Description
Book SynopsisPaul Duncum is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, USA, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He is the author of
Picture Pedagogy (Bloomsbury, 2020).
Trade Review[P]layful yet serious and will attract a large audience. * International Journal of Education through Art *
From Plato to Pokémon GO, Duncum brilliantly examines the enduring entanglements between art and popular culture … This book is for everyone who wants to avoid the interminable arguments that seem to dominate all things ‘aesthetics.’ * Kevin Tavin, Aalto University, Finland *
Popular Pleasures is well-researched and has flashes of brilliant insight … The book will benefit students of many visual culture disciplines, including art education, art history, graphic arts and media communications. * Kerry Freedman, Northern Illinois University, USA *
Immaculately researched and eloquently written, this engaging book highlights both the irresistible sensory appeal and economic, political, and ideological interest behind popular images. * Olga Ivashkevich, University of South Carolina, USA *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Introduction But What is Aesthetics? And What is Popular? Popular Pleasures and Politics Previous Attempts So What’s Different Here? The Mind/Body Context Scope and Outline
Chapter 1: A Realistic Style What is Realism? Idolatry and Ideology The Search for Realism Painting Screen Imagery The Pleasures of Realism Making Comparisons Appreciating the Skill Evaluating Realism is Easy Pulling Back the Curtain Realism and Reality When Too Much Realism is Bad When Seeing Shouldn’t be Believing Fake versus the Bona Fide Veridical, Virtual, and Verifiable
Chapter 2: The Illusionistic Illusion versus Realism Magic, Miracles and the Devil The Persistence of Illusion Trompe-l’oeil Three-Dimensional Movies Optical Illusion Devices Stage Magic Magic, Wonder and Mischief Being Deceived Being in the Know Conflating Realism with Illusion Illusion and Delusion Illusion and Life
Chapter 3: The Bright and Busy Terms and Taste The Doctrine of Decorum Reason and Restraint Modernist Minimalism The Relativity of Restraint Serious versus Superficial Purpose Brightness and Business Delighting the Eye Enhancing the Ordinary Resisting Restraint Bright, Busy and Biology The Seriousness of Selling Bright, Busy and Business
Chapter 4: The Highly Emotional An Empire of Emotions Emotion versus Emotionalism The Rhetoric of Emotions versus the Aesthetics of Emotions The Theory of Emotional Rhetoric The Pictorial Practice of Rhetoric The Rise of Sentiment Rejecting Rhetoric The Rise of Romanticism Expression versus Imitation Fine Art and Popular Entertainment What Arouses Emotion? Why Do Emotional Lures Work? Catharsis versus Cognitive Coping Escaping Identifying Searching for Authenticity Seeking Attachment Participating For Better or Worse
Chapter 5: The Sentimental Surveying Sentimentality A Discourse of Abuse A Sentimental Journey The Sugar of Sentimentality The Comfort of an Aestheticized Sanctuary Longing for a Past as Pleasant Love and Compassion as their Own Rewards The Ironic Distance of Camp and Kitsch Social Progress Exercising Power The Sins of Sentimentality Disempowering and Harming Sentimentality’s Subjects Disempowering and Infantilizing Viewers Poor Public Policy Sense and Sentimentality
Chapter 6: The Vulgar Vulgarity and its Variants Vulgarity and Fine Art A Historical Perspective Grotesques and Carnival Vulgar Porn Scatology Vulgarity and Reform Viva Vulgarity! Disgust and Delight Transgression Social Bonding Joyful Resistance Haunting and Humanness Vile Vulgarity Transgression and Suppression Ridicule and Reaction Vexing Vulgarity
Chapter 7: The Violent Violence and is Variants A Violent Present A Violent Past Explaining Violent Entertaiment Excitation Transfer Simultaneous Emotional Pleasures Fear and Mastery Seeking Stimulus Everything But Violence Algorithmic Allure The Problems of Violence Purgation Does Not Work Diminishing Returns Mental Scripts of a Hostile World A Cycle of Violence An End to Violence?
Chapter 8: The Horrific Horror, Terror, and Dread Sublime Terror versus Popular Horror Horror Hedonism Performative Pleasures Escape and Stimulation Transfixed Fascination Making Moral Judgments Wish Fulfillment and/or Recognition Transgressive Liberation Repetition Horror and Humor Horror, Hostility and Hate Repression Unleashing Hatred Uncanny Uncertainty
Chapter 9: The Miraculous Miracles and Marvels The Skeptical Discourse An Enchanted Universe of Miracles Wonder Curiosity Creating Social Identity Finding Patterns and Purpose Debunking Absurdities Parodying Absurdities Escaping into Fantasy Being Confounded Spectacles of Wonder Miracles and Mirage Rejecting Rationality Vulnerability and Vultures The Wonder of It All
Chapter 10: The Exotic Exoticism Explored The Exotic Discourse Exotic Enchantment Wonder Spice Seasoning Cultural Renewal Defining Difference Feeling Culturally Superior Taking Symbolic Possession Being Reassured Distortion, Disparagement and Denigration Selectivity and Distortion Inferiority Complexes Superiority Complexes Denial and Projection Exiting the Exotic
Chapter 11: The Erotic Exploring the Erotic Sexual Discourse The High Culture Alibi Enjoying the Erotic Voyeurism Fetishism Sadism, Masochism and Sadomasochism Identification Exhibitionism Queer and Queering Prohibition, Permission, and Perfection Permissiveness and Perfection Pornification Selling Sex Sex, Sin and Suppression
Chapter 12: The Spectacular Sizing Up the Spectacular The Spectacular versus Sensationalism Size Matters Wonder Thrills and Spills Immersion Ego Loss Humor When Might Makes Right Requiring Submission Failing to See/ Failing to Feel Ignoring the Unspectacular Tedium Summarizing of the Spectacular
Chapter 13: The Narrative The Nature of Narrative The Modernist Rejection of Narrative Narrative Norms Narrative’s Gratifications Organizing Complexity Satisfying Curiosity Escaping into Alternative Realities Emotional Identification Everything Else The Stories We Tell The End
Chapter 14: The Formulaic Recipes and Road Maps Formulaic Fine Art Formulae and Form Why Formulae Work Easy Communication Reducing Complexity Further Ongoing Comfort and Anxiety Innovation Reading Complexly Formulae and their Challenges Boredom Formulae and Falsity Finishing with Formulae
Chapter 15: The Humorous Humor and Mirth Humor and the Haughty Humor versus Gravitas Why We Smile, Snigger and Snort. Feeling Superior Descending Incongruity Emotional Release Humor’s Disciplinary and Dark Side Anaesthesia of the Heart Imposing Social Discipline Ridicule and Repression Humor and Hate Humor and Hostility References Index
