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Some visual artworks constitute hate speech because they can perform oppressive illocutionary acts. This illocution-based analysis of art reveals how responsive curation and artmaking undermines and manages problematic art. Drawing on the notion of counterspeech as an alternative tool to censorship to handle art-based hate speech, this article proposes aesthetic blocking and aesthetic spotlighting. I then show that under certain conditions, this can lead to eventual metaphysical destruction of the artwork; a way to destroy harmful art without physically destroying it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Ted Nannicelli, ethical disputes about art today often concern not the controversial attitudes expressed by the works but the ways in which they have been created, that is, as well as interpretation-oriented ethical criticism of art, we find production-oriented ethical criticism. The main question that I explore in this article is: are the interpretation- and production-oriented approaches to ethical art criticism essentially disconnected or can there be a connection between them? I argue that in the disjunctivist view, the two approaches are disconnected, for ethical flaws in the production of artworks are never conditioned by ethical flaws in the attitudes expressed by those works and vice versa. I show that disjunctivism is mistaken and defend what I call contextual conjunctivism. In this view, the two approaches can be connected since attitudinal ethical flaws in artworks can indeed cause ethical flaws in their production and vice versa depending on context. I support this view using several examples of controversies about contemporary art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What distinguishes middle, low, and high art? In this article, I give an ameliorative analysis of these concepts. On what I call the Capacity View, the distinction between low, middle, and high art depends on the relation between an artwork's perceiver (specifically her aesthetic responsive capacities) and the perceived artwork. Though the Capacity View may not align perfectly with folk usage, the view is worth our attention due to three attractive upshots. First, it explains how an artwork's status level can be elevated or lowered over time and why biases can lead to mistaken judgments about such statuses. Second, it sheds light on the idea of cultural inheritance and why certain forms of aesthetic deference may be justified. Finally, it explains how high, middle, and low art each make distinctive contributions to the good life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we evaluate artworks, we often point to what an artist could have done or what a work could have been in order to say something about the work as it actually is. Call this counterfactual reasoning in art criticism. On my account, counterfactual claims about artworks involve comparative aesthetic judgments between actual artworks and hypothetical variations of those works. The practice of imagining what an artwork could have been is critically useful because it can help us understand how artworks achieve specific aesthetic effects. I conclude by responding to an objection to my account on the basis that it violates the widely accepted acquaintance principle in aesthetics, on which aesthetic judgments must be based on firsthand perceptual encounters with their objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A call for proposals is presented for special issues on topics including aesthetics, art criticism, philosophy and art practices.

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editors discuss a special issue on race and aesthetics.

Unlike other forms of writing or speech, literary works do not attempt to present the world from a perspective that is equally accessible to both the writer and the reader. Instead, a reader succeeds in engaging with a literary work only through imaginatively setting aside aspects of her own perspective and engaging with a subjective perspective different from her own. I argue that this feature of literary engagement is of significant cognitive value. Through literary engagement, we expand the range and sophistication of our perspectival concepts and practice making sense of motivations from perspectives different from our own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An empty fiction is a fiction with no content—that is, a fiction in which no propositions are (fictionally) true. The central question of this article is, are such fictions possible? Here, I argue that they are. More specifically, after first examining and rejecting five potential arguments for the possibility of empty fictions, I go on to develop a more successful argument. Along the way, I introduce a new method for producing fictions via complementation functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite important recent work, the rehabilitation of parergon as a critical concept in the history of art has yet to be fully broached. From the time Jacques Derrida introduced the term into contemporary critical theory in The Truth in Painting, its character and function have been largely understood as referencing a threshold or boundary—in particular, that of the border of the artwork. Yet a review of the term's long history suggests a meaning that differs in significant ways from its current near‐univocal characterization as a synonym for a frame. In particular, premodern art theory and criticism identifies a parergon with matters such as the background action in a history painting, the inclusion in a landscape of picturesque embellishments, or, following Kant, the addition of ornament to a painting, a statue, or a building. This article therefore proposes we ask again: What is a parergon? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We humans continuously reshape the environment to alter, enhance, and sustain our affective lives. This two‐way modification has been discussed in recent philosophy of mind as affective scaffolding, wherein scaffolding quite literally means that our affective states are enabled and supported by environmental resources such as material objects, other people, and physical spaces. In this article, I argue that under certain conditions, paintings function as noteworthy affective scaffolds to their creators. I begin with a theoretical overview of affective niche construction and affective scaffolding. Then, based on the criteria of robustness, concreteness, and dependability, I specify a more restricted, solid type of affective scaffolding and propound paintings as a cogent case of such. In support of my argument, I highlight two feelings typical to painterly creativity: the feeling of aesthetic resonance and the feeling of fusion. To conclude, I discuss the overall contributions and limitations of my account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Noël Carroll proposes a generalist theory of art criticism, which essentially involves evaluations of artworks on the basis of their success value, at the cost of rendering evaluations of reception value irrelevant to criticism. In this article, I argue for a hybrid account of art criticism, which incorporates Carroll's objective model but puts Carroll-type evaluations in the service of evaluations of reception value. I argue that this hybrid model is supported by Kant's theory of taste. Hence, I not only present an alternative theory of metacriticism, which has the merit of reinstating the centrality of reception value in art critics' evaluations, but also show that, contrary to a common conception, Kant's aesthetic theory can house a fruitful account of art criticism. The benefit of this hybrid account is that, despite being essentially particularist, it should be appealing even to generalists, including Carroll. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a response to a commentary by Anton Killin on the article "What Is an Antique?" published in a 2016 issue of "The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism." The authors defend their argument that the concept of an antique is an adjectival concept and also explain their decision to exclude art objects from the discussion. They identify the reasons for distinguishing between antique art objects and antique nonart objects. They conclude that Killin's commentary on their article is misguided.

Despite its enduring popularity, theatrical magic remains all but ignored by art critics, art historians, and philosophers. This is unfortunate, since magic offers a unique and distinctively intellectual aesthetic experience and raises a host of interesting philosophical questions. Thus, this article initiates a philosophical investigation of the experience of magic. Section I dispels two widespread misconceptions about the nature of magic and discusses the sort of depiction it requires. Section II asks, 'What cognitive attitude is involved in the experience of magic?' and criticizes three candidate replies; Section III then argues that Tamar Szabó Gendler's notion of 'belief-discordant alief' holds the key to a correct answer. Finally, Section IV develops an account of the experience of magic and explores some of its consequences. The result is a philosophically rich view of the experience of magic that opens new avenues for inquiry and is relevant to core issues in contemporary aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT I defend the view that it is not impossible to see the impossible. I provide two examples in which one sees the impossible and defend these examples from potential objections. Theories of depiction should make room for impossible depictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reflects on how the work of art critics and philosophers impacts aesthetic taste. Particular focus is given to the influence of the 1757 essay "Of the Standard of Taste," which was written by the philosopher David Hume. Three major subjects are examined including how criticism stands up to the test of time, how taste preference influences criticism and how many academics seek out critics whose tastes they share. The author utilizes the work of various philosophers to build his case including Noël Carroll, Alan Goldman and Ted Cohen.

The author discusses aesthetics, in terms of both the personal taste of the viewer and the value of art. The author reflects on an article that he wrote that was based on the essay "Of the Standard of Taste" by the philosopher David Hume. The author considers art critics and why they are qualified to decide for others what is or is not good art and it considers the objectivity of critics' judgments. The author discusses what makes a piece of art artistically good and these come to be considered masterpieces by the art community.

This essay explores the perspective of Islamic aesthetics and its reliance on the traditional medium for which it studies. A comparison is made between western analytical critique and Islamic artistic imitation and interpretation as commentary. The author suggests the Islamic model presents a separate ideological conception of knowledge, which maintains that linguistic description is impossible.

The article argues that the moral value of an artwork depends on some of its artistic properties. It does not follow that a work that is bas as art will be morally bad. Moral value and aesthetic value are related not because one directly influences the other, but because certain underlying artistic properties play a role in both moral and aesthetic judgments, though perhaps quite different roles.

Lists the books received by the editorial staff of "The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism". "Albert Cohen: Dissonant Voices," by Jack I. Abecassis "The Pornography of Meat," by Carol Adams; "Looking for America: The Visual Production of Nation and People," edited by Ardis Cameron.

Lists books received by the June 2004 issue of "The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism." "The Graven Image: Representation in Babylonia and Assyria," by Zainab Bahrani; "Architecture: Modernism and After," edited by Andrew Ballantyne; "Modernism in Serbia: The Elusive Margins of Belgrade Architecture 1919-1941," by Ljiljana Blagojevic.

This article presents comments made by the author on aesthetician Noël Carroll's theory of mass art. The author comments that the theory is committed to holding that every mass media artifact is a mass artwork. For example, he points to the live rock concerts which could qualify as mass art according to conditions of mass art theory. On the basis of the conditions spelled out in the mass art theory, the author argues that its global elevation of mass works to art status is problematic.

Lists books about aesthetics and art criticism. 'Ordinary Images,' by Stanley K. Abe; 'Orientalist Aesthetics: Art, Colonialism, and French North Africa, 1880-1930,' by Roger Benjamin; 'Rosalind Krauss and American Philosophical Art Criticism: From Formalism to Beyond Post-modernism,' by David Carrier.

Presents an index to volume 60 of 'The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.' Titles of articles, discussions and symposia; Authors of articles, discussions, symposia and book reviews.

The central idea behind this essay is that at least some of the value of art is objective in nature and as a result, some of the evaluative judgments that critics make about art are true and have normative force over the judgments of others. That is, when critics say that a particular painting is a success or failure, or that a novel is profound or shallow they are, if only some of the time, saying something that others ought to agree with. My aim is to sketch a theory of artistic value that can make sense of this fact about critical judgments. Since the idea that the quality of art is purely subjective in nature is powerful in both academic and in popular circles, I will take it as a part of my task to explain why we must vindicate a conception of objective quality in art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the possibility of creating a standard for evaluating works of art and discusses the interpretative or aesthetic properties ascribed to the work. Disagreement among critics over differences in sensibilities; Application of perceptual sensitivity; Views on aesthetic realism.

Focuses on three theses in aesthetics that pose problems for those who wish to avoid subjectivism regarding the ascription of aesthetic properties. Relational analysis of aesthetic properties; Supervenience of aesthetic properties upon purely descriptive, nonaesthetic properties; Existence of irresolvable disputes concerning the aesthetic features of artworks.

Comments on Alan Goldman's article, "Interpreting Art and Literature," from the 1990 issue of "Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism," which presents his interpretations of literary works.

Analyzes revisionism and traditionalism when viewing art work. Definition of both concepts; Aesthetics; The influences of recent philosophers of art; The process of canonizing art; How time's test warrants canons; The test of linear time; How much history influences art; Evolving audience or evolving work; Intrinsic value, identity and relational properties; The test of narrative time; How narrative time tests art.

Lists several new books on aesthetics and art criticism in 1990. Range of topics and subject matter explored by the books; Author credits; Publisher information.

Comments on relational theories of art, which are described as fundamentally mistaken. Nature of certain objects as art because of their intrinsic exhibited qualities; Key role of an artist's effect in the definition of what art is; Implications on the study of aesthetics and art criticism.

Examines Monroe Beardsley's theory on the use of general criterial principles for aesthetic evaluation. Distinction between primary and secondary criteria introduced to maintain the generality of critical reasons; Requirement that reasons that support aesthetic evaluation need to be general; Implications on the study of aesthetics and art criticism.

Presents the author's reply to a critique of his research on musical authenticity in performance. Limitation of determinativeness by the public musical conventions governing both the system of musical notation and the performance practice of the time; Ontology of musical work; Implications on the study of aesthetics and art criticism.

Determines whether fruitful relationships can be established among the disciplines of analytical philosophy, aesthetics and historico-critical art study. Argument that few aestheticians practice any sort of strict analytic method; Range of work dealing with the arts; Importance of analytical training and ability.

Discusses ways in which analytic aesthetics and its career may be understood. Consequence of the analytic approach to philosophy; Roles of anti-essentialism about art and the quest for clarity as the most common features of analytic aesthetics; Critical refinement of the concepts of art and art criticism; Preoccupation with art rather than natural beauty.

For the purposes of this paper I shall put the issue of the intentional component of the aesthetic theory of art somewhat to one side. I am more interested in the job that the concept of aesthetic experience is supposed to perform in the theories. It must be said that the common-sense approach of the aesthetic theory of art is very attractive. It conceives of the artwork as an object designed with a function, a function, moreover, that is connected with what a spectator can get out of an artwork in virtue of its facilitating or promoting certain types of responses or interactions. As a theory of art, it has the strength of acknowledging the mutual importance of the artist, the object, and the audience; it does not emphasize one element of the matrix of art over others in the manner of a Croce or a Collingwood with their preoccupations with the artist and his expression of intuitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on varieties of formalist criticism. Formalists' philosophical attempts to articulate critical principles; Relation between life and art; Essential aesthetic attitude; Objectivity of taste.

An index for Volume 71 of "The Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism" is presented.

The article lists several books that were received by the periodical "The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism" including "Meaning, Truth, and Reference in Historical Representation," by Frank Ankersmit, "Film Theory: Rational Reconstructions," by Warren Buckland and "Darger's Resources," by Michael Moon.

Lists books received by 'The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.' Inclusion of 'Gaston Bachelard: Critic of Science and the Imagination,' by Cristina Chimisso; 'Pictures and Tears,' by James Elkins; 'Veils,' by Helene Cixous and Jacques Derrida, translated by Geoffrey Bennington; 'Louis Le Vau: Mazarin's College, Colbert's Revenge,' by Hilary Ballon.

Comments on the article "Moore and Shusterman on Organic Wholes," by Thomas Leddy, which appears in the 1991 issue of "Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism." Leddy's defense of the principle of radical organicism, which originates in Hegel, is developed by Nietzsche, and forms the crux of deconstructionist logic against traditional notions of aesthetic unity and the very existence of independent self-identical objects; Leddy's argument; Problems with Leddy's argument.

The table of contents for the Summer 2016 issue of "The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism" is presented.