Aesthetic Realism: Some Beginning Notes—
Aesthetic Realism is the philosophy founded in 1941 by poet and critic Eli Siegel. He was by then already famed as a poet, for in 1925 he had won the much desired
Nation magazine poetry award. Aesthetic Realism is kind and scientific — see
"About Aesthetic Realism" on the Aesthetic Realism Foundation Online website, which tells you more.
Eli Siegel —
In my paper on the subject of stuttering (see
How My Stuttering Ended) I tell how Eli Siegel's philosophy Aesthetic Realism encourages self-expression. This large overall matter — expressing oneself and what interferes — is my theme. Where the economy is unjust, the fullest self-expression of many, many people is interfered with. I am for a just economy and say so, with colleagues of mine, in articles reprinted here.
"The Ordinary Doom" by Eli Siegel
In studying Aesthetic Realism, at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, the great interference in every person to expressing just who he or she is, is understood. When we don't know what keeps us from showing ourselves we have
"The Ordinary Doom."
Reports of Aesthetic Realism Classes
In 1955, the Terrain Gallery opened. I remember the New York art scene was filled with lively discussions about art. Beauty, it was felt, couldn't be defined. Courageously, Eli Siegel asked: Is Beauty the Making One of Opposites? Since then--1955--the Terrain Gallery has had shows of many different styles of painting, sculpture, mixed media--with artists participating in discussions. These exhibitions have been of the highest calibre, showing that whatever style of art was popular, what Eli Siegel saw and explained about the meaning of beauty is true. He showed the value of art for our everyday lives--what happens technically on a canvas or in marble, is a means to know how we want to be.
Highlights from 50 Years at the Terrain Gallery
"How My Stuttering Ended" by Miriam Mondlin, published on CAPS (Canadian Association for People Who Stutter), The Stuttering Homepage of the Minnesota State University. Information on this limitation on the ability to express oneself—stuttering or stammering—can also be looked for in these categories: health, communicative disorders, speech disorders, and stammering
"The Ordinary Doom" by Eli Siegel. First published in the journal Definition and printed here by permission of Definition Press. The classic on why people feel unexpressed—coming from a cause in oneself.
"No Child Should Go Hungry in America!" published in The Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, IL)
"Can We Be Expansive and Contained Like Van Gogh's Starry Night?" A talk given at the Terrain Gallery, New York City.
"Every Baby Deserves Health Care Based on Good Will, Not Profit" by Meryl Simon, Miriam Mondlin and Ruth Oron published in The New Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, IN)
"Women's Health Care: A Fundamental Right!" by Miriam Mondlin, published in the Milwaukee Times (Milwaukee, WI)
"Real Welfare Reform Impact" by Miriam Mondlin printed in the New Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, PA)
"Recovery is Real Only if Ordinary Folks Can Feel It" by Timothy Lynch, who heads Local 1205, Teamsters, published in the Star-Ledger of New Jersey
"Profit Motive of Drug Companies Damaging Seniors' Lives" by Devorah Tarrow,published in The Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, IL)
"A Father Seen Anew" by Bruce Blaustein, published in Senior News (Suffolk, New York)
New! Reports of Aesthetic Realism Classes
Here are reports of Eli Siegel's lectures I wrote: