Creation and the Function of Art: Techn, Poiesis and the Problem of Aesthetics

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Returning to the Greek understanding of art to rethink its capacities, Creation and the Function of Art focuses on the relationship between techn and phusis (nature). Moving away from the theoretical Platonism which dominates contemporary understandings of art, this book instead reinvigorates Aristotelian causation. Beginning with the Greek topos and turning to insights from philosophy, pure mathematics, psychoanalysis and biology, Jason Tuckwell re-problematises techn in functional terms. This book examines the deviations at play within logical forms, the subject, and upon phusis to better situate the role of the function in poiesis (art). In so doing, Tuckwell argues that art concerns a genuinely creative labour that cannot be resolved via an ontological or epistemological problem, but which instead constitutes an encounter with the problematic. As such, techn is shown to be a property of the living, of intelligence coupled to action, that not only enacts poiesis or art, but indicates a broader role for creative deviation in nature.

Reviews

There are flashes of brilliance in some of the connections Tuckwell makes with diverse areas of inquiry. Evolutionary theories may, indeed, offer a useful perspective on Aristotles sense of nature and efficient causality. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
This is one of the first and most systematic reevaluations of Aristotles concept of techn in relation to aesthetic theory, but especially in its incorporation of new technical philosophy inspired by the writings of Simondon. It will make an invaluable contribution to both the history of the philosophical literature and the current debates around technical objects and art. -- Gregg Lambert, Deans Professor of Humanities, Syracuse University, USA
Creation and the Function of Art is one of those rare books that, while they acknowledge their debt to the history of philosophy, manage to say something radically new and provide a fresh angle from which an ancient question can be addressed. More than that, Tuckwell not only makes a uniquely authoritative contribution to the field, but actually lays the foundations for a new field of philosophical inquiry a philosophical exploration of the function in the work of art. This is an astounding work, and I am sure that anyone with an interest in art and in philosophical aesthetics will find it a stimulating and valuable reading. * Paolo Diego Bubbio, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Western Sydney University, Australia *
Tuckwell develops a novel account of the creative impetus in artistic production by re-problematizing the Aristotelian concept of techn by means of the mathematical function. The function is used to model, not only the creative impetus, but all of the generative principles that underpin a distinctly Aristotelian inspired or neo-Aristotelian process philosophy. * Simon B Duffy, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Yale NUS University, Singapore *

Author Bio

Jason Tuckwell is a Researcher and tutor in the Writing and Society Research Group at Western Sydney University, Australia.