The Aesthetics of Wind Farms

This is a very helpful article on practical aesthetics related to the practical debate about wind farms. It helped me to appreciate better why it is that I don't find wind turbines disturbing while others do.

what at first looks like two subjective impressions of the same visual image turns out to be two different understandings of order in the world. Both perceptions have truth in them, but not because they are "subjectively valid." Rather, they are both sensitive to the structures of wholeness in the world and to ways that this wholeness can and has been ruptured by human intervention. Differences in aesthetic judgment here reflect different understandings of our current ecological situation and what to do to recuperate a living harmonization in the world. I would argue that the preponderance of evidence supports the deeper truth of the aesthetic response to wind farms. Although they can exhibit aspects of ugliness, wind farms are objectively beautiful.

Of course the other thing I do point out which has a bearing on this, is that we have grown used to electricity pylons marching across the landscape: I sometimes don't even notice them until I come to photograph a scene. I think I would say that wind turbines are better looking.
Design Observer: writings about design & culture: What is Beauty? Or, On the Aesthetics of Wind Farms:
Filed in: aesthetics, wind-turbine, power, countryside, nimby