I can already sense the reactions to this title. Is it not true that the purpose of art is to be ‘aesthetic’? What does ‘aestheticism’ even entail, beyond being a buzzword that wannabe photographers (including my own limited repertoire) love to spew? Well, after a short introductory paragraph, that will be the hot topic of the day!
As always, thank you for joining me again today. I swear I had another post planned just shy of a month ago, yet a lack of interest in the subject matter following its closure left me without much tangible goodness to latch onto. However, upon my one-month anniversary at university, I have regained a much deeper appreciation of art and its various mediums that the blistering summer days scolded off of me. I am also aware that sounded quite preachy, so let us move on to the actual topic at hand.
This post will not be terribly thorough or ‘deep,’ so just sit back and enjoy me ramble on about art!
What does it mean to be ‘aesthetic’? In the simplest explanation possible, it is ‘art for art’s sake’ as per the slogan. Well, duh, you probably think to yourself at this moment. However, this applies to all mediums of art, including books and movies. You may also think to yourself, Doesn’t every book need some moral lesson to wrap things up? Aren’t books supposed to challenge us in a literary sense or at least provide an enthralling narrative? These arguments against aestheticism may sound like something I want to simply disprove, but as with all things human and at least somewhat complex, there is no correct answer that everyone unanimously agrees with.
One example that one of my university classes had me read was Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Before I go on, I highly recommend you read this play on your own time as it is simply delightful. To speak more specifically, the play is a comedy of manners that pits various members of high-class England into a complicated dilemma on their pursuit of love, with various mishaps and sass to give it a bumbling character. If you have only read Shakespeare and you are afraid of archaic language and lengthy plays, feel relieved in knowing that Wilde’s play is only fifty pages long and that the language is quite close to fully modernized English.
Going along from that tangent, The Importance of Being Earnest is hilarious and colourful. As with most plays, it has symbolism, characters with different personalities, and poetic/literary devices. But how about deeper meaning? How about a commentary on the issues of 1895 in Victorian England? Why not be controversial, or even harshly truthful in a subtle manner? This is where aestheticism reigns, as not everything needs to speak to us on such a deeper level. Wilde’s play is not the commentary on insanity and leadership that Hamlet is, or on privacy and ideology that 1984 is either. It is simply a piece of art that is to be enjoyed and appreciated for its beauty.
Now, whether or not this is something you agree with this is a matter of personal preference. The importance of aestheticism here is that if you make something, make sure it resonates with you in some dazzling manner.
Now, it would not be a stadarooni blog post if I did not dwell on something that exists outside of the textual realm. Now, the reason I found this topic to be one of interest to me is due to me rewatching Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver over the past weekend. Even more so than Earnest, this film just screams aestheticism.
What is the purpose of music in the film? No, it is not like Guardians of the Galaxy in that it is a blast of the blast to be ‘distinct’ in a manner. Instead, music is for the film’s incredible choreography for the actions of its characters. To dig down further, what is the purpose of the choreography in itself? Well, it does not serve a narrative use, and it goes beyond fashionable filmmaking. It is ‘art for art’s sake,’ bringing this discussion back full-circle.
It does not need to be deep, as some critics would have you think. It is simple: a film like Baby Driver is to be appreciated like a sunset. When one gazes upon a sunset, do they see it as a metaphor for the last breathing moments of one’s life? Perhaps, so let us think of a better example. If one is in an idealistic beachhead with their lover, walking through the glistening beach, sipping on a pina colada (or your beverage of choice), and embraced by the turquoise sky, do they think of it as a metaphor for anything? No, they are enjoying the moment for its beauty, just as one watching a film like Baby Driver or a play like Earnest should seek to do. If one chases that which does not exist, they have set themselves up for nothing but disappointment.
Regardless, whether you believe aestheticism is great or if it betrays the complexity of art and meaning is ultimately up to you. If there is a slight lesson to be gained here, it is to look at things on a case-to-case basis. Do not go looking for the wonderful joy of art in a text like Beowulf, as you should know better.
I hope you enjoyed this post! I know I have been absent for a while, and it is a nice thing to be able to write so casually every now and then. Throughout my absence, I have been keeping an eye on this blog’s performance though, so there has not been a day I have truly forgotten about it. If I am to make one last announcement, you should go follow/friend me on Goodreads! I will be happy to let you see all the geeky Halo novels I have read, as well as all that highbrow literary crap that will prevent me from ever writing in a straightforward manner. (I kid, of course)
Anyways, enjoy your day, and keep on going! 🙂
stadarooni 
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