Techne Theory

Techne Theory
Author: Henry Staten
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2019-02-21
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1472592913

Only since the Romantic period has art been understood in terms of an ineffable aesthetic quality of things like poems, paintings, and sculptures, and the art-maker as endowed with an inexplicable power of creation. From the Greeks to the 18th century, art was conceived as techne--the skill and know-how by which things and states of affairs are ordered. Techne Theory shows how to use this concept to cut through the Romantic notion of art as a kind of magic by returning to the original sense of art as techne, the standpoint of the person who actually knows how to make a work of art. Understood as techne, art-making, like all other cultural accomplishments, is a form of work performed by an artisan who has inherited the know-how of previous generations of artisans. Along the way, Techne Theory cuts through the humanist-structuralist impasse over the question of artistic agency and explains what 'form' really means.

The Theory of the Arts

The Theory of the Arts
Author: Francis Edward Sparshott
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 742
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1400857015

In a systematic overview of classical and modern contributions to aesthetics, Professor Sparshott argues that all four lines of theory, and no others, are necessary to coherent thinking about art. Originally published in 1982. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Theory of Performing Arts

Theory of Performing Arts
Author: André Helbo
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
Total Pages: 162
Release: 1987-01-01
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9027224099

n recent years, the post structuralist theories seem to have created a split in theatrological research. But, as André Helbo analyses in this book , a dialectic theory of the semiotic and the symbolic exchange bring to light a specific paradigm. From his wide experience as a semiotician and a theatrologist, the author has developed an analysis for the theory of spectacle. Focusing his study on a critical theory of the performing arts, and examining the fundamental controversies, he then offers new perspectives and new instruments of analysis: the social aspects, readability/visibility, coherence, the spectacle contract.

All About Process

All About Process
Author: Kim Grant
Publisher: Penn State Press
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2017-02-28
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0271079495

In recent years, many prominent and successful artists have claimed that their primary concern is not the artwork they produce but the artistic process itself. In this volume, Kim Grant analyzes this idea and traces its historical roots, showing how changing concepts of artistic process have played a dominant role in the development of modern and contemporary art. This astute account of the ways in which process has been understood and addressed examines canonical artists such as Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, and De Kooning, as well as philosophers and art theorists such as Henri Focillon, R. G. Collingwood, and John Dewey. Placing “process art” within a larger historical context, Grant looks at the changing relations of the artist’s labor to traditional craftsmanship and industrial production, the status of art as a commodity, the increasing importance of the body and materiality in art making, and the nature and significance of the artist’s role in modern society. In doing so, she shows how process is an intrinsic part of aesthetic theory that connects to important contemporary debates about work, craft, and labor. Comprehensive and insightful, this synthetic study of process in modern and contemporary art reveals how artists’ explicit engagement with the concept fits into a broader narrative of the significance of art in the industrial and postindustrial world.

What Do Artists Know?

What Do Artists Know?
Author: James Elkins
Publisher: Penn State Press
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2012
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0271054247

"Brings together historians, philosophers, critics, curators, artists, and educators to ask how art is and should be taught. Explores the theories that underwrite art education at all levels, the pertinent history of art education, and the most promising current conceptualizations"--Provided by publisher.

The End of Diversity in Art Historical Writing

The End of Diversity in Art Historical Writing
Author: James Elkins
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2020-12-07
Genre: Art
ISBN: 311072247X

The End of Diversity in Art Historical Writing is the most globally informed book on world art history, drawing on research in 76 countries. In addition some chapters have been crowd sourced: posted on the internet for comments, which have been incorporated into the text. It covers the principal accounts of Eurocentrism, center and margins, circulations and atlases of art, decolonial theory, incommensurate cultures, the origins and dissemination of the "October" model, problems of access to resources, models of multiple modernisms, and the emergence of English as the de facto lingua franca of art writing.

Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction

Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Cynthia Freeland
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2003-02-13
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0191579327

In today's art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this Very Short Introduction Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, alongside the latest research on the brain's role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A Theory of Art

A Theory of Art
Author: Karol Berger
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2000
Genre: Aesthetics
ISBN: 0195158520

This philosophical theory of art has three main objectives: to shift the focus of aesthetics from What is art? to What is art for?; to describe the social and historical situation of art today; and to combine aesthetics with poetics and hermeneutics.

Theory for Art History

Theory for Art History
Author: Jae Emerling
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2019-06-06
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1136288708

Theory for Art History provides a concise and clear introduction to key contemporary theorists, including their lives, major works, and transformative ideas. Written to reveal the vital connections between art history, aesthetics, and contemporary philosophy, this expanded second edition presents new ways for rethinking the methodologies and theories of art and art history. The book comprises a complete revision of each theorist; updated and trustworthy bibliographies on each; an informative introduction about the reception of critical theory within art history; and a beautifully written, original essay on the state of art history and theory that serves as an afterword. From Marx to Deleuze, from Arendt to Rancière, Theory for Art History is designed for use by undergraduate students in courses on the theory and methodology of art history, graduate students seeking an introduction to critical theory that will prepare them to engage the primary sources, and advanced scholars in art history and visual culture studies who are themselves interested in how these perspectives inflect art historical practice. Adapted from Theory for Religious Studies by William E. Deal and Timothy K. Beal.

Now is the Time

Now is the Time
Author: Jelle Bouwhuis
Publisher: Nai010 Publishers
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2009
Genre: Art
ISBN:

Anthology of essays about seven pressing social and art-specific themes that encompass the full scope of the force-field of the visual arts. Renowned international theorists and promising young art critics and curators share their visions on a range of issues in accessible essays: What is the impact of 9/11 on our visual culture and the visual arts? What role does religion play in polarization? What are the consequences of ongoing globalization for the visual arts? How can we explain the revival of interest in canons and what function do they attribute to art? These socially engaged themes are alternated with topics that are traditionally more rooted in art, such as the return of Romanticism, the relative novelty of new media in the 'post-medium' era, and the utopian ideals of design. With such a varied selection of subjects and authors, the book builds a bridge between art and theory as well as between art and society, at a level attuned to academic discourse yet at the same time accessible for a wide-ranging public with an interest in art.