Ugly Unlovable Objects: Capitalism (Un)veiled
Gabe Schuhl and Aaron Morgan
Can we find beauty in a Target aisle? As consumerism pushes a relentless tide of new and newer objects, beauty seems to become less and less tangible. Our latest purchases seem entirely incompatible with the beauty of our favorite painting or a breathtaking landscape. The everyday item is something so mundane that it could never hope for the title of beauty. So what could beautiful objects really be like? Can beautiful objects ever exist under capitalism? In this podcast, Aaron Morgan and Gabe Schuhl discuss beautiful objects and their possibilities under capitalism. With the guidance of writings from Yanagi Soetsu, Byung-Chul Han, and Sara Ahmed, Aaron and Gabe take on the challenge of the Target aisle. Given a chance, there might be hope yet for our most ugly, unlovable objects.
Works Discussed:
The Beauty of Everyday Things, Yanagi Soetsu
Saving Beauty, Byung-Chul Han
What's the Use?, Sara Ahmed