Regions Cool_(aesthetic)

1 regions

1.1 africa , african diaspora

1.1.1 african americans

1.1.1.1 cool pose




1.2 east asia
1.3 europe

1.3.1 aristocratic , artistic cool
1.3.2 european inter-war cool
1.3.3 post-world war ii cool
1.3.4 polish cool
1.3.5 czech cool

regions
africa , african diaspora

yoruba bronze head sculpture city of ife, nigeria c. 12th century a.d

author robert farris thompson, professor of art history @ yale university, suggests itutu, translates mystic coolness, 1 of 3 pillars of religious philosophy created in 15th century yoruba , igbo civilizations of west africa. cool, or itutu, contained meanings of conciliation , gentleness of character, of generosity , grace, , ability defuse fights , disputes. associated physical beauty. in yoruba culture, itutu connected water, because yoruba concept of coolness retained physical connotation of temperature. cites definition of cool gola people of liberia, define ability mentally calm or detached, in other-worldly fashion, 1 s circumstances, nonchalant in situations emotionalism or eagerness natural , expected. joseph m. murphy writes cool closely associated deity Òsun of yoruba religion.

although thompson acknowledges similarities between african , european cool in shared notions of self-control , imperturbability, finds cultural value of cool in africa influenced african diaspora different held europeans, use term ability remain calm under stress. according thompson, there significant weight, meaning , spirituality attached cool in traditional african cultures, which, thompson argues, absent idea in western context.

control, stability, , composure under african rubric of cool seem constitute elements of all-embracing aesthetic attitude. african cool, writes thompson, more complicated , more variously expressed western notions of sang-froid (literally, cold blood ), cooling off, or icy determination. (thompson, african arts)

the telling point mask of coolness worn not in time of stress, of pleasure, in fields of expressive performance , dance. struck re-occurrence of vital notion elsewhere in tropical africa , in black americas, have come term attitude aesthetic of cool in sense of , motivated, consciously artistic, interweaving of elements serious , pleasurable, of responsibility , play.

african americans

ronald perry writes many words , expressions have passed african-american vernacular english standard english slang including contemporary meaning of word cool. definition, fashionable, said have been popularized in jazz circles tenor saxophonist lester young. predominantly black jazz scene in u.s. , among expatriate musicians in paris helped popularize notions of cool in u.s. in 1940s, giving birth bohemian , or beatnik, culture. shortly thereafter, style of jazz called cool jazz appeared on music scene, emphasizing restrained, laid-back solo style. notions of cool expression of centeredness in taoist sense, equilibrium , self-possession, of absence of conflict commonly understood in both african , african-american contexts well. expressions such as, don t let blow cool, later, chill out, , use of chill characterization of inner contentment or restful repose have origins in african-american vernacular english.

when air in smoke-filled nightclubs of era became unbreathable, windows , doors opened allow cool air in outside clear away suffocating air. analogy, slow , smooth jazz style typical late-night scene came called cool .

the purpose of cool jazz giogia stated, goal same: lower temperature of music , bring out different qualities in jazz.

marlene kim connor connects cool , post-war african-american experience in book cool?: understanding black manhood in america. connor writes cool silent , knowing rejection of racist oppression, self-dignified expression of masculinity developed black men denied mainstream expressions of manhood. writes mainstream perception of cool narrow , distorted, cool perceived merely style or arrogance, rather way achieve respect.

designer christian lacroix has said ...the history of cool in america history of african-american culture .

among black men in america, coolness, may have roots in slavery ironic submission , concealed subversion, @ times enacted in order create powerful appearance, type of performance maintained sake of social audience.

cool pose

malcolm x embodied essential elements of cool .

cool , though amorphous quality—more mystique material—is pervasive element in urban black male culture. majors , billson address term cool pose in study , argue helps black men counter stress caused social oppression, rejection , racism. contend furnishes black male sense of control, strength, confidence , stability , helps him deal closed doors , negative messages of generalized other. believe attaining black manhood filled pitfalls of discrimination, negative self-image, guilt, shame , fear.

cool pose may factor in discrimination in education contributing achievement gaps in test scores. in 2004 study, researchers found teachers perceived students african-american culture-related movement styles, referred cool pose, lower in achievement, higher in aggression, , more need special education services students standard movement styles, irrespective of race or other academic indicators. issue of stereotyping , discrimination respect cool pose raises complex questions of assimilation , accommodation of different cultural values. jason w. osborne identifies cool pose 1 of factors in black underachievement. robin d. g. kelley criticizes calls assimilation , sublimation of black culture, including cool pose. argues media , academics have unfairly demonized these aspects of black culture while, @ same time, through sustained fascination blacks exotic others, appropriated aspects of cool pose broader popular culture.

george elliott clarke writes malcolm x, miles davis, embodies essential elements of cool. icon, malcolm x inspires complex mixture of both fear , fascination in broader american culture, cool pose itself.

east asia

in japan, synonyms of cool iki , sui. these traditional commoners aesthetic ideals developed in edo. tend connect aesthetics of japan samurai, historically inaccurate. in fact, samurais countryside have been target of ridicule commoner in civilized edo in many art forms including rakugo, form of comical storytelling.

some argue ethic of samurai caste in japan, warrior castes in india , east asia resemble cool. samurai-themed works of film director akira kurosawa among praised of genre, influencing many filmmakers across world techniques , storytelling. notable works of include 7 samurai, yojimbo, , hidden fortress. latter 1 of primary inspirations george lucas s star wars, borrows number of aspects samurai, example jedi knights of series. samurai have been presented cool in many modern japanese movies such samurai fiction, kagemusha, , yojimbo, appropriated in american movies such ghost dog , last samurai

in art of war, chinese military treatise written during 6th century bc, general sun tzu, member of landless chinese aristocracy, wrote in chapter xii:

profiting panic, shall exterminate them completely; cool king s courage , cover glory, besides ensuring success of our mission.

prof. paul waley considers tokyo 1 of world s capitals of cool.

asian countries have developed tradition on own explore types of modern cool or ambiguous aesthetics.

in time asia article birth of cool author hannah beech describes asian cool revolution in taste led style gurus redefining chinese craftsmanship in architecture , film clothing , cuisine , modern aesthetic inspired both ming-era minimalism , strenuous attention detail.

paul waley, professor of human geography @ university of leeds, considers tokyo along new york, london , paris 1 of world s capitals of cool , washington post called tokyo japan s empire of cool , japan coolest nation on earth .

analysts marveling @ breadth of recent explosion in cultural exports, , many argue international embrace of japan s pop culture, film, food, style , arts second of united states. business leaders , government officials referring japan s gross national cool new engine economic growth , societal buoyancy.

the term gross national cool coined journalist douglas mcgray. in june/july 2002 article in foreign policy magazine, argued japan s economic juggernaut took wrong turn 10-year slump, , military power made impossible pacifist constitution, nation had quietly emerged cultural powerhouse: pop music consumer electronics, architecture fashion, , food art, japan has far greater cultural influence did in 1980s, when economic superpower. notion of asian cool applied asian consumer electronics borrowed cultural media theorist eric mcluhan described cool or cold media stimulating participants complete auditive or visual media content, in sharp contrast hot media degrades viewer merely passive or non-interactive receiver.

europe
aristocratic , artistic cool

mona lisa, or la gioconda (la joconde), leonardo da vinci expresses sprezzatura, aristocratic cool .

aristocratic cool , known sprezzatura, has existed in europe centuries, particularly when relating frank amorality , love or illicit pleasures behind closed doors; raphael s portrait of baldassare castiglione , leonardo da vinci s mona lisa classic examples of sprezzatura. sprezzatura of mona lisa seen in both smile , positioning of hands. both smile , hands intended convey grandeur, self-confidence , societal position. sprezzatura means, literally, disdain , detachment. art of refraining appearance of trying present oneself in particular way. in reality, of course, tremendous exertion went pretending not bother or care.

english poet , playwright william shakespeare used cool in several of works describe composure , absence of emotion. in midsummer night s dream, written sometime in late-16th century, contrasts shaping fantasies of lovers , madmen cool reason, in hamlet wrote o gentle son, upon heat , flame of thy distemper, sprinkle cool patience, , antagonist iago in othello musing reason cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts.

the cool anatolian smile of turkey used mask emotions. similar mask of coolness worn in both times of stress , pleasure in american , african communities.

european inter-war cool

the key themes of modern european cool forged avant-garde artists achieved prominence in aftermath of first world war, notably dadaists, such key dada figures arthur cravan , marcel duchamp, , left-wing milieu of weimar republic. program of such groups self-consciously revolutionary, determination scandalize bourgeoisie mocking culture, sexuality , political moderation.

berthold brecht, both committed communist , philandering cynic, stands archetype of inter-war cool. brecht projected cool attitude life onto famous character macheath or mackie messer (mack knife), in threepenny opera. mackie, nonchalant, smooth-talking gangster, expert switchblade, personifies bitter-sweet strain of cool; puritanism , sentimentality both anathema cool character.

during turbulent inter-war years, cool privilege reserved bohemian milieus brecht s. cool irony , hedonism remained province of cabaret artistes, ostentatious gangsters , rich socialites, decadents depicted in evelyn waugh s brideshead revisited , christopher isherwood s goodbye berlin, tracing outlines of new cool. peter stearns, professor of history @ george mason university, suggests in effect seeds of cool outlook had been sown among inter-war generation.

post-world war ii cool

the second world war brought populations of britain, germany , france intimate contact americans , american culture. war brought hundreds of thousands of gis relaxed, easy-going manner seen young people of time embodiment of liberation; , them came lucky strikes, nylons, swing , jazz—the american cool.

to cool or hip meant hanging out, pursuing sexual liaisons, displaying appropriate attitude of narcissistic self-absorption, , expressing desire escape mental straitjacket of ideological causes. late 1940s onward, popular culture influenced young people on world, great dismay of paternalistic elites still ruled official culture. french intelligentsia outraged, while british educated classes displayed haughty indifference smacked of older aristocratic cool.

the polish cool

the new attitude found special resonance behind iron curtain, offered relief earnestness of socialist propaganda , socialist realism in art. in polish industrial city Łódź, jazz, forbidden music , served polish youth of 1950s had served african-american creators, both personal diversion , subterranean resistance saw stultifying official culture. clubs featured live jazz performances, , smoky, sexually charged atmosphere carried message puritanical values , monumental art of marxist officialdom ideal foil.

arriving in poland via france, america , england, polish cool stimulated film talents of generation of artists, including andrzej wajda, roman polanski, , other graduates of national film school in Łódź, novelist jerzy kosinski, in clinical prose cool tends towards sadistic.

czech cool

in prague, capital of bohemia, cool flourished in faded art deco splendor of cafe slavia. significantly, following crushing of prague spring soviet tanks in 1968, part of dissident underground called jazz section .