Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 1

Danto on the Artworld

Arthur Danto. “The Artworld.” The Journal of Philosophy (1964): In Wartenberg.

Mimetic theory (IT - Imitation Theory) was commonplace until the rise of photography in the 19th century.

How can we account for the vast variety of art after Post-Impressionism?

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 2

Danto on the Artworld

What is needed is a new theory which can take into account all of Post-Impressionist art, a theory which regards this art as much genuine art, that is, real -- as the art of the Imitation theory. Danto calls this proposal for a

successor theory RT (for Reality Theory?)

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 3

Danto on the Artworld

Contemporary art which raises questions about whether this works are really art? The art of Roy Lichtenstein (U.S., b.

1923) Jasper Johns (U.S., b. 1930) Robert Rauschenberg (U.S., b. 1925) Claes Oldenburg (Sweden, U.S., b.

1929)

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 4

Danto on the Artworld

It is easy to mistake some of their artworks for the “real” thing. How can we distinguish? When we say this is a work of art and not a Brillo box, what is the sense of artistic identification of the “is”? Note that the acceptance of one

identification rather than another is the acceptance of one world rather than another.

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 5

Danto on the Artworld

Andy Warhol Brillo   1964

plywood boxes with serigraph and acrylicboxes: 43.2 x 43.2 x 35.6 cm eachPurchased 1967National Gallery of Canada (no. 15298.1-8)

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 6

Danto on the Artworld

How can we recognize a painting of a pure white or black field as a work of art rather than a wall or window covering? “To see something as art requires

something the eye cannot decry – an atmosphere of artistic theory, a knowledge of the history of art: an artworld” (218).

Andy Warhol’s Brillo boxes

Art criticism: part 2 ~ slide 7

Danto on the Artworld

The idea of regarding art styles as a matrix. As the matrix expands, the Artworld becomes richer. Even all minuses on one row of the matrix only makes sense within the context of the pluses.