A Reconsideration of Aesthetic Value and Moral Value of Artwork - An Immoralism Approach
Abstract
While contemporary art, famous for its abstract form and transgressive nature, is prevalent in the artistic world, the artistic world hasn’t established an objective aesthetic evaluating system that allows viewers to fully experience the aesthetic value of transgressive art, which is the most radical, offensive, and morally problematic art form among the contemporary arts. The article reviews the two traditional evaluative approaches, Autonomism and Moralism, and discusses their limitations. Then, the article introduces the concept of transgressive art and Immoralism. The author also recognizes the theoretical gap that fails to illustrate in what perspective viewers can fully understand the aesthetic value of transgressive art. The article then establishes that the moral value of transgressive art lies in the fact that moral defects can contribute to its aesthetic value if the artwork is viewed from a receptive and reflective perspective. The article is significant in filling the theoretical gap and establishing a more systematic evaluative system.
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