Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (Edition 2) (Hardcover)

"Expanded from the 1998 first edition to six volumes and over 800 entries, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics surveys the full breadth of critical thought on art, culture, and society-from classical philosophy to contemporary critical theory. The second edition includes increased coverage of international aesthetics, modern aesthetics, new media like computer art, and areas like neuroaesthetics that were not thoroughly covered in the first edition. Featuring 815 articles by distinguished scholars from many fields and countries, the Encyclopedia is a comprehensive survey of major concepts, thinkers, and debates about the meaning, uses, and value of all the arts-from painting and sculpture to literature, music, theater, dance, television, film, and popular culture"-- The second edition of the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics is an unparalleled reference resource that surveys the full breadth of critical thought on art, culture, and nature, from classical philosophy to contemporary critical theory. The four-volume first edition, published in 1998, effected a revival of aesthetics that created a receptive context for the contemporary importance of the field. Spanning six volumes and 815 articles, the new edition of the Encyclopedia has been updated and expanded to reflect the rapidly evolving character of the discipline. Renowned contributors from diverse fields provide analyses of the major artists, movements, and theories that continue to inform scholarly research on aesthetics.

The updated Encyclopedia of Aesthetics contains 250 new entries that incorporate innovative fields of inquiry, such as animal aesthetics and diaspora criticism, as well as significant new developments in art, including digital media and street art. Additionally, the second edition offers enhanced coverage of non-Western cultural areas and related issues, such as post-colonialism, globalization, and primitivism. In so doing, it extends the scope of critical aesthetics, seeking to create a more open environment for aesthetics in academia, culture, and art. With bibliographic references and images, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics is an essential work that is of use to artists, scholars, students, and all others interested in art-from painting and sculpture to literature, music, theater, film, and more.