Elements for a theory on aesthetic books in the contemporary context
Abstract
Interest in aesthetic books has increased in recent years: art books, photo books, illustrated
albums, typography books, etc. The objective of this paper is not to classify aesthetic books but to explore
the elements that could support a theory on aesthetic books that takes the book as the frame of reference,
rather than the work of art (as tends to be the case in studies of artist/art books). The methodology used
is interdisciplinary, including aesthetics, semiotics, and a historiographical perspective, particularly
on art and graphic design. The importance of the visual, its discursive dimension and the current
accessibility of print publishing facilitate the development of aesthetic book projects. Such projects
are also established in contexts with an interdisciplinary focus like the contemporary context, using a
variety of visual and discursive techniques, bringing together different forms of communication, and
connecting “highbrow culture” with “popular culture”. A key question for this study is the relationship
between the aesthetic and the artistic, with the difficulty of classifying publications that have in
principle a referential orientation, but which are recognized as having an aesthetic dimension, and even
an aesthetic intention. Also explored in this study is the distinction between works of art and objects
that serve a practical function.
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