aesthetic distance

noun
1.
a degree of detachment from or nonidentification with the characters or circumstances of a work of art, permitting the formation of judgments based on aesthetic rather than extra-aesthetic criteria.
Origin
1935-40
Contemporary definitions for aesthetic distance
noun

the physical placement of a performance so that the perspective of the audience is aesthetic and objective

Examples

Aesthetic distance permits objective response even in the face of subjective experiences.

Usage Note

arts

Encyclopedia Article for aesthetic distance

the frame of reference that an artist creates by the use of technical devices in and around the work of art to differentiate it psychologically from reality. German playwright Bertolt Brecht built his dramatic theory known in English as the alienation effect to accomplish aesthetic distance.

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