Practical Aesthetics: A Study in Understanding Real Events through Contemporary Art

Funded by an Australian Research Council ARC Discovery grant, this project establishes the significance and value of art concerned with social and political events, providing the first comprehensive analysis of the treatment of real events in art since the watershed of September 11, 2001.

It demonstrates that the importance of art—in a context where media provides the dominant imagery of events—lies in the analysis of perception. This yields insights into the power, impact and affect of events, but also a practical way of apprehending and understanding events that shape our lives. The concept of practical aesthetics is advanced to identify and exemplify this use of art and aesthetic perception.