Trouble in Danto’s Artworld
Danto’s theory of artistic identification accepts a problematic class of artwork as art: art made entirely of space. Consider the avant-garde artist who claims an unoccupied space in the Museum of Modern Art and calls it “Missing Van Gogh;” it can be shown by Danto’s “is” of artistic identification that her work is art. It not only fulfills Danto’s requirements, but also, it distinguishes itself as revolutionary by expanding the style matrix, and as clever, by belonging to the once-problematic category of artwork called ‘indiscernibles.’ However, it can be shown that “Missing Van Gogh’s” lack of spatial and temporal boundaries adds infinite predicates to the style matrix and thus reveals a flaw in Danto’s theory.
Danto’s theory of artistic identification requires only that the sentence “x is P,” where x is a given work and P a predicate functioning as an interpretation of that work, apply to a member of what he calls the ‘Artworld.’ He calls the word ‘is’ between x and the P in the sentence the ‘“is” of artistic interpretation,’ and any work indicated by this ‘is’ is art. For instance, we may say “the Eroica Symphony is profound.” By Danto’s definition, the fact that this artistic interpretation of the work is possible is sufficient to show that it is a work of art. Danto also posits a style matrix consisting of all the variant combinations of art-relevant predicates in today’s Artworld. This matrix serves as a context in which all artworks can be discussed, and is open to the addition of predicates as artists make innovative breakthroughs.
The revolutionary beauty of Danto’s theory lies in its openness and simplicity; it is able to embrace new artistic developments because it refuses to identify specific properties as indicative of artwork status. It is more accepting than theories which name properties, such as the family resemblance theory, which rejects the first of every new class of artwork, or even Gaut’s cluster theory, which demands some consistency.[1] Yet, this radical openness of Danto’s theory demands scrutiny; if there is an artwork which Danto’s theory accepts on account of its openness, but which it ought not to, then Danto’s theory is flawed.
As Inman travels home he is accosted by the Home Guard, confederate militia who are just as feared as the dreaded Yankees. The voyage is much more difficult than he imagines and narrowly escapes being killed by three men. As he travels on, he meets a preacher who i...
ABSTRACT: British Avant-Garde art, poses a challenge to traditional aesthetic analysis. This paper will argue that such art is best understood in terms of Wittgenstein¡¦s concept of "seeing-as," and will point out that the artists often use this concept in describing their work. This is significant in that if we are to understand art in terms of cultural practice, then we must actually look at the practice. We will discuss initiatives such as the work of Damien Hirst, most famous for his animals in formaldehyde series, and that of Simon Patterson, who warps diagrams, e.g., replacing the names of stops on London Underground maps with those of philosophers. Cornelia Parker¡¦s idea that visual appeal is not the most important thing, but rather that the questions that are set up in an attempt to create an "almost invisible" art are what are central, will also be discussed. Also, if we concur with Danto¡¦s claims that "contemporary art no longer allows itself to be represented by master narratives," that Nothing is ruled out.", then it is indeed fruitful to understand art in terms of seeing-as. For application of this concept to art explains what occurs conceptually when the viewer shifts from identifying a work, as an art object, and then as not an art object, and explains why nothing is ruled out.
Amistad focuses on the aftermath of the revolt of 1839 on a Spanish slave ship called La Amistad. The slaves manage to kill many Spanish sailors and take over the ship with their leader, Cinque. Even though the slaves manage to win the uprising against the Spanish slave traders, the slaves are founded and held prisoner in Connecticut. Amistad focuses on the trials and long debates in court about the 44 slaves that take over La Amistad.
Art can mean many different things to many different people and was one of the earliest ways in which man has expressed him or herself to others, whether it was through cave drawings or hieroglyphics. It does not begin or end with just drawing or painting, items typically considered art, or the many other recognized facets of art including architecture, drama, literature, sculpting, and music. My research is based on Vincent van Gogh art, and two art paintings that I choose to study is The Starry Night, 1889, and the second art is The Sower 1888. Vincent van Gogh’s is known for Impressionism, that occurs to us in these times, much more to affirm close links with tradition, and to represent
Danto uses Testadura as well as his correct and incorrect ideas in “The Artworld” to explain the complex theory of art while subtly, but significantly, showing his point of view. It is only through the art works of Rauschenberg and Oldenburg that the concepts of the imitation theory and the modern reality are introduced as well as the views of Danto being conveyed to those reading. These views are important to understanding and appreciating modern art. They inform the reader that rejection of theories of art happen and will continue to happen as long as there are theories or art. Testadura may be “hard headed”, but it is this quality that helps to better educate people in “The Artworld”.
The article Artists Mythologies and Media Genius, Madness and Art History (1980) by Griselda Pollock is a forty page essay where Pollock (1980), argues and explains her views on the crucial question, "how art history works" (Pollock, 1980, p.57). She emphasizes that there should be changes to the practice of art history and uses Van Gogh as a major example in her study. Her thesis is to prove that the meaning behind artworks should not be restricted only to the artist who creates it, but also to realize what kind of economical, financial, social situation the artist may have been in to influence the subject that is used. (Pollock, 1980, pg. 57) She explains her views through this thesis and further develops this idea by engaging in scholarly debates with art historians and researcher, and objecting to how they claim there is a general state of how art is read. She structures her paragraphs in ways that allows her to present different kinds of evidences from a variety sources while using a formal yet persuasive tone of voice to get her point across to the reader.
In this article, David Grann examines the work of Peter Paul Biro in an art authentication in a delightful heading “The Mark of a Masterpiece” (Grann 1). Notably, Biro had a claim that he has innovatively designed a camera that is above any available camera. This brings to the understanding that this character is using his own professionalism and ideas to achieve what he wants to. As a fact, he scooped a dozen of fortune, including DARPA, NASA, several universities, and R. and D fortune from numerous departments of about five hundred technology companies all of which are from his own effort. Therefore, we can speculate that Grann was a genius who used the same gift towards his success. Moreover, at his thirty years, he smartly developed a suitable computer science that would process high definitive data. In fact, he had mastery of both DNA analysis, and fingerprint forensics alongside a comprehensive understanding of both art conservation and art history (Grann 2). With his professionalism, Grann contributed in the world of art. He once said everyone would only seek to see what he or she wants to see from portraits or painting; a view that is shared by other authors. Therefore, conclusively we can say that Biro’s ideology as described by the author; as a single genius compounds his human idiosyncrasy that is within his awareness and exploitation ability that is characteristic of the elites of the world of art. The artistic works are compounded in individual’s professionalism and understanding, which also determines their understanding and interpretation of such work and this, has been controversially demonstrated by different authors and moviemakers as they address same school.
In order to act, one must have will, which is the determination of the mind to act. Kant argues that we need good will because it is not only good in itself but to develop it, we also must have reason behind it. According to Kant, one’s personal will is only good if they are motivated by nothing other than duty. Kant argues that to fulfill our moral obligations, we must act from duty and offers three essential principles. The first proposition states that an action must be done from duty in order to have moral worth. Therefore we must act from duty rather than act in accordance with duty because then our action would not be morally worthy. The second proposition, maxims, states that an action done from duty has moral worth in the maxim that guides it. Kant clearly proposes that an action must be done for its own sake instead of the sake for anything else, “an action from duty h...
Going forward, in 1990, Congress passed The Americans With Disabilities Act (The ADA), and with this, various new protections for employees with qualifying disabilities became law (this law was amended in 2008, and those changes went into effect January 1, 2009). The Mission of the ADA is to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency to persons with disabilities” (42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(8)). The goal of the ADA is to eliminate discrimination and to remove the physical barriers that impede disabled Americans from enjoying similar benefits of their non-disabled peers in the workplace, while shopping, in restaurants, and other places of public gathering.
If everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom that is set forth in the Declaration, disabled people should not be robbed of their rights. However, they are still devalued from conducting common tasks which puts them at the bottom of the priority list as an employee and even so as a friend. In search to solve this problem, according to “The Disabled” by Bender, D. on July 26, 1990, President G...
Georges Didi-Huberman is critical of the conventional approaches towards the study of art history. Didi-Huberman takes the view that art history is grounded in the primacy of knowledge, particularly in the vein of Kant, or what he calls a ‘spontaneous philosophy’. While art historians claim to be looking at images across the sweep of time, what they actually do might be described as a sort of forensics process, one in which they analyze, decode and deconstruct works of art in attempt to better understand the artist and purpose or expression. This paper will examine Didi-Huberman’s key claims in his book Confronting Images and apply his methodology to a still life painting by Juan Sánchez Cotán.
Just as other works that reflect art, pieces in the category of fine arts serve the important message of passing certain messages or portraying a special feeling towards a particular person, function or activity. At times due to the nature of a particular work, it can become so valuable that its viewers cannot place a price on it. It is not the nature or texture of an art that qualifies it, but the appreciation by those who look at it (Lewis & Lewis, 2008).
Man has long created art, this much is certain. However, man has never ultimately defined art. There are so many things which qualify as art and as many qualities to each piece that trying to find answers only seems result in more questions. The formalist theory of art, as present by Clive Bell, makes an attempt at defining art and answering many of these questions. Below is a discussion of the formalist theory; its definition, its strengths, and its weaknesses as evidenced by the work of Clive Bell.
Art is a constantly evolving process. The previous style of work serves as a roadmap for what will follow. As often is the case with any form of growth, there exists a transitional period. Because of this evolution, there are traces of a style’s illustrious history embedded in the adaptive art’s metaphorical DNA. The transition from early to late Renaissance established two styles of art known as Baroque and Rococo. While, on the surface, the Rococo style can appear to be very similar to the work produced by Baroque artists, the two also demonstrate distinct differences in their use of subject and theme, the manner in which they created the art, and how that art was perceived in their time. These factors establish both styles from one another, making them unique.
Karl Marx’s theories about class struggle, communism, and social justice can be known as Marxism. Marxism is summed up in the Encarta Reference Library as “a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western societies.” In contrast the Encarta Reference Library defines capitalism as “an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods, characterized by a free competitive market and motivation by profit.” Marxism is the system of socialism of which the dominant feature is public ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange.