Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

Examines how we experience art, discusses the symbolic and cultural aspects of aesthetic objects, and considers the effect of art from other cultures.

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This reflective, insightful account deals with cross-cultural aesthetic perceptions. Drawing on a wealth of illustrations from Western and non-Western traditions, Maquet analzyes the message and meaning of the visual arts. He concludes that, though the aesthetic experience transcends ethnic boundaries through metamorphoses not dissimilar to meditation, analysis of the cultural context (i.e., anthropology) is the most promising heuristic mechanism for understanding the aesthetic dimension. The intricate connections between the cultural level and the universal and singular levels cannot be ignored, thus ``careful observations of our inner life should not be banished from the anthropological realm.'' An exceptionally thought-provoking, accessible analysis. Winifred Lambrecht, Anthropology Dept., Brown Univ . , Providence, R.I. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

The use of anthropological and sociological information to interpret the aesthetic experience of different peoples of the world is not a new undertaking. Maquet's work, however, stresses how the aesthetic response is conditioned by the symbolic and cultural environment in which it is perceived. Students of the arts and other social phenomena are increasingly required to develop a new understanding of creativity across cultures. This attractive volume by a well-known authority in the field provides a wide range of insights that translates experiences ``in the field'' to the interpretation of an aesthetic creation. Especially impressive is the diversity found in its 167 black-and-white illustrations. Maquet's analysis of great works of art from all cultures in different historical periods would be much enhanced if read in conjunction with Vytautas Kavolis's Artistic Expression; A Sociological Analysis (1968). Maquet interprets for the reader the ideas that Kavolis systematizes and organizes for the purpose of study and research. Extensive bibliography as well as a significant compilation of questions relating to each chapter that can be used for classroom and seminar purposes. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and general readers.-N.C. Greenberg, Western Michigan University