Shaped by
Sensory engagement
Fundamentally aesthetic
We move beyond the immediately visible to engage with the potential, the implied, the not-yet-fully-realized.
“The work of art… presents itself as a sensible object, and it is through this sensible object that it manifests its meaning.” – Mikel Dufrenne
Fundamental principles
Fabric of reality
Subtly inscribed
Aesthetics functions as a quest for the underlying harmony and universal truths veiled beneath the contingencies of the visible world.
“Art is higher than reality and has no direct relation to reality.” – Piet Mondrian
Contextual figure
Cultural construct
Actively created
As the sign influences perception and guides interaction, it becomes an integral part of the reality it signifies.
“The aesthetic quality is found when the emotions are so ordered that they reinforce and expand each other and culminate in a unified whole.” – John Dewey
Raspberry-topped cone
Affixed to a wall
Permanence fleeting sensation
This juxtaposition between the static cone and the dynamic background highlights the tension between the object and its context, between the frozen moment and the continuous flow of existence.
“We are always changing, always moving, always in a state of flux.” – Sue Ford
Visual syntax
Contingent nature
Temporal entity
The logic of aesthetic experience is the syntax of the image.
“The most perfect logic to be found is in the play of imagination. “ – Charles Sanders Peirce
Secret recipe
Brand ambassador
Fried chicken
Advertising kitsch on a glass shelf.
“A brilliant man with a gourmet flair for food, a visionary and a great motivator, with the style of a showman and the discipline of a Vince Lombardi.” – John Y. Brown Jr.
Constant flux
Change inevitability
Symbolic resonance
The faded “Dump” sign, in its state of decay, embodies a sense of transience and the ephemeral nature of existence.
“The feeling of life, the sense of growth, of the passage of time, is the root of all aesthetic pleasure.” – Charles Sanders Peirce
Integral part
Weathered poster
Layered meaning
Faded colors and torn paper mirror the fleeting nature of human endeavors. Yet, within this decay, a beauty emerges, a beauty that transcends the limitations of time and space.
“Art is the most human of all things, because in it man is most fully man.” – José Ortega y Gasset
Absolute plumbing
Flushing competition
Turd surfer
Michel Henry, a French philosopher known for his phenomenological approach, would likely find much to ponder in the image of the Absolute Plumbing truck. Henry’s philosophy, focused on the lived body and the affective dimension of experience, aligns with the visceral and humorous impact this image exhibits.
“The body is not just a physical object, but also a site of affective experience.” – Erwin Straus
WelinLambie
Vent B-2 Void
Keep out
A portion of the vessel needs protection.
“She doesn’t understand that doors, walls, fences, ceilings – they’re helpless to keep out what determinedly desires to get in.” – Sonya Hartnett