Description

Book Synopsis
A collection that tracks the astonishing impact of one vernacular aesthetic category—the cute—on postwar and contemporary art.

The Cute tracks the astonishing impact of a single aesthetic category on post-war and contemporary art, and on the vast range of cultural practices and discourses on which artists draw. From robots and cat videos to ice cream socials, The Cute explores the ramifications of an aesthetic “of” or “about” minorness—or what is perceived to be diminutive, subordinate, and above all, unthreatening—on the shifting forms and contents of art today. This anthology is the first of its kind to show how contemporary artists have worked on and transformed the cute, in ways that not only complexify its meaning, but also reshape their own artistic practices.
 
Artists surveyed include
Peggy Ahwesh, Cosima Von Bonin, Nayland Blake, Paul Chan, Adrian Howells, Juliana Huxtable,

The Cute

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Sat 15 Aug 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Sianne Ngai

    10 in stock

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      Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 02/08/2022
      ISBN13: 9780262544658, 978-0262544658
      ISBN10: 0262544652
      Also in:
      Theory of art

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A collection that tracks the astonishing impact of one vernacular aesthetic category—the cute—on postwar and contemporary art.

      The Cute tracks the astonishing impact of a single aesthetic category on post-war and contemporary art, and on the vast range of cultural practices and discourses on which artists draw. From robots and cat videos to ice cream socials, The Cute explores the ramifications of an aesthetic “of” or “about” minorness—or what is perceived to be diminutive, subordinate, and above all, unthreatening—on the shifting forms and contents of art today. This anthology is the first of its kind to show how contemporary artists have worked on and transformed the cute, in ways that not only complexify its meaning, but also reshape their own artistic practices.
       
      Artists surveyed include
      Peggy Ahwesh, Cosima Von Bonin, Nayland Blake, Paul Chan, Adrian Howells, Juliana Huxtable,

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