Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.4, 2024

 

Imagery and Artistic Conception: The Construction and Discernment of Aesthetic Theory

(Abstract)

 

Yang Ning

 

Imagery and artistic conception are two core concepts in Chinese aesthetics, yet their meanings and relationship remain somewhat ambiguous. Analyzing their meanings and relationship requires examining the interplay between sensibility and rationality, as well as cognition and practice within the structure of human nature. In fact, imagery and artistic conception correspond to two different dimensions in the construction of aesthetic theory: imagery leans towards epistemology, while artistic conception focuses on existentialism. The development of the modern Chinese aesthetic discourse is based on these two dimensions, fully evolving through the interaction of aesthetic contemplation and aesthetic intuition.