Who Belongs to Art Worlds? Life Drawing Class, Bocour Paintmaking Studio NYC, c c.

Plan for Class Today n Lecture : u Conclude General Introduction of Theories about Art & Society u Artists as a Social “Category” n Discussion of Short Assignment n Workshop with Sylvia Roberts (Communications Reference Librarian)

Required Readings (Weeks 3-4) n Zolberg, Vera. “The Art Object as Social Process”. Constructing a Sociology of the Arts. Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp n Becker, H. "Integrated Professionals, Mavericks, Folk Artists and Naive Artists" Art Worlds. Berkley: U. Calif. Press. 1992, pp n Peterson, R. and A. Anand. “The Production of Culture Perspective” Annual Review of Sociology :311–34 (especially pp ).

Recommended n Van Laar, T. and L. Diepeveen, "The Function of Artists in Society: Starving Celebrities and Other Myths", Active Sights. Art as social interaction., London, Mayfield, 1997, pp n Menger, Pierre-Michel, “Artists as Workers: Theoretical and Methodological Challenges” Poetics, Vol. 28 (4) pp n Kasfir, Sidney. “African Art and Authenticity”, in Oguibe, Olu and Okwui Enwezor (editors), Reading the Contemporary. African Art from Theory to the Marketplace. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 1999, pp n Levine, Judith. "Art as social service: Theatre for the Forgotten", in Zolberg and Cherbo, Outsider Art, Cambridge U. Press 1997, pp

Last Day: Internal vs. External Approaches Internal (Humanist-- aesthetics, history of the arts, critics, etc.) u art=mystery, spontaneous creation of isolated genius u importance of “aura” of individual artist for value of art work u timeless, enduring quality of beauty, perfection External (Social Sciences & cultural studies ) u social production of art u importance of social processes and networks for creation of belief in the arts u values change in different social & historic contexts

Debates regarding what art “represents” & position of artist in society u “reality” (nature), mimesis u world view in a specific place & time u product of solitary genius (Renaissance) u “system” of production & reception u social process (symbolic & material) u expression of the artist’s identity/vision u measure of differences in society Magritte, R. The Human Condition, 1935

Theories of Evolution of Societies Ex.: Archaic & Classical Greek Sculpture, Naturalism in Theatre Kouros, 6 c. BC Laocoon, 3rd c. BC

The Arts as a “Tracer” of Technological & Social Change u EXAMPLES: rediscovery of Bronze sculpture, Gutenburg press, audio recording, digital imaging

Political Dimensions of the Arts u ex. artistic movements and propaganda (ex. Stalinist Soviet Art)

Another example: Abstract Expressionism as symbol of democratic freedom

Example: Chris Ofili’s dung-covered Madonna & the Sensations show at the Brooklyn museum in fall 1999 n Catholic Mayor of New York offended, tried to shut it down & withdraw funding to museum n intentions? title of show (Sensations) n owned by patron Saatchi n rise in value of work, etc. n Culture Wars: notion of competing values (moral, aesthetic etc…)

Ofili’s Holy Mary

Offending Images-- and assumptions about what art communicates (Mitchell) n Two assumptions u Image linked transparently to what it represents (what is done to image is what it represents) u Image possesses capacity for feeling what is done to it (pseudopersons) n Less obvious factors in controversies u Offending images unstable and depends on complex social contexts & interactions that change u Images do not all offend in the same way u Images that offend many people inspire laws, policies u Offenses to images take different forms (iconoclasm, vandalism etc.) n More on this topic later

Zolberg-- “art object as social process” u Unique artists, unique art works (individual creation) u Problem of Multiples (negotiating artistic value)– Walter Benjamin u Changing views F Akrich—Beaune Altarpiece Altarpiece F Controversy over PBS jazz series u Different views (controversies) F Ex. Schwartz & Wagner-Pacifici on Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington D.C. Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial

Participants in art worlds -- Art Audiences/Publics mediators Creators Audiences/publics/consumers art

Different views of role of artist in Western art traditions u skilled worker, craftsperson (astrological sign, Mercury) u tormented genius (sign of Saturn) u Intellectual (French Academy of Painters and Sculptors) u entrepreneur u social critic/social healer

Andy Warhol

Campbell’s Soup

Marilyn

Electric chair

Artists’ Roles & status: Status of the artist u inadequacy of economic measures F Not just who makes a living from the arts u issue of “professionalization” F training, F laws, F self-regulating professional body for practitioners, F standards (practices, fees, income) etc. F model of professions in the liberal arts n Self identification

Howard Becker’s Art Worlds n Arts worlds include all the people involved in art-making n Cooperative links through shared conventions n Study how participants “draw lines” and what art worlds do

What do art worlds do together? n Develop conventions & shared practices related to creation (ex. musical notation systems) n Mobilize resources (material resources, training personnel, networks, organizations) n Develop Distribution Systems

Different types of artists (Becker) u Types F Integrated professionals F Mavericks F Folk artists F Naïve artists u Classification according to how they fit in art worlds (degree of integration)

Ranking Artists (Becker’s 4 types) n according to different ways of working & career patterns n 1. integrated professionals u fit with accepted conventions & canons held by organizations u well-trained --technical skills, shared traditions

2.Mavericks n innovative rebels against “system” n begin as conventional “novices” but deliberately violate norms of art world n techniques for success-- develop alternate systems for distribution n do not totally lose touch with world of their medium

example:KLF n Bill Drummond at the “Brit Awards”, 1993

3. Folk Art n link with community practices u ex. Duck decoys, quilts, chain-gang songs, Christmas pagents quilts n art serves needs, part of daily activities n follows aesthetic conventions, using established procedures (ex. Sorting scraps by colour) n often part of well-organized community, with informal training

4. Naïve Art n aka. “primitive” naïve, grassroots n indiosynmcratic u ex. James Hampton, Throne of the Third Heaven of the national Millenium General Assembly u ex. Art of children and the insane n outsiders u N.S. artist Maud Lewis, Henri Rousseau, Grandma Moses

Van Laar and Diepeveen on “The function of Artists in Society” u Another typology u Five roles: F Skilled worker F Intellectual F Entrepreneur F Social critic F Social healer u Other dimensions F Ex. Wittkower “Under the Sign of Saturn” Transformation from craftsperson to status of intellectual in humanistic professionTransformation from craftsperson to status of intellectual in humanistic profession

Concluding Remarks on the Definition of the Artist n Different criteria used in different contexts n Fundamental conceptual problems

Criteria used in classifying art & artists n “aura” of the artist (authenticity -- School of Frankfort, Walter Benjamin-- “Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”) n qualities of the art u artistic category u particular work n characteristics of the audience/public (notion of consecration) u “highbrow/lowbrow” tastes (Levine--The emergence of a cultural hierarchy in America) u SES u size

Conceptual & practical problems in studying artists & artistic careers n Establishing criteria for locating, identifiying artists n “Irrationality” of choices (P-M. Menger) u Ex. Choosing poorer pay for more prestigious roles as an actor n In modern times -- Clash between notions of u career (regularities, patterns ) u Artistic recognition (singularities, unique, break past)

Planning Short Assignments and Class Presentations n Handout 2 (tentative proposed dates) Handout 2 Handout 2 n Discussion of ideas for topics

Guest Speaker n Sylvia Roberts on research strategies for assignments and term papers

Note to Users of these Outlines-- n not all material covered in class appears on these outlines-- important examples, demonstrations and discussions aren’t written down here. n Classes are efficient ways communicating information and provide you will an opportunity for regular learning. These outlines are provided as a study aid not a replacement for classes.