Why Is That Art? Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art

by Barrett, Terry

• ISBN13: 9780199758807
• ISBN10: 0199758808
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Why is that art? Why is it in an art museum? Who says it's art? Why is it good? Author Terry Barrett addresses these questions about contemporary art using four key sources: a broad, diverse, and engaging sampling of works, the artists who created the works, philosophers of art, and art critics.Why Is That Art?introduces students to established theories of art through the presentation of contemporary works that include abstract and representational painting, monumental sculpture, performance art, video installations, films, and photographs. Ideal for courses in aesthetics, art theory, art criticism, and the philosophy of art, this unique book provides students with a newfound appreciation for contemporary art, scholarship, and reasoned argumentation. FEATURES * Explores a variety of established theories of art,including Realism, Expressionism, Cognitivism, Formalism, and Postmodernist Pluralism * Applies each theory to contemporary works of art,discussing strengths and limitations of each mode of interpretation * Brings abstract ideas together in an accessible waythrough extended examples, giving students the understanding and vocabulary to confidently enter critical dialogue about art * Includes Questions for Further Reflectionat the end of each chapter * Includes seventy illustrations,twenty-five of which are in full color NEW TO THIS EDITION * Includes a new glossary of key terms * Expands the treatment of postmodernism,incorporating strategies of postmodernist art-making * Provides updated discussions of artistsJeff Koons, Kiki Smith, Paul McCarthy, and Andy Goldsworthy, as well as images of their new works

Author Biography

Terry Barrett is is Professor of Art Education at the University of North Texas and Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	p. xiii
Preface	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Artworlds and Definitions: How That Became Art	p. 3
Introduction	p. 3
Art	p. 3
Honorific Definitions of "Art"	p. 3
Classificatory Definitions	p. 4
The Open Definition	p. 6
Aesthetics	p. 7
Art Criticism	p. 8
Interpretation and Judgment	p. 9
Critics on Criticizing	p. 10
Criticizing Criticism	p. 12
Criticism and Aesthetics	p. 13
Skepticism about Art, Aesthetics, and Criticism	p. 14
Aesthetics, Art Criticism, and Visual Culture	p. 14
Aestheticians, Artists, Critics, and Readers	p. 15
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 15
Notes	p. 16
Realism: Art Is Realistic, Truthful, and Beautiful	p. 19
Introduction	p. 19
A Brief Overview of Realism	p. 19
Plato	p. 20
Aristotle	p. 22
Kitsch	p. 25
Pornography	p. 26
Obscenity and Censorship	p. 27
Photography, Reality, and Truth	p. 28
What Does It Mean to Say That a Work Is "Realistic"?	p. 31
Works of Art by Jeff Koons	p. 33
Critical Commentary on Koons's Work	p. 33
Koons's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 42
Paintings by Alexis Rockman	p. 42
Critical Commentary on Rockman's Paintings	p. 43
Rockman's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 47
Photographs by Andres Serrano	p. 48
Critical Commentary on Serrano's Photographs	p. 49
Serrano's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 54
Conclusion	p. 56
Realism and Artists	p. 56
Realism and Artworks	p. 56
Realism and Audiences	p. 57
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 58
Notes	p. 58
Expressionism and Cognitivism: Art Shows Feelings, Communicates Thoughts, and Provides Knowledge	p. 63
Introduction	p. 63
Expressionism and Cognitivism	p. 64
Expressionist and Cognitivist Theories of Art	p. 65
Leo Tolstoy	p. 66
Benedetto Croce	p. 66
R. G. Collingwood	p. 67
Suzanne Langer	p. 68
John Dewey	p. 68
Nelson Goodman	p. 69
Arthur Danto	p. 70
Metaphor	p. 71
Psychoanalytic Theory	p. 72
Marxist Aesthetics	p. 73
Joan Mitchell, Painter	p. 74
Critical Commentary on Mitchell's Paintings	p. 75
Mitchell's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 79
Mitchell and Expressionism	p. 81
Louise Bourgeois, Sculptor	p. 83
Critical Commentary on Bourgeois's Sculptures	p. 83
Bourgeois's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 90
Bourgeois and Expressionism	p. 93
Kiki Smith, Printmaker and Sculptor	p. 94
Critical Commentary on Smith's Work	p. 94
Smith's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 102
Smith and Cognitivism	p. 103
The Problem of Artistic Intent	p. 104
Limitations of Expressionism and Cognitivism	p. 106
Strengths of Expressionism and Cognitivism	p. 107
Conclusion	p. 107
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artists	p. 107
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artworks	p. 108
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Audiences	p. 108
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 109
Notes	p. 109
Formalism: Art Is Significant Form	p. 115
Introduction	p. 115
Precursors to Formalism	p. 116
Is Beauty Objective or Subjective?	p. 116
Early Formalism	p. 118
Aesthetic Attitude and Aesthetic Experience	p. 118
The Sublime	p. 120
Immanuel Kant	p. 121
G. W. F. Hegel	p. 122
Twentieth-Century Formalism	p. 123
Early Modern Abstractionists Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich	p. 124
Clive Bell	p. 125
Clement Greenberg	p. 126
Structuralism	p. 127
Ferdinand de Saussure	p. 127
Roland Barthes	p. 129
Structuralism and Formalism	p. 131
Agnes Martin: Paintings and Drawings	p. 131
Critical Commentary on Martin's Work	p. 132
Martin's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 134
Joel Shapiro: Sculptures	p. 137
Critical Commentary on Shapiro's Work	p. 138
Shapiro's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 140
Andy Goldsworthy: Environmental Sculptures	p. 142
Critical Commentary on Goldsworthy's Work	p. 143
Goldsworthy's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 148
Martin, Shapiro, Goldsworthy, and Formalism	p. 151
Strengths and Weaknesses of Formalism	p. 152
Conclusion	p. 153
Formalism and Artists	p. 153
Formalism and Artworks	p. 154
Formalism and Audiences	p. 154
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 154
Notes	p. 154
Postmodern Pluralism: Art Destabilizes the Good, the True, the Beautiful, and the Self	p. 161
Introduction	p. 161
Precursors to Poststructuralism and Postmodernism	p. 162
Friedrich Nietzsche	p. 162
Critical Theory, the Frankfurt School, and Neo-Marxism	p. 163
Poststructuralism	p. 164
Jacques Lacan	p. 165
Michel Foucault	p. 166
Julia Kristeva	p. 167
Jacques Derrida	p. 168
Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari	p. 169
Richard Rorty	p. 170
Feminism	p. 171
Postmodernism	p. 175
Jean-François Lyotard	p. 177
Jean Baudrillard	p. 178
Fredric Jameson	p. 179
Postcolonialism	p. 179
Cindy Sherman: Photographs	p. 181
Critical Commentary on Sherman's Photographs	p. 183
Sherman's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 187
Cindy Sherman and Postmodern Pluralism	p. 188
Lorna Simpson: Photographs with Words	p. 189
Critical Commentary on Simpson's Work	p. 190
Simpson's Thoughts about Her Own Work	p. 194
Lorna Simpson and Postmodern Pluralism	p. 195
Paul McCarthy: Performances, Videos, and Sculptures	p. 195
Critical Commentary on McCarthy's Work	p. 195
McCarthy's Thoughts about His Own Work	p. 201
McCarthy and Postmodern Pluralism	p. 205
Strengths and Weaknesses of Postmodern Pluralism	p. 205
Approaches to Postmodern Artmaking	p. 206
Escaping the Confines of Museums	p. 206
Collapsing Boundaries Between "High" and "Low"	p. 207
Rejecting "Originality"	p. 207
Jouissance	p. 208
Working Collaboratively	p. 208
Appropriating	p. 208
Simulating	p. 209
Hybridizing	p. 209
Mixing Media	p. 210
Layering	p. 210
Mixing Codes	p. 211
Recontextualizing	p. 212
Confronting the Gaze	p. 212
Facing the Abject	p. 213
Constructing Identities	p. 213
Using Narratives	p. 214
Creating Metaphors	p. 214
Using Irony, Parody, and Dissonance	p. 215
Conclusion	p. 215
Postmodern Pluralism and Artists	p. 215
Postmodern Pluralism and Artworks	p. 216
Postmodern Pluralism and Audiences	p. 216
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 217
Notes	p. 217
Conclusion	p. 225
Introduction	p. 225
Why Is Stacked Art?	p. 225
Art by Definitions	p. 225
Is Stacked a Good Work of Art?	p. 227
Realist Considerations	p. 227
Expressionist Considerations	p. 227
Formalist Considerations	p. 228
Postmodernist Considerations	p. 228
Purposes of Art	p. 229
Selecting Criteria	p. 230
A Single Criterion or Multiple Criteria for All Works of Art	p. 230
Questions for Further Reflection	p. 231
Notes	p. 231
Glossary	p. 233
Bibliography	p. 241
Index	p. 253
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