Response #1 - Kant & Aesthetics

Apply Kant’s understanding of aesthetics and art to your experience of art and aesthetic engagement – In what ways is it viable/helpful? In what ways is it problematic/restrictive?

A particular part of our discussion on Thursday really stuck with me - and that is Kant's idea that beauty is an inherent property or element of anything considered as such. I had a very personal example in my head throughout our discussion, and it's this photo:

Take Care. Kendra Shirey (2011).

I took this photo in March of this year, after struggling with the death of my first love, Michael. While the first reaction to this photo was usually disgust (even a gag reflex effect on my sister), I see beauty and get immense pleasure from viewing it. This leads to me thinking that aesthetically "pleasing" experiences are not determined by the object being experienced, but rather the personal taste and preference of the viewer. In this way, we all bring our own personal aesthetic to any experience - and that aesthetic influences whether we interpret the piece as beautiful, disgusting, confusing, etc.

Though this example seems to be in direct opposition to Kant's theory, in thinking through it further, I've come to another explanation. It's possible that every artistic object or experience holds definable properties of beauty, but it takes a certain viewer to recognize those elements.

For example, the photo of the strawberry viewed in class was beautiful by many standards - it was symmetrical, had rich colors and strong contrast, and possibly most importantly, evoked the senses of the smell and taste of the fruit. As strawberries are widely enjoyed, this experience would be pleasurable for most viewers. However, what if a person with an allergy to the fruit viewed the photo? Perhaps memories of past allergy attacks and the sensation of a closing throat would be brought to mind - making the experience of viewing the photo one of fear and discomfort rather than beauty.

Another example mentioned in class was Goth culture. Many people do not find all black clothing, pale skin and piercings to be beautiful, though a Goth man may think his Goth girlfriend is the most beautiful woman in the world.

My reconciliation with Kant on this point, then, is to concede the fact that all beautiful objects possess inherent qualities of beauty - but those qualities are not accessible by all. It takes the right viewer or participant to recognize these elements (which supports Kant's argument that fine art requires understanding), and consequently find the piece aesthetically pleasing.

In this way, art and aesthetics are still completely subjective, yet hold the potential to be universal.