'Narrative and Ugliness': lecture by Mark Cousins, 10th February, 1995

Extent: 1 audio cassette (45min), 2 digital files (595 MB )

Comprises audio recording of a lecture entitled 'Narrative and Ugliness', given by Mark Cousins on the 10th February, 1995. The recordings consist of an audio cassette tape (90min), 1 digital preservation file (485 MB, .wav format) and 1 digital access files (110 MB, .mp3 format). Duration of access version: 46min 39sec.

Copyright: Architectural Association

Creator: Mark Cousins

Admin History: The recording is of the 13th lecture in the series entitled 'Ugliness', given by Mark Cousins as part of the AA General Studies programme, 1994-95. This lecture is advertised as 'Beauty and the Beast' in the AA Events List. In this lecture, Mark Cousins discusses 'the subject's' fantasies in respect to 'ugliness'. He argues that the 'ugliness' is the point at which life and death intersect. He refers to the ideas of Sigmund Freud to explain the compensation function of fantasies. He describes their operation at the level of mental representations, relating to the damage to the pleasure principle that reality inflicts upon us. Cousins goes on to present the idea that the narratives and fantasies in fairy tales serve to suspend reality so that the subject can overcome obstacles.

Custodial History: Audio cassette recording was made by the AA Audio Visual Department and retained by the AA Photo Library until 2019, when it was transferred to the AA Archives.

Aquisition: Audio cassette was transferred from the AA Photo Libary to the AA Archives in 2019. Digital preservation and access copies were created by the AA Archives in 2021.

Archive Note: Catalogue description by Gabriela Jimenez

Publication Note: AA Events List, Week 5, Spring Term, 6-10th February, 1995