Why is that art? : aesthetics and criticism of contemporary art

Why Is That Art?, Third Edition, Introduces Students To Theories Of Art Through The Presentation Of Contemporary Works That Include Abstract And Represntational Painting, Animated Film, Monumental Sculpture, Performance Art, Photographs, Relational Art, And Video Installations. 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--back Cover. Artworld And Definitions : How That Became Art -- Realism : Art Is Realistic, Truthful, And Beautiful -- Expression And Cognitivism : Art Shows Feelings, Communicates Thoughts, And Provides Knowledge -- Formalism : Art Is Significant Form -- Postmodern Pluralism : Art Destabilizes The Good, The True, The Beautiful, And The Self. Terry Barrett. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 250-263) And Index. Cover 1 Why Is That Art? 2 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Illustrations 14 Preface 18 Acknowledgments 20 Introduction 24 Chapter 1: Artworlds and Definitions: How That Became Art 26 Art 26 Honorific Definitions of “Art” 27 The Open Definition 28 Classificatory Definitions 28 Aesthetics 30 Art Criticism 32 Description, Interpretation, Judgment, and Theory 33 Critics on Criticizing 34 Criticizing Criticism 36 Criticism and Aesthetics 37 Skepticism about Art, Aesthetics, and Criticism 38 Aesthetics, Art Criticism, and Visual Culture 38 Aestheticians, Artists, Critics, and Readers 39 Questions for Further Reflection 40 Notes 40 Chapter 2: Realism: Art Is Realistic, Truthful, and Beautiful 44 A Brief Overview of Realism 44 Greek Theories of Realism in Art 45 Plato 45 Aristotle 47 Issues Related to Realism 50 Kitsch 50 Pornography 52 Obscenity and Censorship 52 Photography, Reality, and Truth 54 What Does It Mean to Say That a Work Is “Realistic”? 56 Works of Art by Jeff Koons 58 Critical Commentary on Koons’s Work 58 Koons’s Thoughts about His Own Work 66 Paintings by Alexis Rockman 67 Critical Commentary on Rockman’s Paintings 67 Rockman’s Thoughts about His Own Work 71 Photographs by Andres Serrano 73 Critical Commentary on Serrano’s Photographs 73 Serrano’s Thoughts about His Own Work 78 Conclusion 80 Realism and Artists 80 Realism and Artworks 81 Realism and Audiences 81 Questions for Further Reflection 82 Notes 82 Chapter 3: Expressionism and Cognitivism: Art Shows Feelings, Communicates Thoughts, and Provides Knowledge 88 Expressionism and Cognitivism 89 Expressionist and Cognitivist Theories of Art 90 Leo Tolstoy 91 Benedetto Croce 91 R. G. Collingwood 92 Suzanne Langer 93 John Dewey 93 Nelson Goodman 94 Arthur Danto 95 Metaphor 96 Psychoanalytic Theory 97 Marxist Aesthetics 98 Joan Mitchell, Painter 99 Critical Commentary on Mitchell’s Paintings 99 Mitchell’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 104 Mitchell and Expressionism 106 Louise Bourgeois, Sculptor 107 Critical Commentary on Bourgeois’s Sculptures 108 Bourgeois’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 114 Bourgeois and Expressionism 117 Kiki Smith, Printmaker and Sculptor 117 Critical Commentary on Smith’s Work 118 Smith’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 125 Smith and Cognitivism 127 The Problem of Artistic Intent 127 Limitations of Expressionism and Cognitivism 129 Strengths of Expressionism and Cognitivism 130 Conclusion 130 Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artists 130 Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artworks 131 Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Audiences 131 Questions for Further Reflection 132 Notes 132 Chapter 4: Formalism: Art Is Significant Form 138 Precursors to Formalism 139 St. Thomas Aquinas 139 David Hume 140 Hume on Art Criticism 141 Early Formalism: Aesthetic Attitude and Aesthetic Experience 141 Disinterestedness 142 Decontextualization 142 Aestheticization 143 The Sublime 143 Immanuel Kant 144 G. W. F. Hegel 145 Twentieth-Century Formalism 146 Early Modern Abstractionists: Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich 147 Clive Bell 148 Clement Greenberg 149 Structuralism 150 Ferdinand de Saussure 150 Roland Barthes 152 Structuralism and Formalism 154 Agnes Martin: Paintings and Drawings 154 Critical Commentary on Martin’s Work 155 Martin’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 157 Joel Shapiro: Sculptures 160 Critical Commentary on Shapiro’s Work 161 Shapiro’s Thoughts about His Own Work 163 Andy Goldsworthy: Environmental Sculptures 165 Critical Commentary on Goldsworthy’s Work 166 Goldsworthy’s Thoughts about His Own Work 171 Martin, Shapiro, Goldsworthy, and Formalism 174 Strengths and Weaknesses of Formalism 175 Conclusion 176 Formalism and Artists 176 Formalism and Artworks 177 Formalism and Audiences 177 Questions for Further Reflection 177 Notes 178 Chapter 5: Postmodern Pluralism: Art Destabilizes the Good, the True, the Beautiful, and the Self 184 Precursors to Poststructuralism and Postmodernism 185 Friedrich Nietzsche 185 Critical Theory, the Frankfurt School, and Neo-Marxism 186 Poststructuralism 187 Jacques Lacan 188 Michel Foucault 189 Julia Kristeva 190 Jacques Derrida 191 Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari 192 Richard Rorty 193 Slavoj Žižek 194 Feminism 195 Postmodernism 199 Jean-François Lyotard 201 Jean Baudrillard 201 Fredric Jameson 202 Postcolonialism 203 Cindy Sherman: Photographs 205 Critical Commentary on Sherman’s Photographs 206 Sherman’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 210 Cindy Sherman and Postmodern Pluralism 211 Lorna Simpson: Photographs with Words 212 Critical Commentary on Simpson’s Work 213 Simpson’s Thoughts about Her Own Work 217 Lorna Simpson and Postmodern Pluralism 218 Paul McCarthy: Performances, Videos, and Sculptures 218 Critical Commentary on McCarthy’s Work 218 McCarthy’s Thoughts about His Own Work 224 McCarthy and Postmodern Pluralism 228 Strengths and Weaknesses of Postmodern Pluralism 228 Approaches to Postmodern Artmaking 229 Escaping the Confines of Museums 229 Collapsing Boundaries between “High” and “Low” 230 Rejecting “Originality” 230 Jouissance 231 Working Collaboratively 231 Appropriating 231 Simulating 232 Hybridizing 232 Mixing Media 233 Layering 233 Mixing Codes 234 Recontextualizing 235 Confronting the Gaze 235 Facing the Abject 236 Constructing Identities 236 Using Narratives 237 Creating Metaphors 237 Using Irony, Parody, and Dissonance 238 Conclusion 238 Postmodern Pluralism and Artists 238 Postmodern Pluralism and Artworks 239 Postmodern Pluralism and Audiences 239 Questions for Further Reflection 240 Notes 240 Chapter 6: Conclusion 248 Why Is Hanging Garden Art? 248 Art by Definitions 248 Hanging Garden and Realism 251 Hanging Garden and Cognitive Expressionism 251 Hanging Garden and Formalism 253 Hanging Garden and Postmodern Pluralism 253 Why Is Jellyfish Eyes Art? 254 Jellyfish Eyes and Realism 255 Jellyfish Eyes and Cognitive Expressionism 255 Jellyfish Eyes and Formalism 255 Jellyfish Eyes and Postmodern Pluralism 256 Why Is DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY Art? 256 DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY and Realism 258 DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY and Cognitive Expressionism 258 DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY and Formalism 258 DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY and Postmodern Pluralism 259 Purposes of Art 259 Selecting Criteria 260 A Single Criterion or Multiple Criteria for All Works of Art 261 Questions for Further Reflection 261 Notes 262 Glossary 265 Bibliography 273 Index 287