This book shows that art involves an aesthetics of self-becoming, wherein we do not simply consume artistic meaning, but become empowered-by adapting ourselves to what creation in the different art forms makes possible. Paul Crowther argues that the great political task in aesthetics is no longer the creation of political art as such, but rather the winning back of art and aesthetics as central societal concerns. This involves the overcoming of neo-liberal treatments of art as mere commodity and misguided attitudes that dismiss it as the product of dead white European males. The book begins with a theory of self-consciousness which reveals the necessary role played by the aesthetic in personal identity. It then emphasises how art forms empower through processes of making and aesthetic effects that are unique to them individually. To show this, he considers the ontology of pictorial art, sculpture, installation and assemblage works, architecture, literature, cinema, and music. His arguments concerning these are supported, throughout, by in-depth discussions of specific artworks. The book's effect, overall is to reorientate aesthetics by showing how art empowers through its revelation of new possibilities of experience.

The Aesthetics of Self-Becoming will appeal to philosophers of art and aesthetics, as well as scholars in art history, literary studies, film studies, and music theory who are interested in the book's central concerns.

About the Author

Paul Crowther is Professor of Philosophy at Alma Mater Europaea - Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis in Ljubljana, Slovenia. His recent books include Digital Art, Aesthetic Creation: The Birth of a Medium (Routledge, 2019) and What Drawing and Painting Really Mean: The Phenomenology of Image and Gesture (Routledge, 2017)

Reviews

"Crowther is sensitive to analytical issues of definition, but his challenge is far bigger: what is the political relevance of art in contemporary culture? He makes his point convincingly, through detailed analyses of works of all kinds. And he is right: art is a saviour." - Rob van Gerwen, Utrecht University

Book Information
ISBN 9781032093437
Author Paul Crowther
Format Paperback
Page Count 172
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g