Aesthetic Paradox: A New Discussion on Avant-garde Literature and Art

Author: Wang Hongyue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This is a highly fluent and unrestrained doctoral dissertation, with a topic of significant academic value. Moreover, its strength lies in its close connection to the realities of China—both social and literary. The theoretical elaborations on Chinese avant-garde literature and art in this paper hold positive implications for advancing the current development of literary theory and aesthetics.
—Du Shuying, Researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Since the New Period, Chinese avant-garde literature has been plagued by a large number of disharmonious or even anti-harmonious "aesthetic of ugliness" phenomena, an academic puzzle worth studying yet difficult to explain. The author takes on this challenge, striving to grasp the "aesthetic of sensibility" significance of this anti-aesthetic feature within the context of Chinese culture, the influence of Western philosophy, and the intrinsic laws of art, demonstrating independent thinking and the courage to explore complex issues.
—Chen Yan, Professor at Shandong University
This book draws on and applies interdisciplinary achievements from philosophy, literary theory, psychology, semiotics, and more, proposing many valuable new perspectives. It not only breaks through traditional arguments with unique insights but also constructs a coherent theoretical system.
—Wang Desheng, Professor at Capital Normal University
Standing from the perspective of aesthetics—the aesthetic of sensibility in the new century, this book draws on both Western and ancient Chinese thoughts on the aesthetic of ugliness, conducting an in-depth and thorough study of Chinese avant-garde literature since the 1980s in terms of its emergence, aesthetic orientation, formal characteristics, and aesthetic value. The book argues that the avant-garde literature at the turn of the century altered the course of Chinese literary development over two millennia, replacing the deceptive and misleading artistry built on false foundations. The aesthetic perspectives and experiences it provides hold epoch-making significance in the history of Chinese literary and aesthetic studies—the aesthetic of sensibility. The book also critiques the obsessive tendencies of avant-garde literature. This work presents novel and bold viewpoints, daring to challenge conventional wisdom, showcasing a sharp academic courage and rigorous, solid scholarly approach. It is the first systematic theoretical monograph in China dedicated to studying the aesthetic characteristics of avant-garde literature.