Symbolic Aesthetics Research Articles

AESTHETICS OF PLAK-PLIENG GRAVESTONE OF LAMURI KINGDOM ACEH: A STUDY ACCORDING TO SUSANNE KNAUTH LANGER'S AESTHETIC CONCEPT

The Lamuri Kingdom in Aceh has relics in the form of gravestones called "Plak-plieng" stones, which are concrete evidence and records of the history of the kings who were buried with these gravestones. This Plak-plieng gravestone is thought to be a gravestone made by local people during the reign of the Lamuri kingdom with a mixed population who emigrated from outside Aceh at that time. The Lamuri Kingdom was an Acehnese Hindu kingdom that existed in the 4th century, turned into Islam or a sultanate in the 9th century, and lasted until the 15th century. The Plak-plieng gravestone, which is characteristic of the Lamuri royal graves, was rediscovered in 1890. Based on the date written on the gravestone found, the Plak-plieng gravestone dates to the 12th century AD. Thus, the Plak-plieng gravestone was made during the Islamic era, or when Lamuri became an Islamic kingdom. The type of research in this study is research using a descriptive method. The descriptive method is a method used to look for elements, characteristics, and properties of a phenomenon. The method begins with collecting data, analysing the data, and interpreting it. This descriptive research tries to reveal and explain the problems that occur in society, especially the problem of searching for symbolic aesthetics on the Plak-plieng gravestones of the Lamuri kingdom of Aceh. The Plak-plieng gravestone contains various symbolic elements that we can find using Susane K. Langer's theory. The findings of the symbolic aesthetic meaning found are divided into several parts according to Langer's aesthetic theory. On the Plak-plieng gravestones of the Lamuri Kingdom of Aceh, symbolic aesthetics are found as a symbol of art. The implied value of this gravestone gives us an idea of the high artistic value that existed in past societies. In this way, we can see that the level of artistic taste of the people of Aceh in the past was very high. The discovery of the inscription on this gravestone also explains the glory days of a kingdom led by the owner of the gravestone. This day dates back nine hundred years. In this way, we can learn about the value of art in the past through the Acehnese civilisation and how they found materials for making sturdy gravestones and a variety of ornaments that were very complicated and beautiful.

Blending Noh and Shakespearean Elements: An Exploration of Tradition and Modernity in Singaporean Theatre

This paper delves into the groundbreaking fusion of Noh and Shakespearean elements in Singaporean theatre, showcasing a unique blend that mirrors the diverse cultural tapestry of Singapore and its ambitions as a global arts hub. By melding the minimalist and symbolic aesthetics of Noh with the rich narratives and characters of Shakespearean drama, Singaporean theatre has carved out a distinctive niche in the global arts scene. This fusion not only pays homage to the traditional roots of Noh and the timeless appeal of Shakespeare but also pushes the boundaries of theatrical expression, creating a vibrant and innovative form that resonates with audiences worldwide. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the artistic innovations resulting from this fusion, evaluates the audience reception, discusses the cultural implications, and explores the potential opportunities for future theatrical endeavors in Singapore. The blending of Noh and Shakespearean elements signifies a creative dialogue between Eastern and Western traditions, offering fresh perspectives and new possibilities for storytelling and performance in the contemporary theatrical landscape. This fusion is emblematic of Singapore’s broader aspirations to serve as a cultural bridge and a hub for artistic innovation, reinforcing its position as a dynamic and multicultural arts center on the global stage.

EXAMINING THE SYMBOLIC MEANING OF AL JABBAR GRAND MOSQUE IN BANDUNG

This paper discusses the formal and symbolic aesthetic meaning of the Al Jabbar Grand Mosque, a new mosque in Bandung, Indonesia, designed by Ridwan Kamil. Like Ridwan Kamil's previous works, the Al Jabbar mosque in Bandung has a contemporary design. The general concept of the architect in designing this mosque has been published in the mass media, and the public already knows the design idea of the mosque. However, there are still features within the mosque that need to be described and analyzed so that the general public can understand the architect's intention. This paper proposes answers through interpretation methods with a descriptive analysis approach to understand the symbolic meaning of the new features of the mosque. The symbolic aesthetic used in the analysis uses symbolic aesthetics from the culture of the Sundanese people, one of the ethnic groups in Indonesia, which is geographically the cultural background where the mosque was built. The analysis found that the meaning the mosque forms, apart from having a bond of meaning with the mosque, also has a bond of meaning with the local culture. The architect made it differently with the spirit of novelty to enrich Islamic architecture and design treasures.

The Motif of Temptation in the Works of L. M. Leonov in the 1920s

The article analyzes the motif of temptation, which goes back to the texts of the Holy Scriptures, in the early novels of L. M. Leonov, representing the combination of the symbolic aesthetics and the completion of social realistic discourse. The components of the biblical story plot about the Temptation of Christ in the desert were identified, analyzed and compared with their version in L. M. Leonov’s texts using the structural-typological method and the method of motif analysis. The emphasis is on the allomotives of temptation by pride and power and on the related motives of falling/flight, the images of the abyss and the demon-tempter. In the process of analysis, the internal connections of the motif in question with other biblical stories (e.g., the Tower of Babel, christening, the prodigal son) were revealed, which allows us to assess the specifics of the artistic concept. As a result, despite the writer’s obvious reliance on the biblical story through indirect and partial quoting and repetition of actions, the author largely deviates from the very tone of religious discourse, replacing it with an ironic one, which is carried out using travesty, hyperbolization and grotesque. However, a number of the author’s artistic innovations in the treatment of the Holy Scripture plots still retains a connection with the original source, as a result of which the text is read and recognized by a knowledgeable reader through allusions, reminiscences and variations on the theme of the pretext. All of the above becomes a guide to one of the key ideas in Leonov’s work — the idea of cognition

Formal Aesthetics of the Facades of Historical Public Buildings (Dutch East Indies Architecture in Malang)

The building is a form of design work that must have visual quality through the expression of the facade. The visual quality of the building facade is one of the important concerns of the designer, motivated by certain aesthetic concepts, manifested through the arrangement of visual elements and expressed in the formal character of the building. Formal aesthetics as part of the overall aesthetic scope in addition to sensory and symbolic aesthetics is important to show how much visual quality of a building is expressed through its facade. This study aims to find out how the formal aesthetics of six selected heritage public buildings with Dutch East Indies architecture in Malang City through the analysis of the quality of the visual elements of the building facade. The relevance of the quality of this element lies in its importance in the preservation of a heritage building in maintaining certain aesthetic values through hierarchical visual qualification of elements. The method used was a descriptive qualitative analysis based on the paradigmatic syntagmatic relationship that exists in the arrangement of the visual elements of the building facade. The results of this study indicate that authenticity, representation, and inclusiveness determine the level of importance of visual elements in building facade designs that contain certain formal aesthetics. Authentic, representative, and inclusive elements in the facade design of a historic public building with Dutch East Indies architecture in Malang City greatly determine the sustainability of visual quality in its context as a heritage building. The difference in the importance of the three elements determines how much tolerance for changes can be made to significant visual elements. The recognition of the authentic, representative, and inclusive elements of a heritage building aims to provide direction for architectural preservation efforts to the right strategy.

Artistic features of pedestals, halos, mandorlas of Japanese Buddhist sculptures

The article describes and analyzes important iconographic elements of Buddhist cult sculpture, which are distinguished by great diversity and semantic content. Attention is focused on the etymology and semantics of the pedestals on which the sculptures stand or sit. Thanks to the pedestals, the sculpture was separated from the everyday profane world, its status in the hierarchy of Buddhist deities was emphasized, and its sublime sacral character was demonstrated. It turns out that the arsenal of pedestals is quite diverse. The richness of its forms is traced – from simple pedestals, low bases, which still have a symbolic meaning, to complex architectural structures. The classic pedestal-throne, representing a cascade of lotus flowers, on which prominent characters of the Buddhist world sat, was a manifestation of their divine origin and moral purity. The specific features of the pedestals are studied – the throne as a semantic analogue of the sacred mountain Sumeru, as well as zoomorphic thrones with various mounts and animals, which occupied a significant place in the diverse set of pedestals. It has been established that radiant halos in the form of disks, fiery circles, mandorlas around the body of the sculpture, which are emitting rays, differ in form and style. Their symbolic aesthetics, which tell about the characters, their purpose and role in the Buddhist world, is considered. Mandorlas, based on a lotus petal, make up the picturesque background of the figures and compositionally unite the sculptural group. While halos above the head as a symbol of holiness most often have simple geometric shapes of a circle, or a hoop, and, in some cases, they are elongated at the top and decorated with symbols, mandorlas are always richly decorated, artistically refined and look as if woven from patterns. They give the figures a regal majesty and festivity. It is noted that the brightness of the images is enhanced by the golden sheen, and the luminosity of the images is the reason for the skillful ornamentation of the mandorlas and their rich decoration. It is concluded that patterns on pedestals, halos, and mandorlas are an important element of the composition, indicating the uniqueness of decorative solutions. The types of pedestals worked out over the centuries, often with overhanging openwork canopies, various halos and mandorlas completed in form, contributed to the enrichment of plastic images. The article gives an idea of how diversely such important informational signs of Buddhist deities as pedestals, halos, and mandorlas are presented in Japanese iconography.

CULTURAL, ARCHITECTURAL, ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ AND SUFISTIC BELIEFS IN MOSQUE TOURISM CASE STUDY: MASJID AR-RAHMAN, PULAU GAJAH, KELANTAN

The mosque is a sacred important religious symbol for bringing Muslims together as demonstrated during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This paper investigates the potential of Masjid Ar-Rahman of Pulau Gajah, Kelantan as a spot for mosque tourism. Although this mosque was constructed in 2016, it has demonstrated simplicity in its scale and traditional image. It has the value of hybrid assimilation or Hindu-Buddhist syncretism and tolerance and coined as the Nusantara hybridized Malay and Javanese architectural styles. The typology of this humble Malay Mosque architecture is of medium-scale and reflects the Sufistic contextual value beliefs encouraging religious and architectural tourism alike. The conceptual framework capitalises the research gap found in mosque cultural, architectural and Sufistic beliefs research by further delving into constructing the ‘Sense of Place’ in relation to the ‘Sacred Places’. This research employs qualitative methods of interviewing visitors, applying phenomenological and case study approaches supported by architectural documentation in emphasising the symbolic and semiotic aesthetics aspects in constructing the ‘Sense of Place’ bonded by the Sufistic symbolic aesthetics. The theory is constructed in the deeply rooted Islamic Mosque architecture via Sufistic beliefs that provides platform for the mosque tourism activities.

제2차 세계대전 전쟁 묘지에 나타난 기념성† - 서유럽에 있는 미국군, 영연방군, 독일군 묘지를 대상으로 -

The purpose of this study was to analyze commemoration characteristics of the United States of America, the Commonwealth, and Germany through representative 14 military cemeteries of World war II in Western Europe. Based on the commemoration characteristics such as spacial characteristic, commemorative elements, and graves and headstone, the commemoration culture among U.S., the Commonwealth. and Germany were studied comparatively. The results are as follows. First, taking geometrical form with mainly square type, rarely circle and spiral patterned, most cemeteries were structured spatial central axis with symmetry, those cemeteries were styled neoclassical, but some of the U.S. cemeteries were modernistic, connecting spaces organically with curved line layout. Second, chapel, the wall of missing, the wall of battle map, and sculpture in the U.S military cemeteries, and ‘the cross of sacrifice’ and ‘the stone of remembrance’ as classical monument in the Commonwealth war cemeteries were commonly applied standardized commemorative elements, but commemorative monuments in German military cemeteries were restricted except monumental cross. Third, the symbolic cross of christianism was used all cemeteries to console and cherish the soul of soldiers, specially the Latin crosses in the U.S military cemeteries delivered political message as the american martyr for Western Europe and also the power of the U.S., but the cross in German and the Commonwealth war cemeteries were basically cherish and comfort individual spirit. Fourth, showing the power of victory with national patriotism, the U.S. strongly represented christianism and liberal democracy against communism, the Commonwealth showed imperialistic style, and German military cemeteries were quietly appeared as traditional style forwarding reconciliation and peace. This study suggest the war cemeteries have national identity with typical form and symbolic aesthetics. Further study will be required to materialize sublime commemoration in national cemeteries and to form advanced commemorative culture in Korea.

The evolution of philosophical views of R. M. Rilkein the context of his literary works of the turn of the XIX – XX centuries

The works of Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the most influential modernist poets of the XX century does not lose its relevance and continues to draw interest of the researchers. The goal of this work is to trace the evolution of philosophical views of R. M. Rilke in the context of his literary works of the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. The research employs hermeneutical approach for interpretation of the texts of R. M. Rilke through the prism of socio-historical conditions of that time. Systematization and generalization of the acquired data allowed assessing the formation and significance of philosophical and aesthetic views of R. M. Rilke, as well as contradictions therein. Rilke did not adhere to any philosophical systems; however, his works reflect the philosophical-worldview principles and patterns of the era, first and foremost, the symbolic aesthetics, philosophy of life, and metaphysics of art of Nietzsche. The philosophical views of R. M. Rilke in the works of his early period developed in pursuit of the unique, and in many ways, subjective attitude towards life. The conducted analysis demonstrates the process of philosophical reorientation from the subject-centered recognition of the great creator towards the objective world of things. In the lecture on Maurice Maeterlinck (1902), Rilke clearly expresses the ideas on the function of art, tasks and capabilities of an artist. After getting familiar with the work of A. Rodin, Rilke turns to the “poem-thing” genre, when the concept of thing encompasses the entire universe. The establishment of transcendental-poetic unity between the subject and the world is one of paramount philosophical ideas in the works of R. M. Rilke. The artist, objectively depicting the “thingness” of the world, is an intermediary between God and the divine spark in its interaction with the real world and man, correlates times and spaces and preserves the eternal values, which comprise the basis of the cultural code of each nation.

풍수형국(風水形局)과 화석원(花石園)을 통해 본 임실 노동환가옥의 정원미학

This study examines the characteristics of the house and garden of No Donghwan’s House, located in Samgye-myeon, Imsil, through literature studies, field studies, and interviews with owner of garden. The results of this study aimed at finding the value of traditional garden by discovering the contrast history of the house, the arrangement of the garden, symbolic aesthetics, and the meaning of the special garden which attached to the Sarangchae(Men´s part of a house) are as follows. No Donghwan’s House was built in 1775 by Noyeop, the eighth generation of the owner, who chose a site in 1760, and it can be seen that it was named ‘Olyucheosa’ with the spirit of Do Yeonmyeong and the spirit of ‘Baeksecheongpung’. In terms of the ‘Jeongyangsa’ a tablet hung on the Sarangchae, a space between pursuit study and improving of temperament, which was called ‘Oryujeongsa’ or ‘Bukgyejangsa’, came to the future, and the concept of the reality of ‘A building of healing’ was strengthened. On the other hand, amid the tensions of the situation of ‘Abarn swallow type’ and ‘Head of snake type’, the confrontational and complementary No Donghwan’s House and the surrounding Feng shui geographic relationship has become a key symbolic aesthetic that contains secrets and salts in the house and garden of No Donghwan’s House. In front of Sarangchae, the ‘Hwaseog-won garden’ was carved in rock in odd stones a letter, which is presumed to be a space for creating culture and taste for the arts. In analogy with the existing form of the Hwaseog and the 「Buggyejeongsagi」, the Hwaseog-won garden is judged to be Seokgasan as calculus-shaped stones that mimics the Pyeongcheonjang of the Tang Dynasty Lee Deokyu in China. In addition, 'Hwaseog' is a symbol of the garden that collectively refers to 'Flowers and stones', and it is understood as a garden facility that demands that the house and garden be maintained for generations to generation with the support of the gardener.

Symbolic Pregnance, Concrescence, and the Unconscious: E. Cassirer and S. Langer

ABSTRACT This paper questions the apparent silenc of Cassirer’s Philosophy of Symbolic Forms on the unconscious, in its double sense of the psychic structure and of the description of the imperceptible. Although Cassirer is engaged in a very fine phenomenological analysis of our experience of the world, under the prism of a critic of culture, and although he does not believe in the evidence of the self, the absence of the unconscious from his account shows precisely the force of his conceptualization of the symbolic. Why and how does the theme of the unconscious absorb that of the symbolic? The article argues that the question has to be analyzed through “symbolic pregnance” (symbolische Prägnanz) and “concrescence” (Konkreszenz). Nonetheless, here, the concepts of “subject,” “reason,” and “representation” are considerably re-semantized and, therefore, displaced by the key concept of “symbol.” To analyze this problem, the prism of aesthetics will be fundamentally privileged. Symbolic aesthetics crystallizes these questions of perceptive phenomenology with a rare intensity, articulating the personal and the impersonal dimensions in a focusedway. The texts of Langer will help us to explain the field that Cassirer explored only in a discontinuous and fragmentary way. Our hypothesis is the following: when the double dimension (personal and impersonal) of the experience is intensified, not only does symbolic aesthetics go beyond the classical opposition between conscious and unconscious, but it also goes beyond the distinctions between form and affect, form and content, and formalism and expression.

Symbolic aesthetics in steel structural systems

Symbolic aesthetics in steel structural systems

The Visual Form of Interaction from the Perspective of Aesthetics

Addressing the issue of beautification of our city ensures comfort and security of citizens which can increase the efficiency of communal spaces. Aesthetics can be classified to sensory, form and symbolic aesthetics. Form is the sensible, characteristic and understandable identity of a phenomenon and is the effective factor in creating space. This study is an analytical and descriptive approach using existing resources in library studies and tries to study the visual forms of interaction from the aesthetics perspective by enumerating some of the principles and concepts and case studies.

Design, arts and “aesthetics of innovation”

This paper explores the relation between art and design shifting it into the relation between aesthetics and innovation. Art, is warm polarity of “aesthetic action”, functions as “agency” in the settlement of innovation, through strategies that can be analysed to define some replicable processes applicable to the design context. The proposal is based on a triad of interactions among aesthetics (art) and innovation (design) that are technological aesthetics, symbolic aesthetics and relational aesthetics, which have respectively as drivers for innovation, new technologies, languages, behaviour and lead to new forms-function, forms-meanings and forms-process, covering the different scales of images/communication, objects/products and spaces/interiors in art/design.Key words: designart, product design, aesthetics of innovation, symbolic, relational, technological aesthetics.

Design, Arts and Aesthetics of Innovation

This paper explores the relation between art and design shifting it into the relation between aesthetics and innovation. Art, in is warm polarity of aesthetic action, functions as agency in the settlement of innovation, through strategies that can be analysed to define some replicable processes applicable to the design context. The proposal is based on a triad of interactions among aesthetics (art) and innovation (design) that are technological aesthetics, symbolic aesthetics and relational aesthetics, which have respectively as drivers for innovation, new technologies, languages, behaviours and lead to new forms-function, forms-meanings and forms-process, covering the different scales of images/communication, objects/products and spaces/interiors in art/design.

In Defense of Symbolic Aesthetics

In Defense of Symbolic Aesthetics

IN DEFENSE OF SYMBOLIC AESTHETICS

IN DEFENSE OF SYMBOLIC AESTHETICS