Cambridge University Press Emerging Visions of the Aesthetic Process: In Psychology, Semiology, and Philosophy

Product Description This book is about aesthetic processes and play from the perspectives of psychologists, philosophers and semiologists. They explore the underlying processes from many viewpoints, including the prehistoric roots of language and art; the historical evolution of artistic styles; the structure of artworks from both gestalt and semiotic perspectives; the biological and psychological processes underlying production and appreciation; personality in relation to artistic style; the testing and measurement of art-related skills; as well as neurobiological, developmental and individual growth perspectives on play activity. The book will be of interest to scholars who want to understand the many ways that aesthetic process can be conceptualized. Not only does it offer a broad basis for discussion, but it also stimulates scholars and students to consider where the study of aesthetic process is heading. Review "...this volume is both intelligible and compelling for almost everyone with an interest in aesthetics....Superb contributions on artist psychology and knowledge in relation to interpretation provide bulletproof protection for category approaches to art, and breathtakingly original essays on sentimental art and the complementarity of art and design deserve to be read alongside the canonical works of philosophical aesthetics." Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism Book Description This book is about aesthetic processes and play from the perspectives of psychologists, philosophers and semiologists. From the Back Cover Emerging Visions of the Aesthetic Process explores the processes underlying aesthetics and play from the perspectives of psychologists, philosophers, and semiologists. It reveals the different ways in which scholars think about the following questions: (1) What is the origin of the creative process? (2) How do biological, social, and cognitive processes shape the activities of artists and the responses of viewers? (3) How does literary activity draw on our experiences of everyday life and how is it tied to other kinds of media? (4) How does play affect the process of growth from childhood to adulthood? The contributors consider artistic, literary, and play activity from its most biological roots through individual cognitive and emotional processing to its expression at the social level. Emerging Visions of the Aesthetic Process offers a stimulating basis for the discussion of aesthetic processes and will serve as an integrative, comprehensive treatise on the topic for researchers and students.