“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!
This Week’s Apéritif: Tito’s Vodka Gimlet
Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:
Reading: On Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau & Hannah Arendt (introduction by Roger Berkowitz)
Listening: The Elephant by J. Chris Rock (featuring Ryan Wildstar!)
Looking: The Art of Tatsuo Ikeda (1928 - 2020)
Ikeda Tatsuo at Protest Art in 1950s Japan: The Forgotten Reportage Painters (via MIT Visualizing Cultures)
See work by Tatsuo Ikeda at the new exhibition, Surréalisme, at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France (on view until January 13, 2025!)
Viewing: A Master Builder (2013) — directed by Jonathan Demme (based on Henrik Ibsen's 1892 play The Master Builder), starring Wallace Shawn, André Gregory, Julie Hagerty & Lisa Joyce (stream via Criterion Channel!)
A Master Builder: Ibsen in Nyack by Michael Srawgow (via Criterion)
Tasting: Spaghetti al Limone from Chef Andrea Leali of Casa Leali Ristorante (Puegnago del Garda, Italy)
Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:
Reading: The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs (1915 - 2015)
Listening: The Elephant by J. Chris Rock (featuring Ryan Wildstar!)
Looking: The Largest Jade Sculpture in the World! Sage King Yu Controlling the Flood [aka Yu the Great Taming the Waters aka The Jade Mountain of Da Yu Regulating the River]. Qing Dynasty, commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor and completed c. 1787. Jade sculpture, 7 ft. 4⅛ in. high (2.24 m), 5⅞ tons (5.3 tonnes). Palace Museum, Beijing.
Click here to zoom in from 3 different viewpoints! Jade Sculpture: Sage King Yu Controlling the Flood (via Google Arts & Culture)
Viewing: Janet Planet (2023) — written & directed by Annie Baker, starring Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Elias Koteas & Sophie Okonedo
Annie Baker: Playwright, Director, Curator by David Hudson (via Criterion)
Tasting: Spaghetti al Limone from Ryan Wildstar!
That’s it for this week! But we want the dinner party to continue! So each week we are asking a “dinner party” question for everyone joining us here at our table. Last week, we asked: “What’s your favorite Maggie Smith film?” Here are some of the great responses from the comments:
Ryan Wildstar chose The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie!
Ryan Elston chose The Lady in the Van!
Sarah chose Sister Act!
Chris chose the first Harry Potter film!
Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! That was last week . . . but we don't want this week's dinner party to end either!
So here is this week's question for the table:
This week we talked about civil disobedience, as well as a number of inspiring activists fighting the good fight, from Henry David Thoreau to Grace Lee Boggs to Tatsuo Ikeda. So, our question for the table this week is:
Who’s one of YOUR favorite activists? Name an activist, past or present, who inspires you!
Tell us your choice in the comments and we’ll share some of your responses on next week’s podcast!
And, as always, thank you for joining us for Season 3 of The Aesthetic Arrest Podcast!
Cheers to that!
Aesthetic Arrest Podcast: Civil Disobedience, The Elephant, A Master Builder & Janet Planet!