Philosophy
The Aesthetic Value of Ugliness and the Transgressive in Art
Quick fact
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp submitted a porcelain urinal titled 'Fountain' to an art exhibition, a work that was rejected as not being art. Today, it is considered a seminal piece of modern art, demonstrating how the transgressive can become aesthetically valuable.
Why this is interesting
We often think of art as a pursuit of beauty—yet some of the most celebrated works in history are deliberately ugly, jarring, or offensive. Why do we treasure what repels us?