An international, interdisciplinary, peer- and blind-reviewed open-access online journal of contemporary theory, research, and application in aesthetics.
Faire pleurer les Nuages by Marie-Luce Nadal (Make the Clouds Cry, 2015-17) presents a ritual in which, after a fencing duel, the artist shoots into the sky with a crossbow to bring rain. Her poetic outdoor performance alludes to a widespread practice among French farmers around the mid-20th century: firing at stormy skies to “seed the clouds.” The stylized violence in the video inspires meditation on power dynamics, rivalry between water and fire, and suffering in the relationships between humans and nature. Watch the video here: Faire pleurer les nuages
In recent years aesthetics has grown into a rich and varied discipline. Its scope has widened to embrace ethical, social, religious, environmental, and cultural concerns. As international communication increases through more frequent congresses and electronic communication, varied traditions have joined with its historically interdisciplinary character, making aesthetics a focal center of diverse and multiple interests. These need a forum that is universal and inclusive, easy to access, and unhampered by financial, political, and institutional barriers. An on-line publication offers an ideal opportunity for advancing these purposes and Contemporary Aesthetics endeavors to provide that forum.
Contemporary Aesthetics is an international open-access journal that is free to all readers and authors. While CA is mostly volunteer-driven and is partially supported by the Rhode Island School of Design, significant costs are involved in making this journal available to the scholarly community, and we welcome contributions large and small. Your support helps Contemporary Aesthetics continue to offer a high quality online scholarly journal. As a non-profit organization, we are dedicated to staying an independent publication free from the costs and compromises of for-profit publishing operations. The full amount of your contribution will go directly to support the journal. If you would like to help support this effort, please click on the button below. Thank you for your generous support.
