Ethno-Aesthetics

    What is Ethno- aesthetics? When I first started thinking about this blog entry I couldn’t help but wonder what ethno-aesthetics is. I know we lectured and discuss it in class but if someone to ask me I’m not sure if I could have an answer. So I went back through the lecture and made it more understandable for myself.  Ethno can be define as a race or certain group or people. Aesthetics is the nature of beauty, art, taste of things being appreciated, some that catches the eye and you immediately think it’s beautiful.  When you put those two together ethno-aesthetics is the local or indigenous categories through which the formal qualities of objects, activities, and practices are engaged.  Basically it is how people of a certain group create different things including art and the some other their traditions involve art in different ways than western art.   These indigenous groups are not only creating this art to be aesthetically pleasing but for purpose, instead of having all the rules or history of the tribe written in text it is shown in art. The Yolngu have paintings describe the territories of the different people, where the freshwater meets seawater, and things of this nature.  The ethno-aesthetics analysis of Calavera Revolucionaria: Jose Guadalupe Posada is meant to describe the events that were going on during the time that they were printed.   The prints were inexpensive and distributed throughout Mexico and were read by many people.  These illustrations made it so even the illiterate could understand the event of their times.  It is not only aesthetically please but has history and meaning behind it.  Tomas Ybarra-Frausto  explains, “We… have to find ways of convivencia – ways of making connections and being connected… I think that this is one of the great things about this country. It is what we call the American Dream. …  people come here looking for that convivencia, for that space, that energy- and I think we have it! ... I ask every person who has just come (to this country), “why do they come?”  and why they come are for those reasons- the possibilities of creation.” I think this is a great example of why ethno-aesthetics is sort of hybridization of different things making into one thing.  Dias de Los Muertos is example of a hybrid tradition the implements art with purpose, mourning of the dead with beautiful art that is also an offering to the dead.