Art and "Terrible Truth"

John Gibson, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Commonwealth Center for Humanities and Society, will discuss why in the context of art, but usually not in life, we often take intense delight in viewing the tragic, traumatic, disgusting, and horrible. On basic political and ethical grounds, is it permissible to turn the abject and awful into an object of aesthetic pleasure? What does our appreciation of such art say about us and our sense of the world we inhabit? Contrary to appearances, this will be an optimistic talk, and will highlight ways in which literature, painting and music can make life tolerable in the act of revealing it at its worst.

Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 12:00pm to 1:00pm

University Club & Alumni Center, Ballroom B
200 E. Brandeis Ave , Louisville, Kentucky 40208

Event Type

Talk

Audience

Students, Faculty/staff, Alumni, Public

Departments

Arts & Sciences, Liberal Studies

Tags

#editorpick

Cost

$15/person or $10/students

Contact Name

Janna Tajibaeva

Contact Phone Number

852-2247

Contact Email

janna@louisville.edu

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University of Louisville

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University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky 40292

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