Aesthetic Process Research Articles

For the “Briefly Gorgeous” Moment: Imagism and Queer Aesthetics in Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

ABSTRACT Ocean Vuong’s epistolary novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is distinguished by its highly sensory, descriptive, and fragmented linguistic style, coupled with an anachronic, multi-line narrative strategy. These stylistic elements exemplify salient modernist aesthetics, particularly resonating with the tenets of the Imagist movement. Through the presentation of fleeting images and juxtaposed scenes across temporal and spatial boundaries, Vuong’s fiction delineates the narrator’s transient, synesthetic recollections which merge into a dynamic flow of conscious duration, constituting a notable queer racial formalist work. Moreover, Vuong’s richly sensory and affective portrayal facilitates an embodied engagement with external spaces, unraveling the complex layers of the protagonist’s Asian American queer identity. By integrating a corporeal perspective into the aesthetic process of receiving and composing, Vuong reconfigures the traditionally passive bottom role toward a more dynamic and inclusive queer performance, thus challenging the entrenched heteronormative constructions that comply with Western imperialist and masculinist discourses. Beyond empowering the “abject” bottom, Vuong’s novel also posits a shared vulnerability inherent in queer bodies, envisioning a side path for the minoritarian groups.

Factory Humanisms: Technical Aesthetics, Sino-Soviet Encounters, and the Fashioning of the Postsocialist Factory in Reform-Era China

The reemergence of aesthetics in China’s early reform period witnessed a wide-ranging embrace of the early Marxist vocabulary of species-being, alienation, and unalienated labor, in tandem with a wave of interest in developments in Soviet aesthetics that had arisen over the 1960s and 1970s. Above all, Chinese aestheticians were enthused by the Soviet field of “technical aesthetics,” which marked those currents in Soviet aesthetic thought that extended the possibilities of beauty beyond the delimited space of the artwork or literary creation to envision how factory labor might become an aesthetic process, simultaneously productive and artistic. By tracing the trajectory of these currents of aesthetic thought against the background of Marxist humanism, I show the ways in which Soviet–Chinese aesthetic encounters conditioned the fashioning of the post-Maoist factory as creative space and the postsocialist figure of the human as creative laborer.

Unearthing Beauty

This article explores the relationship between experiences of beauty and leadership in times of rupture. It draws from a broad trans-disciplinary literature centering beauty as an aesthetic experience that allows access to more holistic knowledge in the midst of uncertainty. Such an approach, it is argued, can offer leaders distinct pathways to cultivate greater awareness and capability as they sense into, and seek to generatively influence complex living systems. It then describes research where a group of systems leaders were offered a guided experience of beauty. Using an art-based methodology, the findings suggest beauty stimulated an increased aesthetic sensitivity to novel insights, emotions, and perspectives that fell outside of the participants’ customary experience. Additional impacts included a felt-sense of connection with others, an invitation to express oneself more authentically, and a willingness to experience discomfort. Based on these findings, I argue that working with beauty, and with aesthetic processes more generally, may be a critical awareness practice that bridges the logical and the analogical mind and invites an attunement to something larger than the individual self that is at once transpersonal and ecologically grounded. Such an orientation, I argue, builds upon the principles and practices of complexity leadership to include a way of being that is both sensitive to beauty and attempts to create more of it in the world. I call this way of being a leadership of devotion and argue its pursuit invites important inner work: the restoration of our capacity to feel, see, and act in service of a just and equitable future for all.

Renaissance as an Aesthetic Mechanism: the Renaissance and the Russian Silver Age

The object of this study is the phenomenon of renaissance in culture, the subject area is the causes and mechanism of the deployment of Renaissance processes. The problems we are starting from are the blurring of the term "renaissance" in humanitarian studies and the lack of its conceptualization from the point of view of aesthetic sensuality. One of the well – established perspectives of the Renaissance phenomenon is its generalization as a universal phenomenon. Understanding the "renaissance" as a recurring event and a feature of culture raises the question of the foundations and characteristics of the "Renaissance". The article identifies such signs from the standpoint of philosophical aesthetics, referring to the changes in the spatial-temporal concepts of the European Renaissance and the Russian Silver Age, as well as the productive consequences of this recoding. The originality of the author's approach lies in the fact that the approach to the topic is carried out through the study of historical transformations of sensuality and sensitivity, which have not yet received a detailed understanding of aesthetics. To describe cultural revivals as aesthetic processes, the concept of the "aesthetic mechanism" of the Renaissance is proposed, based on the idea of changing chronotopes. The main conclusions are that the re-symbolization of space and time, defined by I. Kant as a priori forms of sensuality, causes a change in the phenomena organized by them, and the result of changing the worldview and the existential position of the subject is the intensification of culture, which constitutes the Renaissance.

Rhythm and the embodied aesthetics of infant-caregiver dialogue: insights from phenomenology

AbstractThis paper explores how phenomenological notions of rhythm might accommodate a richer description of preverbal infant-caregiver dialogue. Developmental psychologists have theorized a crucial link between rhythm and intercorporeality in the emergence of intersubjectivity and self. Drawing on the descriptions of rhythm in the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Erwin Straus, Henri Maldiney and Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, the paper emphasizes the role of art and aesthetic processes proposing that they not only be considered as metaphorical or representational aspects of rhythm but as primary resources that can enrich and deepen our understanding of self-emergence and intercorporeality in preverbal infant-caregiver dialogue.

Stage Repertoire of the Soviet Regional Theater During the Period of Late Socialism

Relevance. Addressing the repertoire policy of theaters is relevant due to the fact that the study of the repertoire allows us to trace not only the main directions of artistic processes, but also the specifics of social changes of the era being studied.Purpose of the study: to study the specifics of the process of formation and implementation of the stage repertoire of theaters in the Urals in the political and ideological conditions of «developed socialism».Objectives. To achieve the research goal, the following tasks were formulated: to characterize the general principles of the formation of the stage repertoire and the practical mechanism for its compilation; study the themes and genre structure of the repertoire plans of regional theaters in the late Soviet period.Methodology. The methodological basis of the study was a systemic-historical approach, which allows us to study repertory policy as a system functioning in the socio-political environment of the era of late socialism.Results. The stage repertoire was an expression of the creative search of theater groups, carried out in conditions of compromise with the official policy of the state, the ruling party and the natural course of the artistic and aesthetic process. From the point of view of ideology and adherence to party guidelines, «mature ideological and artistic» and «box office» works stood out in the repertoire plans of theaters. The leading place was occupied by the plays of modern Soviet playwrights. The national orientation of the theaters of the multinational Urals was manifested in the embodiment of the works of national playwrights on the stages. A feature of the era was the introduction of plays for children and youth into the repertoire of not only theaters specializing in youth audiences, but also opera and drama groups.Conclusion. The repertoire of the Ural theaters was represented by a variety of works and was built taking into account the requirements of the era. The implementation of the repertoire policy of theaters contributed to the involvement of various socio-demographic groups of the population in the theatrical process, the expansion and complexity of the cultural space of the era under study.

Network modeling of aesthetic effect for Chinese Yue Opera costume simulation images

Abstract In the digital age, virtual simulation images have become an important communication form of Chinese traditional Yue Opera costumes and their culture. Focusing on the lay viewers’ aesthetic experience, we collected 16 subjective evaluations, including favorites of basic design elements, semantic impressions, and high-level aesthetic experience, of 257 participants on 5 virtual simulation pictures of Yue Opera costumes for different characters and used network analysis to explore the possible relationship of the variables. The inferred networks showed that the archetypal aesthetic was more relevant to the costume design elements, emotions, interests, and the sense of high level. The conspicuous clothing, understanding of creative intent, and the desire for cultural knowledge were key “bridges” in the aesthetic process. Although the aesthetic network of each costume varied partially based on character differences, it showed more similarities overall. On the basis of the findings, we discuss the possible theoretical basis of the networks and make practical suggestions for the virtual dissemination of Yue Opera costumes.

On The Cultivation of Music Aesthetic Quality in Music Appreciation of Teenagers

Music is not only about hearing, but more importantly, feeling. However, many young people still lack the ability to appreciate music, and the aesthetic appreciation of music needs to be improved. Scholars at home and abroad have been devoted to the cultivation of youth music aesthetics, and have provided many effective solutions to this problem. This paper mainly discusses the existing problems of teenagers' music aesthetic, and how to solve these problems and how to cultivate teenagers' music aesthetic quality correctly and effectively. Through a variety of music courses and providing a good free atmosphere, students can improve their aesthetic level, develop creativity and expression skills, explore their interests and talents, build self-confidence, and form a positive self-identity. This can open up a broader artistic horizon for young people, develop a respect and appreciation for cultural diversity, and thus become better lifelong music lovers. In general, the cultivation of teenagers' music aesthetics is a complicated and important process. By providing diverse music experiences, encouraging participation in music creation, guiding deep thinking about music works, establishing music appreciation communities, and supporting and participating in family and education, the development of young people's music aesthetics can be effectively promoted. Further research will help to understand the formation process of teenagers' music aesthetics and provide more scientific and effective guidance for teenagers' music education.

Possible vascular complications due to anatomical variations in dental surgical treatments

The facial artery undergoes multiple anatomic variations that condition the territory that vascularizes to the facial level. During the dissection of several pieces, we find a curious anatomic alteration in which the transverse facial artery is the one that replaces the facial artery because it disappears at the level of the submandibular gland. This anatomic variance can help to improve the knowledge of the vascularization of this area and be helpful in the different surgical or aesthetic processes in the facial region, and doing so minimizes the damages that can be caused in the anatomical surfaces treated. This is why in the planning of the treatment it would be always useful to know the path of the main vessels and nerves to avoid their possible injury and, in this case, we recommend the use of means such as ultrasound.

Forensic Audio and Voice Analysis: TV Series Reinforce False Popular Beliefs

People’s perception of forensic evidence is greatly influenced by crime TV series. The analysis of the human voice is no exception. However, unlike fingerprints—with which fiction and popular beliefs draw an incorrect parallel—the human voice varies according to many factors, can be altered deliberately, and its potential uniqueness has yet to be proven. Starting with a cursory examination of landmarks in forensic voice analysis that exemplify how the voiceprint fallacy came about and why people think they can recognize people’s voices, we then provide a thorough inspection of over 100 excerpts from TV series. Through this analysis, we seek to characterize the narrative and aesthetic processes that fashion our perception of scientific evidence when it comes to identifying somebody based on voice analysis. These processes converge to exaggerate the reliability of forensic voice analysis. We complement our examination with plausibility ratings of a subset of excerpts. We claim that these biased representations have led to a situation where, even today, one of the main challenges faced by forensic voice specialists is to convince trial jurors, judges, lawyers, and police officers that forensic voice comparison can by no means give the sort of straightforward answers that fingerprints or DNA permit.

Televising Talent: Musicality, Meritocracy, and the Aesthetics of Exclusion

AbstractThroughout the history of television, American audiences have participated in a tradition of programs that follow a consistent structure: Amateur musicians and entertainers are offered an opportunity to display their talent on stage, competing for audience votes to win first prize and a chance at stardom. This article contributes to a growing literature on the significance of televised talent shows, demonstrating how their remarkable longevity and representational power stems from their configuration as a “format,” the set of guidelines that structure and constrain the content of each broadcast—an aesthetic process grounded in exclusion. Through their formatting, I argue, these programs reify the notion of “talent” at the heart of talent shows, transforming a multidimensional and context-contingent assemblage of musical abilities into a seemingly stable object able to be recognized, rated, and ranked. Musical auditions offer a microcosm of formatting's role as a means of training audiences’ attention. They normalize the practice of eliminating whatever (or whomever) is deemed unworthy—on these programs and in the wider world. Through analyzing examples from Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour (1948), The Gong Show (1978), and The Voice (2017), the article demonstrates how beneath the widely discussed content of contestant demographics, judge commentary, or audience voting results, the talent show format serves to obscure the contradictions upon which meritocracy's cruel optimism rests.

The Aesthetic Dimension of Reading: An Embodied-Ecological Approach

This paper aims at integrating insights from ecological psychology, pragmatism, and embodied cognitive science to shed light on the aesthetic dimension underlying daily activities. For this purpose, we discuss conceptions of the aesthetic developed by authors from diverse traditions, including Dewey’s pragmatism, Carroll’s cognitivism, and Saito’s everyday aesthetics. We focus on the activity of reading, which has traditionally been conceived as involving the establishment of letter-sound correspondences and the rule-based deduction of information. However, an embodied framework opens up a more ecological understanding of this activity encompassing dynamic, multimodal perceptual engagement which is dependent on: (i) who the reader is (ii) the task or purpose, and (iii) what the person-environment-system affords. This form of engagement, even in mundane everyday-reading, we argue, brings forth an aesthetic dimension to it. Specifically, we explore how bodily engagement such as olfactory, tactile, and prosodic processes, saturate even logical judgements and reasoning. This integration of embodied and aesthetic processes in a particular context, we claim, can effectively emphasise and cultivate an aesthetic attitude. This, in turn, will provide insight into how the aesthetic dimension of reading can be cultivated intelligently, enriching the overall experience and will also illuminate why we read at all.

Dialogue and defamiliarization

To lead discussions about complex literary texts in a classroom of teenagers is no doubt a challenging task for many teachers. It is therefore meaningful to explore how teachers’ management of literature discussions can be supported and improved. Prior research indicates a positive relationship between certain modes of discussion and increased literary awareness. Yet observational studies underscore that open-ended, probing discussions about literature are scarce in today’s classrooms.
 This article elaborates the theoretical framing of an intervention designed to improve the quality of teacher-led discussions about complex literary texts. We argue that dialogic theory, appropriate for highlighting the processes of classroom interaction, needs to be supplemented by theory that offers an explanation for the role of the literary text and its impact on both readers and their interaction processes. For this purpose, we examine the conceptual matching between theory of dialogic teaching, drawing on Bakhtin’s idea of meaning making as inherently dialogic, and theories of literary reception, specifically Shklovsky’s concept defamiliarization and recent didactical analysis of Derrida’s concept undecidability. The intention of the paper is to suggest a theoretical framing of the intervention, one that allows for both analysis of the aesthetic processes of reading and talking about literature, and specific guidance of teachers’ management of those discussions.

Self-identification and Free Choice: Analysis of Female Audience's Beauty Makeup Video Viewing

With the development of short videos, short videos of beauty makeup have gradually developed and prospered due to their teaching, viewing and entertainment. As the main force of audience of beauty makeup videos, the views and understanding of female audiences on beauty makeup videos are very important. This paper studies and analyzes the psychology and demands of female audiences through the purpose of watching beauty makeup videos, the selection and recognition of video content, and the construction process of self-aesthetics. In addition, the audience is free in the choice of videos, in the recognition of content generated by watching videos, and in the construction process of aesthetics that may affect the audience. In addition, the audience is free in the choice of videos, in the recognition of content generated by watching videos, and in the construction process of aesthetics that may affect the audience.

Code biology and aesthetics

This paper lays the foundations for an investigation of aesthetics in the light of the theories proposed in the field of Code Biology. Starting from the research objectives that aesthetics has set since its origins, a comparison is made with those aesthetic theories that have been most concerned with the sensory approach to the environment, with the attempt to unite human sciences and the main biological discoveries. Thanks to the scientifically grounded insights offered by Code Biology, we will first outline the field of interest of aesthetics and its foundations, and then delineate certain boundaries – such as those between sensations and perceptions, the aesthetic process and the work of art – that characterise such a field of research. Particular attention will be paid to locating the aesthetic process within the more general cognitive processes, i.e. the three cognitive macrosystems that enable the modelling of the world.

«PAR A QUE SE REPRESENTE ESTA COMEDIA APARENTE QUE HACE EL HUMANO SENTIDO»: REPRESENTAR LA COMEDIA HOY PAR A QUE NO SE OLVIDE EL AYER

Outside of festivals, the Comedia as a Golden Age cultural product is at risk of becoming an uprooted element in contemporary cul-ture. There are several phenomena against its integrated survival: the deconstruction of the concepts of “own” and “canonical,” the new gener-ations’ lack of identification, and the ethical and aesthetic processes of reworking and proximation. We propose here a didactic and informa-tive task that brings comedy (closer to its original conception) to general audiences through the creation of films in higher education institutions. As part of an educative digital humanities and public humanities proj-ect, these films would integrate an accessible repository of films based on comedies, facilitate interdisciplinary teaching, and provide the edu-cator with expressive means to teach and show the Comedia beyond the paper, in addition to providing students with experience-based learning.

A Brief Analysis of the Development Process of Chinese Aesthetics and Aesthetic Education — Based on The Path of Beauty

The Path of Beauty by Li Zehou is a broad outline of the history of Chinese aesthetics and a classic of Chinese aesthetics. According to the law of beauty, human beings shape and form the unique process of aesthetic education which belongs to China, and aesthetic education also feeds back into the process of aesthetic development. The development of aesthetics should also be unified with the contemporary background. The ultimate concern of realizing people manifested in the historical logic and internal logic of beauty is rooted in reality.

Modern Global Art Groups' Effects on Graphic Design

The modern era in defining the features of formal and expressive construction and achieves its functional and aesthetic goals. Hence, the research aimed to clarify the formal and organizational variables of graphic designers and their expressive performance and to compare their impact on the methods of artistic movements in the modern era. The research was based on the descriptive analytical approach of a group of samples, from which it came out with a set of results and conclusions, namely: Modern arts contributed to finding new performance standards for the aesthetic process in design, which was limited to the aesthetics of drawing and its techniques to express it to the techniques of collage and photo montage towards expressive metaphor using previously untouched materials. Achieving the formal organization of the elements with the background, whether through mathematical and engineering logic or as a coincidence industry, led to a transformation in the design process and the emergence of a new spatial relationship that directly affected a clear transformation of the design.

Un/Designing the Borderline: Walls, Bodies, and Creative Resistance

ABSTRACT Far more than simply a geographical line, the Mexico–US border is a space wherein aesthetic processes are negotiated, a performative space that attracts and spurs a critical and creative imagination. The essay examines the border as a location of design from various perspectives. Firstly, the real-existing border and its recent installations and installation proposals will be considered, before the attention will be turned to conceptual designs which, understood as examples of artistic practice, broach the issue of such facilities and seek to subvert them through ideas. Contemporary art and design projects address the constructional character of the border and, in part, also deconstruct it, challenging stereotypical ascriptions and thus turning the rigid fixations brittle and friable, making the border porous. Design puts the imaginary into play, altering the perception of boundaries and what it means to shift and transgress them.

The Image Restoration of the “Regional Image” in the English Translation of “The Sichuan Road”

In the study of "image" of Chinese classical poetry, the generation of "regional image" is quite different from the traditional image. Regional image often has a strong local color. Compared with other poetic images, the regional image formed by a certain geographical space, it has a relatively fixed geographical location and writing group. The regional image is an aesthetic process from the objective "representation" to the objective combination of "image". Regional image is more obviously affected by the internal laws of regional objective literature. Bashu region is characterized by its dangerous terrain, long culture and inclusiveness, which has formed a typical "regional image of Bashu" in ancient Chinese poetry. It is a unique branch of Chinese culture with distinctive regional color and profound spiritual connotation. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, there have been countless poems and works related to Bashu regional culture. Among these works, “The Sichuan Road”is most typical one. This paper adopts case analysis and comparison method, comparing the translation of regional images in Yang Xianyi's and Sun Dayu's English versions of “The Sichuan Road”, aims to explore the cultural connotation of the Bashu nationality and the correct restoration of the Bashu regional image. It is expected to provide a reference for the study of ethnic culture in Bashu region and provide a new perspective for the study of Tang poetry and other poetry works related to Bashu.