Publication at Faculty of Social Sciences |
2014
Abstract
This paper attempts to investigate several contemporary art pieces produced by Japanese artists which exhibit beauty, yet have a critical-political function (critical beauty). The argument I aim to put forth is that beauty in contemporary Japanese art has started to go beyond immediate pleasure and does not function as an end in itself, but rather as a means to political criticism.
To this end, I will analyze three instances of critical beauty in political art works by Yasumasa Morimura, Yanagi Miwa and Aida Makoto.