Overview

Plain Aesthetics is an introduction to philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of art written for all audiences. While students studying philosophy will find it informative, it is specifically constructed to be accessible to anyone, even those with no background in philosophy. It contains no jargon or technical language, except where such terms are defined at their point of use. Philosophers and theorists are discussed only where appropriate, and their views explained in context. Plain Aesthetics is written as a conversation between the author and the reader, and employs a great many examples of fascinating and influential artworks. Images and other works are presented to the reader both within the text and through an innovative interactive system. This book makes aesthetics accessible to everyone.

Full Product Details

9781554816262

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Plain Aesthetics sparkles. It's lavishly illustrated, written in simple and good-natured prose, and constructed to gradually deepen students' thinking. It meets them where they're at, focussing as much on everyday aesthetics as the fine arts, attending to aesthetic and artistic culture from around the globe, and touching upon the ethical and social issues that confront our aesthetic and artistic endeavours. It's got what it takes to springboard lively and informed class discussions."" -- Dominic McIver Lopes, University of British Columbia ""Fenner's plain-spoken text makes the worlds of high art and aesthetic theory accessible to all kinds of audiences, and canvases several of the major currents in aesthetics. Each chapter is richly illustrated with artworks old and new, including auditory and performance art, and usefully supplemented by an annotated bibliography alongside suggested discussion questions. Plain Aesthetics is an excellent resource for introductory courses in aesthetics and art theory."" -- Michel-Antoine Xhignesse, Capilano University"

"""Plain Aesthetics sparkles. It's lavishly illustrated, written in simple and good-natured prose, and constructed to gradually deepen students' thinking. It meets them where they're at, focusing as much on everyday aesthetics as on the fine arts, attending to aesthetic and artistic culture from around the globe, and touching upon the ethical and social issues that confront our aesthetic and artistic endeavors. It's got what it takes to springboard lively and informed class discussions."" -- Dominic McIver Lopes, University of British Columbia ""David Fenner's engaging Plain Aesthetics makes the problems, perspectives, and major theories in aesthetics and philosophy of art clear for students, general readers, and professional philosophers alike. Its online presence keeps it affordable, while permitting a profusion of color illustrations so desirable in an aesthetics textbook."" -- Mara Miller, author of The Philosopher's Garden and The Garden as an Art ""With Plain Aesthetics, Fenner has accomplished a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, the philosophical arguments and positions he is articulating are highlighted and retained in all their subtlety and complexity. On the other hand, his extensive references to works of art, his plain language, and his vivid examples bring aesthetic theory to life in a way that is rare in an aesthetics textbook."" -- Jeremy Proulx, Eastern Michigan University ""Fenner's plain-spoken text makes the worlds of high art and aesthetic theory accessible to all kinds of audiences and canvases several of the major currents in aesthetics. Each chapter is richly illustrated with artworks old and new, including auditory and performance art, and is usefully supplemented by an annotated bibliography alongside suggested discussion questions. Plain Aesthetics is an excellent resource for introductory courses in aesthetics and art theory."" -- Michel-Antoine Xhignesse, Capilano University"

Author Information

David Fenner is Professor of Philosophy and Art at the University of North Florida and author of several books on aesthetics, including The Aesthetic Attitude, Introducing Aesthetics, Art in Context, and The Art and Philosophy of the Garden (with Ethan Fenner).

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