Identifying aesthetic experience

Abstract

Aesthetic experience is a combined psychological, neurological, affective phenomenon. Aesthetic experience is not necessarily reducible to positive hedonic tone or positive emotions. It is known to occur when objects or events lose their pragmatic meaning and transcend into a novel symbolic reality. Neuroimaging studies have revealed that distinct cortical areas are activated when observers focus on the pragmatic or aesthetic aspects of art, leading aesthetic experience to be associated with other exceptional brain states such as flow. This article aims to assist art scholars, aficionados or practitioners to identify their own aesthetic experience, by discussing factors that express it.

Estetiese ervaring is ’n gesamentlike psigologiese, neurologiese, affektiewe verskynsel. Estetiese ervaring is nie noodwendig tot ’n positiewe hedonistiese gesteldheid of positiewe emosies herleibaar nie. Dit is bekend dat dit ervaar word wanneer objekte of gebeure hulle pragmatiese betekenis verloor en in ’n nuwe simboliese werklikheid transendeer. Studies van neurobeeldvorming het getoon dat uitkenbare areas in die korteks geaktiveer word wanneer betragters op die pragmatiese of estetiese aspekte van kuns konsentreer, wat daartoe aanleiding gee dat estetiese ervaring met ander buitengewone breintoestande soos vloei vereenselwig word. Die doel met hierdie artikel is om faktore wat estetiese ervaring uitdruk, te bespreek ten einde diegene wat kuns bestudeer, ondersteuners of praktiserende kunstenaars in staat te stel om hulle eie estetiese ervaring te herken.