Re: aesthetic theory

From: Cari Machet (email suppressed)
Date: Tue May 08 2007 - 12:57:34 PDT


On 5/7/07, Adam Trowbridge <email suppressed> wrote:
>
> > I just thought my reading suggestions would address the request
> better, particularly given that Liam makes reference to fine art.
>
> As I said, I think your approach is sound but I didn't see a reason
> for a qualitative comparison to Jack's or anyone else's list.
>
> The Writing of Disaster is an exploration of how one can continue to
> write, or begin to write, after humanity's disasters of the early to
> mid-20th century. The Tears of Eros explores the vibration between
> violence and beauty. (I have no read the Derrida text Jack
> suggested). I think the approach, in suggesting these books, is the
> difference between defining a thing and suggesting a series of events
> that might create a lapse, to suggest reading that might open onto
> something new. I don't think you could walk away from Jack's list and
> tell someone what aesthetics is but I think you will have covered
> vital issues related to contemporary aesthetics.
>
> There are multiple approaches of course but I see nothing better
> about yours in comparison to Jack's unless I am misunderstanding the
> motive behind asking about aesthetics. What is art? Why do people
> make art? What is beauty? Personally, I'm interested in exploring
> these questions scientifically and artistically. Artistically, I
> think looking to Blanchot, Bataille and Nietzsche, even if they are
> not addressing those questions directly (I would argue that they
> are), is a sensible approach. Scientifically, which really hasn't
> been addressed, I have read a couple things by V.S. Ramachandran in
> regards to a neurological theory of art. "A Brief Tour of Human
> Consciousness" has only a short chapter that addresses it. I have not
> yet read his "The Science of Art: A Neurological Theory of Aesthetic
> Experience".

oh god
"science"
you mean like neurons and crap get like stimulated
like we have like bodies or something
wow - how did they ever figure that out??
i was watching a show last night that had a scientist on explaining that
some other "planet" hit our planet and when it hit - it became part of our
planet and that is the only reason we have "life" on our planet
- you know like when i run into you as i am walking we become one thing -
such stupidity as "science"
such narrow mindedness
i want them to define "life" their idea of "life"
cause i suspect they don't have a clue

c

Adam Trowbridge
> www.atrowbri.com
> email suppressed
>
>
> On May 7, 2007, at 7:55 PM, Bernard Roddy wrote:
>
> Thank you, Adam. I didn't mean to devalue Jack's suggestions, to
> control the conversation, or to recommend reading at the cost of
> making. Actually, I would prefer to read work he includes as
> recommendations to any of the writing addressed to what I think of as
> "aesthetics." I just thought my reading suggestions would address
> the request better, particularly given that Liam makes reference to
> fine art. I have read a couple essays by Blanchot, one of which is
> an excellent discussion of Sade. As far as I know, he does not talk
> about visual art. I could be wrong, but I believe the book, The
> Writing of the Disaster, is not a discussion of visual art. I have
> Bataille's book, The Tears of Eros, which is about the history of
> art, but I think he restricts himself to figurative historical
> painting, and this seems to be his only writing on visual art. I
> don't think it's very substantial or serves an interest in aesthetics
> very well. It's true that my suggestions are all art
> historical and not particularly inspirational. As far as I can
> tell, this is basically the fate of aesthetics. It's also true that
> there's a series of publications that includes writers like Emmanuel
> Levinas and that is called "Crossing Aesthetics." I have yet to
> understand just what these texts have to do with aesthetics.
> Whatever the connection, they are certainly worth reading as an artist.
>
> Bernie
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.