Scott argues that aesthetic discussions wrongly conflate sensory delight with novelty and context, and that modern art's obsession with being part of a historical conversation has led to the abandonment of beauty in favor of mechanical innovation. Longer summary

Scott argues that discussions of artistic taste conflate multiple distinct concepts (sensory delight, novelty, pattern recognition, context, etc.) and that this conflation prevents clear thinking. He uses a parable about restaurant criticism to argue that we should isolate the direct aesthetic experience from contextual factors like novelty and provenance, similar to how medical trials control for placebo effects. He criticizes modern art and literature for prioritizing novelty and historical conversation over genuine beauty or transformation, using examples like the Angelus Novus painting (which inspired beautiful commentary despite being visually unimpressive) and the constraints on contemporary novels. Scott acknowledges the value of artistic innovation but argues that when artists can't successfully marry beauty with novelty, they should stick to traditional forms rather than produce endless variations of transgressive art that adds nothing meaningful to the conversation. Shorter summary

A detailed review of Islamic geometric patterns in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Moroccan Court, analyzing both the flaws in modern recreations and the underlying mathematical principles of authentic pattern construction. Longer summary

This book review contest entry examines Islamic geometric patterns found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Moroccan Court, particularly focusing on a set of wooden doors that contain noticeable imperfections in their geometric designs. The author explains the traditional rules and principles of Islamic geometric patterns, demonstrating how proper patterns are constructed using a polygonal technique, and contrasts this with modern attempts that often fall short. Through detailed analysis of several examples in the Met's collection, including both historical pieces and modern recreations, the author explores how the loss of traditional artistic knowledge manifests in subtle ways. The piece concludes with reflections on the nature of artistic creation and the gap between creator and observer understanding. Shorter summary

Scott presents results from his AI art Turing test showing most people struggled to distinguish AI from human art, with professionals doing slightly better and participants unexpectedly preferring AI art. Longer summary

Scott analyzes the results of his AI art Turing test where 11,000 people tried to distinguish between human and AI-generated art. The median score was 60%, only slightly above chance, showing most people had difficulty identifying AI art. Participants tended to judge images based on style rather than subtle quality differences, incorrectly assuming traditional styles were human and digital art was AI. Interestingly, people slightly preferred AI art even when they claimed to hate it. However, professional artists and AI critics scored better at detection, suggesting they may notice subtle flaws that others miss. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on why modern architecture differs from older styles, exploring economic, cultural, and artistic explanations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to comments on his previous post about modern architecture. The comments cover various theories for why modern architecture looks different from older styles, including economic factors, changes in artistic tastes, cultural shifts, and technological developments. Scott engages with these ideas, sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing, while exploring the broader implications for art, culture, and society. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the 'Tartaria' conspiracy theory to discuss broader shifts in aesthetic preferences, examining potential explanations and their implications for society. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the 'Tartaria' conspiracy theory, which posits that modern architecture is inferior to older styles due to a hidden societal regression. He uses this to discuss broader shifts in aesthetic preferences across various art forms. The post examines several potential explanations for this shift, including changes in wealth signaling, elite tastes, religious influences, labor costs, and the split between high art and mass culture. Scott concludes by reflecting on the importance of understanding these changes, as they relate to broader questions of class, signaling, and how intellectual and cultural elites relate to society at large. Shorter summary