My short answer to the question posed in Tyler's original post would be, "No aesthetics is not 100% subjective.” Is aesthetics 100% objective? Of course not. We all have certain sensitivities to different things and that cannot help but influence our interpretation of an object. However, there are certain elements of design that can be judged as to thier effectiveness in making an attractive object.
A little bit of aesthetics according to Crosby:
Aesthetics generally deals with how line, shape, color, texture and proportion are used to manipulate the viewer’s eye as it is lead along a piece. I do not so much think of these things as
rules but more as
tools that can be used to come up with the effect needed.
The eye moves differently along harsh angular lines, compared to flat, straight lines, or smooth, curved lines. As the eye scans across the pipe its' movement is also effected by differences in texture (sandblast, rusticated, smooth etc.) materials (exotic wood adornment), and changes in color. These are all things that need to be taken into consideration. You add to this proportion, and there you have the difficulty in making an attractive object with a degree of visual unity. For an example of this consider the difference in looking at this Tokutomi:
versus this Barbi:
Both are well executed pipes that use the elements of line, shape, color, texture and proportion in very different ways to create a unified whole that works.
When a balance between these elements is lacking, it is then that you end up with what is referred to as clumsy, bulky and amateurish. This is the problem we face with poor craftsmanship as it affects this balance even if the tools are used well. Hence the reason crisp craft is fundamentally most important above all.
It is the ability to carefully balance those fundamental elements of design that separates beautiful pipes from those that are not as nice. Those are elements that in large part can be judged in a relatively (i.e. not 100%) objective fashion. They can either work together to make a unified whole that is beatiful to look at or they can come together to make a clumsy, awkward pipe that looks as though it is made up of spare parts.