Can beauty return? Aesthetics, beauty and politics in contemporary art

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Published: 09-06-2017

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Matilde Carrasco Barranco
Universidad de Murcia
Spain
Biography
Vol 36 No 2 (2017), Studies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15304/ag.36.2.3532
Submitted: 27-08-2016 Accepted: 20-03-2017 Published: 09-06-2017
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Abstract

Given the new interest in aesthetics and the acclaimed return to beauty in the theory of art of the last decades, the aim of this article is to analyse and question some of the reasons that would explain their exile from contemporary art, in particular those that suggest that the aesthetic perspective alienates from political action. My first goal is then to show that a review of the nature of the aesthetic and the acknowledgment of the plurality of aesthetic qualities will avoid that objection and at the same time will stop considering contemporary art as anti-aesthetic. On the other hand, looking at the so-called “terrible beauties”, I will defend that the arguments which limit the option of beauty in the art of today do not prove the anti-political character of this aesthetic quality, and for that reason it should not be so restricted.

Keywords:

beauty, aesthetic qualities, art and politics
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