Antiaesthetic

/æntiɛsˈθɛtɪk/ adjective

Definition

Opposed to or rejecting aestheticism and the emphasis on beauty and artistic style; considered ugly or lacking beauty.

Etymology

From 'anti-' (against) + 'aesthetic' (from Greek 'aisthetikos' relating to sensation and beauty), formed in reaction to 19th century aesthetic movements.

Kelly Says

Brutalist architecture is antiaesthetic on purpose—architects deliberately rejected smooth beauty for raw concrete and harsh angles to make buildings look like they refused to be pretty, which paradoxically became its own kind of beauty.

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