Hermitix Aesthetic Experience with Bryan Counter
Jul 23, 2025
Bryan Counter, an author and scholar, dives deep into the world of aesthetic experience in literature, referencing iconic figures like Proust and McCarthy. He explores the complex relationship between chance and creativity in art. The conversation highlights the tension between genuine beauty and overindulgence, illustrated through the narrative of a decorated tortoise. Counter also previews his upcoming book on Proust and discusses a unique podcast that merges literature with video games, reflecting his diverse interests.
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Nature of Aesthetic Experience
- Aesthetic experience suspends our usual ways of understanding, beyond normal concepts and ethics.
- It's about feeling something uniquely beyond knowledge and everyday perception.
Tortoise and Snow: Chance vs Control
- In Wiesmann's Against Nature, a narrator obsessively curates his environment, even gilding a tortoise to enhance a carpet.
- Despite efforts, a quiet snow scene unexpectedly bursts through, illustrating chance in aesthetic experience.
Aesthetic Experience Recognized Later
- Aesthetic experience may only be fully recognized after the fact, like Freud's concept of "afterwards-ness".
- The triggers later remembered are often things unnoticed during the actual moment.
