INTRODUCTION TO «PHENOMENOLOGY OF AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE»

In Introduction M. Dufrenne describes the specificity of his approach to the aesthetic experience and sets the objectives of the work. Following phenomenological tradition, he realizes an eidetic analysis of aesthetic experience. He considers it as an experience of a spectator, not as that of an artist. Its main object is a work of art. So Dufrenne wants to break the vicious circle of mutual definition of object and experience, but he does not manage to. He thinks that the work of art is not defined by aesthetic experience, it provokes this experience. According to Dufrenne, a work of art has a common noema with an aesthetic object, but their noeses are different. It can be perceived as an object without aesthetic qualities. At the same time the work of art, when perceived skillfully and rightly, is an aesthetic object. Aesthetic quality can be realized only by adequate aesthetic perception. Phenomenology becomes deontology. So object and experience are mutually defined. To describe pure aesthetic experience of the spectator M.Dufrenne proposes to look at prominent, universally recognized works of art. And he poses the question: what is the authentic criterion that makes them prominent? The author thinks that it cannot be a subjective judgement of taste because it leads either to underestimation of some works, to placing them beyond the sphere of “the beautiful” or to levelling of aesthetically valuable works and fakes. According to Dufrenne, the aesthetical object cannot be measured outwards. It gives a measure itself and becomes imperfect when it cannot be that to what it strives for. Aesthetic object isn't only self-legislative, it gives a norm to its creator. Anyway, M.Dufrenne says, for being a chef-d'oeuvre a work of art must have a full sensual being and sense. It is possible when the artist is himself authentic. The goal of spectator's aesthetic perception is to constituently open the object.