Senses of Seascapes: Aesthetics and the Passion for Knowledge

Abstract

This paper seeks to aesthetically explore the relationship between passion and knowledge. Some of the challenges associated with aesthetic readings surround the location, evocation and representation of multi-sensory experiences and aesthetic expressions. Place-based research indicates that places are important for both aesthetics and meaning. This symbiotic connection between aesthetics and `senses of place' opens an important gangway through which to embark on a journey to locate, evoke and represent the `aesthetic dimension' of seascapes and shipboard life. Conversations with 34 Norwegian seafarers support the relationship between passion and knowledge anchored in seascapes; provide the researcher with a familiar harbour for an impassioned aesthetic reading. Reflections along the voyage consider the importance of an `integrated aesthetic approach' (Brady, 2003) which includes a double focus: on both the aesthetic experiences of organizational members and on the places wherein these experiences are aroused. This aesthetic reading also attends to the `aesthetics' of aesthetic research.