Poiesis of Care: The Aesthetic-Performative Value of Delicacy

Authors

• María Jesús Godoy Domínguez, University of SevilleFollow

Abstract

In this paper, the ethics of care is addressed from an aesthetic perspective by analysing the poiesis of care, or care from the performative aspect of its physical execution. To this end, delicacy is understood as a sensitive property of care, an aesthetic language where the subject, assuming an active role, becomes an ‘artist’ in the everyday realm. The main thesis is that the subject is a caregiver who expresses delicacy in their everyday gestures and attitudes with the people and objects around them. To develop this idea, first, delicacy is conceptually characterized within the framework of modern aesthetics, while exploring its premodern antecedents. Then, body posing is analyzed, where the subject’s physical proximity to the beneficiary of care makes the sense of touch a priority factor. Lastly, the conclusion reached is that delicacy in care, when practiced universally and on a daily basis, makes the world a better place.