The essays in "The Hand and the Soul" explore the question of
how ethical ideas guiding the design process--a concern for the
environment or for social justice--relate to the beauty of our
buildings, cities, and artworks. The book presents a range of
viewpoints and does not ignore the perils of an easy association of
ethics and aesthetics. Yet the majority of contributors, among them
historians, theorists, as well practicing designers and artists,
argue passionately in defense of the idea that the good and the
beautiful can and should be able to find a common ground in the
design disciplines.
The book begins with an exploration of recent difficulties in
pairing ethics and aesthetics. Can one effect a philosophical
convergence of these elements, or is it dangerous to conflate moral
and aesthetic terms? The discussion continues with considerations
of the overlap that occurs between the fine arts and the design
disciplines, the intersection of aesthetic theory and practice with
sustainability and environmental science, and the concept of "open
works"--projects whose design processes are flexible,
nonhierarchical, and attuned to the unique features of a particular
place or cultural situation. The book concludes with a look at
several contrasting ideas developed in the essays and examines
ethics as a desire for community, as well as a sense of
responsibility, an obligation to contemplate not only what
buildings offer us but also what they may take away.
In juxtaposing the work of historians and theorists with that of
practicing designers and artists, "The Hand and the Soul, " whose
title is drawn from an essay by American artist Philip Guston,
seeks to bridge the divide between theory and practice, between
abstract ethical or aesthetic concepts and practical ways of making
tangible artifacts. In a field dominated by esoteric studies and,
at the other extreme, primarily illustrated works, "The Hand and
the Soul" offers a vital discussion that is at once theoretically
rigorous and grounded in the practice of art, architecture,
landscape architecture, and urbanism.
Contributors
Richard Shusterman * Joan Ockman * Howard Singerman * Robin
Dripps * Nathaniel Coleman * Thomas Berding * Steven A. Moore *
William Sherman * Timothy Beatley * Elissa Rosenberg * Phoebe
Crisman * Sanda Iliescu * W. G. Clark
General
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