What art is : the esthetic theory of Ayn Rand

In response to the question What is art?, today's arts establishment has a simple answer: anything is art if a reputed artist or expert says it is. Traditional Meanings Of The Term Art -- What The Ordinary Person Thinks -- The Ubiquitous Question: But Is It Art? -- The Experts Speak -- Need For A Valid Theory And Definition Of Art -- Ayn Rand's Theory Of Art -- The Status Of Rand Studies -- Overview Of The Present Study -- Ayn Rand's Philosophy Of Art -- The Psycho-epistemology Of Art -- The Purpose Of Art -- Metaphysical Value-judgments -- Rand's Definition Of Art -- The Cognitive Function Of Art -- The Creative Process -- Art, Religion, And Philosophy -- Art And Ethics -- Romanticism And Naturalism -- Efficacy Of Consciousness -- Philosophy And Sense Of Life -- Emotional Abstraction -- Philosophy And Sense Of Life -- Sense Of Life And Character -- Sense Of Life In Love And Art -- Art And Sense Of Life -- Emotion And Expression In Art -- Communication In Art -- The Significance Of Artistic Selectivity -- The Response To Art -- Subject And Meaning In Art -- Style -- Esthetic Judgment -- Art And Cognition -- Literature -- Painting And Sculpture -- The Performing Arts -- The Art Of Film -- The Arts And Cognition -- Modern Art -- Music And Cognition -- Music And Emotion -- Music And Sense Of Life -- Rand's Mistaken Hypothesis -- The Importance Of Melody -- The Composer's Viewpoint -- Music As A Re-creation Of Reality -- The Symphony Orchestra -- Avant-garde Music -- The Definition Of Art -- Anti-essentialism In Contemporary Philosophy -- The Institutional Definition Of Art -- The Rules Of Definition -- Rand's Definition Of Art. Louis Torres & Michelle Marder Kamhi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [479]-503) And Index. "What is it to be a work of art? Renowned author and critic Arthur C. Danto addresses this fundamental, complex question. Part philosophical monograph and part memoiristic meditation, What Art Is challenges the popular interpretation that art is an indefinable concept, instead bringing to light the properties that constitute universal meaning. Danto argues that despite varied approaches, a work of art is always defined by two essential criteria: meaning and embodiment, as well as one additional criterion contributed by the viewer: interpretation. Danto crafts his argument in an accessible manner that engages with both philosophy and art across genres and eras, beginning with Plato's definition of art in The Republic, and continuing through the progress of art as a series of discoveries, including such innovations as perspective, chiaroscuro, and physiognomy. Danto concludes with a fascinating discussion of Andy Warhol's famous shipping cartons, which are visually indistinguishable from the everyday objects they represent. Throughout, Danto considers the contributions of philosophers including Descartes, Kant, and Hegel, and artists from Michelangelo and Poussin to Duchamp and Warhol, in this far-reaching examination of the interconnectivity and universality of aesthetic production."--Publisher's website What is art? The arts establishment has a simple answer: anything is art if a reputed artist or expert says it is. Though many people are skeptical about the alleged new art forms that have proliferated since the early twentieth century, today's critics claim that all such work, however incomprehensible, is art.A groundbreaking alternative to this view is provided by philosopher- novelist Ayn Rand, who created an original and illuminating theory of art--one which confirms the widespread view that much of today's purported art is really not art at all.In What Art Is, Torres and Kamhi present a lucid introduction to Rand's esthetic theory, contrasting her ideas with those of other thinkers. They conclude that, in its basic principles, her account is compelling, and is corroborated by evidence from anthropology, neurology, cognitive science, and psychology.The authors apply Rand's theory to a debunking of the work of prominent modernists and postmodernists--from Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and Samuel Beckett to John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and others. Finally, they explore the implications of Rand's ideas for the issues of government and corporate support of the arts, art law, and arts education. The co-editors of the "scholarly but gutsy little periodical" Aristos present and support the less well-known position of philosopher-novelist Rand (1905-82) in debunking what passes for modern/postmodern art. Appends a list of alleged new forms of art and artworld buzz words. A third of the book consists of notes and references. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR