What is Art? Who are artists? Theories about the relationship between Art & Society--continued (Socio-historic dimensions) Readings : Becker, Howard. “Art Worlds", and Bourdieu, Pierre. "Who Creates the 'Creator'?” & "The Circle of Belief” Inglis, David. “Thinking ‘Art’ Sociologically” Mitchell, W.J.T. “Offending Images..” Recommended: Becker “The power of inertia” Bill Viola “Crossings” (detail)

Art & Society example n Recall from last day: Videoclip: Excerpt from Cai Guo-Qiang interview: Art:21(Art in the 21st Century) PBS n Olympic Ceremony Controversy (enhancement of Guo-Qiangs’s Footprints of History” firework performance u

Today n Lecture on different theories about art worlds n Discussion of last week’s visit to Wack! (Vancouver Art Gallery special exhibition) n Discussion of Choices of Topics for First Presentations and Scheduling (Revision of Handout 2) n Field Trip to Gallery Gachet Gallery GachetGallery Gachet

Last Day(?)--Theories of Art and Society (Different Intellectual Traditions & Roots) u Humanistic disciplines (history, literary studies) F Formerly centered on great events, individuals, canons F Some interdisciplinary (ex. Cultural studies) F Iconographic & formalist frameworks u Visual and Performing Arts F perspective of art-makers & critics u Anthropology F functions of the arts & symbolic representations, “others” F ex. Religious, ritual u Psychology F cognition & perception u Philosophy F Aesthetics, knowledge etc. u Sociology & Communications –many approaches (focus of the course)

Last Day--Some “Common-sense” approaches to Art/Society Relations n Art as historical record (events, practices, values)-- notion of Zeitgeist (spirit of the time) or mentalities n Measure of civilization (with predictable stages of “development”) n Predictor or instigator of change (theories of the avant-garde)

Current Controversy over what art represents (EU public art project--Brussels) L-“The sculpture resembles a giant model kit with snap-out pieces.” (CBC) R-“Romania is depicted as a vampire theme park.” (CBC) See also CBC coverage (link) Jan link British (Telegraph) coverage and videovideo Bulgaria as a toilet linklink

Theories about changes in ideas about what art represents over time (Jurt) u rendering of “reality” (nature), mimesis, imitatio u as world view in a specific place & time u as product of solitary genius (Renaissance) u Artists’ vision (19th romanticism) u made by “system” of production & reception u Socio-political processes (symbolic & material)

Disciplinary Differences: Internal vs. External Approaches n “internal” (humanities) -- arts outside social processes u Artist=solitary creator, exceptional genius (humanistic approach) u Arts, aesthetics as “universal” n “external” (social sciences) --art world(s) socially constructed u importance of social context, processes & structures for understanding the production/creation, mediation & reception/consumption of the arts, recognition processes, their uses, functions, meanings

Some Internal Debates: “What is Art? Who Are Artists?” n emphasis on u Gifts, talent, innate characteristics (for Artists) u expression of eternal “truths”, aesthetics (for artists & possibly connoisseurs) F music Clip “Pain in my heart”, Otis Redding, R & B, Stax Volt “Pain in my heart”, “Pain in my heart”, F Ex. Notion that Greek Aesthetic Values (like Ideals of Beauty & Bodily Proportions) express universals What are “problems” with this?

Internal Approaches --What is Art and Who are Artists? (cont’d) F Styles, tastes and systems of ranking art forms – avant-garde vs. traditionalists etc. –Genres, art forms –Types of art F Canons –essential components of dominant art system, influential artworks that participants must know & understand F place of social & historical processes in defining art & what/who gets included in canons

Ex. Marcel Duchamp--Readymade Sculptures vs. conventional techniques (challenging definitions of what is art) Fountain, original (left) and recreations of lost 1917 “Original” Who decides what is art?– the artist, experts, publics??

Other Challenges to the Canon: Mona Lisa & Duchamp (l.)Leonardo DaVinci’s so-called Mona Lisa c. 1503; (r.) Marcel Duchamp’s L.H.O.O.Q, 1920 for a Paris Dada show.

Cont.: Mona Lisa & Non- western cultural traditions (l.)Leonardo DaVinci’s so-called Mona Lisa c. 1503; (r.)Book cover from Cultural Studies for Beginners by Sardar & Van Loon.

Ex. “Differencing the Canon” n Guerilla Girls poster

References to Artistic Canons as way of establishing credibility & authority within art worlds Jean August Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque (1814), oil on canvas.

Another Example Manet Olympia 1863.

Yasumasa Morimura Twins

“Externalist” Views u art should be contextualized (situate in social & historic contexts) u search for patterns (regularity) rather than exceptions F What do successful artists have in common? F What do fans share? F How do institutions function? u wider range of art forms studied (high culture, pop culture etc..) u Stronger focus on institutions & processes of F Production-creation (training, collaboration networks etc.)(training, collaboration networks etc.) F Mediation (gatekeepers, facilitators etc.)(gatekeepers, facilitators etc.) F Reception, consumption (tastes, audiences, publics, markets)(tastes, audiences, publics, markets)

Importance of social processes for recognition of the arts & artists: Visitors to the Louvre Museum in front of Mona Lisa

Second Part of Class this week : Visit to Gallery Gachet--- n Name: Dr. Gachet (homeopathic doctor, Vincent Van Gogh portrait, 1890) n Mandate—dissident artists, community involvement n Website

Location of Gallery Gachet n 88 Cordova St E (between Carroll and Colombia—about 4 ½ blocks east of Richards– use north side to avoid construction, then cross) n Mapquest link link

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.

If Time--Big Issues: Relations between Types of art & types of societies— u Proposes that art reflects material & symbolic conditions F ex. Class differences in tastes F Marxist notions, & theories of reflection (Arnold Hauser,Theodor Adorno) n Art may also communicate social values, norms,missiions n BUT Hotly contested (especially by contemporary artists)

Later in course: Questions about Art, Class and Power n oppression (propaganda, hegemony of elite)? n Reproduction of inequalities? n Civilizing Process? n Emancipation & social change? u art has potential to liberate therefore NOT mechanical reflection of society

Another suggested reading n “Is art good for us?” Joli Jenson u Critique of instrumental logic (transmission models of communication) F Good (taste in) art=good people?