Table of Contents
Contents
ILLUSTRATIONS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
1. Artworlds and Definitions: How That Became Art
Art
Honorific Definitions of "Art"
The Open Definition
Classificatory Definitions
Aesthetics
Art Criticism
Description, Interpretation, Judgment, and Theory
Critics on Criticizing
Criticizing Criticism
Criticism and Aesthetics
Skepticism about Art, Aesthetics, and Criticism
Aesthetics, Art Criticism, and Visual Culture
Aestheticians, Artists, Critics, and Readers
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
2. Realism: Art Is Realistic, Truthful, and Beautiful
A Brief Overview of Realism
Greek Theories of Realism in Art
Plato
Aristotle
Issues Related to Realism
Kitsch
Pornography
Obscenity and Censorship
Photography, Reality, and Truth
What Does It Mean to Say That a Work Is "Realistic"?
Works of Art by Jeff Koons
Critical Commentary on Koons's Work
Koons's Thoughts about His Own Work
Paintings by Alexis Rockman
Critical Commentary on Rockman's Paintings
Rockman's Thoughts about His Own Work
Photographs by Andres Serrano
Critical Commentary on Serrano's Photographs
Serrano's Thoughts about His Own Work
Conclusion
Realism and Artists
Realism and Artworks
Realism and Audiences
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
3. Expressionism and Cognitivism: Art Shows Feelings, Communicates Thoughts, and Provides Knowledge
Expressionism and Cognitivism
Expressionist and Cognitivist Theories of Art
Leo Tolstoy
Benedetto Croce
R. G. Collingwood
Suzanne Langer
John Dewey
Nelson Goodman
Arthur Danto
Metaphor
Psychoanalytic Theory
Marxist Aesthetics
Joan Mitchell, Painter
Critical Commentary on Mitchell's Paintings
Mitchell's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Mitchell and Expressionism
Louise Bourgeois, Sculptor
Critical Commentary on Bourgeois's Sculptures
Bourgeois's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Bourgeois and Expressionism
Kiki Smith, Printmaker and Sculptor
Critical Commentary on Smith's Work
Smith's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Smith and Cognitivism
The Problem of Artistic Intent
Limitations of Expressionism and Cognitivism
Strengths of Expressionism and Cognitivism
Conclusion
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artists
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Artworks
Expressionism, Cognitivism, and Audiences
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
4. Formalism: Art Is Significant Form
Precursors to Formalism
Is Beauty Objective or Subjective?
St. Thomas Aquinas
David Hume
Hume on Art Criticism
Early Formalism: Aesthetic Attitude and Aesthetic Experience
Disinterestedness
Decontextualization
Aestheticization
The Sublime
Immanuel Kant
G. W. F. Hegel
Twentieth-Century Formalism
Early Modern Abstractionists: Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich
Clive Bell
Clement Greenberg
Structuralism
Ferdinand de Saussure
Roland Barthes
Structuralism and Formalism
Agnes Martin: Paintings and Drawings
Critical Commentary on Martin's Work
Martin's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Joel Shapiro: Sculptures
Critical Commentary on Shapiro's Work
Shapiro's Thoughts about His Own Work
Andy Goldsworthy: Environmental Sculptures
Critical Commentary on Goldsworthy's Work
Goldsworthy's Thoughts about His Own Work
Martin, Shapiro, Goldsworthy, and Formalism
Strengths and Weaknesses of Formalism
Conclusion
Formalism and Artists
Formalism and Artworks
Formalism and Audiences
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
5. Postmodern Pluralism: Art Destabilizes the Good, the True, the Beautiful, and the Self
Precursors to Poststructuralism and Postmodernism
Friedrich Nietzsche
Critical Theory, the Frankfurt School, and Neo-Marxism
Poststructuralism
Jacques Lacan
Michel Foucault
Julia Kristeva
Jacques Derrida
Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari
Richard Rorty
Slavoj Ži#382;ek
Feminism
Postmodernism
Jean-François Lyotard
Jean Baudrillard
Fredric Jameson
Postcolonialism
Cindy Sherman: Photographs
Critical Commentary on Sherman's Photographs
Sherman's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Cindy Sherman and Postmodern Pluralism
Lorna Simpson: Photographs with Words
Critical Commentary on Simpson's Work
Simpson's Thoughts about Her Own Work
Lorna Simpson and Postmodern Pluralism
Paul McCarthy: Performances, Videos, and Sculptures
Critical Commentary on McCarthy's Work
McCarthy's Thoughts about His Own Work
McCarthy and Postmodern Pluralism
Strengths and Weaknesses of Postmodern Pluralism
Approaches to Postmodern Artmaking
Escaping the Confines of Museums
Collapsing Boundaries Between "High" and "Low"
Rejecting "Originality"
Jouissance
Working Collaboratively
Appropriating
Simulating
Hybridizing
Mixing Media
Layering
Mixing Codes
Recontextualizing
Confronting the Gaze
Facing the Abject
Constructing Identities
Using Narratives
Creating Metaphors
Using Irony, Parody, and Dissonance
Conclusion
Postmodern Pluralism and Artists
Postmodern Pluralism and Artworks
Postmodern Pluralism and Audiences
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
6. Conclusion
Why Is Hanging Garden Art?
Art by Definitions
Hanging Garden and Realism
Hanging Garden and Cognitive Expressionism
Hanging Garden and Formalism Considerations
Hanging Garden and Postmodern Pluralism
Why Is Jellyfish Eyes Art?
Jellyfish Eyes and Realism
Jellyfish Eyes and Cognitive Expressionism
Jellyfish Eyes and Formalism
Jellyfish Eyes and Postmodern Pluralism
Why Is Do We Dream Under the Same Sky Art?
Do We Dream Under the Same Sky and Realism
Do We Dream Under the Same Sky and Cognitive Expressionism
Do We Dream Under the Same Sky and Formalism
Do We Dream Under the Same Sky and Postmodern Pluralism
Purposes of Art
Selecting Criteria
A Single Criterion or Multiple Criteria for All Works of Art
Questions for Further Reflection
Notes
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
