Aesthetic Grounds Research Articles

SMALL STREET OF A BIG CITY AS A CHRONOTOPIC SYMBOL

Classical, as well as, modern Armenian prose is one of the important components and enriching factors of world literature. No matter how dubiously we consider today's Arme­nian prose, nonetheless, it is still developing taking a very fruitful path. Another problem is that this prose transformed by the imperatives and aesthetic taste of the time: the experimental novel finds its place next to the classical novel, the so-called newest story written based on computer material sits comfortably next to the prior short story. Besides the abstract appears alongside with realism, rationalism is accreted by irra­tio­nalism, real life is suddenly mixed with the mythical one... The enumeration can still be continued. But what is the reason of all these? As is rightly noted, "all these phenomena have their social, philosophical and aesthetic foundations, and if they are widespread, then they are not just due to individual preference, they express the thinking and style of the time as a whole, they are dictated not only by our national reality, but to one degree or another they also express or reflect the global processes taking place in the field of literature." And thus the presented article is devoted to the examination of the short story series "4th Street" by one of the noteworthy figures of modern Armenian prose Davit Samvelyan or rather to the study of a small street in a big city as a chronotopic symbol. From the literary perspective it is notable that the fourteen short stories of the series, that have no external traditional patterns in terms of composition, "suddenly" form a peculiar framework. Here, the smallest circuit, i.e., the small street with its characteristic components (building, church, smell, flag, balcony...) gradually becomes a unique symbol of the big city. It is also noticeable that the writer’s narration is not limited to the street/city ratio: finally a peculiar literary biography of not so far away past life of our Armenia is created, that revels national identity in a broad chronotopic scope (hard social conditions of 1990s, war, complex human ties and relationships).

La cruelle fatalité de l’existence, ou la représentation du mal dans La Possession d’Henry Bataille

SummaryHenry Bataille’s name is often classified among authors who are fond of the poetics of “boulevard theater”, which seems to perpetuate the canonical form of drama. However, at the turn of the twentieth century, this theater underwent an undeniable crisis that undermined the very foundations of Aristotelian aesthetics, particularly those of action. The questioning of tradition is manifested primarily through a new approach to conflict, the origin of any dramatic intrigue, which evolves from a dispute between antagonists into a resolute intrapersonal confrontation unfolding within the troubled souls of characters grappling with acute suffering. While delving into evil and its scenic representation, Henry Bataille approaches this issue in an unusual manner for a French playwright of the late nineteenth century. In the play La Possession, we witness, on one hand, the expression of cruelty fueled by animosity between characters, and on the other hand, we observe metapsychological violence descending upon the poor, defenseless creatures facing the irrevocability of fate. If the first conflict (interpersonal) physically pits adversaries against each other—with physical violence being replaced by a battle unfolding on moral and psychological levels, the second one (intrapersonal) takes place within the heart and psyche of the hero, who, paralyzed by existential anguish, is torn between his fantasies and his relationship with reality.

„Комедията без смях“ на Пиер Корней и нейната роля за развитието на класицистичната комедия във Франция

The emerging neoclassical dramaturgy in France (1720s and 1730s) explicitly sought its aesthetic foundations in ancient poetics and practices. Inspired by a rather radical interpretative development of these by Heinsius, the French playwright Pierre Corneille pursued the ambitious goal of creating an entirely new classical comedy that would not need any laughter. This article contextualizes and analyses his conception, elucidates its aesthetic underpinnings, and traces its practical realizations in order to situate this seemingly quirky aesthetic experiment in the development of comedy through the century and beyond and to affirm its value to that development. It concludes by outlining the aesthetic and dramaturgical stakes of the concept of “comedy without laughter”, designed primarily to differentiate the emerging neoclassical comedy from any old comic theatrical forms, but also to seek out and experiment with new and diverse techniques for creating comedy and generating laughter within it. The hybrid methodology of the work combines global analyses of dramatic and theoretical texts by Pierre Corneille and Heinsius, respectively, with some general statements and analytical reflections and conclusions on the establishment of the neoclassical aesthetics of comedy and the assertion and development of laughter strategies in it. The conclusion establishes the “comedy without laughter” as a non-negligible stage in the development of comedy and comic laughter in the century, which has culminated later in the works of Molière. Recognizing, understanding, and enlightening its role is important and necessary for a deeper understanding of the aesthetics of modern comedy, which have been developed since the seventeenth century and underlie contemporary comic theatrical forms as well.

The Aesthetic Ground of Scientific Inquiry

The Aesthetic Ground of Scientific Inquiry

Reinventing Women: Gustav Klimt’s Explores for Female Emotion and Expression

This study examines the depiction of women in Gustav Klimt's artwork and its links to the feminist movement of the early twentieth century. Klimt, a key figure in the Viennese Secession, challenged traditional constraints and championed personal expression and artistic innovation. His art broke new aesthetic ground and engaged in the era's critical debates on gender and power by reimagining women's portrayal. Furthermore, European society's social and cultural dynamics at the start of the 20th century, especially the rise of the feminist movement, provided a fertile backdrop and creative catalyst for Klimt's work. While Klimt's contributions are widely recognized, more specific analyses of how his art reflected and influenced the transformation in women's status still need to be more specific. This study details the evolution of female representations in Klimt's works through a literature review methodology, exploring how his art shaped and mirrored contemporary perceptions of women, thereby deepening the understanding of the interplay between art, societal norms, and cultural evolution.

Reassessment of the Aesthetics of Reception: Convergences and Epistemological Ruptures in the Field of Information and Communication Sciences

This article examines the epistemological foundations of reception aesthetics, highlighting the contributions of the Constance School, in particular the concept of the horizon of expectation. It analyzes how these ideas have been adapted to contemporary studies in information and communication sciences to study the reception of modern media. It evaluates its current applications, identifies its limits and epistemological ruptures in the field of information and communication sciences, and proposes a reevaluation of its concepts in the light of recent developments in reception studies.

Enlivening Prayers: Aesthetic and Function in the Supplicatory Odes of Shaykh Abū Bakr Atiƙu (Kano, Nigeria, d. 1974)

ABSTRACT This article analyzes Sufi supplications in the poetic works of Shaykh Abū Bakr ʿAtīq b. Khiḍr b. Abī Bakr b. Mūsā al-Kashināwī (1909–1974), known in Hausa as Shehi Abubakar Atiƙu Sanka. It examines the literary and aesthetic aspects of Atiƙu’s supplicatory odes, as well as their social and political functions. Atiƙu, a significant Tijani scholar in Kano, Nigeria, was a prominent voice in the Fayḍa Tijāniyya movement, which greatly enhanced Islamic scholarship and literacy across West Africa. The Fayḍa literature includes various genres, particularly classical Arabic odes (usually monorhyme), with the Sufi supplicatory ode (qaṣīdat al-tawassul) being a notable sub-genre. Despite their devotional nature, these odes are often overlooked by Western scholars for their literary and historical value. This article shows that Atiƙu’s odes possess a unique aesthetic grounded in reiteration and intertextuality, which contributes to their coherence and unity. Moreover, these supplicatory odes play crucial social roles and serve as valuable sources of social history. The study relies on Atiƙu’s original manuscripts, which contain paratextual elements and annotations about political and religious contexts, providing a basis for a socio-literary analysis of this Islamic poetry sub-genre in Africa.

Imagined Readers: Contrasting Professional and Reader Reviews of Chinese Book Design

Abstract: The “Beauty of Books in China” is an annual book design competition that represents the highest standard of book design in China. Despite being regarded as successful within the professional sphere, the award-winning books receive varying evaluations from general readers. In the online community “Douban Reading” which boasts a large gathering of Chinese readers, individuals express their opinions through book reviews, often diverging from the intentions of judges and designers. This article centralizes the concept of the “imagined reader” to delineate the aesthetic divergence between professional and general readers in evaluating the material features of award-winning Chinese books. Using the TF-IDF algorithm, this article conducts text analysis on the original judge comments and reader comments, identifies characteristic terms within each group, and shows different reading preference. This research finds that there are gaps between imagined readers and real readers in terms of aesthetic foundation, attitudes towards supplementary design elements, practical skills, and reading contexts. Readers’ comments reflect a distinct contrast to the design-centric view of judges.

“Ahhh I See”: Educational Philosophy and Pedagogy from 1 Corinthians 13.12

Drawing from Jacques Maritain, Flannery O'Connor, and Esther Lightcap Meek, this article describes the proper aesthetic foundation of education. Rather than the modern reductionistic vision of education that starts in doubt and works its way to certainty, utilizing 1 Corinthians 13.12 as a paradigm for education, education, rightly ordered, starts in love and works its way to wonder. This aesthetic education requires the cultivation of vision through attention and a posture of humility.

Aesthetic Grounds and Practice of Screen Adaptations of Theatrical Productions in the Light of Film and Television Language in the 1970s

The aesthetic grounds and methods of screen adaptation of theatrical performances in the context of film and television art in the USSR in the 1970s are investigated in the article as well as the influence of film and television technologies on the theatrical genre, the peculiarities of the adaptation of stage performances to the cinematographic and television environment. Attention is also paid to the revealing the peculiarities of cinematographic art as a synthetic phenomenon and its interaction with the theatrical tradition. These issues are considered in the context of the cultural and political realities of the USSR of that period, highlighting the relationship between aesthetic searches and ideological attitudes of the era. In general, a deep and systematic understanding of the process of film adaptation of theatrical performances within the framework of Soviet cinema and television art of the 1970s is submitted in the article. Since the films of this period become a time of development of existential problems of human life. The typical life of a Soviet person recedes into the background, instead, the basis of the plot becomes the search for peace of the soul, its urges for freedom, which usually unfolds against the background of something insignificant. Unlike the adaptations of literary works, when ”current ideological content” is imposed on classical original sources, adaptations of the best plays of leading Ukrainian theaters have offered perfect art, introduced a wide audience to the achievements of stage masters. But the screen adaptation of the performance is a fixation of one staging, which, of course, is shown unchanged on movie screens. The play cannot remain as it is conceived from the very beginning, and therefore gradually it has started to transform itself according to the requirements of television. However, such transformations are not always successful either. This is the beginning of the creation of a kind of the average genre between cinema and theater, which wished for better, because the aesthetic content of such a specific genre has remained opened.

Character development over happiness: the aesthetic foundation of John Stuart Mill’s philosophy of education

Abstract Despite the many interpretive disputes regarding John Stuart Mill’s philosophy of education, there is wide agreement that Mill saw education as the most necessary and significant means of promoting human happiness. I challenge this view by claiming that Mill belongs to a broad philosophical trend of his time that rejected the conception of human nature that stands at the foundation of the modern ideal of happiness according to which human freedom is expressed in the autonomous pursuit of self-satisfaction. Instead, he embraced an understanding of humans as unique beings whose freedom is expressed in the development of original characters. I argue that the change in Mill’s perception of truth that occurred during his mental crisis led him to understand these processes as open—they are not subject to any static or universal purpose since freedom is understood as the ability of individuals to alter their purposes according to the internal changes they experience. My claim regarding the negation of happiness in Mill’s thought provides an answer to the question, largely neglected in the literature, of why, unlike many thinkers associated with the tradition to which he belonged, he chose not to elucidate the operative steps necessary to promote happiness in a book dedicated to education. I conclude by claiming that his use of the utilitarian lexicon is not accidental and does not reveal internal contradictions, but is a tactical move intended to enable the optimal conditions for creating significant change in people.

INTERDISCIPLINARY OUTLOOKS ON SHILPASHASTRAS: INTEGRATING ART, AESTHETICS AND SPIRITUALITY

This paper aims to explore the multidimensional possibilities of Shilpashastras, an ancient Indian recognised tradition about various disciplines - Shilpashastras, the ancient Indian texts on art, architecture, aesthetics and craftsmanship, represent an insightful source of knowledge that has significantly formed the cultural and artistic backdrop of the ancient India. Among these, Sangramansutradhara, Manasollas, Aparajitpreccha, Kashyapshilpshastra, shilpratnakar, 'Manasara Shilpa Shastra'etc. As an inclusive guide, investigating into the elaborate details of architectural and sculptural components found in temples and other structures. It precisely outlines philosophies of design, spatial geometry, and construction techniques, providing a complete view of temple architecture. The 'Vastu Shastra' additional covers the discourse by focusing on the main beliefs of design, layout, and three-dimensional prearrangement, offering an insightful considerate of how spaces can be organized to harmonize with cosmic dynamisms. This concise study aims to lighten the elaborate links between artistic expression, aesthetic principles, and spiritual symbolism essential in ancient Indian texts. Themes to be addressed include historical perspectives on the development of Shilpashastras, philosophical insights into their aesthetic foundations, the spiritual significance of symbols and iconography, contemporary applications in art and design, and strategies for cultural heritage preservation. It seeks to expedite dialogue and collaboration among scholars, artists, practitioners, and enthusiasts, enriching our understanding of ancient Indian iconography, approach to reflect a all-inclusive understanding of the relationship between art, architecture, and spirituality in ancient India, providing invaluable insights into the symbolic language and visual culture of the time.

The stone of madness: Charcot’s interest in a copy after Pieter Bruegel Sr. as referred to by Henry Meige

ABSTRACT Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–1893) is known to have possessed interesting works of art, e.g. Jan Steen’s Marriage at Cana. In 1899, his pupil and colleague Henry Meige (1866–1940) wrote that Charcot had been interested in a painting (after a drawing) by Bruegel, named Les Arracheurs de Pierres de Teste. At the time the painting belonged to Charcot’s contemporary Ernest Mesnet (1825–1898). When Charcot visited Mesnet, he offered him a considerable amount of money. The owner did not want to sell it, but promised to leave it to Charcot in his will. As Charcot died earlier than Mesnet, the painting went to the latter’s heirs. In 1899, it was possessed by dermatologist dr. Paul de Molènes-Mahon (b. 1857). Meige published an article, in which he criticized the quality of the copy. Surgeon Henri Gaudier (1866–1942) wrote about the original painting in the Museum of St. Omer and confirmed Meige’s opinion about the copy. I will illustrate the St. Omer painting and describe Meige’s and Gaudier’s comments by comparing it with the black & white copy in Meige’s 1899 article. My study looks at Charcot as a collector of paintings, which is a minimally studied topic. He may have been interested in the Paris Bruegel copy for clinical and medical-historical reasons, rather than on aesthetic grounds.

The poetry of Maria Konopnicka in the context of belarusian-polish literary connections.

The purpose of the article is to study the artistic features of the lyrics of Maria Konopnicka, analyze the ideological and aesthetic foundations of her creative method and poetic style, as well as scientific understanding of the place and role of this bright representative of Polish positivism literature within the Belarusian cultural and historical paradigm. The introduction substantiates the novelty and relevance of the study of the poetic heritage of M. Konopnicka in the context of Belarusian-Polish literary ties. In the main part, on the example of individual poems, the ways of artistic comprehension by the poetess of a number of aesthetic, philosophical and socio-political ideas that are relevant both among the Polish and Belarusian creative intelligentsia are shown. This fact led to the emergence of literary followers, translators and interpreters of M. Konopnicka’s work, one of which is Yanka Kupala, the first national poet of Belarus. Also, the genuine interest of Belarusians in the Polish writer is explained by common cultural and historical values and traditions, a similar orientation towards representatives of the previous era (Adam Mitskevich, Juliush Slovatsky and some other Polish-Litvinian romantics). In summary, conclusions are formulated about the ideological and aesthetic searches of M. Konopnicka, as well as about the place of her poetry in the system of realism and the context of Belarusian-Polish literary ties.

Open Form, Its Psychological, Civilizational, and Aesthetic Foundations in the Works of Modern Ukrainian Artists

The paper presents the concept of an “open work” (according to the idea of Umberto Eco) as a meaningfully undefined, and even non-finito work, which appeared in the artistic practice of the 20th century, at the time of revolutionary and military disasters. The events of the early 20th century in the social, psychological, and artistic consciousness of the leading avant-garde figures caused emotional and psychological shifts and contributed to the emergence of new ways of artistic expression. In art, works with different vector characteristics emerged: palimpsest, simulacrum, deconstruction, etc. Since then, the nature of general development of art became that of a rhizome. Similar principles of artistic thinking were predicted by H. Wölfflin in art (19th century) and in the aesthetics by A. Schopenhauer, F. Nietzsche, A. Bergson, and other philosophers of the early 20th century. The aesthetic concept of an “open work” and its special poetics reoriented the European art critics’ opinions regarding the analysis of modern artistic practice. Art studies focused on the artistic form in the very process of its formation (incompleteness). The process of forming an artistic work became the subject of meticulous analysis as something that is interesting to the modern viewer, who is a “synergistic person.” In the context of the poetics of an “open work,” the paper highlights the significance of the avant-garde discoveries of Oleksandr Arkhipenko as a pioneer of world modern sculpture. The connection of his philosophical and plastic thinking with dynamic social and scientific shifts in the life of mankind, with the “physics of space” of Albert Einstein, is visualized. The revolutionary role of caesuras (voids) in the volumes of Archipenko sculpture is defined. Under the angle of the concept of an “open work,” the article visualizes new forms of dialogue between modernists of the 21st century, in particular, Ukrainian artists and their recipients. The analysis of the works of modern Ukrainian artists (O. Zhyvotkov, O. Dzhuraeva, I. Grechanyk) illustrates the practical use of an “open form” as a modern practice in the time of psychological tension and uncertainty, in the state of stressful situations of the 2022–2024 war in Ukraine. “Staying before nothingness” (K. Jaspers’s expression), life on the threshold of existence caused irrationalism and “poetics of incompleteness” in the works of the mentioned artists. It was important to determine such a substantial characteristic of the work as ambiguity in its perception and reading. The paper reveals the psychological and plastic foundations of the authors’ artistic thinking when producing an “open work.” The productivity of a certain artistic paradigm is proven.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF BAUDLER'S POETRY

This paper explores the poetics of Charles Baudelaire, one of the key figures of French symbolism, through the analysis of his poetic actions, themes, and influences. Baudelaire, known for his vision of a modern world shrouded in dark melancholy and despair, creates a poetic universe that transcends traditional aesthetic norms and lays the foundations of symbolist aesthetics. Through the analysis of Baudelaire's verses, we discover the complex relationship between beauty and evil, as well as the deep melancholy that permeates his poetry. Baudelaire's relationship to man and his view of human nothingness and conflict with the world are also explored, and thus we mark the inseparable connection between poetry and philosophy. Through the use of symbolic language and metaphors, Baudelaire creates poetic images that express existential anxiety and the inner struggle of man with himself. In addition, we analyze the role of poets in the development of Marxist aesthetics and political thought. Through it all, his poetry is a complex, deeply introspective, and universally relevant body of art, as summarized in the book Flowers of Evil, which continues to inspire and provoke readers around the world.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The spiritual essence of Chinese seascape art

The article "The Spiritual Essence of Chinese Seascape Art" explores the evolution and specifics of seascape in Chinese painting, in the context of the spiritual and cultural life of China. The genre of seascape in Chinese art began to form relatively late, at the end of the 20th century, and became significant for modern landscape painting. The article pays special attention to the rarity of the depiction of the sea and ocean in traditional Chinese painting, due to philosophical and aesthetic grounds. The changes in the perception of the sea element are analyzed, which reflect the fundamental transformations in the thinking of Chinese society. The research covers the historical period from the end of the XX century to the beginning of the XXI century, revealing the contribution of individual authors and the influence of Western art on the development of the genre. The presented analysis demonstrates how, through the study of marine painting, a unique combination of traditional Chinese and Western aesthetics is revealed, forming a new artistic language and approach to the perception of nature and the sea element. The article uses an integrated approach, including historical and comparative analysis, stylistic interpretation, to explore the evolution of the seascape in Chinese painting and its spiritual and philosophical and aesthetic content. The article explores the spiritual essence of Chinese seascape art, describing its development as a late phenomenon in comparison with Western art and as an important element in modern Chinese painting. Special attention is paid to rethinking traditional artistic methods and approaches to depicting the sea, considering it as evidence of fundamental changes in the spiritual life of Chinese society. The article discusses how the seascape reflects philosophical and aesthetic changes, especially in the last third of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The authors analyze the works of Chinese artists seeking to find unique artistic languages by integrating traditional and Western elements. The novelty of the research lies in a deep analysis of the impact of socio-cultural changes on the formation and development of the seascape in Chinese painting, which allows for a better understanding of the uniqueness and dynamics of this genre in the context of global artistic and cultural trends.

Приключения дорожников (1974–1980): национальный колорит грузинской троицы

The author focuses on a series of short films about road workers, created in 1974–1980 by different directors of the Georgia Film studio based on the scripts by Rezo Gabriadze. Despite the light comedic structure, each of the films in the cycle correlates with traditional art forms and is a kind of a parable about the important work of three friends who continue the work of their great ancestors in an already built-up world. This comedy cycle turns to the aesthetic foundations of Georgian cinema, which allows drawing conclusions about transformations in cinema, the processes of irony over the established film traditions, and nostalgia for the national cultural heritage. There is no large-scale epic background in the cinematic reality; it is introduced by a thin visual-semantic layer, paying tribute to national pride and history with the winding road surface, hills, endless fields, and the temperament of the characters. In the narrative and visual form, the three road workers can be interpreted as a homage to the Coward, the Fool and the Pro — the famous characters of Leonid Gaidai. With their undoubted masculinity, the Georgian trio paradoxically corresponds not only with Gaidai’s characters; it also represents a family where a strict ‘mother’ energetically raises a fidgety ‘child’ under the stern and gloomy gaze of a ‘father’. The spatial design of the filmic reality is dominated by road; most of the troubles happen when the characters consciously or forcedly deviate from the asphalt road itself. Overcoming the boundaries of this extended field, the characters find themselves in a moderately hostile world, salvation from which lies in returning to their road ‘Eden’.

PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE AESTHETIC FOUNDATIONS OF MUSICAL WORKS OF THE BAROQUE ERA

The article is devoted to the pedagogical analysis of the aesthetic foundations of the Baroque culture and identification of the most significant features of the musical art of this era. In the universal picture of the world created by Baroque thinkers, who tended to a comprehensive understanding of being, the main role is assigned to man, or rather, to the problem of human self-knowledge. The created hierarchy of moral values distinguishes between the “high” and “low”, “earthly” and “heavenly” in a person, directs a person to the path of conscious self-control and reasonable self-restraint. In this regard, at the present stage of cultural development, it is necessary to search for the embodiment of the immanent features of the poetics of Baroque compositions from the position of deep knowledge of all levels of their content and symbolism. In modern musical performance, the problems of interpreting Baroque music arise with renewed vigor. In professional training of modern performing musicians, mastering the works of the Baroque style and understanding its aesthetics is an important stage in the formation of their professional competencies.

Research on the application of artificial intelligence aesthetics in the cultivation of aesthetic literacy of art-normal students

The aesthetic literacy of art-normal students is an important aspect of cultivating outstanding art education talents. However, the traditional aesthetic education model has problems, such as low personalization and unclear evaluation standards. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the application of artificial intelligence (AI) aesthetics in the cultivation of aesthetic literacy of art-normal students. This research uses literature review and analysis methods to systematically sort out the relevant research results and theoretical foundations of artificial intelligence aesthetics and the cultivation of aesthetic literacy of art-normal students and discusses the application methods of artificial intelligence aesthetics in the aesthetic cultivation of art-normal students. The research has found that artificial intelligence aesthetics can provide personalized learning and guidance for art-normal students and improve the learning effect by recommending learning resources and works suitable for their needs and levels.