Art: Further Debates

We have examined successive attempts to define Art: the representational theory, the expression theory, formalism, the aesthetic theories. All attempted to provide comprehensive definitions of all art, but each of them appears inadequate in some way to identify all and every art.

On the one hand, people grew familiar with arts of other cultures. On the other hand there have been the diverse creations of the avant-garde, which with their radical departures from conventional practice consistently challenged settled ideas of art.

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Art: Further Debates PDF

Art is an Open Concept. Morris Weitz believed that the central error of preceding philosophers of art was that, by assuming that art could be defined, they treated art as a closed concept rather than as an open concept. It is an argument that any attempt to define/fix art must fail necessarily.

Morris Weitz’s Art as Open Concept argument. Art is expansive. Therefore, art must be open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty. If something is open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty, then it cannot be defined. Or, If art can be defined. Then, art is not open to the permanent possibility of radical change, expansion and novelty. Therefore, art is not art.

The method of Family Resemblances. The Neo-Wittgensteinians believed that art cannot be defined. The mistake was to attempt to define art essentially. They agreed that we need some way to identify art, but they thought the proper way to go about it is not to frame a definition of art and then to apply it to particular cases.

Following Wittgenstein, they thought the procedure that we should follow is what they called the method of family resemblances. Many of the concepts that we employ in everyday life largely go undefined: the concept of chair, the idea of games, etc.

Contemporary Theories of Art

1. The Institutional Theory of Art: Art is a social institution. Consult the relevant social practice on art –the art-world. Artist makes the art and art-world confers the status on it. The focus is on experts and practices.

2. Historical theory of Art: Some one should make/own it, and regard it as a work of art. Art goes through a chronological process.

3. Definition model to Narrative model: Look at the story of art-making. Identify narratives of a work of art coming into existence.

art, Art identification, what is art? art theories. contemporary debates on art

How to identify art?

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