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The term “aesthetics” can be defined as the perception, interpretation, and appreciation of beauty. It is about what we like or dislike, what we find beautiful and ugly (Chatterjee, 2022). It is generally about preference and taste that influences decisions, such as the willingness to expend resources on it and engage with it. Aesthetics is not the same as art. Art refers to a process of doing or making, while aesthetics refers to the consumer’s viewpoint.
The concept of aesthetics unfolds into several key elements.
1. Aesthetic appeal
Humans are drawn to beauty. We seek out what we find appealing and avoid what we find repulsive. Many of the things that we judge as beautiful are things that people put a great deal of effort into appearing beautiful. That is why advertisers pay gorgeous models a lot of money to endorse their products.
The issue of aesthetic appeal is an important one for both producers and perceivers of the arts. Creators infuse artworks with aesthetic features to make them appealing to perceivers. For example, the producers of chocolate have fine-tuned their chocolate recipes to maximize its natural effects. People attempt to convey their physical appeal to potential romantic partners. The consumer follows the principle of choosing behavior that maximizes pleasure. For example, we pay more for a room with a view.
2. Emotional response
People are moved by art. For example, visitors at the Smithsonian, who asked about their expectations for visiting the museum, spoke of “experiencing excitement, surprise, wonder, and curiosity.” This is not just limited to artworks; it applies to other types of objects (e.g., faces, landscapes, etc.).
Aesthetic experience is emotionally positive and rewarding. In the presence of beautiful things, we feel a broad range of emotions, such as fascination, surprise, awe, feelings of transcendence, wonder, and admiration. For instance, the feeling of awe evokes a sense of wonder and can transform the way we see the world.
3. Aesthetic pleasure
Art can induce pleasure. Since the focus of aesthetic experience is beauty, our reward and pleasure system is engaged. The pleasure that people derive from looking at beautiful objects (faces or scenes) or listening to their favorite music automatically taps into our general pleasure centers. The brain response is like other basic rewarding stimuli, such as food and money. Aesthetic pleasure differs from physical pleasures (drinks, food, or games). We tire less quickly of artworks at one sitting than of most of the pleasures we physically consume.
4. Aesthetic behavior
Aesthetic behavior is to allocate time and energy to viewing artifacts for the sake of pleasure. Aesthetic experience is about engaging with pleasurable experiences. The experiences can arise from the appreciation of human artifacts, such as artworks (e.g., music, poetry, sculpture, visual arts, and faces) or natural objects like sunsets or mountain scenes. Thus, spending time staring at a ripe strawberry or a sunset can be considered aesthetic behavior.
5. Psychological benefits
The aesthetic experience provides an escape from everyday practical experiences. The opportunity to escape from one’s reality contributes to mood improvement. For example, we often go to the movies or to music performances with the expectation of experiencing emotional uplift.
In sum, the experience of aesthetics can be used to improve our daily lives and offer a path to improve health and well-being. This means appreciating mundane activities as extraordinary can help to enhance aesthetic experiences. Thus, surrounding ourselves with beauty contributes to our sense of well-being.
