win World War II in the Pacific. The Japanese couldn't crack the code sent in their language. There is much to be learned from this little book, and it is entertaining, it is an enjoyable read. Amazon delivered the book promptly and it was securely wrapped. You'll love this work by Anderson.