Aesthetic Criticism Research Articles

Songs of Eros: The Blues of Bessie Smith

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how Bessie Smith's Classic Blues exemplifies the potential for change through the aesthetic dimension. We will reference the works Eros and Civilization: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud, An Essay on Liberation, and The Aesthetic Dimension: Toward a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics by Herbert Marcuse to illustrate how music possesses a persuasive power over the minds, souls, and bodies of listeners. Additionally, we will utilize Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday by Angela Davis, which presents the Blues as a means for expressing and transmitting the ideas and thoughts of Black women, capable of provoking changes in African American consciousness. Bessie Smith, one of the best-known singers of Classic Blues, is featured in this article. The singer preserved an African heritage in her songs that was presented to African Americans, serving as an incentive for alternative models of behavior and attitudes towards the established norms.

A Corpus-Based Evaluation of English Readers’ Aesthetic Reception of the Shandong-English Translation in Red Sorghum

In the context of world literature, target readers’ aesthetic reception of literary works has shifted from single culture to multiple cultures and has become a crucial factor in social-cultural communication. Shandong dialect, previously misidentified as vulgar expressions in literary research, has proved to have specific aesthetic values as explored in this research. This paper aims to analyse reasons for aesthetic criticism and find solutions to enhance the aesthetic acceptability of Shandong-English translation in Red Sorghum among English readers. Data were collected from different channels, including scholarly critiques, book reviews, blog posts by literary critics, and online forums. A corpus-based methodology is utilized to examine the aesthetic acceptability and reasons for aesthetic criticism by employing a re-framed aesthetic reception theory. Results showed greater frequency of aesthetic acceptance in book reviews than in online forums and blog posts by literary critics, with 53.7 per cent aesthetic acceptance versus 39.7 per cent aesthetic criticism from a total 529 sample data, excluding 6.6 per cent neutrality. Furthermore, book reviews showed a greater tendency towards aesthetic acceptance (64.3%) than online forums (51.5%) and blog posts by literary critics (33.3%). Lastly, the reasons for aesthetic criticism were mainly demonstrated in cultural disparity and defamiliarization of Shandong dialectal expression. The paper concludes by underscoring the significance of shifting from a text-oriented tendency to readers’ expectancy, initiative interaction, and social consciousness in the interaction with literary works. The study contributes reconstructed theory and practical insights for translators to balance the original cultural references and acceptability among English readers.

Critical Aesthetics Between American Pragmatism and the Frankfurt School

Abstract The publication of Art as Experience in 1934 marked a theoretical turning point away from the disinterested spectatorship of Kant towards an aesthetics of everyday life. Dewey’s major claim therein is that “aesthetic experience” is privileged and ought to be taken as paradigmatic for all experience because it is controlled by an affective unity that he calls “pervasive quality” which harmonizes thought and action with its social and environmental context. In 1935 Walter Benjamin argued that pre-industrial works of art have an “aura” that exerts an affective lure on consciousness, and that the remnants of this aura in the post-industrial age may lead to the abandonment of critical thought and seduce the masses into the sway of fascism. This paper considers John Dewey’s aesthetic theory in light of the critical perspective developed by his contemporaries in the Frankfurt School. I will consider whether Dewey’s reliance on the qualitative dimension of experience undermines the critical reflection that, theoretically, prevents the “aestheticization of politics” that leads to the spread of fascism, and propose that pragmatist aesthetics would benefit from greater tolerance for the “negativity” exemplified by the critical theorists.

The Polemics between Zarifopol and Ibrăileanu. The Battle of Wits

The present paper focuses on the polemic between Paul Zarifopol and Garabet Ibrăileanu, one of the best examples of the polemic of ideas in romanian culture. The paper traces the path of the polemic between the two, considering the appropriate critical methods of analyzing and interpreting literary works, in relation to the specifics given by a tradition of criticism, to the specifics of literature, but also to the local public. Advocating for different aesthetic conceptions, respectively for aesthetic criticism (Zarifopol) and complete criticism (Ibrăileanu), the aim of the paper is to highlight the theories and mind games found in the polemic between the two, carried out under the dome of the passion for truth, of the high intellectual preciousness, on a field in which mutual respect and admiration for great values take precedence.

A Psychoanalytic Critique of Trauma Aesthetics in Ferdinard Oyono’s Houseboy

This article engages in a psychoanalytic critique of the trauma aesthetics in Ferdinand Oyono’s Houseboy. The study employs an explanatory research design, using qualitative methods to delve into the under-researched dimensions of colonial trauma depicted in the novel. Explanatory research is particularly suited for this study as it addresses problems that lack extensive previous research, sets priorities, generates operational definitions, and offers well-developed models for understanding complex issues. The study reveals that characterization is crucial in exposing colonial trauma, prominently illustrated by the character of Toundi, who suffers immensely on his deathbed. The agony of Toundi, along with other characters like Calisia, Sophie, and Toundi’s sister, underscores the deep psychological scars inflicted by colonial oppression. Keywords: Aesthetics, Houseboy, Psychoanalytic critique, Tragic end, Trauma

Aesthetics and Semiotics of Communication in Visual Language: A Multimodal Criticism on the Short Film of Ismail

This conceptual paper aims to present a multimodal critique of the visual language in the short film Ismail. It analyses the social semiotics represented in the film's composition of image and language, which portrays a day story from the Palestinian visual artist Ismail Shammout (1930-2006) in the diaspora. From an aesthetic perspective, the research focuses on the social construction of an artist's identity through visual language. Such film transforms the artist's narrative into a communicational oeuvre in Arabic to represent an individual description of the Palestinian diaspora, which constructed one of the prominent grand narratives in the modern history of Arab Art. The main character in the film is Ismail, a Palestinian painter who performs his daily job as a candy seller in the streets. The argumentation in this critique depends on the aesthetic manifestations of the social semiotics of Arab Art in the film. Throughout the film's visual language, Ismail keeps representing his thoughts about the characteristics of Arab Art. He is a travelling aesthetician who walks through the desert and sells candy to strangers while talking to a younger kid escorting him through the film. The research's problem corresponds to the need for more investigation into language study, which this research advances to render. The methodology dedicated the aesthetic critique to produce aesthetic research on the film's visual language. Introducing an aesthetic review of visual language and connecting it with sociopolitical semiotics is significant. This research raises awareness of the importance of visual language knowledge in education systems.

HEIDEGGER’S UNDERSTANDING OF ART IN THE ESSAY THE ORIGIN OF THE WORK OF ART

The paper analyzes Heidegger's understanding of art, presented in the essay The Origin of the Work of Art. The research is divided into two parts: destructive, dedicated to the exposition of Heidegger's understanding of the process of aestheticization and criticism of modern aesthetics, and constructive, which presents a detailed analysis of Heidegger's understanding of art and the work of art. Although in the first part, Heidegger claims that the Hegelian thesis about the end of art has merit, as he finds that aestheticization is a process in which the work of art disappears into experience, in the second part, Heidegger opens up space for its reconsideration and thus introduces the thesis about defiant potential of art and the possibility for expelling representation and metaphysical aesthetics. This is why Heidegger begins a complex analysis of the way of being of the work of art, which is first opened in contrast to the being of thing and the being of equipment. The research reveals that the work of art should be understood within the dialectics of the world and the earth, through the concept of truth as aletheia, and concludes that art is simultaneously the truth's setting-itself-into-work and the setting-of-truth-into-the-work. Heidegger's double definition of art suggests the introduction of a balance between the reflexive and revolutionary understanding of art, between the autonomy of the work and the need for the artist and the audience, and the ontological determinations of throwness and projection. In the end, the examination of the origin of a work of art shows that art itself is a kind of origin from which the truth as unconcealment springs.

Practice of Contemporary Dance Education under the Visual Threshold of Modern Chinese Aesthetic Education—Starting from “Aesthetic Education Brochure”

Schiller’s aesthetic thought has always been a link and important presence in the development of German classical aesthetics. He not only critically inherited Kant’s aesthetic thought to discuss beauty with subjective and rational empiricism, but also inspired Schelling, Hegel and other western aesthetic masters to understand beauty; In addition, his thought of “aesthetic education” was founded for the first time when Western aesthetics was in the ascendant. As Chinese esthetician Zhou Xian states in his introduction, “The pursuit of this complete humanity is the most powerful appeal of the Book.” Mr. Schiller uses literary forms and aesthetic thoughts to silently fight against the tyranny and exploitation of feudalism and capitalist society. This strong anti-authoritarian aesthetic criticism of modernity is more interpreted and expected in his 27 letters to the Prince of Denmark. With the idea of “art instead of religion”, he tried to establish a new form of communication based on communication rationality that could be realized in the future aesthetic country, and gradually constructed Schiller’s aesthetic “utopia”. Based on this, it is particularly important to sort out the generation of aesthetic education thought in modern China and peek into the practice of contemporary dance education.

Commentary and Reflection on Contemporary Graphic Architecture through Kant's Aesthetic Critique Theory

Since the beginning of the 21st century, a wave of innovative graphic architecture has emerged. However, these architectural works seem to have failed to inherit the profound aesthetics and sense of beauty associated with classical graphic architecture from history. Instead, they often exhibit superficial and exaggerated qualities, sparking widespread debate and criticism. This paper aims to integrate Immanuel Kant's aesthetic critique perspective, as presented in his work "Critique of Judgment," into the discourse on contemporary graphic architecture. By incorporating Kant's analyses and arguments regarding "agreeable," "beauty," and the "sublime" into discussions of contemporary architectural aesthetics, we seek to analyze and compare the similarities and differences between these new graphic architectural works and their classical predecessors. Ultimately, we arrive at the conclusion that these contemporary graphic architectural works, which often appear superficial and clichéd, are not deserving of admiration. At the same time, we propose recommendations for the design of future graphic architecture based on these insights.

Aesthetic criticism of dancers' costumes at Jaranan Pegon's performance in Trenggalek

Aesthetic criticism serves as an evaluation of diverse forms of beauty perceived differently by individuals. Costumes worn by Jaranan Pegon dancers adhere to specific standards and regulations during performances, with the dancers donning Wayang Wong attire. This research aims to assess aesthetic criticism by investigating absolutism, anarchy, and relativism in the costumes of Jaranan Pegon dancers. The study employed a descriptive approach with a phenomenological method. The findings revealed that, in accordance with absolutism, Jaranan Pegon dancers' costumes must adhere to established standards or guidelines. From the perspective of anarchy, there is freedom in costume choices, allowing deviation from traditional rules. Relativism permits flexibility in attire, considering various presentation factors while still allowing departures from established guidelines. The significance of this research lies in exploring aesthetic criticism through the lenses of absolutism, anarchy, and relativism in the context of Jaranan Pegon dancers' costumes, shedding light on the varying standards and freedoms associated with costume choices in performances.

Preface to a Philosophy by Which No One Can Live

This essay proposes an ethics for critical philosophies attuned to global white supremacy and its effects of violence, erasure, and precarity. The essay examines Arthur Schopenhauer as a potential forefigure for critical practices that aim to attend to the precarious survival of the global majority engulfed by white supremacy and racial capitalism. Through Denise Ferreira da Silva’s and Sara Ahmed’s philosophies of race, the essay carries out an autotheoretical dissection—tracing Ruffin’s own myopic relation to the white supremacist moralities that continue to thrive in critical interdisciplinary German studies. As a way out of the aporia that white supremacy enacts, the essay proposes an orientation away from what is thought to be life and toward a critical aesthetics that attends to the unsurviving.

The Awakening of Female Vorticism in Jessica Dismorr’s Textual and Visual Representations

Vorticism was a London-based avant-garde movement of art and literature in the early 20th century. Launched by Wyndham Lewis with “The Vorticist Manifesto” in 1914, Vorticism employed the depiction of an image’s movement and exalted the dynamism of the wartime machine age. Inspired by Futurism and Cubism, Vorticism is often considered masculinist, excluding women from the textual and visual canons. The British avant-garde poet and artist Jessica Dismorr (1885-1939) was one of the two female members of Vorticism. She contributed to the movement with her textual and artistic representations from its commencement to its demise; however, she was long overlooked by literary and aesthetic critics. This article, from intertextual, aesthetic and feminist perspectives, investigates how the textual and visual narrators in Dismorr’s prose-poems “June Night” (1915) and “London Notes” (1915) and her painting, Abstract Composition (c.1915) problematize the exclusion of women in London’s male-dominated city and public spaces and argues the relationship between urbanization and “Female Vorticism.”

Création littéraire et littérature schizophrénique : Deleuze et Guattari lecteurs de Freud

ObjectivesThe aim of this article is to show that the critique of the place and function of the Oedipus complex in Freudian psychoanalysis implies a critique of Freudian aesthetics. MethodWe will first propose a reconstruction of what Deleuze and Guattari take from Freudian aesthetics, namely an aesthetics of form, centered on the theater, and starting from Freud's experience as a spectator of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. In a second movement, we will try to identify what Deleuze and Guattari intend to propose to replace this aesthetic of form, and which they name “schizophrenic literature,” situate in the short story rather than in the theater, and explicitly referring to delirium. ResultsThis strategic reconstruction allows us to formulate a hypothesis: that Freud would have implicitly made the theater the matrix of subjectivity, first in its aesthetics, but also in his individual aesthetic experiences and his preferences for a certain type of literary work. DiscussionThis systematic reading of Freudian “creative writing” theory challenges the concept of sublimation as the point of doctrine that rests on the selection of an “Oedipal” corpus and type of art. If the aesthetics of the form can be located in Freud's biography as a “literary effect” whose aesthetic pleasure is found in the economy of the spectator's projections onto the objects on stage, the aesthetics of the formless that is expressed by “schizophrenic literature” mobilizes a violence proper to the sublime: it is not definitively formalizable, and calls for very different feelings that transfigure the coordinates of an aesthetic experience. ConclusionThis schizophrenic tendency of literature leads to an ecological approach to the psychic, attentive to a context where the distinction between nature and culture is never clear.

What Got You through Lockdown?

What Got You through Lockdown?

Geopoetics: A Visual Language of Peace in Wim Wenders’ Films

In line with the critical movement that in the last two decades has led to an ‘aesthetic turn’ in the International Relations (IR) field, this article introduces the notion of geopoetics as a useful conceptual category for the analysis of peace, security, and politics. Conceiving geopoetics as an operative concept that helps to understand the political and social experience of geographical space through the most varied forms of artistic expression, this article investigates the work of the German filmmaker Wim Wenders, seeking to show how his filmography, when examined as a whole, constitutes a kind of geopoetic discourse of peace that offers an aesthetic critique, immanent to the very formal possibilities of cinematic technique that challenges dominant geopolitical and geostrategic approaches that continue to naturalise war and violence as necessary instruments of international politics. Relying on the concept of geopoetics and on the political relevance of cinema within the aesthetic turn observed in the IR field, the article argues that geopoetics contributes to expand the epistemological and methodological boundaries of the IR field and to developing a broader conception of peace in the discipline.

Perceptual learning

AbstractPerception provides us with access to the external world, but that access is shaped by our own experiential histories. Through perceptual learning, we can enhance our capacities for perceptual discrimination, categorization, and attention to salient properties. We can also encode harmful biases and stereotypes. This article reviews interdisciplinary research on perceptual learning, with an emphasis on the implications for our rational and normative theorizing. Perceptual learning raises the possibility that our inquiries into topics such as epistemic justification, aesthetic criticism, and moral knowledge should include not only an examination of cognition but also of perception.

Beyond Mundane

When the studio of South African jazz saxophonist Zim Nqawana was destroyed by copper thieves, he responded by improvising with the wreckage. In ‘Beyond Mundane: Zim Nqawana’s environmental improvisation’, Joanna Ruth Evans studies this performance through the film ‘The Exhibition of Vandalizm’ (2010), which documents the full day and night that Nqawana spent drawing sound from the detritus, and meditating on the psychic effects of South Africa’s colonial past. Nqawana’s creative response to an experience that is at once extreme and commonplace puts pressure on the concept of ‘the mundane’ and its racialized connection to the fantasy of aesthetic transcendence. Evans argues that the shifting connotation of ‘mundane’ (from a sense of worldly belonging to one of dull, repetitive ordinariness) is coterminous with the emergence of the liberal subject as a figure who is in but not of the world. This shift in the word’s association corresponded with a racialized denigration of material embeddedness, and followed upon Kantian aesthetics, which secures the liberal subject’s universality through the transcendence of aesthetic experience. Through a black studies critique of Kantian aesthetics, this discussion tracks connections between material vulnerability, mundanity and art (including the embrace of ‘the mundane’ by twentieth century performance artists and scholars). Ultimately, Nqawana’s experience pushes both ‘the mundane’ and aesthetics to a conceptual breaking point. It begs the question: without access to the regulative framework that secures environmental autonomy and stability, what becomes of art? Faced with this crisis, Nqawana turns to improvisation. Refusing cynicism and reactionary closure, he enters the reality of the destruction with a creativity that does not transcend the material conditions of its emergence, but rather engages the already given creativity of his material environment in all its instability.

Exhausting aesthetic critiques of the authoritarian present in Egyptian literature from Ṣunʿallāh Ibrāhīm to Muḥammad Rabīʿ

ABSTRACT In this article, I outline a trajectory of aesthetic critique of the authoritarian present in Egypt from Ṣunʿallāh Ibrāhīm’s novellas Tilka al-rāʾiḥa and 67 to Muḥammad Rabīʿ’s ʿUṭārid, from the disappointments and defeats of the Nasser era to the despair of the postrevolutionary present. This trajectory of critique emerges from progressive time’s collapse upon the present and is rooted in aesthetics of exhaustion and disgust. I read Ibrāhīm’s physiological and sexualized aesthetics as political and social critique and show how Rabīʿ intensifies them by charging them with violence. I argue that Rabīʿ’s subsumption of past and future into ʿUṭārid’s apocalyptic hellscape expresses the totalizing nature of authoritarian violence. Lastly, I argue that Rabīʿ’s aestheticization of violence is the culmination of a critical project whose origins I trace back to Ibrāhīm.

Kritik und Autonomie: Die Programmatik in Elfriede Jelineks Romanen und Essays (1968–1975)

While Elfriede Jelinek scholars agree that the increasing social relevance of the early novels bukolit, wir sind lockvögel baby!, Michael and Die Liebhaberinnen is vaguely linked to a social, political, cultural or aesthetic critique, the ‘programmatic’ platform, if there is one, as well as its specific textual manifestations remain largely unexamined. Likewise, the ‘programmatic’ essays Statement and wir stecken einander unter der haut as well as Die endlose Unschuldigkeit together with udo zeigt wie schön diese welt ist wenn wir sie mit kinderaugen sehen arguably demonstrate the theoretical, ideological, and aesthetic perspective of the author, but their relation to the novels have only been marginally und unsystematically considered. The article discusses the programmatic potential in the novels and the essays with respect to aesthetic methods, authorial voices, and a motivic framing of characters. It is argued that the tension between critique and autonomy forms the core of a programme committed to challenging both text and reader.

Philosophical Pragmatism and the Challenges of Information Technologies

Philosophical Pragmatism and the Challenges of Information Technologies