Art and Empathy in the Aesthetic Encounter

Experiencing a work of art can be thought of as entering a dialogue. The exchange with an artwork is somewhat distinct from other dialogues because it most often does not include speech acts or verbal interaction. What potential impact does this dialogue have on the viewer? 

The exchange that arises contains elements of the polyphony and heteroglossia discussed in Bakhtin’s concept of dialogical interplay. To detail the nature of the non-verbal exchange in the aesthetic encounter and further tease out one of its critical outcomes, Blair draws upon Derrida’s reassessment of Levinas’s theory of encountering the face of the other and Bakhtin’s notion of the “sideways glance.” Both concepts demonstrate how experiencing art can be “an activity that gives things a face.” When confronted with the face of the other as in the presentation of an artwork, we are thrown into an interruption of the self.  This interruption holds the potential of an ethical moment as we are opened to the world of the other and experience an awakening of responsibility for the other. As Bakhtin would argue, the aesthetic encounter is one that “joins self and other.” Not only does this awakening dismantle the traditional subject/object divide, according to Levinas, this new consciousness urges us into “ways of being that are different from impassive contemplation.” 

While theoretically interesting, this discussion has a practical application in the classroom. Blair will discuss how these ideas are incorporated into some class projects, but also how they inform his overall pedagogy for teaching art history.

Originally from Red Deer, Canada, Gregory Blair is an artist, writer, educator, and activist that resides in Evansville, Indiana with his wife, two children, and their wildly energetic dog. Blair is an Assistant Professor of Art and Design at the University of Southern Indiana where he teaches contemporary art history, digital design, and gender studies courses. Blair has exhibited his artwork and presented his research both nationally and internationally. Blair’s current book project, What Punk Taught Me, will be published by Vernon Press in 2025. Blair has also had the good fortune to hang out with the Guerilla Girls for an entire day.