Loving Attention and Aesthetic Appreciation

Colette Olive (University of Leeds)

The Welsh Aesthetics Forum | Fforwm Estheteg Cymru Presents:

Dr Colette Olive (Leeds)

“Loving Attention and Aesthetic Appreciation”

Wednesday 15th October 2025

4:10-5:30pm

John Percival Building, Room 2.03, Cardiff University

All Welcome!

Abstract

Might my love of Picasso make me a better partner? Can practicing aesthetic appreciation improve my capacity for loving attention in my relationships? The stalwart critics of moralism have long argued that artworks don’t have much of a moral impact on us, and avid consumers of art rarely turn out to be ‘better’ people. Why think art would make us better lovers? Drawing on Iris Murdoch’s work, this paper centres on one answer to this question: namely that aesthetic appreciation and loving attention have much in common. We should, in some ways, treat our loved ones as works of art. Just as aesthetic appreciation is guided by detail, so love’s work lies in responding to the particularities of a person.  

Recording

We aim to record the talk and make it available through our website for anyone who can’t make it. However, please bear with us while we are changing websites.

Dinner & Drinks

After the talk, we’ll head for a drink, followed by dinner. Please let us know if you’d like to join for dinner by 5pm on Monday 13th October, by emailing the organiser Dr Daisy Dixon ([email protected]).

*** The Welsh Aesthetics Forum | Fforwm Estheteg Cymru is made possible through the generous support of the British Society of Aesthetics ***