This book highlights aesthetics as pertaining to the structural component in architectural design. This less explored aspect of architecture is discussed and explains the enduring qualities of ten specific buildings from architectural history to present day due to their structural aesthetics. Based on comprehensive research, a critical analysis is presented of the constraints and other influences on architectural and structural design, such as culture, patronage, geometry, available resources and technologies.

This book reflects the most recent research devoted to a systematized perspective and a critical (re)construction of previous theoretical attempts of explaining, justifying and continuing Kuhn’s ingenious hypothesis in arts. Hofstadter, Clignet and Habermas revealed to be the most engaged scholars in solving this aesthetic "puzzled-problem". In this context, the structural similarities between science and arts are attentively evaluated, thus satisfying an older concern attributed to the historical Kuhn-Kubler dispute, extensively commented along the pages of this book. How can we track the matter of rationality and truth in art and aesthetics, inspired by scientific perspectives? Are artistic styles similar to scientific paradigms? Are we entitled to pursue paradigms and masterpieces as rational models in science, respectively in arts? On what possible grounds can we borrow from science notions such as progress and predictability, in the study of the evolution of art and its aesthetic backgrounds? Are the historical dynamics of science and art affected by political factors in the same manner? This book will be of interest to philosophers, but also to historians of science and historians of art alike in the reassessment it provides of recent debates on reshaping the art world using Kuhn's "paradigm shift".

This is the first study to survey the field of the anthropology of aesthetics, which during the last few decades has emerged on the cross-roads between anthropology and non-Western art scholarship. While critically examining the available literature, thereby addressing such basic issues as the existence of aesthetic universals, the author elaborates on a central thesis which concerns the relationship between aesthetic preference and sociocultural ideals. Drawing on empirical data from several African cultures, he demonstrates that varying notions of beauty are inspired by varying sociocultural ideals, thus shedding light on the phenomenon of cultural relativism in aesthetic preference. Emphasizing unity within diversity, the systematic anthropological approach offered in this volume invites the reader to reconsider aesthetic preference from an empirical, cross-cultural, and contextual perspective.

A collection of pivotal ideas about beauty from throughout history, with an introduction and critical headnotes. This collection of writings on beauty includes selections from twenty key philosophers and theoreticians spanning two millennia: Plato • Aristotle • Vitruvius • Alberti • Kant • Burke • Fiedler • Nietzsche • Wilde • Bergson • Bell • Scott • Benjamin • Bataille • Sontag • Jameson • Scarry • Nehamas • Zangwill • Freedberg and Gallese With an introduction and critical headnotes explaining the importance of each text, Mark Foster Gage offers a framework for a provocative history of ideas about beauty as they relate to contemporary thinking on architecture and design. In a world increasingly defined by sumptuous visuality, the concepts of beauty and visual sensation are not mere intellectual exercises but standards that define the very nature of design practice across disciplines and that are essential to the emerging worlds of design and architecture in the twenty-first century.

Paramount in the shaping of early Byzantine identity was the construction of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (532-537 CE). This book examines the edifice from the perspective of aesthetics to define the concept of beauty and the meaning of art in early Byzantium. Byzantine aesthetic thought is re-evaluated against late antique Neoplatonism and the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius that offer fundamental paradigms for the late antique attitude towards art and beauty. These metaphysical concepts of aesthetics are ultimately grounded in experiences of sensation and perception, and reflect the ways in which the world and reality were perceived and grasped, signifying the cultural identity of early Byzantium. There are different types of aesthetic data, those present in the aesthetic object and those found in aesthetic responses to the object. This study looks at the aesthetic data embodied in the sixth-century architectural structure and interior decoration of Hagia Sophia as well as in literary responses (ekphrasis) to the building. The purpose of the Byzantine ekphrasis was to convey by verbal means the same effects that the artefact itself would have caused. A literary analysis of these rhetorical descriptions recaptures the Byzantine perception and expectations, and at the same time reveals the cognitive processes triggered by the Great Church. The central aesthetic feature that emerges from sixth-century ekphraseis of Hagia Sophia is that of light. Light is described as the decisive element in the experience of the sacred space and light is simultaneously associated with the notion of wisdom. It is argued that the concepts of light and wisdom are interwoven programmatic elements that underlie the unique architecture and non-figurative decoration of Hagia Sophia. A similar concern for the phenomenon of light and its epistemological dimension is reflected in other contemporary monuments, testifying to the pervasiveness of these aesthetic values in early Byzantium.

Provides information on growing trees, perennials, annuals, grasses, herbs, and bulbs, features the basics of garden design, and talks about environmentally sound controls of pests and diseases.

Seldom does a book achieve status as a classic in its first edition, but The Art of Aesthetic Surgery by Foad Nahai has been hailed as a masterpiece since its inception. Reviews have been universally laudatory, and residents and experienced practitioners alike have embraced this work as the ultimate resource on all things aesthetic. Now, this landmark work has been totally revised and updated with over 40 new chapters (many with new authors) and every chapter has been revised to reflect the latest trends, techniques, and information. This three-volume set also includes seven DVDs with 24 operative videos. Comprehensive Coverage 93 chapters in three volumes cover the full range of cosmetic medical treatments and aesthetic operations. Topics include: Hair transplantation and brow lift Eyelid surgery Laser resurfacing and chemical peels Tissue fillers and fat grafting Rhytidectomy and face and neck lift Facial implants Rhinoplasty and ptoplasty Lip rejuvenation Breast augmentation, reduction, and mastoplexy Surgical, noninvasive, and minimally invasive body contouring Liposuction To address the modern physician’s need for business acumen as well as surgical skill, three chapters focus on practice management, ranging from practice model options, staff and financial management, marketing and communications, and legal issues. World-Renowned Authors Dr. Foad Nahai is an acknowledged leader in aesthetic surgery. He has personally written a third of the chapters for this three-volume work. His contributors, representing the "who’s who" of aesthetic surgery, provide detailed accounts of their techniques for the different operations, as well as the planning process so crucial to producing excellent results. Help with Decision-Making Of particular note are the clinical decision-making chapters authored by Dr. Nahai. This invaluable insight provides readers with a unique overview of the various options for each problem, along with his preferred solutions. Complete with algorithms and case studies, this problem-solving feature offers the expert guidance necessary to sort through options, understand their advantages and limitations, and make the best choice for each patient. Necessary Anatomy Key chapters introducing each major anatomic region or topic area focus on applied anatomy and provide essential information that the surgeon needs to know to execute these surgical maneuvers safely and effectively. Reliable Format This new edition maintains the same features that made the previous edition so popular, including beautiful medical illustrations, large type for readability, and a consistent, comprehensive approach. The semi-atlas format features the applicable images located next to legend text for enhanced clarity.

Focus on the works of Toni Morrison, Gaye Jones, and Alice Walker.

Is art created with computers really art? This book answers ‘yes.’ Computers can generate visual art with unique aesthetic effects based on innovations in computer technology and a Postmodern naturalization of technology wherein technology becomes something we live in as well as use. The present study establishes these claims by looking at digital art’s historical emergence from the 1960s to the start of the present century. Paul Crowther, using a philosophical approach to art history, considers the first steps towards digital graphics, their development in terms of three-dimensional abstraction and figuration, and then the complexities of their interactive formats.