The Capacities and Functions of Using Ugliness in Aesthetic Works

Throughout the history of art, particularly in its recent eras, a multitude of artistic works have emerged with subjects and contents that have made them seemingly ugly within the prevailing aesthetic traditions of their time. Challenging stereotypical definitions of ugliness, many creators and their audiences have not considered the elements and aspects of such creations as ugly. The multitude functions that artistically or morally ugly phenomena may have in arousing the senses or conscience of audiences—or, for example, the abundant political uses of the capacities of such phenomena in defining concepts and ideologies—has led to the frequent manifestation of ugliness in artistic works. This article explores the reasons and purposes behind the use of ugly, unpleasant phenomena in the works of some important artists. In this regard, a precise attempt has been made to explore the aesthetic theories and categorize the various functions that may lead to the reflection of ugliness in aesthetic outputs. An inductive analysis of the evidence suggests that so-called ugly phenomena employed in artworks generally serve three main functions: aesthetic, epistemological, and psychological. This threefold categorization can be understood based on the types of sensory, mental, and emotional perceptions and appreciations of human beings. As to the aesthetic function, the ugly phenomenon is incorporated to foreground and underline the beautiful elements, aiming to draw attention through the contrast of opposite aspects of the artwork. Within the epistemological function, the presence and manifestation of an ugly phenomenon or message in the artwork aim to reveal and emphasize the existence or dominance of some overlooked ugliness. Within the psychological function, ugliness-associated elements in an artwork are employed to elicit emotional responses and stir human emotions. All of these primary functions can be utilized with secondary goals and objectives. The most common instrumental purposes of employing ugliness in the artworks can be categorized into three distinct groups: ethical, promotional, and entertaining. In the ethical applications of ugliness, artists may reflect and use ugly phenomena and images in their artworks to emphasize and reinforce a moral value or norm through the same three primary functions: attracting aesthetic attention, imparting artistic knowledge, or eliciting emotional responses. In the promotional applications, ugliness is used with an intention of undermining the values and products of competitors in interesting political, commercial, or social ways. As to the entertainment, the purpose of the aesthetic representation of ugliness is to provide some kind of diversion and prevent a sort of boredom resulted from the repetitive use of beauty. These functions have led to a new perspective on art and also on contemporary art criticism, wherein—contrary to the prevailing views of older eras—ugliness has found a distinct, functional identity and has secured its place in the domain of aesthetic renders, often through a combination of the aforementioned functions. In addition to its treatment of the potential applications and functions of ugly phenomena in artistic creations, this perspective highlights the need to explore the role of ugliness in art criticism and the evaluation process.