Post on 20-Aug-2015
agenda 6.19
OVERVIEW: definitions of art/audiences for art (art in different times and places) if time
permits, otherwise, view on Compass 2g
ACTIVITY 1 5 mins
read posts by your classmates, pull out what you think are the 3 most interesting points—you don’t necessarily have to agree
share what you found by typing into chat here and we will discuss some common ideas and possibilities that are emerging
Same object, different contexts
only in one of these contexts is the Lego socially designated as “art”
conclusion
Art is not an ontological, but a sociological property.
There is no quality inhering in the object itself that makes it art or non-art.
conclusion
In any society, some objects are called ‘art,’ others are not. These designations are a matter of social tradition and convention. Such labels can change over time as a society’s values and preferences change.
What is visual culture?
It includes everything that art excludes: All the objects that are left out from
consideration in the traditional fine arts (painting, sculpture, architecture)
things made not for elite but ordinary audiences
the role of vision in the production of knowledge/power
technologies/enhancements of vision (for example, scientific and medical imaging)
The Art World: a system
AN INTERLINKED SYSTEM OF:
•MONEY•PRESTIGE•IDEAS•FASHION
Let’s explore these one at a time.
The Art World: money
AN INTERLINKED SYSTEM OF:
•MONEY• Buyers and Sellers • private collectors• institutional collectors
• Galleries• Auction Houses (resale market)
The Art World:prestige
AN INTERLINKED SYSTEM OF:
•MONEY•PRESTIGE• What artists receive shows in
large museums?• What artists receive shows in
galleries?• What artists are represented
by major gallerists?• What artists are interesting to
curators?• What artists are interesting to
critics?• What artists are interesting to
art historians and other intellectuals?
The Art World:ideas
AN INTERLINKED SYSTEM OF:
•MONEY•PRESTIGE•IDEAS• what artists are written about
in mass-circulation newspapers and magazines?
• what artists are written about by art critics in more specialized publications?
• what artists are written about by scholars in highly specialized publications?
The Art World: fashion
AN INTERLINKED SYSTEM OF:
•MONEY•PRESTIGE•IDEAS•FASHION
“who’s up/down, who’s in/out”“who’s pricey, or in demand?”“who’s the latest, coolest thing?”
Art can serve to create a fashionable environment for other forms of display
Art BaselMiami Beach,(“Miami Basel”)2008
The Art World: example
Pictured at a 2008 event in Moscow: Larry Gagosian, Dasha Zukhova, Takashi Murakami
Dasha Zukhova
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/oct/04/dasha-zhukova-interview-roman-abramovich
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/t-magazine/28talk-zhukova.html
The art world is not all glamorous types clad in black!
Viewing a recent acquisition of Dali printsat the Oglethorpe University Art Museum, Atlanta, GA,Summer 2010
OK, so who else?Anyone who has an interest, whether casual or devoted, in following the culture of contemporary art as it changes over time
•Art students•Students in general•People in general who are interested in art or want to be culturally aware
Thomas Struth
Artist Thomas Struth has made an ongoing series of photographs of people viewing and engaging with art in major museums and cultural sites around the world.
In these works, the audience for art becomes the focus of attention.
Thomas StruthAt the Louvre 2, 198967 ½ x 53 ¼ inches*
*Note the monumental size of this work. Why do you think the artist might print his photographs at such a large size?
ACTIVITY 2 10 minutes Take some time to look at this photograph
from the same series by photographer Thomas Struth.
sentence 1—Write an overall descriptive sentence that points our the main features of this photograph to your reader.
then a list, of at least 5 different ways you see people interacting (with the art and with each other) in this photograph. Be detailed!
POST on Compass 2g, then PASTE into chat window here so we can all discuss.