ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 introduces and defines the aesthetic counterpart to the Pleasure of the Familiar, namely the Pleasure of the Unfamiliar. The Pleasure of the Unfamiliar is inspired by the sublime, and is characterized by offering complex aesthetic experiences that break with the recipient’s comfort zone. A thorough investigation of the philosophical category of the sublime, from the ancient world to postmodernism, leads to an outline of the components and structure of the sublime aesthetic experience. Like the sublime, the Pleasure of the Unfamiliar comprises an aesthetic experience of being faced with somethingineffable. Perhaps the shape, material, or color combination of the design object is entirely different from anything previously experienced, or perhaps the object breaks with one or more aesthetic principles. Nevertheless, the pleasurable experience of the unfamiliar is an aesthetic experience. The Pleasure of the Unfamiliar involves prolonging the decoding or the detection time. The recipient is “forced” to spend a prolonged moment on decoding or detecting the object, and the experience of being challenged and of being-present-with the object, due to unexpected compositions and combinations, can lead to a durable bond forming between subject and object. For this reason, the Pleasure of the Unfamiliar is a cornerstone in creating aesthetically sustainable objects.
