Ghastly Elegance

Probe Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

Curated by Matthew Cortez & Olivia Jobbe 

With artwork by: Addison Cohen, Houston Fraley, Marcelle Green, Lillian Heredia, Ava Hockey, Anika Jeyaranjan, Olivia Jobbe, Julie Kim, Emma Lacy, Ray Madrigal, Maddie May, Angelica Ong, Katie Rauth, & Teagan Walters

Abjection and beauty exist as seemingly opposed phenomena. For one, aesthetic pleasure is at the forefront; for the other, visceral horror. Their relationship is complex and multifaceted, with both concepts occupying opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum. While beauty is typically associated with perfection, harmony, and the sublime, abjection is often linked to ugliness, chaos, and the grotesque.

Kant conceived of beauty as the satisfactory experience one has with an object and its agreeableness to others. Conversely, Julia Kristeva described the abject as an uncomfortable and threatening presence to one’s psyche. Their insights into the subjective nature of beauty and the disturbing qualities of the abject shed light on the intricacies of our emotions and perceptions, creating space between the two which is ripe with tension.

Despite their divergent concepts, both explore the complexities and contradictions of the human experience. The abject forces us to confront the limits of our symbolic order, while beauty allows us to transcend those limits and experience a sense of harmony. In a time of tumultuous conflicts and ideological debates, abjection and beauty offer enticing lenses to appreciate, explore, and contemplate our reality.

Documentation by Lillian Heredia