Beyond the Aesthetic and the Anti-Aesthetic

Beyond the Aesthetic and the Anti-Aesthetic, volume 1 of the Stone Art Theory Institutes series, examines the enduring tension between aesthetic and anti-aesthetic frameworks in contemporary art. This scholarly work addresses the lack of a viable alternative to the long-standing dichotomy established decades ago. It explores how the proliferation of identity politics and the dominance of anti-aesthetic discourse in academic circles complicate this impasse.

This volume in the Stone Art Theory Institutes series brings together diverse scholars to debate whether artists and academics can truly escape these binary choices in theory, pedagogy, and practice. As a significant text in art criticism and theory, the book investigates the political implications of these concepts within modern and contemporary art history. It provides a rigorous philosophical analysis suitable for those studying aesthetics and the evolving landscape of art history.