The British Journal of Aesthetics - Advance Access

Intention, Interpretation, and Contemporary Visual Art

Maes, H. — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:27:25 PST

The role of the artist's intention in the interpretation of art has been the topic of a lively and ongoing discussion in analytic aesthetics. First, I sketch the current state of this debate, focusing especially on two competing views: actual and hypothetical intentionalism. Secondly, I discuss the search for a suitable test case, that is, a work of art that is interpreted differently by actual and hypothetical intentionalists, with only one of these interpretations being plausible. Many examples from many different art forms have been considered in this respect, but none of these test cases has proved convincing. Thirdly, I introduce two new test cases taken from contemporary visual art. I explain why these examples are better suited as test cases and how they lend support to the actual intentionalist position.

Scruton's Wagner on God, Salvation, and Eros

Ellis, F. — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:47:22 PST

I examine Roger Scruton's account of the religious and soteriological significance of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. The relation between Scruton and Wagner remains unclear, and the position at issue is a curious amalgam of the two. I refer to its author as ‘Scruton's Wagner’. Scruton's Wagner argues that erotic love has religious and soteriological significance, and that the notions of religion and salvation are to be defined in terms which are shorn of any reference to God. I argue that there may be good reasons for setting these limits short of God, but that Scruton's Wagner does not provide them.

A World Art History and Its Objects

Rapko, J. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:30:06 PST

Psychoanalytic Aesthetics: An Introduction to the British School

Squier, R. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:14:02 PST

Functional Beauty

Price, C. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:14:02 PST