Week 2, Assumptions, Belief Systems, and Myths

Cynthia Freeland's "Art Theory"

museums 'elitist' - p. 62

when westerners collect non-western art or view it in a museum we miss lots of its original context - p.45

to understand art, you need knowledge of all the theories

art from community - agrees with Dewey - cognitive enterprise
seems to agree with David Anderson - p.117

not all theories apply to all cultures
open minded, but catches herself when she's not
> 'authentic aboriginal' dance, selling CD's
she comments, 'why should he stay trapped in his tradition but not me?'

seems to favor formalist and contextualist analysis

market can spoil artworks
> believes in artist as an outsider - chpt on art markets - artists have some 'special' status

art as a 'continuous examination of our perceptual awareness...' - p.138

art is life spirit of community

we've always had art and always will continue to
- sensuous medium - Kant and aesthetics
significant form
presumption of a shared system of belief between artist, their time, and the community

relationship between art and nature - p.20
> catharsis? - spiritual awakening, paradigm shift
---> Damien Hirst and idea of death

art must have an essence

why blood and guts? - sensation, to cause a reaction

western understanding of things
> a-historicism - doesn't deal with question of time, liquid

writes as art as expression - 'art is a catalyst'
> resorts to a number of myths

Freeland seems to agree with notion that there is a universal vision that is shared by all
Professor seems to disagree with much of what Freeland argues