Abstractionist Aesthetics

This work presents a critical examination of African American culture, advocating for aesthetic abstractionism over realism. It highlights the transformative potential of abstraction in representing Black identities and experiences.

Abstractionist Aesthetics by Phillip Brian Harper presents a thought-provoking exploration of African American expressive culture, challenging traditional depictions of black identity. Harper argues for the importance of African American aesthetic abstractionism, a mode of representation that emphasizes the artificiality of art rather than striving for realistic portrayals. He suggests that realism often reinforces the very social constructs it seeks to critique, while abstractionism reveals the constructed nature of these realities, inviting critical examination and potential transformation.

In this work, Harper contends that the focus on positive representations limits the scope of African American cultural expression. By displacing realism as the dominant aesthetic approach, he repositions literature as a vital arena for African American cultural discourse and elevates experimental prose as a significant form within the literary landscape. Through this lens, Harper encourages a reevaluation of how racial identities are understood and represented in various artistic mediums.

Drawing on a diverse range of artistic examples, including the works of visual artists like Fred Wilson and Kara Walker, musicians such as Billie Holiday and Cecil Taylor, and writers including Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, and John Keene, the book raises critical questions about the social meanings attached to blackness. Ultimately, Abstractionist Aesthetics aims to redefine African American aesthetics, positioning abstractionism as a powerful tool for representation and cultural critique.