Ornamental play in Deleuze’s aesthetics

Date

2026-01-01

Author

Shores, Corry Michael

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In his “Repetition of Difference in Ornament,” Jakub Mácha demonstrates how Gilles Deleuze’s notion of ornament plays a vital role in his metaphysics and semiotics. This chapter will follow upon Mácha’s work by examining the importance of ornament in Deleuze’s aesthetics. The broader claim is that when we take into account Deleuze’s explicit thinking on play, we may find it operating implicitly in other facets of his philosophy, with one possible instance being his writings on ornament. First, this chapter briefly draws upon Mácha to define ornament for Deleuze. Then, it delineates one aspect of Deleuze’s philosophy of play, namely, creative gambling. Finally, it examines how these conceptions operate in specific cases where Deleuze discusses ornament in aesthetic contexts, especially (1) in his study of repetition in Caduveo decorative motifs, (2) in his and Félix Guattari’s portrayal of birdsongs and displays as “fuzzy aggregates,” and (3) in his application of Wilhelm Worringer’s “Northern ornament” in his study of Francis Bacon’s paintings. In all, for Deleuze, ornamental play’s activity is not repeating inconsequential and homogenous supplementations but rather continually generating heterogeneities with the power to deform compositions.

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https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=105025827621&origin=inward
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118572

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Department of Philosophy, Book / Book chapter