New Books in Critical Theory Rizvana Bradley, "Anteaesthetics: Black Aesthesis and the Critique of Form" (Stanford UP, 2023)
Nov 15, 2025
Rizvana Bradley, an Associate Professor at UC Berkeley and author of Anti-Aesthetics, delves into the complexities of Black art and aesthetics. She argues that blackness is foundational yet unrepresentable within modern aesthetics, examining how artists like Glenn Ligon and Mickalene Thomas challenge aesthetic norms. Bradley critiques the notion of reparative readings of Black art and introduces the concept of Black esthesis, emphasizing its philosophical implications. Her work reveals how Black art engages deeply with the politics of form, inviting listeners to rethink conventional aesthetics.
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Formative Academic And Curatorial Roots
- Rizvana Bradley recounts formative experiences at Williams, Duke, and the Whitney ISP that shaped her interdisciplinary approach to aesthetics and politics.
- She emphasizes long-term conversations with artists and curatorial work as crucial influences on her book Anti-Aesthetics.
Negativity As Black Artistic Power
- Bradley argues Black art's power lies in its sustained negativity rather than reparative narratives demanded by critics.
- She claims negativity in Black art incisively critiques social order instead of providing consolatory solutions.
Aesthetic As Political Unconscious
- The aesthetic mediates experience broadly and is the political unconscious of modernity according to Bradley.
- She contends modern aesthetic regimes are racially coded and foundationally anti-Black.
