“The paradox of active surrender”: the construction of taste and the education of the sense of sight in the essay “Art Objects” by Jeanette Winterson

Abstract

In the following article we analyze how the sense of taste is configured in the essay “Art Objects” by Jeanette Winterson (Manchester, 1959). In this text, the British writer reflects on the reception of painting, to then address issues related to the arts in general. We are particularly interested in studying the argumentative strategies that the author uses to propose the construction of taste as a personal search linked to the education of the sense of sight. We will observe her personal statements on the purpose of art, the role of the artist and the constitution of an audience which are derived from this text, drawing on ideas from the fields of sociology and art history raised by Howard Becker, Pierre Bourdieu and John Berger, among others.

Keywords

• jeanette winterson
• ensayo
• gusto
• pintura
• mirar