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What is art? What is society?

In this introductory lecture we will think about the concept of art and how it shapes cultural production. We will question notions of aesthetics and how cultural ideologies play an important role in setting up the ways in which we look at, judge, and acknowledge art.

This digital artwork shows six pannels that form a whole image which has plant like golden decorations on a red and blue background. A distorted image of Gilbert and George sitting on a chair is shown at each side. The title of the work 'Planned 2007' is shown at the bottom of the pannels.

Task 1

Reading

Redfern, Betty (1998) "What is Art?" (opens in a new window). In Routledge Dance Studies Reader, Alexandra Carter (ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 125-134.

In her chapter, Redfern exposes the difficulty of defining the term 'art'. Read this text and complete the following exercises.

1

Art criteria

According to Redfern's text, what are the factors that help us determine if something can be considered art? Do you agree with these conditions? Why or why not?

In this chapter Redfern mentions the following factors for identifying art:

  1. Produced within an institutional framework.
  2. A public manifestation (as opposed to private).
  3. The production of sensuous or tangible works.
  4. Something that derives from and contributes to culture.
  5. A social activity.
  6. Something produced intentionally under the concept of art.
  7. Something produced against a background of inherited standards and traditions.
  8. Something that demands new kinds of responses and behaviours.
Check your answer

2

Examples of art

Find on the internet an example of something you consider art and justify it according to the factors mentioned by Redfern.

This is an open response. Here you have a sample answer.

This is an oil painting of a French young woman on a red and gold chair. She is looking towards the front dressed in black with a golden shawl on her left shoulder. She is holding a fan on her right hand and has a long necklace, a ring and some bracelets. Her hair is brown, parted in the middle and tied at the back.

This painting is an example of art because it was intentionally done by a well-known artist, Jean August Ingres, who produced this work in 1807 following the art tradition of portrait painting of the upper-class. For this painting he uses standard artistic materials such as oil on canvas but in a reduced chromatic range displaying a great influence by previous painters of the Western cultural tradition such as Rafael.

Check your answer

Forum

Ask three of your friends or family members the question "What is art?" record their answers in writing and post them on the class discussion forum before your lesson.

This is a photograph of the exterior of the Royal Pavillion in Brighton. It shows an oriental like building surrounded by a garden. It is an all white palace with domes, towers and minarets.

Recommended Reading

These are other online readings (open in a new window) related to this topic.

Blanchard, O. (2012). "And now, something completely different: a word about art" The Brand Builder Blog. Available at: http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/and-now-something-completely-different-a-word-about-art/

Gompertz, W. (2012). "Which of these artworks is worth £7.9million?" Stylist Magazine, Issue 139. pp.73-74. Available at: http://issue.stylist.co.uk/1B503b66567f69d639.cde/page/1