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blueelectricfish's review against another edition
This guy uses way too many words for what he's trying to say... I'm taking to heart what people are saying and believing I can find something more modern to explain similar ideas to me.
richard_f's review against another edition
5.0
Mentioned in Kaprow "Blurring of Art and Life" in intro as substantial influence on him.
virtualmima's review against another edition
3.25
By outlining a better definition of art than its predecessors, this is a milestone in the field of aesthetics. But it doesn't go deep enough, in part because in the time of its release there was not nearly as much art available as now, but also because it doesn't really explore in nearly enough detail what makes certain art more effective than others.
castaliamay's review against another edition
2.5
Dewey really thinks he's an amazing scholar, but he just comes off as a pompous dick. However, some of his ideas are interesting especially when thinking about the new forms of art that have come out.
esmithumland's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this book. Despite the sheer density, I found the ideas accessible and progressive enough that I was surprised it was written in the 30s. That being said, I would not necessarily recommend this book to those that are overwhelmed by the size, pace, and jargon. The book is old enough that I feel any summation, sparknotes, or modern re-write would be sufficient to understand the authors arguments and concepts.
I really liked the ideas he presented on how art is something more than just sign (and/or matter like paint), and symbol (like the idea of a painting), but somehow both of these, none of these, and all of these. I also liked his explanation of how the experience and interpretation of art is based on emotion and experience and that this doesn't diminish the experience, but rather makes it what it is.
Finally, I really enjoyed the last chapter where he argued for workers needing to "seize the means of production" so to speak, because through the participation of the worker in the design and implementation of the work there is aesthetic fulfillment, which extends from art production and experience.
I'm glad I read this book but I will definitely be referring to Sparknotes from the book, rather than the book itself.
I really liked the ideas he presented on how art is something more than just sign (and/or matter like paint), and symbol (like the idea of a painting), but somehow both of these, none of these, and all of these. I also liked his explanation of how the experience and interpretation of art is based on emotion and experience and that this doesn't diminish the experience, but rather makes it what it is.
Finally, I really enjoyed the last chapter where he argued for workers needing to "seize the means of production" so to speak, because through the participation of the worker in the design and implementation of the work there is aesthetic fulfillment, which extends from art production and experience.
I'm glad I read this book but I will definitely be referring to Sparknotes from the book, rather than the book itself.
bibliophage's review against another edition
I loved reading Dewey and I think there is so much material here that is useful for anyone interested in the theory of aesthetic experience and Dewey's ideas about education (which are foundational in educational theory and reform). Dewey has become permanent on my bookshelf.
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