Event overview
We usually associate aesthetics with beauty and pleasure. But is every aesthetic experience pleasant? And how well can existing models of aesthetics account for everyday aesthetics, such as fashion? This talk starts from Edmund Burke’s distinction between the beautiful, which rests on pleasure, and the sublime, which rests on vastness, power, and even fear. It then traces how empirical studies have tested that distinction, particularly the visual triggers of sublime experiences and the physiological responses to them. The second part of the talk turns to fashion, one of the most common forms of everyday aesthetics. I examine the individual and psychological predictors of clothing choices, ask whether repeated exposure to clothing can shift preferences, and present recent work on whether a garment’s attractiveness is influenced by the model wearing it. The talk closes by considering the implications of these findings for existing models of, and approaches to, empirical aesthetics.
Young-Jin Hur, PhD, is Course Leader for the MSc Psychology of Fashion at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics (LSE), and University College London (UCL). His research examines the psychological and personal factors that shape fashion preferences; empirical aesthetics, including how people experience painting and music and what triggers feelings of the sublime and the beautiful; and individual differences more broadly. He is an associate editor of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts (APA) and sits on the editorial board of Empirical Studies of the Arts (SAGE). Outside academia, he writes his classical music blog, Where Cherries Ripen.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2026 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
