Art and Reality

John Anderson on Literature and Aesthetics

John Anderson author Janet Anderson editor Kimon Lycos editor Graham Cullum editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Sydney University Press

Published:3rd Apr '17

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Art and Reality cover

In this collection of reflections and critical studies, John Anderson asserts the vital role of art and aesthetics in intellectual life.

In Art and Reality, John Anderson explores how beauty is experienced and defined. He considers a wide range of topics, from Homer to Dostoevsky and Shakespeare, the Ern Malley hoax and censorship of Ulysses. With rigor and originality, Anderson proposes a philosophical approach to art that can lead us to thoughtful engagement with literature.

Art and Reality is a collection of general theoretical reflections and particular critical studies, in which John Anderson asserts the essential role of art and aesthetics in intellectual life.

Rejecting the notion that artistic appreciation is simply a matter of spontaneous response or ‘personal taste’, Anderson argues that genuine criticism requires the application of general aesthetic principles and an awareness of the relationship between art and nature. In exploring how beauty is experienced and defined, he considers a wide range of authors, from Homer to Joyce, Melville to Dostoevsky, Shakespeare to Shaw. He outlines his underlying theory of aesthetics and offers commentary on some key controversies of his day, including psychoanalytic criticism, the Ern Malley hoax, and the censorship of Ulysses in Australia.

With characteristic rigor and originality, Anderson proposes a philosophical way of approaching works of art, one which can lead us to a more meaningful and thoughtful engagement with literature.

ISBN: 9781743325094

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

314 pages

First published in 1982 by Hale & Iremonger