Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art for Everyone

Illustration of a man, a girl, the sky and some birds in monochromatic pink being engulfed by water full of fish in monochromatic sea blue

September 22, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
1 Comment

Sean T. Murphy on JD Salinger

A philosopher tackles difficult themes in the JD Salinger short story “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” Continue reading →

A mosaic of Socrates and six other men in himations lounging outside. Socrates is using a stick to point to the ground, and the men seem to be thinking and talking.

September 7, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
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How To Illustrate Philosophy

If it seems impossible to turn abstract philosophical concepts and ideas into concrete images, think again. Continue reading →

March 30, 2023
by Alex King
8 Comments

Taco Bell and the Paradox of Ironic Appreciation

If you like something ironically, do you actually like it or not? Paradoxically, the answer seems to be yes AND no. Continue reading →

A black bedazzled jacket. Vertical and lines going up and down the entire back form bars on a jail cell beyond which a lonely cowboy plays a guitar.

March 2, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
4 Comments

Nose to the Rhinestone: The Authenticity of Country Music’s Sparkling Suits

How can the country singer’s rhinestone suit be truly authentic if it’s not what cowboys or farmers would actually wear? Continue reading →

A total of thirty-six sepia-tone stills, organized in three rows show a woman walking in a sheer, white dress. While each row shows her from a different angle, the photos within a row look almost entirely identical but for the placement of her feet. In all photos she holds the tail of her dress in her left hand, and raises her other to her head, perhaps shielding her eyes from the sun, her elbow pointing out far to the right.

February 3, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
5 Comments

How Should Literature Mean? A Conversation About Art and Ambiguity

Scholars John Gibson, Magdalena Ostas, and Hannah Kim discuss how art creates meaning, and how we play a role in that meaning-making. Continue reading →

January 26, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
3 Comments

Nine Scholars Discuss the Philosophy of Comics

Nine scholars discuss the philosophy of comics: What are comics, really? And what artistic and ethical questions do they raise? Continue reading →

Five bright, peach-colored flamingos appear from the neck up against a dark green pond in the background.

January 19, 2023
by Aesthetics for Birds
1 Comment

Lizzo Playing Madison’s Flute and Kim Wearing Monroe’s Dress Are Not the Same

Lizzo playing James Madison’s crystal flute is a success story for preservationists. Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s dress is not. Continue reading →

A cutesy robot with large, globulous eyes stands proudly amongst its paint brushes.

November 2, 2022
by Aesthetics for Birds
14 Comments

AI Art is Art

If readymades and photography are art, then so is art made by DALL-E, Midjourney, and the rest. Continue reading →

October 20, 2022
by Aesthetics for Birds
2 Comments

When Can a Band Cover Their Own Song?

Were the Pet Shop Boys covering Elvis or Brenda Lee when they sang “Always on My Mind”? And other paradoxes of cover songs. Continue reading →