Aesthetic Investigations (E-Journal, Dutch Association of Aesthetics)
Not a member yet
153 research outputs found
Sort by
Architecture, Buildings, and Political Ends
Full text linkIt is not infrequently heard in architectural circles that architecture is an inherently political enterprise and pursuit, such that build structures are, correspondingly, inherently political objects. But does architecture, by its nature as practice or artifact, universally serve political ends? Taking ends of something X to be political iff X serves the projection of power by state or government, or advances policy-making, ideologies, or the body politic, it may be thought that
AP1. Architecture, in its products, always serves political ends.
on the grounds that, roughly speaking, wherever one looks, one finds cases providing evidence that
AP2. Buildings (built structures, generally) always serve political ends, and
AP3. Buildings (built structures) are the only products of architecture.
On the supposition that this fairly tracks the common view, I take for granted that the argument goes through if the premises are defensible. I propose, though, that neither AP2 nor AP3 are defensible, at least in the grand, universal fashion that they are offered
Naked, Fat, and Fabulous: Life Models in the Visual Arts
Full text linkThis paper attempts to bring together two lines of thought that might seem unrelated. The first is the idea that the life class should be a safe space that respects and nurtures the creative autonomy of life models. The second is the idea that it is morally, socially, and aesthetically permissible to be fat and that fat persons are entitled to the same dignity, respect, and celebration to which straight-sized persons are entitled. Putting these two thoughts together, I explore the idea that the life class can be a space for the aesthetic exploration and appreciation of fat bodies and hence an important space for combatting fat oppression.I would like to issue a warning about content that may be upsetting or triggering for my readers. In section II, I briefly discuss sexual harassment and sexual assault. In section III, I give quite a few examples of the kinds of harassment and hostility that fat persons face
Architecture is Not Public Art
Full text linkIn this ‘Editor’s column’, I question whether architecture is what we have come to call Public Art. It seems nonsense to say that architecture is not an art, when it is obviously something that people make for audiences, i.e. for other people who admire it. Moreover, architecture steers and influences people. Evidently, all of culture is by and for people and influences people. But when is culture art? Is design an art – is architecture
Susanne Langer on Architecture: Ethnic Domain, Virtual Space, and the Feeling of Life
Full text linkThat human thought is essentially symbolic was Susanne Langer’s “new key” to philosophy. No approach might seem less promising for understanding our experience of architecture: apart from a few academics who have confused architectural drawing with architecture itself, most people think of architecture as comprising three-dimensional, physical objects built of wood, stone, steel, glass, and all sorts of contemporary composites, as real rather than symbolic as it can get. We should begin where she did, namely, by distinguishing what she called “discursive” and “presentational” symbolism. Langer’s main point is not merely that architecture provides ethnic domains, but that it provides images of ethnic domain
Urban Ruins and the Neo -Picturesque Landscape
Full text linkWhile classical ruins are seen as tourist destinations, contemporary or industrial ruins are dismissed as disused sites. In this paper I argue for the preservation of urban (or contemporary) ruins. I focus on one specific case, that of the Miami Marine Stadium in Miami, Florida USA. Since the 1990s the stadium has been derelict, a canvas for graffiti artists and a home to skateboarders. In 2018 the City of Miami decided to revamp the stadium and reopen it as a concert and sporting venue. The current design-development plan has sanitized this urban ruin, robbing it of its past. I will situate the debate about rehabbing contemporary ruins within the growing literature of the neo-picturesque, specifically neo-picturesque landscape design. I believe that urban ruins such as these have a place in the modern city and will suggest some paths forward for these neo-picturesque ruin beauties
Gestures of/at Art
Full text linkAn odd occurrence within a live model session is that the model, while nude, is drawn in a way which renders irrelevant the nakedness. Participants may focus on the model\u27s face, or draw the pose while heavily blurring breasts or genitalia—the unveiling of which is, presumably, partly what the model is hired for. Why? If a live model presents an opportunity to study human anatomy or embodied gestures without the interruption of clothing, participants would likely focus upon parts which normally remain private. Instead, it is not rare to see sketches and work which could have been produced while permitting the model to wear swimwear or even substantial clothing.Nudity\u27s status within the artist-live model relationship will be one topic of this essay. Three additional questions will be (1) the model\u27s motivation; (2) the degree of agency attributed to the model: for some, a mere prop; for others, a full-fledged performer; (3) the role of \u27art\u27 in the live model session given how much of it remains incomplete and not displayed
Tourism & the Built Environment: Gehry’s Blossoming Beacons vs. a Paradisiacal Polder
Full text linkThis paper explores the differences in ‘affect’ between Gehry’s blossoming beacons, whose visibility in the landscape lends them the role of beckoning flowers and the comparable invisibility of Floriade Expo 2022, whose horizontality granted it a subtlety that has thus far failed to elicit any of the thrill associated with the \u27Bilbao Effect\u27, even though it proffers an unparalleled botanical paradise. Thus far, it seems that people find biodiverse parks less impressive than buildings, even though thousands of people have worked tirelessly to ensure its viability. One year later, however, people are revaluating flower shows\u27 ecological costs
Constructing and Using the Portrait Sitting as an Art-Historical Research Object
Full text linkPortraiture is said to have evolved from a collaborative social practice to an artist-centric one. I challenge this view by focusing on the portrait sitting. I develop a portrait-sitting ontology, and a portrait-sitting database. I do so with reference to works in London\u27s National Portrait Gallery, because the gallery features noteworthy sitters, leading to rich interpersonal exchanges during sittings. An approach from my portrait-sitting database shows the contributions of sitters to portrait production, calls attention to shared social and cultural ideas behind particular types of portrait production, and supports new interpretations of portraits and new periodisations of portraiture