Their desire to evoke the "primitive" and, therefore, the "authentic, " was as much perhaps even more a challenge to the constraints of bourgeois society as a challenge to traditional aesthetic values.

WSJ: Before Darkness Fell | German Expressionism 1900-1930 | Neue Galerie | By Karen Wilkin

Mudiyettu serves as an important cultural site for transmission of traditional values, ethics, moral codes and aesthetic norms of the community to the next generation, thereby ensuring its continuity and relevance in present times.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

In the traditional but affluent beachfront district of Jumeirah, the aesthetic matches the geography of being halfway between Europe and India: patisseries next to sari shops.

CNN: Is Dubai the center of the world (again)?

True, those institutions may not offer the exclusive local talent that constitutes the traditional definition of "scene", but Washington's official aesthetic style should, to a degree, reflect America's.

BBC: The art of Washington

With the same wit and precision he brings to his lyrics, he fielded questions about the challenges of rhyming traditional Chinese characters (complete with a demonstration), why living in Los Angeles hasn't influenced his aesthetic (but Bali might), and his progress on a stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline.

NPR: Stephin Merritt: Musical Polymath