OUGD601 Context of Practice 04 A Reflection on Relational Aesthetics

Relational aesthetics is a term coined by Nicholas Bourriaud in 1998 which he termed as:


'A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space'


Source: http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/r/relational-aesthetics

This is an area of theory which I touched on during the early stages of research for my essay. At the time it didn't quite fit in anywhere. Yet, on reflection I can see how it fits perfectly into the practical application of this theory. I mean that my attempt to capture the social interaction around my craft process, very much fits with Bourriaud's relational aesthetics. Although this reflection doesn't contribute to the outcome of this project I though it an interesting point worth noticing and possibly further exploration at a later date to see how a fine art theory could be applied to graphic design. To be honest graphic design is already all about people, just turning it into something which empowers people would make it fit into the relational aesthetics box!