Craft Objects, Aesthetic Contexts

Craft Objects, Aesthetic Contexts examines the place of contemporary craft in traditional aesthetics.

It is commonly accepted that Kant's distinction between useful objects and objects with no purpose is responsible for the exclusion of craft from the definition of arts in modern aesthetic theory. Corse's careful anaylsis of Kant's original text in its historical context leads to another conclusion; that Kant's ideas of taste and genius have been slightly distorted in their current interpretation.This deviation has persistently defined craft as something other than art and kept it from being seriously analyzed in modern aesthetics. Corse places Kant, Heidegger and Adorno's aesthetic theories in a historical context that allows room for addressing craft within their philosophies on fine art.

It is commonly accepted that Kant's distinction between useful objects and objects with no purpose is responsible for the exclusion of craft from the definition of arts in modern aesthetic theory. Corse's careful anaylsis of Kant's original text in its historical context leads to another conclusion; that Kant's ideas of taste and genius have been slightly distorted in their current interpretation.This deviation has persistently defined craft as something other than art and kept it from being seriously analyzed in modern aesthetics.
Corse places Kant, Heidegger and Adorno's aesthetic theories in a historical context that allows room for addressing craft within their philosophies on fine art.

Sandra Corse is retired after teaching for many years in the school of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. She is the author of three books on opera and numerous articles on literature, music, and aesthetics.