Beyond Aesthetics: Returning Force and Truth to Art and Its Education

Abstract

This essay argues for a fundamental change in the direction of art, its education and research that draws on Alain Badiou’s notion of inaesthetics and negative affirmation as well as Deleuze’s reorientation of aesthetics. I draw on the inspiration of Vincent Lanier’s critical spirit and Irwin Kaufmann’s ideas on art, creativity, and research as they appear in the first issue of Studies in Art Education to argue for such a line of flight. A number of neologisms are introduced that develop this potentiality of the force and truth of art that are ‘beyond aesthetics’ as it is commonly understood.